THE Ilonggo migration from Iloilo to Negros in the late 19th century, in the wake of the boom in the sugar industry, was not only observable in the central and southern parts of Negros Occidental but also in the northern section. These places inhabited by the Iloilo migrants were Silay, Saravia, Victorias, Manapla and Cadiz. […]

TEXTILE weaving in Iloilo dates back even to the pre-Spanish times. Long before the coming of the Spaniards to the Philippines, the Ilonggos were already weaving clothes from various fibers. Thus, when the colonizers arrived, they found that the weaving craft was already well established in the area.
The most common garment woven was the patadyong […]

THE history of the struggle against foreign domination in Panay and Negros showed that, after being victorious against the Spaniards, two Ilonggo groups across the Guimaras Strait manifested opposing reactions to the coming of the Americans. Whereas those in Panay resisted with utmost determination against the new invaders, the elite of Negros decided to organize […]

THE Chinese has long been a part of Iloilo’s history. Historical and archaeological studies indicate that the Ilonggos already had trade relations with the Chinese beginning with about the 10th century and onwards to more recent times. By the time of the Spanish contact, a good number of them had already settled in the town […]

IN THE early years of the Spanish occupation of the Philippines, Negros Island was put under the jurisdiction of the colonial administration in Cebu. Later, in 1590, the governance of the island was transferred to Iloilo and the first recorded Spanish official assigned to administer the few settlements in it was Gonzalo Ronquillo. It must […]

CONTEMPORARY Filipino historians are often handicapped by the lack or absence of written materials that could counterbalance the misconceptions, misrepresentations, biases and prejudices of Spanish and American colonial writers. This predicament is true of the history of every group of people in the Philippine archipelago, including that of the Bisayans.
It must be pointed out that […]

One of the surprising things about Dr. Jose Rizal that should be recognized by every Filipino is the relevance of his political thoughts in every step of our political development. This is particularly of great importance in the light of the many political issues and concerns that confront the nation today.
A famous author and editor […]

IT IS unfortunate that a vast number of Filipino laymen lack interest or understanding of Philippine history. This may have been brought about by an inadequate background in history and a general tendency on the part of the people to be less conscious of the value of the past to their present life. Or, maybe, […]

The Spanish colonizers alleged that , when they arrived in the Philippines, they found the Filipinos, including the Bisayans, not to have any knowledge in writing and in reading. This allegation implies that the natives did not possess an alphabet and did not have a system of writing; therefore, they were said to be uncivilized.
Nevertheless, […]

The Pulahanes de Passi in the north-central part of Panay was a socio-religious group that reacted to the harsh conditions of the Spanish rule during the revolutionary period and, later, to American imperialist ambition. It must be pointed out that the voice of freedom came from both the middle class and the poorer sector of […]