Province honors 8 oustanding Negrenses today

Two national athletes and an internationally renowned concert pianist lead this year’s outstanding Negrenses to be honored during the 125th Cinco de Noviembre celebration today, November 5 at the Provincial Capitol in Bacolod City.

The annual “Pasidungog sa mga Bag-o nga Baganihan” or 2023 Outstanding Negrenses, include honorees from the fields of music, education, business, sports, and history, heritage, and culture.

The honorees are National Commission for Culture and the Arts Chair Victorino Manalo, who has roots from the cities of Talisay and Silay, and La Castellana, NCCA Deputy Executive Director Marichu Tellano of Kabankalan City, and CCP Vice President and Artistic Director Chris Millado for their contribution in preservation and promotion of history, heritage, and culture;

Southeast Asian Games bronze medalist Juan Carlo Piccio of Bacolod City and Olympic silver medalist Mansueto “Onyok” Velasco Jr. of Bago City are the awardee for sports; 2022 Outstanding Rural Woman Dolores Ceralbo of Don Salvador Benedicto in the field of business;

Outstanding Cultural Educator and teacher from EB Magalona Raffy Berina in the field of education; and Filipino concert pianist and pedagogue par excellence from Leonor Kilayko from Talisay City in the field of music.

The award is given by the provincial government of Negros Occidental to honor Negrenses that excelled in various fields and industries.

Cinco de Noviembre, also known as Negros Day, is observed in Negros Occidental, Philippines every November 5th in remembrance of the local revolt that ousted Spanish rulers from power in 1898.

It is a special non-working public holiday in the province of Negros Occidental pursuant to Republic Act No. 6709 that was approved on February 10, 1989.

Cinco de Noviembre, translated to the Fifth of November, is a commemoration of the revolution by the people of Negros Occidental against the Spanish colonial government in 1898.

It led to the surrender and expulsion of the Spaniards, ending over three centuries of their rule in the province, and paved the way to the establishment of the Republica of Negros.* (EYA)