Ateneo de Davao University

Senior High School

Enabling Task 4
Earth Science

Submitted to:
Sir Jaypoul A. Abas

Submitted by:
Shaira B. Cogollodo

Date: 04-27-17
 I. Introduction

The Philippines is one of the world’s largest archipelago nations. It is situated in

Southeast Asia in the Western Pacific Ocean. Its islands are classified into three main
geographical areas – Luzon, Visayas, and Mindanao. Because of its archipelagic nature,
Philippines is a culturally diverse country. With its topography consisting of mountainous
terrains, dense forests, plains, and coastal areas makes the country rich in biodiversity. It is
considered as one of the mega biodiversity countries in the world with a high percentage of flora
and fauna endemism. The Philippines has a total land area of 298 170 km 2, of which 9.5 million
of it are agricultural land. Its agricultural sector accounts for about 12 percent of the national
gross domestic product and provides one-third of its workforce.

Within the Philippines, Region VI or also known as Western Visayas is located in the
Central Philippines. It covers the provinces of Aklan, Antique, Guimaras, Iloilo and Negros
Occidental except for Aklan and Guimaras, the four provinces were created by virtue of
Republic Act No. 2711 on March 10, 1917. On 25th of April 1956, the province of Aklan was
created under Republic Act 1414. Guimaras became a province on May 11, 1992 and it became a
sub-province of Iloilo on 1996. The Western Visayas region holds an exceptional significance
for all Filipinos. Western Visayas is very rich in biodiversity. The region consists of many plants
and animals that have to be well appreciated. The region is not only abundant when it comes to
marine resources, but also in natural and agricultural resources. It also has both rare and common
animals and plants which should all be preserved, conserved and protected.

Provinces like Antique and Negros Occidental are rich, not only in agricultural resources
but also in marine and natural resources. Antique’s most abundant resource is “palay”, which is
the province’s primary crop and is believed to engross 75% of the provincial economy. Negros
Occidental is known to be the “Sugar Bowl of the Philippines” and is also a home to sugar
barons. Sugar is a center to the evolution of the Negrense culture which makes sugarcane the
most abundant resource of the province. The province generates more than half of the country’s
sugar production as well as exporting it to other countries, and is said to produce 800 metric tons
of raw sugar a year.
 However, due to the country’s geographical location, these resources are vulnerable to
natural hazards such as floods, landslides, storm surge, typhoons, volcanic eruption, drought and
so on and so far which are said to be frequent to the provinces of Negros Occidental and
Antique. Aside from natural hazards, the two provinces are also vulnerable to anthropogenic or
man-made hazards such as mining, which is prominent in the province of Antique, the use of
pesticides, deforestation, cyanide and dynamite fishing, and etc which could also greatly affect
the resources of both provinces.

Resources have an exceptional significance for all Filipinos. It does not only implement a
great impact in our country’s economy, but also to the employment of the people. This means
that special measures are required to ensure the significance of these resources to be protected
and properly managed.

An important initiative to ensure the conservation of these resources has been developed
here in this conservation management plan. The Conservation Management Plan (CMP) provides
an overview of the region’s abundant resources and its threats. It highlights the diversity and
significance of the resources attributes to the region and provides plans and recommendations to
conserve and manage this significance against natural and man-made threats.

To summarize it all, this study aims to site the ways on how to conserve the abundant
resources found in the Western Visayas, specifically in the places of Antique and Negros
Occidental, against natural and man-made threats. The Conservation Management Plan can help
the people in terms of conserving the resources in various ways. This is the reason why it is
highly advised for each province, not only in the Western Visayas but to other regions as well, to
have one.
 II. History & Etymology

THE PROVINCE OF ANTIQUE is situated in Western Visayas region and San

Jose is its capital. The province is bordered by Aklan, Capiz, and Iloilo to the east, and to the
west side is the Sulu Sea. Tribal Negritos or Atis were the first settlers of the Island of Panay led
by the Negrito chieftain, Marikudo. According to province history, in the year 1212 ten Malay
datus led by Datu Puti escaped persecution in a Hindu-Malay empire that existed in Borneo and
Sumatra by sailing together with their people and they landed on Panay. The Malay Datus
bought the island from Marikudo by trading a golden “saduk” or headpiece, a golden necklace,
among many other tokens. Since then, the Borneans settled in this area.

The province was then known prior to the arrival of the Spaniards as “Hantik” derived
from large red ants found in the Island called “Lantik-lantik”. Hantik was then under the
governance of Datu Sumakwel, one of the ten datus. He established the first Malay settlement in
the Philippines, the town of Malandog. Malandog is now a barangay in the present-day
municipality of Antique.

THE PROVINCE OF NEGROS OCCIDENTAL was once known as “Buglas” which

means “cut-off” to the native habitants. The island of Negros was later on renamed by the
Spaniards because of the predominant presence of Negritoes (dark-skinned people) in the area.
The province of Negros Occidental has a land area of 792, 607 hectares which occupies 40% of
the region, and is said to be the biggest in terms of land area. Negros Occidental occupies the
western half of the island of Negros. Its terrain gently slopes in the north and the west towards
the center of the island where peaks of various elevations divide it from Negros Oriental. Mt.
Kanlaon, the highest peak in the Visayas, is a popular hiking destination. Near its foot lies the
Mambucal Resort, known since the early Spanish times for its hot springs and cool mountain
streams.

It is believed that Negros was once part of a greater mass of land but was cut off either
by what geologists all a continental drift or by rising waters during the so-called glacial age.
Among its earliest inhabitants were dark-skinned natives belonging to the Negrito ethnic group
with their unique culture. Thus, the Spaniards called the land “Negros” after the black natives
whom they saw when they first came to the island in April 1565. Two of the earliest native
settlements were Binalbagan and Ilog, that later became towns in 1573 and 1584, respectively.
Other settlements were Hinigaran, Bago, Marayo (now Pontevedra), Mamalan (now
Himamaylan) and Candaguit (now a sitio in San Enrique).

After appointing encomenderos in the island, Miguel Lopez de Legaspi placed Negros

under the jurisdiction of the governor of Oton in Panay. In 1734, however, the island became a
military district and Ilog was made its first capital. The seat of government was later transferred
to Himamaylan and thereafter Bacolod became the capital in 1849. The island remained a
military district up to about the middle of the 19th century. Then in 1865, Negros Occidental was
raised to the category of a politico-military province. During this time, several more towns were
established like San Carlos and Calatrava. Religious orders evangelized the province by turns:
the Augustinians, Recollects, Jesuits, Dominicans, Seculars and again, the Recollects returning in
the 1800s.

The latter half of the 19th century was a period of rapid economic expansion for Negros
Occidental as evidenced by the growth of population resulting from the influx of immigrants
coming from neighboring provinces like Iloilo, Antique, Capiz and Cebu. They settled in
districts sparsely inhabited in the past and this resulted in the establishments of new towns:
Saravia (now E.B. Magalona), Valladolid and Escalante in 1860.

The major boom to the province at this time was the widespread cultivation of sugarcane
and the opening of ports like those in Iloilo and Cebu to foreign commerce. In 1856, Negros
Occidental produced only 4,000 piculs of sugar. This increased to 100,000 piculs in 1864 and
2,000,000 in 1893. The cultivation of sugarcane then became widespread and soon after Negros
Occidental led other provinces in the production of sugar. Modern machines were also
introduced at this time and by 1864, seven machines operated by steam were used in the towns of
Bacolod, Minuluan (now Talisay and Bago).

During the last decade of the 19th century, several important events occurred in the
history of Negros Occidental. One was the making of Negros Occidental as a separate province
from Negros Oriental in 1890. The other was when Negrense revolutionary troops led by
Generals Aniceto Lacson and Juan Araneta joined the nationwide-Katipunan Movement and
overcame the Spanish garrison in the province on November 5, 1898 when the Filipinos rose in
arms against the Spanish rule. The revolt ended more than 300 years of foreign domination.

This resulted in the establishment of the short lived “Cantonal Government of the
Republic of Negros” which reunited the two provinces until the Americans arrived in May 1899.
A civil government was established in Negros Occidental on April 20, 1901.

During the succeeding decades between 1901 and the 1930s, Negros Occidental was
under the American occupation as with the rest of the country. Nonetheless, the economic
growth continued especially with Philippine sugar having a part of the US market despite some
accompanying socio-economic problems during this period. When the Japanese landed in the
province on May and instead organized a free government and guerilla movement under Gov.
Alfredo Montelibano, Sr. in Negros Island. They helped bring about the surrender of the
Japanese forces in Negros in 1945.The history of the province for the post World War II period
has yet to be formally written. Suffice it to briefly note here that this was mainly a period of
rehabilitation from the destruction of war. With the sugar industry, the major pillar of the
province’s economy, as well as other areas being revived, consequent socio-economic growth in
the province followed.

The socio-economic life of Negros Occidental from the 1950s up to the 1980s depended
as before mainly on the sugar industry. Producing annually about 60% of the country’s sugar
output, an expansion in the industry with the establishment of several new mills in the late 1960s
spurred increased production. A downturn caused by the low world sugar prices in the early
1980s was followed by possibly the worst industry and province-wide crisis starting in 1984 with
the world sugar prices hitting rock bottom in 1985. The province was also hit by two destructive
typhoons in 1984, Nitang and Undang, after a serious drought in 1983.

The year 1985 also marked the period when Negros Occidental became known
throughout the country and abroad as suffering from historic socio-economic crisis. Various
forms of international aid were sent to Negros and many Negrenses , national and foreign
government and government organizations, responded in cooperation with the Philippine
Government to help the province cope with the crisis.
 While the country was simmering like a volcano that later erupted at EDSA in February
1986, Negros Occidental was split into two provinces after a plebiscite in Cadiz on January 3,
1986. Negros Occidental (mother province) was left with 3 cities and 18 municipalities while
Negros del Norte (new province) had 3 cities and 8 municipalities starting from the City of Silay
to the northern tip, San Carlos City, including the new town of Don Salvador Benedicto. The
creation of this new province was, however, opposed by the Negros Anti-Partition Movement
and the Supreme Court declared the creation unconstitutional on July 11, 1986. On August 18,
1986, Negros del Norte was formally returned to Negros Occidental, thus making the province
whole again.

Toward the end of 1987, the rays of hope started to shine when the overall economic
situation showed an upturn. The campaign for agricultural diversification had been gaining
momentum, paving the way for more landowners to invest in prawn farming, livestock and high-
value crops such as fruits, vegetables and other cash crops .Investments upswing became
apparent by 1988. The participation of the industrial sector accelerated consumer economic
growth and development manifested by the increase in sales of consumer goods and by-products.
SOURCES

Retrieved from….

 http://www.ph.undp.org/content/philippines/en/home/countryinfo.html
 http://www.negros-occ.gov.ph/about-negros-occidental/history-of-negros-occidental
 http://www.1stphilippines.com/pp-9aa08032bb8002ed548d6516f66eab9d.html
 http://r6.denr.gov.ph/index.php/about-us/regional-profile
 https://www.negros-occ.gov.ph/about-negros-occidental/people-culture-and-arts
 https://www.oocities.org/lppsec/pp/negocc.htm
 https://www.choosephilippines.com/go/islands-and-beaches/4142/summer-destinations-
negros-occidental/