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| Last
June
24,
2002,
Bago
City
celebrated
its
427th
year
of
its
political
existence.
Its
history
has
its
beginning
on
September
6,
1571
when
the
Spanish
adelantado,
Miguel
Lopez
de
Legaspi,
allotted
the
community
to
a
Spaniards
named
Juan
Gutierrez
as
his “encomienda”.
At
that
time
the
community
was
still
composed
of
small
cluster
of
settlements
along
the
banks
of
a
big
river
which
later
became
known
as
the
Bago
River.
The
“economiendero”,
since
then,
administered
to
the
spiritual
and
socio-economic
needs
of
the
natives
in
the
settlements
until
June,
1578;
however,
a
year
before
that,
this
community
was
placed
under
the
evangelical
visitations
of
Father
Geronimo
Marin,
an
Agustinian
priest
whi
had
taken
charge
of
the
christianization
of
the
natives
of
Binalbagan
since
the
year
1572.
FatherMarin,
upon
his
arrival
in
the
community,
celebrated
the
feast
of
St.
John
the
Baptist,
who
would
later
be
accepted
as
the
patron
said
of
the
place.
Following
the
traditions
and
practices
of
the
Spanish
missionaries
and
historians
in
recording
the
founding
of
a
“pueblo”
or
town
that
usually
coincides
with
the
feast
day
of
a
saint
and
since
the
feast
day
of
St.
John
the
Baptist,
falls
on
June
24
of
each
year,
it
follows
therefore
that
Bago
was
founded
so
that
the
exact
month
and
day
can
only
be
deduced
from
such
traditional
practices
of
the
Spaniards.
Manila,
Cebu
City
and
Binalbagan
also
predicated
the
dates
of
their
founding
on
the
same
historical
situations,
hence
the
logical
conclusion
is
that
Bago
City
was
officially
founded
on
the month,
day
and
year
heretofore
mentioned. |
| |
| As
regards
how
the
community
acquired
its
name,
according
to
the
manuscript
of
a
Spanish
historian,
Diego
Lope
de
Povedano,
which
is
available
in
the
library
of
the
University
of
San
Carlos,
Cebu
City,
the
community
was
named
after
a
large
tree
called “Bago” under
which,
a
native
prince
by
the
name
of
Mapagic
died. |
| |
| Another
historical
version
is
that
the
place
got
its
name
from
a
shrub
called “bago-bago” which
was
then
growing
luxuriantly
along
the
rivers
banks. |
| |
| From
the
year
1575
up
to
the
close
of
the
16th
century,
no
historical
account
was
written
about
the
community.
Bago
came
into
the
historical
scene
again
when,
at
the
early
part
of
the
17th
century,
a
group
of
settlers
from
Panay
crossed
the
Guimaras
Strait
and
migrated
to
Negros,
some
of
whom
settled
along
the
banks
of
Bago
River.
The
arrival
of
these
settlers
spurred
the
rapid
growth
of
the
settlements
in
the
area
until
all
these
were
merged
into
a
sizable
village
capable
of
self-governance.
In
later
years,
the
descendants
of
these
settlers
petitioned
the
Spanish
authorities
to
declare
their
village
a
“pueblo”
or
town
and
to
name
it
“Bago”.
Among
the
petitioners
were
Manuel
Sitchon,
Grenorio
Varela,
Paulino
Torres,
Jacinto
Araneta,
Clemente
Celis,
Mariano
Gonzaga
and
Fernando
Villanueva,
whose
forebears
hailed
from
the
town
of
Molo,
Ililo.
The
said
petition
was
finally
granted
by
the
status
of
a
“pueblo” or
town
in
that
same
year. |
| |
| Between
the
years
1800
and
1898,
the
inhabitants
of
Bago
were
among
those
who
suffered
tremendously
under
the
Spanish
tyranny,
injustice
and
oppression.
This
social
condition
finally
led
to
a
revolt
on
November
5,
1898
when
on
this
day,
general
Juan
Anacleto
railed his
people
in
the
struggle
for
freedom.
This
historic
event
was
chronicled
in
a
historic
marker
found
in
the
City
public
plaza
of
Bago
which
bears
the
following
inscriptions: |
“Republica
de
Negros”
“In
this
plaza
of
Bago
was
proclaimed
the
Republica
de
Negros
by
the
Revolutionary
Forces
led
by
general
Juan
Anacleto
Araneta,
5
November,
1898.
Witnessed
by
Anaias
Diokno,
representative
of
the
Central
Revolutionary
Government.
This
Republic
acknowledge
The
authority
of
the
First
Philippine
Republic
under
Emilio
Aguinaldo.” |
|
| |
| Together
with
General
Niceto
Lacson
who
led
the
forces
in
Talisay,
he
was
able
to
force
the
capitulation
of
the
Spanish
garrison
at
Bacolod
thus
putting
an
end
to
the
Spanish
sovereignty
in
the
province.
Forthwith,
a
revolutionary
government
was
established
with
general Juan
A.
Araneta
as
the
Acting
Governor.
In
the
then
Municipality
of
Bago,
an
election
was
held
and
Ramon
del
Castillo
became
the
first
elected
municipal
president
who
served
in
such
capacity
from
the
year
1898
up
to
the
year
1900. |
| |
| In
April,
1901,
the
Americans
came
and
established
a
civil
government
in
the
province
of
Negros
Occidental
which
completely
abolished
the
revolutionary
government
of
General
Araneta.
Bago
was
one
of
the
towns
that
were
placed
under
the
control
of
the
Americans;
however,
they
allowed
the
municipality
to
be
governed
by
Filipino
officials.
The
following
therefore
were
the
succeeding
municipal
presidents
and
mayors
of
Bago
until
the
outbreak
of
the
Second
World
War
on
December
7,
1941: |
| |
| When
the
Japanese
Forces
invaded
the
Philippines,
the
civil
government
of
Bago
was
dissolve.
The
Japanese
occupation
forces
tried
to
establish
a
provisional
government
but
the
local
people
refused
to
cooperate.
When
the
Americans
liberated
the
town
on
March
29,
1945,
it
was
completely
destroyed
but
rehabilitation
work
was
immediately
started
and
the
town
underwent
development
efforts
under
the
leadership
of
the
succeeding
town
mayors. |
| |
| Bago
City
was
finally
granted
its
cityhood
on
Febuary
19,
1966
by
virtue
of
Republic
Act
No.
4382
with
Hon.
Manuel
Y.
Torres
as
the
hold-over
City
Mayor
until
1998. |
| |
| Legal
limitations
on
the
number
of
successive
terms
disqualified
Mayor
Manuel
Y.
Torres
in
running
again
and
in
the
1998
local
elections,
his
wife
Mayor
Janet
E
Torres
run
as
candidate
for
Mayor
and
Won.
In
the
succeeding
election
in
2001
Mayor
Janet E.
Torres
was
reelected
and
is
still
serving
as
such
to
the
present. |
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| Best
viewed
at
1024
x
768
Screen
Size
|
| City
Government
of
Bago,
Negros
Occidental
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