Negros Occidental Vice Governor Jose Benito Alonso urged Negrenses on Wednesday, Nov. 5, to honor the legacy of Cinco de Noviembre by tackling modern-day challenges, emphasizing the need for unity and public service.
Alonso issued the call during the 128th Cinco de Noviembre rites at the Provincial Capitol Park and Lagoon in Bacolod City Wednesday morning.
The annual commemoration marks the 1898 bloodless revolution where local heroes bluffed Spanish forces into surrendering using fake weapons—crafting “cannons” out of bamboo and rolled amakan, and “rifles” carved from wood and coconut fronds.
Recalling the victory, Alonso highlighted how the people of Negros peacefully overthrew colonial rule through strategy and conviction to establish the short-lived Cantonal Republic of Negros, demonstrating the resourcefulness and intelligence inherent in the Negrense character.
He noted that today’s battles shift toward fighting poverty, inequality, unemployment, and climate change.
“We must remember that the greatest tribute we can offer to our heroes is not simply to remember their names, but to continue the work they began: building a province where freedom is meaningful, justice is accessible, opportunities are shared, and no Negrosanon is left behind,” Alonso said.
The celebrations continued Wednesday afternoon at the Capitol Social Hall with the conferment of awards to outstanding Negrenses— National Artist for Visual Arts Nunelucio Alvarado and National Artist for Theater Teodoro “Teddy” Hilado (posthumously) — alongside the recognition of the province’s Top 10 Real Property Taxpayers for 2025.
OUTSTANDING NEGRENSES
Alvarado, a native of Barangay Fabrica, Sagay City, Negros Occidental, is known for his social realist paintings depicting the lives and struggles of sugarcane workers and marginalized communities.
Through his works, he brings attention to social issues and the everyday experiences of ordinary Negrenses.
He has received several prestigious awards, including the Cultural Center of the Philippines Thirteen Artists Award in 1992 and two Grand Prizes at the Philip Morris Philippine Art Awards in 1997 and 1999.
Teodoro L. “Teddy” Hilado, a native of Silay City, Negros Occidental, is recognized as the Father of Theater Lighting in the Philippines for his pioneering contributions to lighting design and technical theater.
He served as technical director of the Cultural Center of the Philippines and theater director of the Folk Arts Theater, helping shape the country’s theater industry and develop generations of theater practitioners.
Among his notable recognitions are the 1997 Gawad CCP for Excellence in Lighting Design and Technical Theater and the 2011 Living Legend of Philippine Theater award.
Both Negrenses were named National Artists for 2025 by President Ferdinand R. Marcos Jr. under Proclamation No. 1414, signed on September 1, 2026, in recognition of their outstanding contributions to Philippine arts and culture.
TOP TAXPAYERS
Leading the individual taxpayer honorees was Jose Ramon Gil E. Suatengco (Pulupandan, Moises Padilla), followed by Rafael Abello (Isabela, Moises Padilla), Carmen D. Angodung and Ruperto Angodung Jr. (Hinigaran), Ma. Socorro Yulo Tuvilla (Hinigaran, Binalbagan), and Maja Grande Arroyo (La Castellana).
Completing the individual top ten list were Ma. Luisa O. Cojuangco (Pontevedra), Peter Bilbao Garcia (Hinoba-an), Dr. Ismael and Amparo Rienoso (E.B. Magalona), Maria Teresa Fermin Cuenca (E.B. Magalona), and Nicolas R. Kramer (Isabela).
In the corporate category, renewable energy firms took the top spots, led by Aboitiz Solar Power Inc. in Calatrava and Negros Island Solar Power Inc. in Manapla.
They were joined in the top five by sugar giant Binalbagan-Isabela Sugar Company (BISCOM) in Binalbagan, telecommunications provider Globe Telecom, Inc. across Negros Occidental, and Calatrava Sugar Alliance Inc.
Rounding out the top corporate taxpayers were Tanduay Distillers, Inc. (Murcia), Victorias Milling Co., Inc. (Manapla), Jocelyn Forge Inc. (E.B. Magalona), Jobeco Agro-Industrial Corporation (Manapla), and Asian Alcohol Corporation (Pulupandan).*
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