ILOILO – The public plaza of Santa Barbara town – the venue of today’s 125th Philippine Independence Day celebration – was the site of the first raising of the Philippine flag outside Luzon on Nov. 17, 1898, five months after General Emilio Aguinaldo declared Philippine independence from Spain in Kawit, Cavite on June 12, 1898.
This revolutionary act is now known as the “Cry of Santa Barbara”.
Ilonggos were active participants in the Filipinos’ revolution for independence. On Oct. 28, 1898, local revolutionary leader General Martin Delgado and troops marched into Santa Barbara and took control of the municipal building. That same day, simultaneous uprisings against Spanish colonizers took place in towns across Iloilo.
The Spanish forces under the command of Governor-General Diego de los Rios eventually surrendered to Delgado, and on Dec. 25, 1898 the Philippine flag was raised at Plaza Libertad in Iloilo City (then a municipality).
Why in Iloilo City?
The capital of the Spanish Philippines was at that time in Iloilo. Spanish authorities continued to fight the forces of the Philippine Revolution for control of the country outside of Manila.
Desiring to save the Visayas and Mindanao from being conquered by Philippine revolutionary forces, de los Rios asked Spain to grant some reforms demanded by citizens of Iloilo. He issued in Iloilo a proclamation to the people of the Visayas calling on them to establish a “Council of Reforms” to be made up of 24 leading citizens, 12 of whom would be selected by popular vote and another 12 to be appointed by the governor-general himself. The granted reforms, however, satisfied only a few ilustrado leaders and the Philippine revolution in Iloilo heated up.
ILONGGOS’ GENERAL UPRISING
The general uprising against the Spanish authorities on Panay Island, particularly in Iloilo, took place on Oct. 28, 1898. On that day onward, led by Delgado, the interior towns of the province of Iloilo were liberated from Spanish control. By the first week of November, only Jaro, Molo, and Iloilo remained in the hands of the Spaniards. On Nov. 21, Jaro was delivered by the Spanish government to the Ilonggo revolutionary forces.
With the Spanish army being besieged by the revolutionary troops in the positions which they held in Iloilo and Molo, and being threatened by a decisive attack, the Spanish government under de los Rios eventually opened up negotiations with the Ilonggos.
The outcome of the negotiations was the evacuation of Molo and Iloilo City by the Spanish troops and their subsequent surrender to the native forces under the command of General Delgado at Plaza Alfonso XII (now Plaza Libertad).
In actuality, de los Rios’ term as Governor-General of the Philippines legally ended earlier, on Dec. 10, 1898, when the Treaty of Paris was signed transferring sovereignty of the Philippines from Spain to the United States. The Philippine Revolution however continued, and would become the Philippine-American War early in 1899.
TODAY’S CELEBRATION
Department of Energy (DOE) secretary Raphael Perpetuo Mercado Lotilla is the guest of honor at the 125th Independence Day celebration in Santa Barbara town today.
Mayor Dennis Superficial confirmed that Lotilla will lead the celebration, together with Gov. Arthur Defensor Jr.
“Bal-an mo ang roots (of Lotilla) from Santa Barbara,” said Superficial in an interview with Panay News yesterday.
The DOE secretary is a native of Sibalom, Antique but has relatives in Santa Barbara.
Other government officials were also invited, including Sangguniang Panlalawigan members and provincial government department heads.
Superficial said the program will be simple – there will be a flag-raising ceremony at 8 a.m., followed by wreath-laying ceremony at the plaza monument of Ilonggo revolutionary leader General Martin Delgado, and a short program.
Also attending the program are Santa Barbara municipal employees and department heads.
Superficial invited Ilonggos, including residents of Santa Barbara, to join the Independence Day celebration.
“Ako ang naga-imbitar gid sa inyo sa pag-upod sa pag-observe, sa pag-commemorate sa aton 125th Independence Day diri sa banwa sang Santa Barbara,” the mayor said.
GIANT PH FLAG
The raising of a giant Philippine national flag at the historic public plaza of Santa Barbara will highlight the province’s commemoration of Independence Day with the theme, “Kalayaan. Kinabukasan. Kasaysayan.” (Freedom. Future. History).
This giant PH flag measures 30 feet x 60 feet while its metal flagpole measures 120 feet.
On Nov. 18, 2015 the National Historical Commission of the Philippines (NHCP) ordered that a giant Philippine flag at the public plaza of Santa Barbara town be flown “in perpetuity”.
The NHCP included Santa Barbara town plaza as among the selected places where gigantic Philippine flags shall be permanently hoisted. (Source: Wikipedia/PN)
