BAIS CITY POLITICAL HISTORY

BAIS CITY POLITICAL HISTORY
Historian: Penn Tulabing – Villanueva Larena

The Origin of its name

Bais is a Visayan word for an elongated eel-like a fish but like most places in the country whose name was the result of the language barrier this particular aquatic species succeeded in attaining epic prominence by a mere accidental stoke of faith. This happened when Spanish engineers, surveyors, and civil guards boarded a sailboat in the vicinity of the two Islands (Dewy and Olympia) wanting to know the name of the place for the record, they asked two native fishermen who were catching “Bais” fish at that time. Spoken in Spanish the natives thought the strangers inquired of the name of the fish, so that the curt reply almost in the chorus was “Bais”, upon the chief engineer surveyor listed down the word “Bais”. From that time on, the place bore the name of the snacky aquatic denizen (Josefa Villanueva Perez, historian Bais City).

Pre Spanish Period

Bais before was already the center of trade in the island of Negros Oriental. The Chinese were already coming here to trade their magnificent silk and porcelain with lumber for building houses and sugar coming from the sugar cane plants (Tubo).

The native of Bais idolizes the spirit (anitos) and gods and goddesses that lived in the forest. They make the forests a sacred place to pray. They sometimes do not sleep during moonlight and they sing songs for their beloved anitos.

One day the natives forgot all their anitos due to their greediness and weaknesses. They denuded the forests. They cut down all the trees and build their houses there and celebrated fiestas. The sacredness of the place was forgotten.

The anitos got very angry and famine resulted. Their harvest failed and the natives were hungry. Regardless of what happened, the anitos still pitied the natives. They created rivers and seas were numerous fish appeared in which the native was not hungry anymore because they were given fish to eat by the anitos.

Due to these gifts by the anitos they named their place “Bais” to remind them always of their presence and in their minds (Leonaga Tulabing Larena, History of Bais, 1988).

First Spanish Encounter in   “Panilongon.” present day Negros Island 

 The island enters Spanish historical records, via expedition chronicler Antonio Pigafetta, as “Panilongon.”

According to Pigafetta, Samar [written as Zamal] was the first land mass sighted by the explorers on the dawn of 16 March 1521, since their fleet’s departure from Guam on 9 March 1521. This was followed by either anchorage or pass-by in several points: Suluan, Homonhon, Gibusong, Hinunangan in Southern Leyte, Limasawa, Leyte, Canigao, Baybay, Gatighan, Ponson off Cebu, Poro, Ticobon, Cebu [Zzubu] where the first Christian baptism took place, and Mactan where Magellan died. They then fled to Bohol where the ship Concepcion was burned off the shore.

From the NQC: “After the Concepcion was burned down, the remaining ships sailed in the southwest direction, toward Sulu Sea. According to Pigafetta, they followed the coastline of the Island of Panilongon and described the inhabitants to be ‘as black as the people of Ethiopia.’ Francisco Albo, one of the pilots, also referred to the island as Panilongon in his log and located it west of the Cape of Cebu [i.e., Santander, Cebu]. Various scholars identified this place-name as the present-day Negros. The belief that Panilongon is Panglao, Bohol today has been disputed because according to William Allan Reed, ‘…so far there is no evidence that Negritos exist in Cebu, Bohol, Samar, and Leyte.’”

After passing by Panilongon, the rest of the expedition went to Kipit in Zamboanga del Norte, Mapun in Tawi-Tawi, Palawan, Tagusao, Balacbac, Cape Palawan, Sulu, Tagima [Basilan], Cawit, Subanin, Manalipa, Maguindanao [Cotabato], Benaian [Kamanga], Batulaki, Candighar [Balut], and finally Saragani, then on to the Moluccas.

 

 

 

 

 

 

Spanish Regime

In the later part of 17th and 18th century, it was within this time that adventurous and determined Spanish and Mexican pioneers like Don Agustin de Sandes patriarch of the Laren/Salve Clan, Don Anecito Villanueva, Don Joaquin Montenegro y Mascato arrived and settled in the eastern side of the island. The arrival of these men ushered in the history of sugar cane production in the Spanish colony of the Philippine Islands. Fray Joaquin Soriano. Father provincial of the recollects then sent missionaries to Negros in 1849. Bais was created as a town in 1849 under the leadership of Gobernadorcillo Hermigildo Regis Villanueva. It had 753 tribute payers in 1840. 6,470 inhabitants in 1850 Bais were only a “Visita” under the civil and ecclesiastical jurisdiction of the town of Tanjay. Late it became a barrio of Manjuyod. The tribunal was its only strongly built structure. The first village chapel was built of light materials and the construction of the concrete church started only in 1850, when Father Guillermo Garcia del Carmen became parish priest, in 1885 Father Manuel Alonzo took over the parish.

In 1865, hydraulic mills were installed in Bais, Bogo, Bacolod, La Carlota, Pontevedra, Granada, Minuluan and Silay. Altogether they were capable of milling 100 picule of sugar in 12 hours. Their machines replaced the primitive wooden mills. From 1865, the progress of Bais started with such increasing economic activities particularly in sugar production until 1896 (Josefa Villanueva Perez History of Bais 1988 p 1). The Revolutionary Government under Governor Demetrio Larena established the Philippine Independent Church of the Aglipayan church in the provinces and they took over the Roman Catholic churches when the Spanish friars were driven out. After the United States and Spain had signed the treaty of Paris in 1898, they started to return to their parishes, which in many cases had been taken over by the Aglipayan Church. The coming of the Americans into the scene of the Philippine Revolution complicated the status of these churches (Rodrigues C. Vol 11 p 51).

American Occupation

Gen. Juan Araneta gave advice to the American invaders when they arrived. Negros Oriental became a province in 1901 after the installation of a civil administration by Americans in 1890, with the late Demetrio Larena of Bais bearing the distinction of being its first civil governor. under Executive Order No. 37 of the Philippine Commission. On May 13, 1908, Dauin and Bais were separated into two municipalities each. The nation was divided into eleven districts, and two senators were to be chosen to enforce the Jones Law. The person with the most votes would hold office for six years, while the person with the second-highest number would serve for three. The Honorable Hermegildo Teves was the sole candidate for the position of the senator representing Negros Oriental.

Former governor Felipe Tayko traveled to Manila in October 1916 to take the oath of office as an assemblyman for Oriental Negros' second district. Provincial treasurer Juan Posadas served as governor between Tayko's departure for Manila and Enrique Cayetano Teves Villanueva's inauguration as the fourth governor on October 16, 1916. The affair at Quezon Park was witnessed by numerous people, including his wife Francisca Baena Villanueva and his family. On March 18, 1924, early in the morning, Provincial Governor Enrique Villanueva, along with other provincial officials and constabulary guards, met with the Governor-General Leonard Wood and party. After breakfast, they traveled to Bais by ship, which was sailing along the coast and anchored in the South Bay of Bais.

Japanese Occupation and War Period

December 18, 1941 Bais observe National morning of the death of Senator Hermenegildo Teves Villanueva one of those that sunk with S.S. Corregidor on December 17, 1941 Wednesday at 12:45 A.M. When it is struck with a mine in Manila Bay, nine days after bombing of Pearl Harbor and the start of Philippine involvement in World War II Assemblyman Jose M. Romero and Stella wife of Jesus Pablo Villanueva survived in the sea disaster. Pres. Manuel Luis Quezon and the party come to Oriental Negros and made Bais his temporary capital of the Philippines. On his way to Australia. Immediately after the arrival of Japanese in Dumaguete, May 26, 1942, the Japanese established a garrison at Bais Central. 

This move was logical and practical because they were interested in Japanese War Machinery. A Japanese garrison and detachment were right away established to ensure the security of the place. Because of the Japanese’s interest in Bais, the main area of the supply line.

The guerillas were active in Bais as much as possible. However, they avoided open skirmish with the Japanese who were not so numerous after all in Bais Garrison. Much of their food in the area was supplied by the Larenas, Montenegros, Teveses, Villanuevas, Vicente and other sugar planters, whereupon, they fled with their families to the hills. The first series of our operation was to retake the Bais –Tanjay garrison and secure the maniples airfield and the towns surrounding Dumaguete, Bais and Tanjay are where there was a heavy concentration of Japanese Troops. Sgt. Sotero led all others in organizing a guerilla unit on August 5, 1942.

Liberation

November 21, 1944 could have marked as the end of the Japanese occupation of Bais with their withdrawal to Dumaguete. This did not mean, however, that the local civil government was immediately restored in the Poblacion of Bais after the war. The guerillas roamed in the town with the Japanese already out, like the evacuees, they waited for the Americans to completely liberated Negros, of course, with their help before they were going to return to their homes. Bais Sugar Central has turned over its pre-war manager (Mr. Miguel Franco December 7, 1944).

Post War Period

The damaged done by the war to the Philippines and the Filipinos was invaluable. The basic problem, therefore that confronted the Commonwealth and later the republic was economic, buildings, school, houses, roads, bridges, livestock, sugar mills, agriculture, and banking institutions had to be rehabilitated or reconstructed the problem of collaboration also faced the government. There was confusion about the national scene, the wounds of the recent war were as yet unhealed. The United States gave material and financial aid to the Philippines on condition that the Philippine constitution should be amended to give the Americans parity rights in the exploitation of the country’s natural resources. Amidst economic, social and political confusion, the Republic of the Philippines was born to shoulder the responsibilities attendant to independent existence.

The City of Bais acquired its present political status on September 9, 1968, when it was created as a city by Republic Act No. 5444 otherwise known as an act creating the city of Bais President Ferdinand E. Marcos personally proclaimed Bais a city when he visited Bais on September 7, 1968. The City Charter of Bais embodies general and specific provisions dealing with its corporate character, general powers territorial jurisdiction definition of the power of elected officials the maintenance of peace and order etc. The city officials were composed of the mayor, vice-mayor, and the ten councilors. At that time the city had a population of 40, 095 and its total land area was 25, 000 hectares. They enjoyed a 24 hour light and power utility (Rodrigues Vol. VI p 58).

Martial Law Period

The late Mayor Genano B. Goñi was instrumental in making Bais City. Urged by Senator Lorenzo G. Teves to put up a coalition ticket in the 1967 location election, the late Mayor Genano B. Goñi agreed on the condition that Bais shall be converted into a Chartered city. He was the longtime service mayor of Bais City since (1968-1986), (1987-1991) during the Marcos era. During the Goñi Administration City Governor spent 3,000.00 to complete the hospital plus heavily subsidizing its operation served the medical needs mainly of the indigents. This long-cherished dream of having a high school become a reality when the Bais City through its City Mayor Genaro Goñi passed an ordinance No. 45 on April 14, 1969 establishing the Bais City High School (BCHS), revived the Christmas Festival of Bais City during his administration, meanwhile in the Provincial Government seen Vice Governor William Villanueva Villegas appointed Governor by succession, January 1973 – October 1978 after the death of Governor Mariano F. Perdices.

Edsa Revolution and Contemporary 

The Edsa Revolution Mayor Genaro B. Goñi was replaced by OIC Mayor Hector C. Villanueva and Hon. Francisco G. Villanueva. In the 1986 election, he again runs and won, from which he governed the city until his death, where he was replaced by then City Vice Mayor Francisco G. Villanueva, his main project is the promotion of the Tourism Industry in Bais, establishment of the Whale and Dolphin Watching along Tañon Strait, improvement of the Rizal Park, Hall of Justice, Public Market and Bus Terminal. Constructed of the first Hotel of Bais (Bahia de Bais). He served for three terms as mayor and elected in 2004 as city mayor of Bais. In 2001 election Hector “Tata” Villanueva the son of the late Mayor of Bais Hermie G. Villanueva, run for mayor and won again. Mrs. Merci Teves Goñi, in 2004 local elections in Manila.