The Sugarcane Estates of Ylaya

Sugarcane plantations in present-day President Roxas, Capiz.

In the annual report of Capiz submitted by Governor Jugo Vidal to Governor-General Luke Edward Wright in 1904, one would be in awe to learn about the abundance of natural resources in the province, but you would also disgust the abject situation of the ordinary people. As the cliche goes, it was the best of times, it was the worst of times.  

At the turn of the 20th century, Capiz remained one the top sugar-producing provinces in the Philippines. The Ylaya part of Capiz*,  was known for rice, nipa spirits, and sugarcane.  Governor Vidal reports that for the years 1903-1904, the province had shipped 2,800 piculs of sugar but this was down from 9,289 piculs it exported in 1902-1903. These figures were shameful pittance compared to what the province was producing. The governor recalled that between 1895-1897, the province shipped more than 250,000 piculs. The sugar estates in Jaboyana in Pilar alone produced 50,000 piculs in 1896. Meanwhile, the steam machineries in the haciendas in Rosario, Cabugcabug, Aranguel, Lantagan, Carmen, Curilang, Binontucan, Dulangan and six more yielded between 10,000 to 20,000 piculs for each estate. The lands between Pilar and Pontevedra were so fertile that the produce were deemed better in quality than those in Concepcion (Iloilo) and Negros Oriental, the governor boasted. During the pre-revolution boom, about 100 piculs per hectare could be harvested. Shipping these sugarcane was no problem too, because these towns have "good anchorage grounds, where steamers drawing from 12 to 15 feet of water can lie." Not to mention were the plentiful supply of timber available in the mountains surrounding the areas.

Alas, these sugar estates suffered severe losses from the hands of the revolutionary forces between 1897 and 1898. Only the estates in Lantangan and Curilang were spared. The presence of brigands also overwhelmed the hacienderos and the lands ended up in neglect. The planters could not get money from the banks to purchase carabaos needed for cultivation since many have failed to repay debts incurred before 1897. One by one these sugar estates were seized by bankers and foreign merchants from Iloilo. Take the case of a certain Senor Alvaro Alcantara and his brothers, who lost their estates in Cabugcabug, Carmen and Rosario to Iloilo-based merchant, Mr. Wichof. These estates were valued at P100,000. While labor-wise, Capiz could compete with the haciendas in Negros since wages back then were only one-half than what is paid to plantation workers in Negros, but lack of lack of capital have forced the planters out one by one.

 

*Capiz, before 1957 was divided into two, the Ylaya or Ilaya portion and the Aklan valley area which now comprises the province of Aklan.

Reference

Fifth Annual Report of the Philippine Commission 1904, Part 1. Washington: Government Printing Office.