A tribute to our local Heroes

1. The Heroes of Negros Oriental
During the Spanish Era
Josefino Tulabing Larena ,AB,CPS,CPE,MPA

2. Map of Negros

3. The legacy of a great man is
the memory of a great love
and faith of Mankind.
Ambrosio Pinili Somoza
Liberal Arts Icon and History
Professor of St. Paul
University from 1960s to 1980s

4. Don Deigo de la Rosa de la Vina
 Don Diego de la Viña shaped the beginnings of the municipality, “Valle
hermoso” when he saw the beautiful valley. In 1881, Don Diego de la
Viña came from Negros Occidental in search of territories to conquer.
The land he saw a top the mountains was the wilderness called
Bagawines. Bukidnons, known to be unfriendly aboriginals inhabited
the area. However, de la Viña sought the tribal chief, named Ka Saniko
and truck barter.For lands on coastal Bagawines, de la Viña offered
wondrous articles from Iloilo, such as fine canes, well-crafted bolos and
colorful patadyongs. Ka Saniko then moved further to Pinocawan. De
la Viña with a number of Bukidnons cleared the land and constructed
his residence, a casa tribunal and a chapel. In less than five years they
transformed the valley into a hacienda of sugar cane, tobacco,
coconut, rice and corn. He called it the “beautiful valley,” Vallehermoso.
De la Viva bought, bartered and did everything else possible to enlarge
his landholdings until it stretched from Molobolo on the boundary of
Guihulngan, north to Macapso on the boundary of San Carlos and west
to the slopes of Canlaon where he pastured his cattle and horses. He
opened a road to Negros Occidental, which paved the way for his
historic involvement in the local revolution against Spain. Don Diego de
la Viña was an illustrado being born from a Spanish-Chinese
parentage. He grew up in Binondo, Manila but went to Basque,
Asturias in Spain to earn his Bachelor’s degree in Arts. Upon his return
to Manila, he married a “Tagala” with whom he had four children.

5.  He brought them with him when he settled in
Negros. Endowed with a pioneering spirit he
searched for a place where he could establish a
residence and fulfil his dream to carve out fortune.
When he resided in Bagawines, he influenced the
way of life of the bukidnons. They became civilized
and tempered their warring tendencies. He
inculcated to the bukudnona the love of work and
the idea of religion. He frowned on laziness. In the
hacienda that De la Viña established,
unemployment was not known. His work in the
plantation made him physically strong and
spiritually active. When his wife died, he remarried
Narcisca Geopano an Ilongga from the landed
Geopano Clan of the North. He sired three children
with his second wife. It was in the last quarter of
1898 when Don Diego de la Viña became involved
in the revolution.

6.  His brother, Dr. Jose de la Viña was one of the delegates
to the Macolos Congress. Dr. de la Viña regularly
informed Don Diego of the latest development of the
Republic government under Gen. Emilio Aguinaldo. Gen.
Aguinaldo duly commissioned Don Diego de la Viña with
the rank of General de Brigada, Commandante del
Ejercito Filipino, Provincia de Negros Oriental. His son
was also commissioned Lieutenant Colonel of the
Infantry. He secretly trained his peasants how to handle a
rifle. He turned their ploughshares' into bolos, “pinuti,
“talibong”, “bahi”, spears and lances. Soon more and
more men joined the group of de la Viña. He was soon
around riding on a big white spotted horse during the
“revolucionario”. De la Viña became known as the
“Tigulang or the Grand Old Man”. He was considered a
“cacique”, for he had the say in all appointments. He
became the judge of local conflicts and designed the
improvements for the place

7. Don Deigo de la Rosa de la Vina

8. Gen. Pantaleon Villegas y Soldi
 Gen. Pantaleon Villegas y Soldi (July 27, 1873 – April 8,
1898) better known as León Kilat ("Lightning León" in
Cebuan), was a revolutionary leader in Cebu during the
Philippine Revolution against Spain. He was born in Bacong,
Negros Oriental, to Don Policarpio Villegas of Vallehermoso
and Doña Úrsula Soldi of Bacong. His grandfather was Don
Pedro Villegas, a native of Spain, and Dorotea, a daughter of a
capitán of Bacong.In 1895, he worked at Botica Antigua
located in the corner of Calle del Palacio and Calle Legazpi
(Burgos and Legazpi). It was a well-known drugstore
frequented by many Cebuans. With him were Ciriaco Murillo
and Eulogio Duque who told the writer Manuel Enríquez de la
Calzada that Pantaleón actually used the name "Eulogio",
instead of Pantaleón. Because there were two Eulogios
working in the drugstore, the German owner had to call him
instead "León". Why he used the name "Eulogio" was not
known.Villegas did not stay long at Botica Antigua. He
transferred to a bakery in Pahina (Fagina). From there he

9.  The circus happened to be owned by a katipunero. It was
there that he was recruited into the secret council of the
Katipunan. During the rebellion against Spain, Kilat led
the revolutionaries in Cebu. Initially intending to begin the
rebellion on Easter Sunday, he was forced to change his
plans when the Spaniards discovered the planned revolt.
Kilat and his men began the rebellion in Cebu on Palm
Sunday, April 3, 1898. He was, however, betrayed and
murdered on Good Friday, April 8, 1898, in Carcar, Cebu.
He was stabbed to death by his own aide-de-camp,
Apolinario Alcuitas. The town of Bacong in Negros
Oriental has honored Villegas with a statue erected in the
town plaza in 1926. On July 27, 2008, the 135th
anniversary of Villegas' birth, the Philippine National
Historical Institute turned over a historical marker in
honor of Villegas to local and provincial officials in his
hometown

10. Leon Kilat

11. Demetrio Larena y Sandes
 Demetrio Larena - A Political Hero of Negros
Revolution ,Revolutionary and former Governor of
Negros Oriental (East Negros), a province on
Negros Island in the Philippines. He was governor of
Negros Oriental from 1901 until 1906. Larena was
instrumental in the establishment of Silliman
University in Dumaguete City. The Cantonal
Republic of Negros was established with Larena as
its Presidente from November 27, 1898 until March
4, 1899 when the Negros revolutionaries
surrendered to the United States General James
Francis Smith. The government lasted for three
months and four days. Larena invested public funds
to construct schools, encourage enrollment,

12. Demetrio Larena

13. Piyo Banogon
 Piyo Banogon was a Filipino soldier in the Negros
Revolution against Spain and in the Philippine-
American War. He assumed command of the La
Libertad revolutionary forces. He joined the group of
Don Diego de la Viña in 1898 .

14. Gen. Sergio Lopez Sinco
 Gen. Sergio Sinco Son of Don Escolastico G. Sinco
and Saturnina Lopez of Ioilo , eldest brother to Maria
Paz, and Coloma Sinco . was a Filipino general who
served during the Philippine Revolution and
subsequently during the Philippine Spanish
American War. He assumed command of the Bais
revolutionary forces. He joined the group of Don
Diego de la Viña in 1898

15. Gen. Felipe Tayko
 Gen. Felipe Tayko Leader of the revolutionaries
from Siaton and leader of insurgents of Southern
Negros,he later became The Governor of Negros
Oriental and delegate to the Philippine Assembly
during the American Period

16. Ambrosio Somoza
 Ambrosio Somoza
 A Farmer, Cabeza de
Barangay , Patriot of the
Negros Revolution and
Republic of Negros. The
envoy of the revolution and
Capitan Municipal of
Manjuyod in 1898

17. Col. Hermenegildo Teves Villanueva
 Hermenegildo Teves
Villanueva (September
25, 1876 – after 1936)
was a Filipino politician,
revolutionary and sugar
baron. He served as
Senator from the eighth
senatorial district from
1919 to 1931, and
Governor of Negros
Oriental from 1931 to
1937. Bindoy was the
delegate of Agriculture for
the Negros Revolution

18. Luis Rotea
 Luis Rotea Military chief of the North. Writer and
revolutionary leader of Tanjay Juan Saavedra
Political Adviser and Political Hero during the
Spanish, the brain of the Negros Republic, editing
committee of the Negros Cantonal Constitution

19. Pedro Tapia
 Pedro Tapia Patriot and one of the pillars of the
Negros revolutionary Movement

20. Meliton Larena
 Meliton Larena Military chief of the South and first
town Mayor of Dumaguete and organized the
guerrilla of Dumaguete during Spanish Era

21. Miguel Patero
 Miguel Patero Delegate of development of the
Provisional Revolutionary Government and the lead
of the guerrilla movement of San Jose and Sibulan
during Negros Oriental for Negros Oriental Republic
Assembly

22. Dios Buhawi
 Ponciano Elofre, later called Dios
Buhawi (Hiligaynon: Whirlwind God), was
a cabeza of a barangay in Zamboanguita in Negros
Oriental, Philippines, and the leader of a politico-
religious revolt in Negros in the late 19th century
against the Spanish.

23. Ramon Teves Pastor
 Ramon Teves Pastor Patriot, Orator ,Sugar Planter
and Vice Presidente del Congreso ,congress of
Deputies Negros Republic. One of the leaders of the
Revolutionary Movement in Dumaguete

24. Pedro Teves
 Pedro Teves He became a delegate of Agriculture
and Commerce of the Negros Republic . Politician
and labor leader; Considered as the Father of
Negrense Socialism

25. Dr. Jose R. de la Vina M.D.
 Dr. Jose R. de la Vina
M.D.
 Dr. Jose de la Vina was
one of the delegates to the
Malolos Congress and the
delegate of Justice and
food supply for the
revolutionary forces during
Negros Revolution. Filipino
physician, writer, and
active member of the
Negros Republic

26. Laureano Mongocpa Flores
 Laureano Mongocpa Flores Delegate of Treasury,
Taxes and Property of the Negros Oriental Republic .
Negrense Writer of local newspaper during the
revolution.

27. Historic Quezon Park

29. Thank you so much & God Bless