BRIDGING THE GAP
Negros Island during the Spanish period
When the Spaniards started exploring the Philippine archipelago, beginning in 1565, Negros did not escape their attention. Esteban Rodriguez and his men, members of the Legaspi expedition, were claimed to be the first white men to set foot on the shores of Negros (Alcina 1960). The Spaniards observed that the island, called by the natives as Buglas, were inhabited by black people; thus, they gave the name Negros. Miguel de Loarca, one of the early encomenderos based in Panay, pointed out in 1582 that the side of Negros facing Panay was quite populated while the one opposite Cebu was sparsely inhabited (Blair & Robertson, 1903-1909).
The early missionaries who were the first to evangelize Negros in 1570s were the Augustinians. In 1575, they established a mission in Binalbagan and in 1584, in Ilog. The mission work in the eastern side began in 1580 with the founding of Tanjay, which at that time encompassed the sitios of Dumaguete, Marabago (Bacong), Manolongon (part of Sta. Catalina), and Siaton (Ruiz, 1925). Soon after, the Recollects arrived in the island and continued the proselytizing work started by the Augustinians. Other religious orders, like the Jesuits and the Dominicans, eventually, followed suit. In the latter part of the Spanish rule, especially during the 19th century, the secular clergy took over the administration of the parishes in Negros but due to the shortage of secular priests, the task of administering the parishes was once again entrusted to the Recollects. This was in 1849, which event was followed by the admission of native young women in the seminary for training in priesthood. The plan was for the Filipino priests to take over the parishes that were temporarily occupied by the Spanish regular clergy.
During that period of time, the western section of the island called Negros Occidental was administered from Iloilo, while Negros Oriental was governed from Cebu. It was not until 1734 that the island was set up into a separate military district under the rule of a corregidor, a Spanish military officer, who took care of the collection of tributes and in the administration of justice (Martinez 1893). Its capital was established in Ilog, later transferred to Himamaylan and, eventually, moved to Bacolod in 1849. The decision to make Bacolod as the capital stemmed from its proximity to the newly developed areas of northern Negros, later consisting of the towns of Cadiz, Manapla, Minuluan (Talisay), Saravia, Silay, Victorias, and others (Cullamar 1986).
The rapid growth and development of Negros came about in the second half of the 19th century. It coincided with the opening of the Port of Iloilo to world trade in 1855 and the subsequent development of the sugar industry in the region. The island was declared as an independent politico-military province in 1856 and appointed as the first politico-military governor was Emilio Saravia. The 1850s up to the end of the Spanish rule witnessed the exodus of Iloilo's well-to-do families to Negros and developed large haciendas in that island, whose owners later came to be called hacienderos or "sugar barons". Following in the wake of these hacienderos were the poorer class of migrant workers that provided the necessary labor in these haciendas, who later became collectively known as sacadas. One writer, Francisco Varona (1958) referred to this mass crossing to Negros as "la imigracion Ilongga". Another writer, R. Echauz (1894), noted how many towns were founded, churches built, and mills established by "insulares de Jaro y Molo." Negros Oriental was also getting its share of migrants from Cebu and Bohol during the second half of the 19th century, although on a smaller scale compared to the western side. Negros, in effect, became the "El Dorado" or promised land to these people coming from the neighboring islands. Thus, according to Echauz, from the estimated 30,000 inhabitants of the whole island in 1850, it had soared to 320,606 by 1893.
Administratively, it was not until 1890 that Negros was split into two provinces, each put under a politico-military governor. Bacolod remained as the capital of Negros Occidental while Dumaguete was chosen as the capital of Negros Oriental. Siquijor Island, which was formerly part of Bohol, was annexed to Negros Oriental (Cullamar 1986). The Negrenses defeated the Spaniards in the revolution of 1898 but submitted to the Americans shortly after. In 1899, with the establishment of the American military government in the archipelago, the whole island of Negros was briefly unified politically. The island was once again divided into two provinces in 1901 with the institution of the American civil government.