BRIDGING THE GAP
Ilonggo migration and the rise of towns in northern Negros
The Ilonggo migration from Iloilo to Negros in the late 19th century, in the wake of the boom in the sugar industry, was not only observable in the central and southern parts of Negros Occidental but also in the northern section. These places inhabited by the Iloilo migrants were Silay, Saravia, Victorias, Manapla and Cadiz. At the head of the IIonggo geographic movement were the Conlus, Consings, Lazaros, Magalonas and Mellizas of Molo; the Belmontes, Cuaycongs and the Mondragons of Mandurriao; the Gamboas, Hilados, Hofilenas, Jaymes, Jisons andLopezes of Jaro;the Navals and Vitos of Capiz; and others (Varona 1938).
Prior to the advent of the steamship, the travel from Iloilo to Negros and vice-versa took one day, with favorable wind. Otherwise, the travelers had to contend themselves to floating around aimlessly at sea for a while. Later on, motor-powered small boats were utilized to cross the body of water between Panay and Negros that took from six to eight hours each trip.
The influx of the Ilonggo migrants to northern Negros and the development of sugar cultivation in an extensive manner led to the rise of towns. The scattered inhabitants of the island began to congregate together in communities under the employ of the Ilonggo-turned hacienderos and under the protection of the Spanish colonial government that, in one way or the other, encouraged such development. The formation of the towns, in a sense, was closely associated with the rise of haciendas. The haciendero,in his desire for progress and, above all, driven by his enterprising spirit, bought, sold, extended his lands, or dispose of them in one stroke, if convenient for his entrepreneurial interest.
With the exception of the original towns which the Spaniards did nothing more than formalize since they were already recognized as centers of population before the conquest, other towns founded later on owe much of their existence to the nuclei of haciendas. Because of the hacienderos' activities, these haciendas progressed by length and breadth in the island, opening pathways between the lowlands and mountains, and drawing closer the inhabitants to the fold of colonial administration.
Although there is no available specific number on record of how many towns got established in northern Negros in a given period of time, the figure for the whole island is very revealing. In 1850,on the eveof the sugar boom, there were only 17 towns in Negros with an estimated population of 30,000. In 1893, 43 years, the number had reached42 and the inhabitants were counted at 320,000 (Varona 1938).
There is no doubt at all that the fertilityof the landin northern Negros that wasexcellent in the productionof sugarcane, rice, abaca, cacao, coffee, indigo, mongo, tobacco, and all kinds of tubers made the inhabitants of the neighboring island of Panay considered the area as their promised land.
sIt must be mentioned that Negros at first was a single province with the towns of Bacon, Dawin, Dumaguete, Siaton, Sibulan and Tanhay in the eastern coast, and with Bacolod, Bago, Himamaylan, Hinigaran, Ilog, Kabangkalan and Silay in the western side. Some of the towns changed their names with the passing of years while others disappeared, giving way to new ones.