ANYTHING UNDER THE SUN
The World of Mother Rosario 4
Ostentibly, Molo is never a political center. It was never a orivubcial capital like its neighbors Arevalo and Oton. Nor was it a city like Jaro and Iloilo. However, at one time it was the secret hub of political power in Iloilo. This happened during the Philippine Revolution when Child Rosario was a very young teenager. In 1897, the Revolution broke out in Luzon. Anticipating that it would spread to Iloilo, the Spaniards concentrated their forces to protect the cities of Jaro and Iloilo.
So, when the Revolution was hatched in Iloilo, the Comite de Conspiradores was organized and one of their members was Ignacio Arroyo himself. They met secretly in Molo at the house of Serafin Villanueva (later senator) near the house of the Arroyos. They chose Molo because there were less Spanish sosldiers there and also most of the members of the Comite were from Molo.
Indeed, when the revolutionary government – Estado Federal de Bisayas, was formed several Molenos were its high officials like Ramon Avancena, Jovito Yusay and Fernando Salas.
In the national level, two from Molo were in the Cabinet of President Emilio Aguinaldo – Gregorio Araneta as secretary of Malolos Congress and Gen. Esteban de la Rama as first Commandant of the Philippine Marines. Esteban de la Rama as first Commandant of the Philippine Marines.
The Molenos are fiercely nationalistic. This was demonstrated in 1845 when the Spaniards gave Spanish surnames to the natives with the option to adopt native words. In Iloilo, The surnames assigned in the towns begin with the first letter of the name of that town. Hence, in Molo, it was letter M.
More than a majority of the natives adapted native surnames like Magahum, Mabunay, Mabilog, Mahinay, Malabor, Macairan, Maprangala, Malabanjot, and Macawiwili.
Going to the child Rosario, under this environment of intense nationalism and independence of the Moleños, she must have been enveloped with that spirit such that after becoming a nun, she organized her own independent and nationalistic Congregation – the first Filipino congregation.
