The opening of the Victorias Milling Company in 1919 brought in fast-paced development, huge income, and migration to Victorias.
Although migration from Panay Island to the less inhabited Negros Island continued gradually over the centuries, the 19th and early 20th centuries saw the huge movement from Panay Island, most of them sacádas and other jobseekers at haciendas and sugar centrals.
Victorias Milling Company (VMC), a sugar central founded by Don Miguel J. Ossorio on May 7, 1919, was the biggest reason why many Ilonggos from across the Iloilo Strait eventually called Daan Banwa and later, Victorias town, their home.
One of those Ilonggos was my grandfather, Nemesio Balagosa Delgado (1897-1981), who was a native of Banate, Iloilo, and who became a teacher in Daan Banwa. He was probably fresh off the boat, so to speak, when he fell in love with a Chinese mestiza named Rosario Dy Guaso y Gallego (1901-1951) and later married her in 1923. Unfortunately for the young Rosario, she was disowned by her family when she married him. I wonder if her family could have done what they did to her had they learned that Nemesio's lineage included General Martin Teófilo Delgado who led the revolution against Spain in 1898 in the Iloilo Province. The young Nemesio used to tag along General Teófilo when he was just a kid, according to a late aunt.
Recently, I met an 83-year old Victoriahanon, Mr. Joshue P. Panes, who is a native of the VMC community and whose chicken relleno was popular recipe, especially for the regular patrons of the Victorias Golf and Country Club where he used to work. Mr. Panes, a former a barangay captain at Canetown Subdivision, told me that his family and relatives were from Passi and from its surrounding towns in the Iloilo Province, who all came to work at VMC during the mid-20th century. Mr. Panes also knows most of the old families in VMC who migrated from Illoilo.
The company suffered huge losses in terms of machinery, equipment and structures during World War II but were all rehabilitated after the war.
If my grandfather were still alive and standing at the shores of his beloved hometown in Banate, looking east on a clear day, he would be able to see the smoke from the VMC sugar central from across the sea.😢
Did your own ancestors also come from Iloilo, or from other towns of Negros?😃
Chapter 15. The Elections of 1928
Complete history blog: "Ang Kasaysayan sang Victorias"
No comments:
Post a Comment