• GILBERT P. BAYORAN
The provincial government of Negros Occidental will commemorate the historic Cinco de Noviembre uprising on Nov. 5 by honoring outstanding Negrenses and recognizing the province’s top taxpayers during ceremonies at the Provincial Capitol in Bacolod City.
With the theme “One Negros, One People, One History,” the celebration will pay tribute to two distinguished Negrenses for their contributions to the arts and culture.
To be recognized as Outstanding Negrenses are Nunelucio Melocoton Alvarado, National Artist for Visual Arts, and the late Theodoro “Teddy” Hilado, National Artist for Theater.
The provincial government will also honor the Top 10 Taxpayers in both the corporate and individual categories in recognition of their contributions to the province’s development through tax payments.
Governor Eugenio Jose Lacson said the celebration is an opportunity to remember the local heroes who fought for freedom while also recognizing modern-day heroes who contribute to their communities in different ways.
“We recognized our local heroes then, and we also recognize our heroes now,” Lacson said.
He noted that heroism is not limited to extraordinary acts, saying that anyone can become a hero, whether by serving as a frontline worker during calamities or simply doing a good deed for a neighbor.
The governor also expressed gratitude to the province’s top taxpayers and other taxpayers, emphasizing that tax revenues are essential in keeping the government operational and enabling it to deliver public services.
Similar commemorative activities will also be held in the cities of Bago, Silay and Talisay, which played significant roles in the historic uprising that led to the liberation of Negros from Spanish colonial rule.
The Cinco de Noviembre uprising, also known as the Negros Revolution, took place on Nov.5, 1898, when Negrense revolutionaries staged a successful revolt against Spanish forces.
In Bago City, the historic event is commemorated at the Cinco de Noviembre marker, where local officials and residents remember the revolutionary leaders and their role in the uprising.
Silay City, meanwhile, honors its participation in the revolution through commemorative activities highlighting the contribution of its people and the historic events that helped bring about Spanish surrender in Negros.
In Talisay City, the celebration recalls the strategic role of local revolutionaries in the uprising, particularly the events that helped convince Spanish forces that a much larger revolutionary force was advancing toward Bacolod.
The annual commemoration serves as a reminder of the courage, unity and determination of Negrenses, whose collective action became a defining chapter in the province’s history. | GPB
