Silay: "Paris of Negros" -- A Romance with History

SILAY CAME INTO BEING. More pirate raids escalated on the second half of the 18th century thus forcing the corregidores of Negros to adopt the policy of flight rather than resistance. Popular belief stated that many of the people living in Carobcob and nearby places left their homes sometime in 1760 and settled in a new place between two small rivers, Matagoy and Panaogao. For protection against Moro pirate raiders, a palisade (estacada) was constructed. The place was named "Silay" because of the abundance of Kansilay trees growing in the area. [Please refer to The Legend of Kansilay]

Silay was founded in 1760. This was contained in the 1772 report of Governor Juan Jose de Mijares (1772-1775) mentioning Silay was a leading town in the North. In 1776, the Bishop of Cebu considered Silay as the center of the parish (from Matab-ang River to Tanjay).

The last major Moro raid in the shorelines of Silay was in 1829. More or less one hundred adults were captured by the pirates... some coming from Bacolod and Talisay.

In 1873 Buen Retiro (Guinhalaran) was founded. The new town was two kilometers away from Silay. It was placed in definitive union with Silay in 1860. In 1840, Fr. Eusebio Locsin (1840-1882) and Gobernadorcillo Damian Samson worked hard for the welfare of the town and the church. Fr. Locsin encouraged his families in Iloilo to settle in Silay because of the promising sugar industry.

SUGAR, SILAY'S PARTNER IN DEVELOPMENT. In 1846, Gaston Yves Leopold Germain (later known as German Gaston) from Normandy, France who married a woman from Batangas installed the first horno economico (sugar mill) in Buen Retiro. He planted Habana and Puerto Rico sugarcane which he himself bought from French Isles of Mauritius and Bourbonne. (The cane points were first planted in Batangas, then Iloilo by Gaston himself.)

The Gaston sugar was costing P1.00 per picul while others were sold at P0.85 per picul in 1896.

In 1860 Simeon Ledesma and Juan Hilado arrived in Silay and established haciendas at Bagacay. In the later years other families from Iloilo followed: Locsins, de la Ramas, Jalandonis. Crown lands later were purchased by Filipinos (1885-1892): Vicente Conlu, Crescenciano Araneta, Severo de la Rarna, Anecito Montelibano, Mariano de la Rama, Santiago Suanico, Evaristo Yemo, Isidro Hilado, Bernabe Moralidad and Meliton Canas.

Cornelio Hilado, Melecio Severino, Vito Marifosque and the Gamboas developed farm areas in Guimbalaon in 1880. The place is 14 kilometers east of Silay. In 1890 Guimabalaon became an independent parish. On June 6, 1894 a Royal Order provided for its formal separation from Silay. It became an independent town.

THE EPIDEMIC SYNDROME. Negros suffered heavy crop losses in 1878, however Silay was spared from starvation because of the aid extended by the hacienderos of Silay. But Silay was not spared by a malaria epidemic. Its mortality was one of the three highest in Negros (1883).

Silay, with six other towns, was heavily victimized by cholera epidemic from 1882 to 1889. Reports stated that 2,906 were killed.

On July 11-18, 1889 another mysterious killer disease struck the town. It claimed 350 lives before it was diagnosed to be nervous colic.

The first drugstore in Silay was owned by Dr. Jose Lope de la Rama. Four years later Jose Hilado opened another one. These drugstores were great help when a small pox epidemic erupted in Silay in April 1896.

THE UPS AND DOWNS OF SILAY. From 1863 to 1892 Silay was hit by ten heavy storms, the worst of which was on March 30, 1863 --- cane fields were brought flat to the ground; ships anchored on harbors were dispersed and hundreds of houses destroyed. On May 10, 1896 the center of the storm crossed Guimbalaon. It destroyed the crops, the church, the convent, the courthouse, the school.

Ramon Tinsay, one of the first graduates of the Norman School in Manila, opened a school in Silay in 1878. Two years later he resigned because of a meager salary. Another teacher took over his place and was given a higher salary, P15.00 a month, a substitute teacher was paid P6.50 a month.

The first boat service between Silay and the different towns in Negros was operated by the de la Ramas. On October 1, 1894 a telegraph station was inaugurated in Silay.

In 1890, the Silay-Saravia road was constructed with the guidance of Fr. Francisco Rada, Parish priest of Saravia and Fr. Patricio Adel, parish priest of Silay. The Silaynons provided the bricks for the culverts and the residents of both towns volunteeredto work.

A municipal building was constructed in Guimbalaon in 1892. In 1893 a courthouse was erected. Misses Dolores Aguilar and Manuela Escamillo opened the first private college for girls in Guimbalaon on June 5, 1894.

Silay planters were supportive of a continuing education program. The Silay Planters' Association was organized and a Silaynon, Cornelio Hilado was elected leader in a Sugarcane Planters Congress held in Iloilo on April 1, 1888.

THE REVOLUTION OF 1896. When the nationwide Revolution of 1896 broke out there was a division between the planters of Silay and the clergy. There were planters and clergy who supported the rebels' cause while some were against the revolution.

Alejandro Montelibano, a Silaynon who came from a prominent family, was arrested and sentenced guilty of plotting against the Crown. He was suspected of being a sympathizer of the Tagalog rebels. Later, he was exiled to Guam.

THE CRY AT EL 5 DE NOVIEMBRE. Upon the request of the Iloilo Revolutionary Council to start hostilities, Gen Aniceto Lacson of Talisay, the military commander for Northern Negros, went to Silay on November 3 to meet Nicolas Golez, deputy military commander, Leandro Locsin and Melecio Severino. They set the date for the uprising --- November 5, 1898. Messengers were sent out to inform the hacienderos to bring the troops armed with bolos and machete. The pistols and rifles were not even enough to arm 15 people.

On November 4, the Silaynon rebels cut off all telegraphic wires. The repairman was sent to Silay but the residents did not want to reconnect the wires.

Cinco de Noviembre played a significant role in the history of Silay. On that day at about 2:00 in the afternoon, Silaynons gathered in the street corner (now known as 5 de Noviembre Street) and from there they proceeded to the Spanish garrison near the Catholic Church.

It was a bloodless revolution in Silay. At first, the Spanish civil guards refused to surrender but after the negotiation with the revolutionaries through the help of Juan Viaplana, a local Spaniard, they surrendered. The agreement papers mentioned that the civil guards gave up only after a heroic resistance against overwhelming odds. It was done that way to save Spanish honors.

The Philippine flag made by Olympia Severino, Eutropia Yorac and Perpetua Severino was raised for the first time at the plaza on that memorable day - Saturday, November 5, 1898. Present on that occasion were the leaders of the Silay Revolution: Nicolas Golez, Leandro Rama Locsin, Melecio Severino and Vicente Gamboa Benedicto.

Leandro Locsin was acclaimed temporary president after signing of the terms of surrender.

After the surrender, Timoteo Unson and a group of Silaynons marched to Talisay to join forces with the Talisaynons for the attack of Bacolod. The other revolutionaries stayed in Silay under the command of Vicente Benedicto Gamboa.

SILAYNONS OPTED TO FIGHT THE AMERICANS. When the Americans landed in Negros, many Silaynons fought against them to preserve their newly gained independence. Among those who resisted American soldiers were Melecio Severino, Miguel and Luis Genete, Melecio's nephews, and a certain police lieutenant who went to the hills later and joined the battle at Guintabuan. These men, however, surrendered later and were given amnesty.

Luis Ginete refused to accept America's rule. He continued fighting and was believed to have died during the battle at Guintabuan. The Battle of Guintabuan was the last and the most bloody encounter between the American forces and the combined soldiers of Silay and Saravia. Many Silaynons perished in that battle.

Today, there's a monument which stands near Saravia Cemetery along the North highway honoring the freedom fighters of Silay and Saravia.

Melecio Severino was first arrested for his alleged involvement with anti-American forces but he was released in September 1899 for lack of evidence. A month later, he was elected civil governor of Negros under the Negros Constitution. The Americans, however, felt uneasy of Severino who was anti-American.

American Military Governor General E. W. Miner ordered the arrest of Severino and Atty. General Dionisio Mapa for an alleged plot against the American government. The Americans appointed Jose Luzuriaga to replace Severino. Leandro Locsin was appointed civil governor when Jose Luzuriaga was appointed to the Philippine Commission.

SILAY, PARIS OF NEGROS. Silay was famous for its imports of artists and cultural shows. It became the "Paris of Negros". This credit went to Jose "Pitong" Ledesma, a Silaynon pianist, conductor and philantropist. He composed sonatas. His Tanda de Valse was considered his masterpiece. It was he who brought operattas and zarzuelas from Europe to Silay. Kahirup, Silay's old theater, was the center of these activities.

The church of San Diego de Alcala was designed by Verasconi, an Italian architect.

Silay Institute started in 1925 and St. Theresita's Academy was opened in 1934 under the presidency of Sergio Montinola.

In 1935, two sons of Silay, Dr. Jose C. Locsin and Juan L. Ledesma served as delgates to the Constitutional Convention representing Negros Occidental. The latter was the benefactor of the land upon which the present Emilio Gaston Memorial Elementary School stands, the second elementary school to be established.

THE FATE OF SILAY WHARF. In 1936, the economic growth of Silay slowed down when Banago wharf was opened in Bacolod as an alternative to Silay Wharf which had become shallow because of siltation. The teeming community near the Silay Wharf gradually faded.

JAPANESE INVASION OF NEGROS. The invasion of Negros was the last of the operations of Japanese Imperial Army in Visayas. The elements of the Nagano Detachment were assigned the task of occupying Negros and the date set for the invasion was May 3, 1942.

The Negros force headquarters under Col. McLennan who was later relieved by Col. Hillsman organized defensive position in Negros. The island was divided into 4 sub-sectors. Each sub-sector was provided with sufficient equipment and supplies to enable it to engage in guerilla warfare.

Silay, Bacolod and other towns northwest of Negros belonged to sub-sector III under Major Ernesto Mata. He blew up the pier, gasoline tanks and other installations. Surprised at the indication of resistance, the Japanese swung around to the North towards Talisay and called for their places to bomb and strafe the beaches.

The Japanese occupation of Silay was peaceful. There was not much resistance. A few officers and enlisted men complied with the orders of Col. Hillsman to surrender but two sub-sector commanders, Majors Mata and Abcede remained steadfast in the determination to carry on the resistance. Their remaining troops became the nucleus of the Negros guerilla force.

Silay-Saravia area was under Lt. Castillo. Castillo and his men succeeded in several of their ambush operations against the Japanese patrol.

Vieto Pacete, Castillo's guerilla unit ace hitman was successful in pinning down Manuel Intay, dreadful Filipino spy who connived with the merciless kempei-tai (Japanese military police) during their encounter in Matagoy.

Other Silaynons who hated Japanese masters went to the mountains to join the guerilla units. Those who stayed in the poblacion still supported the guerillas through financial aid and by relaying communication to the guerilla commanders.

When the American 40th Division FOrces landed in Pulupandan on March 29, 1945, the main Japanese forces converged in Silay, Marapara and Mandalagan mountains.

Patag, a settlement in Silay, was used by the Japanese soldiers as their last line of defense. Here the Japanese suffered heavy air and land attacks. Despite heavy casualties and starvation, the Japanese refused to surrender.

POST WAR SILAY. Rehabilitation during the early days of liberation was the biggest problem in Silay. Unemployment was rampant. Thousands of Silaynons were starving and suffering from diseases. Atty. Ricardo Ledesma was appointed mayor of Silay right after the liberation. His vice mayor was Alfonso Severino. They tried to provide temporary shelter, employment and medical care to the residents.

In 1946, President Manuel Roxas appointed Antonio G. Gaston mayor of Silay. With the help of a loan of P48,000.00 from the Rehabilitation Finance Corporation, he was able to construct a meat and fish market to provide for an easy flow of commodities. His successor Lope Severino (1951-1955) continued the development of Silay, expanding the market in Central Hawaiian and extending the old one in the town proper.

SILAY BECAME A CHARTERED CITY. In 1951 Dr. Jose C. Locsin won a seat in the Senate and in 1955, Romulo Golez became mayor of Silay. In that same year, Jose Puey of Sagay and Carolos Hilado of Bacolod also won seats in the House of Representatives.

The two congressmen with the help of Mayor Golez and Sen. Locsin worked for the passage of House Bill No. 6096 which became Republic Act No. 1621, otherwise known as the Charter of Silay City. The day of the Charter's approval was June 12, 1957. Silay was the second town in Negros Occidental to become a city.

In the election of 1967, Natalio G. Velez, Jr. was elected mayor of Silay City. He replaced Jose Locsin Jr.. Velez held political leadership until 1986 (19 years). A month after President Ferdinand E. Marcos was toppled down by the People's Power Revolution, Carlos "Titus" Jalandoni was designated OIC in the Office of the City Mayor by the Ministry of Local Government.

In January 1988 local elections, Ramon "Titot" Jison and Randolf Locsin were elected mayor and vice mayor respectively. In May 1992, Edwin D. Velez and Warlito A. Go were elected mayor and vice mayor respectively. During the Velez administration, Silay was adjudged "Most Outstanding City Government in Western Visayas" by the Civil Service Commission.

To date the Velez-Go tandem with the cooperation of the City Council has been hailed by the Silaynons for their excellent infrastructure projects; concern for the development of culture-tourism and sports; extensive livelihood program; intensive health care operations; promotion of commerce, trade and industry; spiritual-moral upliftment through enhancement seminars; conservation of natural resources; concerted effort for the attainment of peace and order, and punctual delivery of basic and social services.