Anything under the Sun
April 1901 - Establishment of Iloilo, Antique, Capiz and Occidental Negros
One hundred and eight years ago this month of April, the present four provinces in West Visayas were established under the American regime.
To begin with, on February 6, 1901, the Philippine Commission (the legislative body then) passed Act 83 (A General Act for the Organization; of Provincial Governments in the Philippine Islands) otherwise known as Provincial Government Act.; Among its provisions was:; "Every provincial government established under this Act shall be a body corporate, with power to sue and be sued, to have and use a corporate seal, to hold property real and personal, to make contracts for labor and meterial needed in the construction of duly authorized public works, and incur such other obligations as are expressly authorized by law." (Section 2).
Consequently, the Commission passed on April 11, 1901 Act 113 (An Act extending the provisions of the Provincial Government Act to the Province of Iloilo) defining its territory to include the Comandancia of Concepcion with capital at Iloilo town.; Among others, it created the following offices with their respective salaries:; provincial governor, provincial secretary, provincial treasurer, provincial supervisor and provincial fiscal as well as the meetings of the municipal presidents on the third Monday of January, April, July and October.
On April 13, 1901, the Commission passed Act 114 (An Act extending the provisions of the Provincial Government Act to the Province of Antique) defining its territory with capital at San Jose town.; It also created offices identical to those in the province of Iloilo and the meetings of the municipal presidents.
On April 15, 1901, the Commission passed Act 115 (An Act extending the provisions of the Provincial Government Act to the Province of Capiz) defining its territory with capital at Capiz town.; It also created offices identical to those in the province of Iloilo and meetings of the municipal presidents.
On April 20, 1901, the Commission passed Act 119 (An Act extending the provinsions of the Provincial Government Act to the Province of Occidental Negros) defining its territory with capital at Bacolod town.; It also created offices identical to those in the province of Iloilo and meetings of the municipal presidents.
All these acts took effect immediately upon its passage except Act 119, which would take effect on May 1, 1901.; The first governors of these provinces were:; Iloilo - Gen. Martin Delgado, Antique - Gen. Leandro Fullon, Capiz - Jugo Vidal and Occidental Negros - Melecio Severino.
So, congratulations to the provincial officials and the people of these provinces on their 108th; Anniversary.
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Now available - Volume 1 of INTERESTING FACTS ABOUT WEST VISAYAS; approved by DepEd. It contains the history of the Maragtas -; arrival of ten Bornean datus in Panay and how they populated entire West Visayas. It also contains many legends of these datus and their ancestors in Panay plus feature on Santo Niño of Arevalo and Chief Justice Ramon Avanceña.