BAGO CITY: PASIGABONG SANG MGA KANYON

Every November 5 of each year, the City of Bago celebrates the Cinco de Noviembre to commemorate the "One Day Revolution", as it was known to many Negrenses, when the Negrenses headed by General Juan Araneta from Bago and General Aniceto Lacson from Talisay, revolted against the Spanish Government in the island of Negros. It was a bloodless revolution that ended with the Act of Capitulation by the Spanish Government. 

The surrender document known as The Act of Capitulation or "Capitulacion" was signed on November 6, 1898 in the house of Jose Ruiz de Luzuriaga in Ciudad de Bacolod. This gave birth to the NEGROS REPUBLIC. 

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Now, let's have a glimpse of the parade. 

 Al Cinco de Noviembre is a commemoration of the start of the Revolution against Spain in the island of Negros.  

In Bago City, a celebration known locally as "Sigabong Sang Mga Kanyon", or Loud Explosion of the Cannons, is held by the city government to reminisce the Revolution of Bagoenos and Negrenses to gain independence from Spain.

According to Wikipedia, the revolt began on November 5, 1898.  In the early morning of that day, General Juan Araneta of Bago City, led his army to march towards Bacolod City, the seat of the Spanish Government in the island of Negros.  

Descendants of General Juan A. Araneta offered flowers to the statue of Tan Juan Araneta at the Bago Public Plaza.

Hundreds of men carried rifles made of wood and coconut fronds and pushed carabao carts loaded with cannons rolled out of "sawali" or locally known as "amakan".  

Disclaimer: 

So as not to misquote historical facts, this blogger decided to consult the Wikipedia and this is its account of what happened on November 5, 1898: 

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"The revolt began in central and northern Negros in the morning and by the afternoon had spread to other towns such as San Miguel and Cadiz. In Silay, Lt. Maximiano Correa, commanding the Spanish garrison, had ten Spanish cazadores (literally, "hunters") and seven Filipino civil guards. They were entrenched inside the municipal building, but surrendered without a fight when they realized that the townspeople were determined to burn the building to the ground should there be resistance. The Silay parish priest, Eulogio Saez, a businessman named Juan Viaplana, and José Ledesma persuaded the Spanish forces to lay down their arms, but in order to save face, the lieutenant had it appear in the official records that the capitulation was the result of a bloody battle with "dead and wounded littered all over the field of battle".^[4] Ten Mauser and seven Remington rifles were surrendered by the garrison. Later, a flag similar to the design of the Filipino flag embroidered by Olympia Severino, Perpetua Severino and Eutropia Yorac was hoisted by the victorious townspeople.
In Bacolod, the governor of the province, Isidro de Castro, sent a force of 25 cazadores and 16 civil guards to engage a swarm of rebels seen camping near the Matab-ang River. After a brief skirmish, they withdrew, leaving two of their number dead. The governor decided to make a stand in the Bacolod Convent (presently the Bishop's Palace, the rectory of the San Sebastian Cathedral), where hundreds of Spanish families had taken refuge. They waited for the attack, but it did not come."
(Source:  The Wikipedia, November 10, 2017)

Fearing for their lives and that of their families, the Spanish Governor Isidro de Castro,  agreed to sign an act of capitulation or surrender to the local revolutionary leaders on November 6, 1898.  Most of the Spanish officials were allowed to go to Iloilo City located across the Guimaras Strait.  The rest of the Spaniards remained in the city until their safe conduct out of the province were completed.  Some remained in the city because of their connection and friendly ties with the local hacienderos and prominent families in the province. 

Again, this blogger would like to quote the Wikipedia on what happened the day after the Revolution of November 5,1898, and  who were the Negrenses present during the Signing of the Act of Capitulation which occurred on November 6, 1898, and he quotes:

"In the morning, the rebels advanced upon Bacolod. Lacson and Gólez approached from the north, crossing the Mandalagan River. Araneta with a thousand bolo-men took positions at the Lupit River in the south-east of Bacolod. The wily revolutionaries augmented their lightly armed forces with "cannon" made of bamboo and rolled amakan, and "rifles" carved out of wood and coconut fronds. The bluff worked; de Castro was persuaded that it was useless to defend the capital.

José Ruiz de Luzuriaga, a rich businessman who was deemed acceptable to both rebels and Spanish authorities was sent to mediate. At noon, a delegation from each of the major belligerents met at the house of Luzuriaga. The rebel delegation included Lacson, Araneta, Gólez, Locsín, Simeón Lizares, Julio Díaz, and José Montilla. In an hour, it was agreed by both sides that "Spanish troops both European and native surrendered the town and its defenses unconditionally, turning over arms and communication" and that "public funds would be turned over to the new government".
November 6, 1898, therefore, is the day that the revolution in Negros concluded.^[5]:476
The Spanish signatories of the surrender document included Isidro de Castro, Braulio Sanz, Manuel Abenza, Ramón Armada, Emilio Monasterio and Domingo Ureta. Those who signed for the Negros revolutionary forces were Aniceto Lacson, Juan Araneta, Leandro Locsin, Simeón Lizares, Julio Díaz, and José Montilla.^[6]
Forty-seven eminent Negrenses formulated and ratified a constitution to create a new republic. Signatories included among others Aniceto Lacson, Juan Araneta, Simeón Lizares, Antonio L. Jayme, Eusebio Luzuriaga, Nicolas Gólez, Agustín Amenabar, Rafael Ramos and Rosendo Lacson.^{[6"  (Source: The Wikipedia, November 10, 2017)}

Cinco de Noviembre is known to Negrenses as a celebration of a bloodless revolution that freed them from the bondage of Spanish Colonial Power.  It was bloodless because not a single rifle or cannon was fired.  How can that be possible in the first place when all the rifles were made from branches and fronds of coconuts and the cannons were folded "amakan"?  Painted in dark color to appear real, the rifles and the cannons would show immense power. 

So, to prevent from "ahat nga kamatayon" or sure death, the Spaniards decided that it was game over.  It was the end of century old abuse of power in this part of the Philippines.  They will surrender. 

The day after the signing of the "Acta de Capitulacion" or Acts of Surrender by the Spanish Government and its Military Forces, the Negrense Revolutionary Leaders gathered to organize a Negros Republic.  This blogger quoted the historical accounts published by Kahimyang.com.  Hereunder is its account:

"On November 7, 1898, the liberators of Negros, assembled in Bacolod to promulgate a constitution and establish the Republica Cantonal de Negros (Cantonal Republic of Negros), following the unconditional surrender of the town on November 6, 1898, by the Spanish authorities to the Negrenses." (Source: Kahimyang.com  citing accounts from Pambansang Komisyong Pangkasaysayan.)

This is the Flag of Negros Republic designed by General Juan A. Araneta.  It is on display in his residence at Rizal Street, Bago City. (Source: Clemente del Castillo, 2017)

The same source listed the elected officials of the new Negros Republic, as follows:

• Aniceto Lacson, President
• Juan Araneta, Secretary of War
• Eusebio Luzuriaga, Secretary of Treasury
• Simeon Lizares, Secretary of Interior
• Nicolas Golez, Secretary of Fomento*
• Antonio Jayme, Secretary of Justice
• Agustin Amenablar, Secretary of Agriculture and Commerce
• Melecio Severino, Executive Secretary 

On March 1899, the American forces led by Colonel James G. Smith occupied Bacolod, the revolutionary capital of Republica Cantonal de Negros, which lead to the eventual dissolution of the Republic. (Source: Kahimyang.com  citing accounts from Pambansang Komisyong Pangkasaysayan.).

Appropriately dubbed as "Pasigabong Sang Mga Kanyon" or Loud Explosion of the Cannons, this is Bago City's way of reminiscing and honoring the heroic deeds of Bagoenos and Negrenses to gain their independence from Spain.  

General Juan A. Araneta, his wife and child. 

So. the parade of cannons accompanied by their "Sigabong" or loud explosion is, to me, a culmination of the war episode of  November 5, 1898 when the cannons and the rifles were never fired.  Today, November 5, 2017, the cannons kept firing producing sounds that could mean Freedom.  That every Bagoeno and Negrense must value and protect their freedom from foreign aggression. 

This year's "Pasigabong Sang Mga Kanyon" was the biggest explosion I ever heard.  Imagine, if these were real and the Spaniards confronted the Army of General Juan Araneta?  It could have been the biggest tragedy in the life of Bagoenos and Negrenses when they met their "ahat nga kamatayon" or sure death from the hands of the Spaniards.  On the other hand, it could also mean the Spaniards' ultimate end as the Revolucionarios outnumbered the Spanish Forces. 

The celebration was followed by a Luncheon or "Funcion" held at the garden of General Juan Araneta's Residence with Mayor Nicholas M. Yulo, Vice Mayor Ramon D. Torres and the Members of the Sanguniang Panlungsod or the City Council as hosts. Thanks Clem del Castillo for accompanying me around the house of General Juan Araneta and for joining me here by the window.

The Biggest Bluff, as some people would like to call it.  This blogger wants to call it The Biggest Luck.  But to make it realistic, a strategy was adopted by the local revolutionary leaders.  Few months before this event happened, there were already "chismorrear" or chismis or rumors spread among the elites, the high society and the residents that a big shipment of firearms and ammunitions will be delivered to the revolutionary forces in Negros.  Part of this rumor reached the local leaders of the Spanish Government. But evidence were nil that they just forget about it. So much so that those military men who received a tip failed to relay the message to the Spanish authorities in Bacolod City because the telegraph lines were cut by the "revolucianrios". 

 Before the Luncheon, Mayor Nicholas M. Yulo lead in the Launching of the Bago City Smoke Free Ordinance and the Awarding Ceremony of the Kabahin Ka Clean and Green Contest. 

In the final analysis, the war tactics of making rifles out of branches and fronds of coconut as well as the rolling up of "sawali" or "amakan" that looked like real weapons of war,  just showed the ingenuity of the Negrosanon.  A one-day revolution, a bloodless one, that peacefully attained the freedom of a peace loving and industrious people of Bago, and Negros Island. 

So, isn't this an interesting story?  So, that is how Al Cinco de Noviembre is all about.

Touristang Pobre would like to thank Mr. Clem del Castillo, Ms. Rosseni Mina and the  City Tourism Office.

This Blogger hopes you enjoyed reading this blog.  

Before you go, please LIKE the Touristang Pobre FB page and SHARE this Blog to your friends.  Thank you. 

 

All Photos by Henry C. Libo-on of Touristang Pobre. 

 

Thank you to Clem del Castillo of Bago City Historical and Museum Office. Clem is a great, great, great, grandson of General Juan Araneta for inviting me to witness this event in Bago City.

My thanks also goes to the City Tourism Officer of Bago City, Ms. Rosseni Mina.

 

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Henry Libo-on had been a travel writer with What's On Cebu in the '90s, a columnist with Negros Daily Bulletin, and a licensed tour guide - BTTI/DOT in the early '70s.

 

He now lives in the U.S. but call Bacolod City his home. 

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Reviewed on April 30, 2023.