Negros
The word negros can also be a plural of negro.Negros is an island of the
Philippines located in the
Visayas, at . It is the 4th largest island in the country, with a land area of 12,706 square km (4,905 square mi.). People on the island are called
Negrense.
Politically and culturally, Negros is divided into two
provinces:
Negros Oriental in the
Central Visayas region, and
Negros Occidental, part of the
Western Visayas region. This division of the island, which roughly follows the mountain range at the center of the island, corresponds to the two ethnoliguistic groups on this part of the country. The western part (Occidental) is where the
Ilonggo- or Hiligaynon-speaking Negrense are located and the eastern portion (Oriental) is home to the
Cebuano-speaking population.
The chief cities on the island are
Bacolod City in Negros Occidental and
Dumaguete City in Negros Oriental.
Negros is noted for being the country's prime producer of
sugar. Sugar cane plantations abound in the agricultural areas of the island.
Kanlaon Volcano, in the northern part of the island is a semi-active volcano and overlooks Bacolod City. It is the highest peak in the island as well as the whole of the Visayan region. Other notable peaks in the island are Mt. Silay and Mt. Mandalagan in Negros Occidental, and Cuernos de Negros in Negros Oriental.
The volcanic activity in Negros is harvested into electricity through two geothermal power plants in the island. One is located in Palimpinon, Negros Oriental and the other one, to open in 2007 is in Mailum, Negros Occidental.
Negros Island was originally called \\\"Buglas\\\" - an old native word which is thought to mean \\\"cut off\\\". It is believed that Negros was once part of a greater mass of land, but was cut off either by what
geologists call a
continental drift or by the rising waters during the so-called
glacial age. Among its earliest inhabitants were dark-skinned natives belonging to the
Negrito ethnic group with a unique culture. Thus, the
Spaniards called the land \\\"Negros\\\" after the black natives whom they saw when they first came to the island in April
1565. Two of the earliest native settlements were Binalbagan and Ilog which later became towns in
1573 and
1584, respectively. Other settlements were Hinigaran, Bago, Marayo (now Pontevedra), Mamalan (now Himamaylan), and Candaguit (a sitio in San Enrique).
After appointing encomienderos in the island,
Miguel Lopez de Legaspi placed Negros under the jurisdiction of the Governor of Oton in
Panay. In
1734, however, the island became a
military district and Ilog was made as its first
capital. The seat of government was later transferred to Himamaylan and thereafter
Bacolod became the capital in
1849.
In
1890, the
Spaniards divided the island into
Negros Occidental and
Negros Oriental.
On
November 5,
1898, the Negrenses rose in revolt against the Spanish authorities in the province headed by politico-military governor Colonel Isidro de Castro. The Spaniards decided to surrender upon seeing armed troops in a pincers movement towards Bacolod. The marching revolutionist, led by General Juan Araneta from
Bago and General Aniceto Lacson from
Talisay, were actually carrying fake arms consisting of
rifles carved out of palm fronds and
cannons of rolled bamboo mats painted black. By the afternoon of
November 6, Colonel de Castro signed the Act of Capitulation, thus ending the Spanish rule in Negros Occidental. This event is commemorated in Negros Occidental every Cinco de Noviembre as the day the Negrenses bluffed the Spaniards to attain their freedom.
November 5 has been declared a special non-working
holiday in the province through
Republic Act. No. 6709 signed by
Corazon Aquino on
February 10,
1989.
*
Official Website of the Provincial Government of Negros Oriental*
Official Website of the Provincial Government of Negros Occidental
