By Dolly Yasa
BACOLOD CITY—Mayor Nicolas Yulo of Bago City, Negros Occidental, announced that more groups, including a German non-government organization, expressed interest in joining the city’s Al Cinco de Noviembre celebration.
He told reporters that participation in this year’s events has significantly increased, with a marked rise in the number of participants across various activities.
Yulo noted that the German NGO, which has supported environmental efforts in the province and the city, sent a letter indicating its intent to join the celebration. “They were here and wanted to participate,” he added.
The group visited the Tan Juan Museum and observed the Al Cinco de Noviembre festivities.
Reflecting on the celebration, Yulo emphasized Bago City’s central role in the Negros revolution, which he said made a significant contribution to the Philippine Revolution. “Here in Bago City, we should be proud to be at the heart of the Negros revolution, which contributed greatly to the Philippine revolution as a whole,” he stated.
He highlighted the legacy of General Juan Araneta, a local hero, who “took up the cause for the people of Negros,” and called on Negrenses to continue this legacy.
“The call today is for inclusive prosperity,” Yulo said. “We must work hand in hand to support those in marginalized sectors, so all can share in the prosperity our forefathers sacrificed for 126 years ago.”
Yulo underscored the importance of educating the youth about the heroism of Gen. Juan Araneta, or “Tan Juan,” who led the southern forces to join with Gen. Aniceto Lacson’s northern forces to trap foreign oppressors who ruled the country for over 300 years.
“Our youth should understand the sacrifices of our forefathers, whose benefits we now enjoy,” he added.
Yulo also shared that before Al Cinco de Noviembre became a province-wide celebration, it was initially observed in Bago and Silay, as leaders from the south and north converged in Bacolod for the historic event.
He described this year’s 126th Al Cinco de Noviembre celebration, held Tuesday with the theme “126 Years of Heroism and Nationalism: Advancing the Legacy of Ingenuity and Progress,” as generally peaceful and successful.
Al Cinco de Noviembre, also known as Negros Day, is celebrated every November 5 to commemorate the Negrenses’ bloodless revolt against Spanish colonizers in 1898. The day was declared a non-working holiday in the province under Republic Act 6709.
The celebration in Bago City features the “Sigabong sang mga Kanyon” and a fancy drill.
