History
Pre-Spanish era
Virtually nothing is known of Escalante during the pre-Hispanic era. But archaeological findings in October 1975 and May 1976 made by a team of Anthropology students led by Professor Lionel Chiong of Silliman University reveal an early record of men who inhabited not only the present city but also the island of Negros during the pre-Spanish time. The findings were recovered in nine (9) graves in what seemed to be an ancient burial ground in Barangay Japitan, a coastal barangay lying along the Tañon Strait, facing the island of Cebu, some 17 kilometers from the city proper. The artifacts consisted of celadon plate and bowls, stoneware bowls and jars, a Sung Dynasty (960-1280 A.D.) jarlet, gold beads, iron implements, daggers and a hunting knife with an ivory bone handle. Obviously buried with the dead, the plate, bowls, jars and iron implements were found alongside the skeletal remains, the daggers and hunting knives on top of the breast section and the gold beads inside the skulls in-between the upper and lower jaws. When carbon-14 tested, these findings together with the human skeletal remains were found to date as far back as the 12th century A.D. All this proved that present-day Escalante was inhabited by settlers with a relatively developed culture who were engaged in some form of trade and commerce with the outside world, such as the Chinese and Japanese traders who could have brought the jarlet, stoneware and celadon pieces during the Ages of Contacts and Trade with the East (11th & 12th centuries A.D.)Spanish era
The northeastern part of Negros Island was "one of the most cultivated regions" in the mid-19th century. On November 28, 1856, Governor-General Manuel Crespo issued a decree creating the towns of Escalante and Saravia. The decree ordered "that the two towns in question would be separated immediately from their mother town, Silay," although the spiritual separation of the two "would await the building of churches and convents in Saravia and Escalante." The latter had its seat of government in the barrio of Nueva Sevilla (Barangay Old Poblacion). The Parish of Escalante was finally established on May 22, 1860, with Fr. Cipriano Navarro, OAR, as the first Parish Priest. Fr. Navarro, in a report to the Recollect Provincial in 1861, wrote that the inhabitants of his Parish and its 14 barrios lying along the northeast portion of the island from Calatrava to Himogaan, "speak the Cebuano dialect and all, or the majority, came from Cebu, with the exception of those from Barrio Marianas (Himogaan) . . . who came from the district of Iloilo and speak the Hiligaynon dialect." In 1859, a politico-Military Command was established in Bacolod under Governor Emilio E. Saravia with six towns under its jurisdiction: Escalante, Guihulngan, Jinuboan, Jimalalud, Tayasan, and Ayungon. Two more were added, Arguelles (Sagay) and Calatrava when these were created into separate towns on July 3, 1863. This ended with the division of Negros into two provinces in 1889. Schools for boys and girls were established in the late 1860s. By 1869, a school for boys and another for girls were already operating in the town. By 1890, these schools were among the very few managed by Normal School graduates. As early as 1871, Escalante was a major link between Bacolod and Cebu. A mail service route, Bacolod-Escalante-Tutuban-Toledo, Cebu was already exclusively in use by May 1871. In 1875 aAmerican era
The American period covering some 45 years (December 1898 to July 3, 1946, except for a few years under the Japanese occupation) saw marked changes in the socio-cultural, economic and political complexion of the area and its people. To capture the hearts and minds of the inhabitants without the use of guns and cannons, the Americans opened the first free elementary school at Old Poblacion in the early 1900s. A Gabaldon-type elementary school building was constructed at Old Poblacion during the term of Mayor Fernando Lucot (1912–1918). The municipal hall and the town plaza were constructed and developed during the time of Francisco Ferrer, Sr. Also at this time, the first municipal school site where the first elementary school was located, was formally acquired, and the installation of the Rizal Monument at the public plaza completed. The municipal portal and Rizal Monument was built on September 15, 1955. The bandstand and skating rink was constructed on September 28, 1935.Japanese era
In 1942, the occupation by the Japanese Imperial forces entered the towns in Escalante. The establishment of the general headquarters of the Philippine Commonwealth Army was active on January 3, 1942, to June 30, 1946, and the 7th Infantry Regiment of the Philippine Constabulary was active again on October 28, 1944, to June 30, 1946, and military stationed in the town municipality of Escalante during the Japanese Occupation. In 1945, local Filipino soldiers of the 7th, 72nd, 75th and 76th Infantry Division of the Philippine Commonwealth Army and the 7th Constabulary Regiment of the Philippine Constabulary was liberated the towns in Escalante, Negros Occidental and helping Negrosanon guerrilla fighters defeats and attacking Japanese Imperial forces and ended of the Second World War. In 1941, Victor Bedonia succeeded Francisco Ferrer Sr. as mayor, and was supported by the local guerillas. The siege of all Filipino troops of the Philippine Army and Constabulary units was found liberated in the town municipality on 1945 against the Japanese. He served until 1948. The Japanese however installed Enrique Ballesteros as mayor until the end of the war.Post-war era
Two (2) years after liberation, Escalante was divided into two (2) municipalities. PresidentThe martial law years
During this time, a modern public market, new municipal building, and the 50,000-gallon reservoir was erected under the mayor Braulio P. Lumayno. The Martial Law Years was seemingly quiet. However, the uneven land distribution, marginal food production, and the excesses of the political system created so much discontent especially in the sugarcane farms. This was one of the reasons why the BAYAN-led "Welgang Bayan" which ended in theCityhood
After 143 years of existence as a municipality, under the leadership of Mayor Santiago G. Barcelona, Jr., Escalante was now qualified to become a city. On July 24, 1998, the Sangguniang Bayan of Escalante passed Resolution No. 98-79 "requesting the Congressman Julio A. Ledesma IV of the 1st District of Negros Occidental to file a bill in Congress creating / converting the Municipality of Escalante into a new City of Escalante." Six days later, Congressman Ledesma filed House Bill No. 1514 "An act converting the Municipality of Escalante into a component city to be known as the City of Escalante." PresidentGeography
Escalante has a total land area of . It is located on the northeastern tip of Negros Occidental, facing the island of Cebu. It is from San Carlos City and fromCoastal environment
The diversity of plants in the coastal environment of Escalante is one of the richest in Occidental Negros. Its coasts comprise two surviving ecosystems: the mangrove, consisting of trees and shrubs that occupies the landward portion of its coastal areas; the seagrass, or grasslike plants, that thrive on it shallow nearshore area. In a limited coastal zone, remnants of a third ecosystem, coral reef may be found but in residual, degraded form. The marine waters of Escalante are generally warm throughout the year, except for early mornings of the cool months of December, January and February. Salinity of its waters is within reasonable amount, at 28-36 parts per thousand.Climate
The atmospheric conditions influencing the climate of Escalante as a whole are the same conditions operative in Negros Island. During the summer months (April to December) an air stream is directed from the south. This air current follows a counterclockwise path as it approaches the low-pressure center of the Asian continent, and reaches the Philippines from a southwestern direction as the southwestern monsoon or ''habagat''. During the period from November to January, Negros has relatively cool weather as the Asian continent cools more rapidly than the surrounding seas, resulting in high-pressure centers leading to winds being deflected in a clockwise fashion. This period is known as the northeastern monsoon or ''amihan''. From March to April the northeastern wind system dominates. The cool season in Escalante is from December through March. It is also the time when low tides called ''aya-ay'' prevail, making beachcombing of its shores more pleasurable. The latter part of March through June is when the highest temperatures prevail. But being largely coastal, Escalante enjoys a constant flow of refreshing sea breeze.Barangays
Escalante City is politically subdivided into 21Demographics
The city has grown at a respectably fast rate, averaging 1.63% in the ten years (2000 thru 2010). The May 2010 Census on Population showed that population increased to 93,005 persons. This means that on average that population grew by 1.63% annually since 2000. This is only about 3.20% of the province's population which includes Bacolod City or 3.88% without it. At this rate, the city's population is expected to double by year 2053. The average household for 2000 was 4.89 persons per household, which is lower than the 5.0 national, 5.1 regional and the 5.24 provincial averages. NSO estimates there were 92,035 persons in 2007 in 18,644 households. This means, the average households size increased to 4.94. As of December 2009, the average age is 24 years old. Escalante has the highest population density (persons/square kilometer) in 2007, among the province's cities at 736.3, second only to the provincial capital, Bacolod City. The provincial average is 362.1, while the cities average 417.8.Negros Occidental Socio-Economic Trends 2008 The people in the city speak Cebuano closely followed by Hiligaynon. Filipino and English are generally understood.Economy
Government
Melecio J. Yap, Jr. is the current Mayor of the city while Rogelio A. Prietos is the current Vice Mayor of the city. The city belongs to the 1st Congressional District of Negros Occidental, which is under the Leadership of Congressman Gerardo P. Valmayor, Jr.List of former chief executives
Succession of mayors from 1901 to present:Notable personalities
* James YapReferences
External links
* *