2018 BAGO CITY: BALAY NI TAN JUAN ARANETA

ANCESTRAL HOUSE OF GENERAL JUAN ARANETA

Bago City, Philippines

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Among the prominent men in the history of Negros Island, in the Philippines, General Juan Araneta is one of the most celebrated historical figures.  

On this blog, I devote the page to show (in photos) how his ancestral house look like. Although most of the things in the house were his, some were added by his descendants and family members, friends, and supporters to anything historical about the General and Bago City. 

Thanks to Mr. Clem del Castillo, one of the grandchildren of General Araneta, who is connected with Bago City Historical Commission. 

Historical marker installed by the National Historical Institute on the house of General Juan Araneta, locally known as Tan Juan.

Stairways leading to the second floor of the house. 

Portrait of General Juan Araneta.  The picture below, shows his room, his bed, "baul".  and "aparador". 

Household "gadgets" and office equipment very common during the time of General Araneta.  Sewing machine, a Monroe adding machine, a telephone, and a typewriter, among others. 

Negrense elites love to accompany their family events with entertainment and these musical instruments are proof that General Juan Araneta also love the good life. 

Prayer books, rosaries, crucifix, images and wooden statues of saints, bowls, different kinds of lamps, old "baul" and many other household items can be found in General Araneta's house. 

These jars, also known as "banga" and "tibud" served as water containers.  The "tibud" (shown on top) is good as storage of local wine called "tuba" when the latter is fermented as vinegar. Shown here too are "lusong", water pitchers, "orinola", among others. 

 These "galingan" is used to grind sticky rice or "pilit", and other ingredients used for cooking. 

Flat iron shown on the right is used for ironing clothes.  

Workers are setting the tables in preparation for a luncheon celebrating the Al Cinco de Noviembre or the "One Day Revolution" in Negros Island that sets the people of Negros free and ended the centuries old Spanish Government in the island.  General Juan Araneta is one of the leaders of this revolution. 

This is the banquet area after the Cinco de Noviembre Parade and Launching of No Smoking Ordinance held at the Social Hall (left).  Photo by Henry Libo-on from the window of General Araneta's Mansion. 

This is the highlight of the Cinco de Noviembre celebration otherwise known as "Sigabong Sang Mga Kanyon" at Bago City to mark the victory of the Negrense Revolutionary Movement to free the Island from the Spanish Regime on November 5, 1898.

 Al Cinco de Noviembre civic parade at Bago City, Negros island, Philippines. 

 Floral offering to the statue of General Juan Araneta, Bago City Public Plaza. 

General Juan Araneta rides his horse from Bago City to the capital of the Spanish Government in Negros Island - the City of Bacolod. This dramatization is always present during the celebration of the Al Cinco de Noviembre.  

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******For related story please read this blog title:  Bago City:  Al Cinco de Noviembre here - BAGO CITY: SIGABONG SANG MGA KANYON - Touristang Pobre

Text and photos by Henry C. Libo-on of Touristang Pobre. 

Thanks Clem del Castillo and the City Tourism Officer for your hospitality.

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Attachment:

Just in case you are interested to know more about General Juan Araneta, here is an article from the Wikipedia.  Touristang Pobre does not own this article.  Published here for educational purposes only. 

Early life[edit]

Juan was born to Romualdo Araneta and Agüeda Torres in Molo, Iloilo, Philippines. The Aranetas later moved to Negros and settled there permanently.

At the age of 19, he was brought by his brother-in-law, Pedro Sarmiento, to Manila and was enrolled at the Ateneo Municipal de Manila. He showed great promise in school, earning medals of merit for his endeavours. He graduated with a perito mercantildegree, equivalent to today's bachelor's degree in Commerce. His contemporaries in school included José Rizal, Jose Alejandrino, Cayetano Arellano, and Apolinario Mabini, among others.

Upon returning to Molo, he was elected Capitan del Pueblo, like his father before him. The friars in the province, however, had become suspicious of him, and only the high regard and respect of the people of Bago and the other towns in the province prevented his summary liquidation by the Spanish authorities.

In 1891, Juan went to Europe with his friend, Don Claudio Reina after his wife died. He had the opportunity to meet many of the Filipino leaders then living in Madrid, London and Paris. As a consequence, the Spanish authorities were even more antagonistic toward him upon his return. As a result, he lost the land that he and his sisters inherited from their parents. He had to take his family to the slopes of Mt. Kanlaon where they started to farm anew. He brought many gadgets to his hacienda in Dinapalan. One popular tale was his use of a telescope to supervise his laborers in the vast hacienda from afar. It became a legend among the common people that he had magical powers, but in reality, he was only able to see their actions by using the telescope.

Altercation with Spanish authorities[edit]

His travels in Europe made him aware of the use of new machinery and tools for agriculture. He imported a sugar mill from Englandand had it installed in his hacienda in Dinapalan. From time to time, he bought farm implements like a baler for abaca, a rice thresher, and plows of improved models.

This preference for modern agricultural tools, however, became his undoing. The Spanish authorities grew suspicious of the boatloads of cargo being unloaded near his land in Lumangub. He was arrested and brought to Concordia in January 1897. He was later brought to Himamaylan and then again to Ilog which was then the capital of the province. His diary hinted that even in prison, there were plans to organize the revolutionary forces in the province. There were annotations showing that he made contact with other leaders in the province. He was finally brought to Bacolod where he was released in October 1897.

The Negros Revolution[edit]

Main article: Negros Revolution

On November 5, 1898, (Cinco de Noviembre) a messenger from Talisay brought news that the revolutionaries and the cazadoreswere already engaged in skirmishes. At about 1:00 in the afternoon, the revolutionary forces in Bago started marching toward Bacolod. They had only three firearms among them: a Remington rifle, a Mauser rifle, and a shotgun. General Araneta, who led the rebel forces, told his men to cut nipa stems or pagong, and to shoulder these as if these were rifles. In case they contact with each other, the password was to be utod (brother) in Hiligaynon.

The Spanish authorities in Bacolod, who saw the rebels marching toward the town, thought that they wanted to surrender their arms. Surprised, the Spaniards were advised by the rebels to surrender in order to avert bloodshed. The Spaniards readily agreed. It was only when Bacolod was already in the hands of the rebels, that the Spanish reinforcements from Iloilo arrived.

The Spanish Governor of Negros Island, Don Isidro Castro, surrendered to forces under Aniceto Lacson and Juan Araneta at Bacolod on 6 Nov. 1898.^[1]:476

The Republic of Negros[edit]

See: Republic of Negros

A cantonal form of government was set up in Bacolod with General Aniceto Lacson as President and General Juan Araneta serving as Secretary of War. When the Americans arrived in Iloilo, he counseled the cantonal government to submit to the American forces. This was vehemently opposed and ridiculed by his companions-in-arms. His idea was finally adopted, however, and the Americans occupied Negros without encountering hostilities.