AND elite-made politicians in the politics of Bacolod and neighboring cities and towns in the 60s to early 80s signaled the declining power and influence of the powerful landed elites in the province, and the shifting of power into the hands of the former.
The first groups of powerful landed elites from Iloilo that settled and developed Silay City as the cradle of Negros civilization were also the same political kingpin that established Bacolod City and other neighboring cities and towns like Talisay City, Sarabia, Manapla, Murcia, Bago, Pulupandan, Valladolid, San Enrique, and La Carlota.
The Guanzons and their local allies that ruled Bacolod for decades have their roots in the bloc of Gamboa, Gamban--Lacson-Velez-Golez-Garcia who ruled Silay for decades, and who came from Molo-Manduriao of Iloilo, while the Montelibanos, Gonzagas and their local allies who dominated the north and east side of Bacolod and its local politics belong to the powerful bloc of Montelibano-Locsin-Jalandoni of Silay who came from Jaro district of Iloilo.
So true as well with the landed elites like the Montillas, Benedictos, Aranetas, Roxas, and Cojuangcos, who also came from Iloilo and as far as Luzon, and established big commercial sugar farms and mills in south Negros, mobilizing local kin and allies like the Lizares, Gatuslao, Torres, Suatengcos, Trebols, Zaycos, and Alvarez, among others.
The Lizares, Benedictos, Montillas Arnaldos, and their local allies like the Carmonas and Saysons, who dominated the south side of Bacolod, have their roots in the powerful landed elites led by Montillas, Trebols, Benedictos, Aranetas,Torres, Roxas, Suatengcos,Cojuangcos, and Gatuslao that ruled South Negros for decades.
The Palanca that became the "legend" of the west side of Bacolod, now known as Bredco, belong to the landed and merchant elites of the north. The Benitez and Bantug, considered small local elites, eventually linked with the Palancas and their interlocking connections through intermarriages and business ventures, where they established their reported fortunes.
Except in remote places, the power and influence of these old landed elites of Negros have diminished extensively. This is quite visible in Bacolod City where since the second half of the 80s to present, the middle-class intelligentsia, that class whose liberal thinking and highly innovative styles of leadership, management and governance, have propelled urban centers to a new track of development away from sugar farms and hacienda mentality and culture of the old landed elites.
This is typified by Bacolod Mayor Bing Leonardia, relatively free of influence from powerful landed elites of the province, and who led Bacolod to new heights of development, combining the dynamism, boldness, openness, innovativeness, and team management of contemporary middle-class intelligentsia.
This is further amplified by the prevailing middle-class culture among Leonardia's team of leaders, known as GP, though in varying degrees and intensity.
Other elite-made politicians who rose in Bacolod politics, those beholden so much to any of the big landed feudal elites of the province, are now fading away, or losing their appeal to the millennial thinking and google culture now fast dominating the urban life.
This is also the bigger context where Leonardia has to consolidate and scale up its leadership and governance capacity and skills to face the challenge of elite-made politicians and their ambitious partisans and street smarts who want to bridge their patrons and feudal masters to reestablish their rule in Bacolod and turn them back into feudal fiefdom where the rule of the game is to follow or die.
The middle-class intelligentsia must link arms and minds with the more progressive blocs of Negros society to broaden and deepen its development track that is truly participatory, inclusive, smart, sustainable, and resilient. It's the only way to resist effectively the threats of the resurgence of landed elites political economics.