By Baisanon Historian Penn T. Larena, MPA,KCR
Meliton Larena de
Sandes was a Filipino revolutionary Hero against Spain, Patriot, Haciendero,
Politician, and Merchant. He is notable for leading the Negrense People to join
the Aglipaynan Movement, and for being the Military Chief of the South during
the Negros Revolution.
Larena de Sandes was
the eldest son of five children to a Mexican Spanish Soldier Don Agustin de
Sandes and Spanish Mestiza Verzamina Larena of Taclobo Dumaguete who family
migrated to Negros when she was still young. His early education began under
private tutelage in Dumaguete. He later studied secondary education and Liberal
Arts at the Ateneo Municipal de Manila in 1862-1866, and Humanities and letters
Colegio de San Juan de Letran 1866-1870
where his classmates included future general and other Filipinos who
later figured in the Philippine Revolution.
While a student in
Manila, he had the opportunity to help his family doing business in Escolta.He
is among the young men who study in Manila to join the revolution.
In 1868 he returned to
assist his father in Dumaguete running their Hacienda together with his brother
Mariano Larena de Sandes.
Upon returning to
Dumaguete, he was elected Cabeza de Barangay in Taclobo Meliton is the brother
of Governor Demetrio Larena the first civil governor of Oriental Negros,Mariano
Larena Haciendero and businessman married to Aurora Teves Pastor the sister of
Mayor Ramon Teves Pastor and Mayor Jose Teves Pastor,Angelina Larena a very
religious woman and a pianist and the youngest Agustin Larena.
In 1888, Meliton and Demetrio
went to Europe with their friends. He had the opportunity to meet many of the
Filipino leaders and Patriot then living in Madrid, London ,and Paris.
Contributions:
Larena major
contribution to Dumaguete is the establishment of a civic government in
Dumaguete, the establishment of two American School namely Silliman University
1901 and Negros Oriental High School in 1902. Larena became the pioneer
mover of spreading the Protestantism
Movement in Dumaguete
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