Republic of Negros

The entity had gone by multiple names throughout its short existence: the Negros Canton (Hiligaynon: Kanton sg Negros; Cebuano: Kanton sa Negros; Spanish: Cantón de Negros) of the First Philippine Republic,[4] and the Federal Republic of Negros (Hiligaynon: Republikang Federal sg Negros; Cebuano: Republikang Federal sa Negros; Spanish: República Federal de Negros) or Federal State of Negros (Hiligaynon: Estadong Federal sg Negros; Cebuano: Estadong Federal sa Negros; Spanish: Estado Federal de Negros) under US protection.[5][6] According to Gregorio Zaide, the protectorate had been annexed to the Philippine Islands as simply the Republic of Negros.[7]

Official flag of the Negros Revolution until 1898. The flag was changed when the Negros Republic was established (1898-1901)

From November 3 to 6, 1898, the Negrenses rose in revolt against the Imperial Spanish authorities headed by the politico-military governor, colonel Isidro de Castro. The Spaniards decided to surrender upon seeing armed troops marching in a pincer movement towards Bacólod, the main city of the island. The revolutionaries, led by generals Juan Araneta, from Bago and 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. On 5 November, Spanish officials surrendered themselves to native leaders. A provisional government was then established with Aniceto Lacson as President, and a notice of this was sent by Melecio Severino to Emilio Aguinaldo on Luzón.[4][8] On November 27, 1898, the unicameral Congress of Deputies (Spanish: Congreso de Diputados) met in Bacólod and declared the establishment of the Republican Canton of Negros (Spanish: Cantón Republicano de Negros). The Congress of Deputies acted as a constituent assembly to draft a constitution.[4]

Motivated by either economic interests or sheer realpolitik,[4][5][6][9] the hacendado- and hacendero-led cantonal government surrendered to U.S. forces on March 4, 1899,[8][10] following the outbreak of hostilities between the nascent First Philippine Republic and the U.S. military government which had been established during the Spanish–American War, and came under U.S. protection on April 30, 1899 as a territory separate from the Philippine Islands.[5][10][11] A constitution for a Federal Republic of Negros,[5] which proposed two governors, a U.S. military governor and a civil governor elected by the voters of Negros, was framed by a committee sitting in Bacólod and sent to General Otis in Manila and was proclaimed to take effect on October 2, 1899. The Negros government operated smoothly under this constitution until the province of Occidental Negros was established on April 20, 1901,[12] and annexed to the Philippine Islands by the United States as the "Republic of Negros".[7]

Historical marker commemorating the republic in Bago

November 5, popularly referred to by the Negrenses as Cinco de Noviembre, has been officially observed since 1989 as a special non-working holiday in Negros Occidental.[14] The republic itself has been commemorated in a historical marker in the main square of Bago, on which is inscribed:

REPÚBLICA DE NEGROS

In this plaza of Bago was proclaimed the República de Negros by the revolutionary forces led by general Juan Anacleto Araneta, 5 November 1898. Witnessed by Ananías Diokno, representative of the Central Revolutionary Government. This Republic acknowledged the authority of the First Philippine Republic under Emilio Aguinaldo.

• Kalaw, Maximo Manguiat (1921). The Present Government of the Philippines. Oriental commercial. ISBN 1-4067-4636-3.(Note: 1. The book cover incorrectly lists author as "Maximo M Lalaw", 2. Originally published in 1921 by The McCullough Printing Co., Manila)