Antonio Ledesma Jayme (July 24, 1854 – October 19, 1937) was a

Filipino Filipino may refer to: * Something from or related to the Philippines ** Filipino language, standardized variety of 'Tagalog', the national language and one of the official languages of the Philippines. ** Filipinos, people who are citizens of th ...

lawyer, revolutionary hero,

Governor A governor is an administrative leader and head of a polity or political region, ranking under the head of state and in some cases, such as governors-general, as the head of state's official representative. Depending on the type of political ...

Negros Occidental Negros Occidental ( hil, Nakatungdang Negros; tl, Kanlurang Negros), officially the Province of Negros Occidental, is a Provinces of the Philippines, province in the Philippines located in the Western Visayas Regions of the Philippines, region. ...

, and assemblyman, as well as a lawmaker and a revolutionary nation's founding father and a signatory to a nation-state's constitution.

Early years and education

Antonio L. Jayme was born on July 24, 1854, in what is now the district of

Jaro, Iloilo City Jaro (; ) is a district of Iloilo City in the Philippine province of Iloilo on Panay Island in the Western Visayas region. It is the largest in terms of area and population of Iloilo City's seven districts, with 130,700 people in the 2020 census ...

. He was the eldest of seven children of Aguedo Gamboa Jayme and the former Sabina Lopez Ledesma. Jayme's family migrated to

Silay City Silay, officially the City of Silay ( hil, Dakbanwa/Syudad sang Silay; ceb, Dakbayan sa Silay; fil, Lungsod ng Silay), is a 3rd class component city in the province of Negros Occidental, Philippines. According to the 2020 census, it has a popu ...

when he was still young. This occurred during a time when the Chinese mestizos of Jaro and Molo in

Panay Island Panay is the sixth-largest and fourth-most populous island in the Philippines, with a total land area of and has a total population of 4,542,926 as of 2020 census. Panay comprises 4.4 percent of the entire population of the country. The City ...

were forced to search for better business opportunities aside from Iloilo's declining

textile industry The textile industry is primarily concerned with the design, production and distribution of yarn, cloth and clothing. The raw material may be natural, or synthetic using products of the chemical industry. Industry process Cotton manufacturi ...

, brought about by cheap imports from mainland China. The promise of great reward afforded by the high price of world sugar constituted this preoccupation among Jaro's businessmen to settle in nearby Negros Island. Like the rest of the wave of immigrants, the Jaymes pursued sugar-based

agriculture Agriculture or farming is the practice of cultivating plants and livestock. Agriculture was the key development in the rise of sedentary human civilization, whereby farming of domesticated species created food surpluses that enabled people t ...

and transformed a tract of land into an '' hacienda'' or plantation. As was common among the principalia in Negros, Jayme enjoyed an early education by crossing the Guimaras Strait to attend the ''Seminario de Jaro'', the Jaro Seminary. He was easily accommodated as his uncle on the paternal side, Fray Francisco Jayme (who tutored and raised Philippine patriot

Graciano Lopez-Jaena Graciano is a Spanish red wine grape that is grown primarily in Rioja. The vine produces a low yield that are normally harvested in late October. The wine produced is characterized by its deep red color, strong aroma and ability to age wel ...

), was its first rector. From 1869 to 1871, Jayme studied philosophy and letters at Jaro which was still the most populated, most industrious and most prosperous province in the Philippines at that time. However, in a spirit of wanderlust and in search of better education, he left for

Manila Manila ( , ; fil, Maynila, ), officially the City of Manila ( fil, Lungsod ng Maynila, ), is the capital of the Philippines, and its second-most populous city. It is highly urbanized and, as of 2019, was the world's most densely populate ...

to enroll at the

Colegio de San Juan de Letran The Colegio de San Juan de Letran, (transl: College of San Juan de Letran) also referred to by its acronym CSJL, is a private Catholic coeducational basic and higher education institution owned and run by the friars of the Order of Preachers i ...

in 1872. After completing his ''segunda ensenanza'' (

Spanish Spanish might refer to: * Items from or related to Spain: **Spaniards are a nation and ethnic group indigenous to Spain **Spanish language, spoken in Spain and many Latin American countries **Spanish cuisine Other places * Spanish, Ontario, Can ...

, "secondary education"), he entered the

University of Santo Tomas The University of Santo Tomas (also known as UST and officially as the Pontifical and Royal University of Santo Tomas, Manila) is a private, Catholic research university in Manila, Philippines. Founded on April 28, 1611, by Spanish friar Migue ...

, where he earned his ''licenciado en jurisprudencia'' (equivalent to a

Bachelor of Laws Bachelor of Laws ( la, Legum Baccalaureus; LL.B.) is an undergraduate law degree in the United Kingdom and most common law jurisdictions. Bachelor of Laws is also the name of the law degree awarded by universities in the People's Republic of Ch ...

) in October, 1881. He was to become the first ''Ilonggo'' lawyer to practice law in Negros during the Spanish colonial period in the Philippines. He subsequently entered public service as justice of the peace and judge of the Court of First Instance in the province.

The Philippine Revolution and its aftermath

During the second stage of the Philippine Revolution in 1898, Negros took up arms against Spain. Now known as the ''Cinco de Noviembre'' Movement or the November 5 Movement of the

Negros Revolution The Negros Revolution ( fil, Himagsikang Negrense; ceb, Rebolusyong Negrense; es, Revolución negrense), commemorated and popularly known as the Fifth of November ( es, links=no, Cinco de noviembre) or Negros Day ( hil, Adlaw sang Negros; ce ...

, this historical event saw Jayme witnessing the bloodless surrender of Spanish troops in Bacolod. For the first time, a Philippine flag fluttered triumphantly in the Spanish garrison of Bacolod, an event that saw the people of Negros break "more than three hundred years of Spanish rule without firing a shot." Jayme was a signatory to the ratification of a

constitution A constitution is the aggregate of fundamental principles or established precedents that constitute the legal basis of a polity, organisation or other type of entity and commonly determine how that entity is to be governed. When these princ ...

for a new government in the wake of Spanish defeat. Upon the formation of the "Cantonal Republic of Negros" ( es, República Cantonal de Negros), renamed the

Republic of Negros The Republic of Negros ( hil, Republika sang Negros; ceb, Republika sa Negros; es, República de Negros) was a short-lived revolutionary entity which had existed on the island of Negros first as a canton of the First Philippine Republic and l ...

on July 22, 1899, Jayme occupied the seat of Secretary of Justice under President

Aniceto Lacson Aniceto Lacson y Ledesma (April 17, 1857 – February 3, 1931) was the first and only president of the Negros Republic from 1898 to 1901. He is notable for leading the Negros Revolution along with Juan Araneta, and was a sugar baron.Foreman, ...

and acted as general counselor of the provisional government despite internal divisions of leadership. Through tact and careful negotiation, he was able to prevent clashes erupting between one group who favored American sovereignty and another group who rallied against it. After the United States declared secure control over the Philippine territory, Jayme was elected as provincial governor in the general

elections An election is a formal group decision-making process by which a population chooses an individual or multiple individuals to hold Public administration, public office. Elections have been the usual mechanism by which modern representative ...

of 1904, defeating Esteban de la Rama. As governor, Jayme invested public funds to construct schools, encourage enrollment, and increase the literacy rate of his constituents. Aside from hastening the pacification of the province, he conducted campaigns against vagrancy, banditry, gambling and other vices. Political and social conditions in Negros Occidental further improved through his advocacy of law reform. The laws at the time were products of the Spanish legal system of the 19th century. A file prepared by the National Historical Institute of the Philippines said that "He sought remedies to problems by suggesting modifications in existing laws and the enactment of new ones." His performance as governor led to his election as representative of the first district of Negros Occidental to the First Philippine Assembly in 1907. It was the first time in history that Filipinos formed their own legislative body. He served as a member of the committees on provincial and municipal governments, the committee on the city of Manila, and the committee on the revision of laws. As chairman of the committee on police powers, he authored a bill which sought the abolition of capital punishment. He returned to private law practice and the management of his ''haciendas'' after his career as assemblyman.

Miscellaneous

As a young man, he was noted as an author of various articles written in

and Hiligaynon which were published in periodicals like ''La Libertad'' (1900) and ''La Razon'' (1906). " P. Moral", "Farole", "Mansilingan", "Panagao", and "G.G." were some of his pseudonyms. He was also a founder and a professor of the Instituto Rizal, which was later renamed as the

Negros Occidental High School Negros Occidental High School is a public secondary educational institution and oldest public secondary school in the province located in Bacolod, Negros Occidental, in the Philippines that was founded since 1902. The school currently offers var ...

. He provided the first classrooms and dormitories of the school. He was a director of the Bacolod-Murcia Sugar Central which exists to this day.

Death

Jayme died on October 19, 1937, leaving his wife and children. His eldest daughter, Angela, married the businessman and philanthropist Fernando Figueroa Gonzaga. Another descendant, Vicente R. Jayme, was appointed as president of Philippine National Bank, secretary of finance and secretary of public works and highways during the term of Philippine President Corazon C. Aquino. On February 10, 1989, President Aquino, through Republic Act. No. 6709, declared November 5 as a special non-working holiday in Negros Occidental as a reminder of Illongo

heroism A hero (feminine: heroine) is a real person or a main fictional character who, in the face of danger, combats adversity through feats of ingenuity, courage, or strength. Like other formerly gender-specific terms (like ''actor''), ''her ...

during the Philippine Revolutions at the waning years of the 19th century. This was in commemoration of the ''Cinco de Noviembre'' Movement, where Antonio Ledesma Jayme played an important role as secretary of justice.

List of court cases

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Jayme, Antonio Ledesma 1854 births 1937 deaths Visayan people People of the Philippine Revolution People of the Philippine–American War Governors of Negros Occidental Members of the House of Representatives of the Philippines from Negros Occidental People from Iloilo City University of Santo Tomas alumni Members of the Philippine Legislature