CHAPTER XVII

INAUGURAL
PREPARATION
• Great were the preparation with the expectant
rejoicing for the congressional inauguration.
• The festival committees were designated.
• The whole neighborhood was urged to adorn
their houses and the inaugural day was fixed by
the President.
• The best available orchestra was brought it; the
military leaders had new uniforms cut and
made for themselves as well as to their soldiers.
• Th event which presented for the Negrense the inauguration of the Chamber of Deputy as
well as the formal proclamation of the autonomy as Canton of Negros Island, placed the
regional government of Visayas and Mindanao seated in Iloilo, the sister province.
• After an agreement by the Junta in its session of November, President Lacson sent a
message the following day to the regional government of Visayas and Mindanao in Iloilo.
 AWAKENING FOR ILOILO

• According to Ilonggo contemporaries of these events the Negros plan at short the dream cherished
by the regional government of establishing single federal ruling body for the Visayan islands with
Iloilo as the set.
• In his reliable “Apuntes” the same journalist Fuentes say accordingly:
“Due to the and impression created by the (Negros) communique among the rebel promoters in
Iloilo-Ramon Avancena and others – President Lacson’s message did not solicit a reply; and the
regional government thus ignored by the Canton did not send any representation to that solemn event
of inauguration in Bacolod of the Congress of Delegates.”
• However as the truth of the saying goes that blood is thicker than water, notwithstanding
the above mentioned discrepancy of ideas and theories between the regional and the
Canton Government of Iloilo and Negros, the Ilonggo rebels as well as their Negros
counterpart participated in the activities of one and other province with good will if these
had never been the least disparity of criterion between them.