Fabrica
Encyclopedia
Fabrica is the name of several barrio
s (or barangay
) in the Philippines, including in the province of Negros Occidental
, in the Republic of the Philippines. It was formerly the biggest barrio in the Philippines, and one of the most cosmopolitan area in the Visayas
.
Fabrica was internationally famous since the early 1900s up to the year 1976, as the site of the largest lumber
company and sawmill
in the world, the Insular Lumber Company (ILCO), owned by the Americans. ILCO produced hardwood
lumber which was well-known the world over, and was exported to the United States, Australia, and to many other countries in the world, bringing in dollars to the Philippine economy.
Fabrica was also the generic name of the barrios of Fabrica, Paraiso, and Central Lopez, where a sugarmill was located, making the area the most industrialized in Negros.
, water system, electricity and lighting facilities. At that time, majority of the towns and barrios in the Philippines did not have the same running water, electricity and lighting, and infrastracture that Fabrica had.
Fabrica also had Insular Lumber Company Hospital (ILCO Hospital), at that time considered the most modern hospital in Negros Occidental and the Visayas, and one of the country's most modern hospital, staffed by American doctors and nurses. The place has also funeral parlors, when the idea of having a funeral parlor was not yet in vogue in the early 1960s.
During its long boom years from 1910 to 1976, Fabrica had two large moviehouses, a cockpit arena, a number of medical clinics, drugstores, compared to many towns and barrios in the Philippines that did not have these amenities. It has also a vocational school
teaching dressmaking and tailoring, the Jean Jacquet Institute, run by an American. The barrio included two private schools, the Holy Trinity Academy (closed in 2007 By: Grace Bing Serafin Morizawa), run by Augustinian nuns, and the Faraon Institute.
Fabrica was also the only barrio in the Philippines that had its own post office
/ postal service, with its own zip code
. Fabrica was also linked to the rest of the Philippines by the two telegraph companies, operated by the former Radio Communications of the Philippines, Inc. (RCPI) and the Philippine Telephone and Telegraph Company.
and the Visayas
. Many Chinese businessmen had invested and put up stores in Fabrica, especially in Barrio Paraiso, which separate Fabrica by the big and navigable Himoga-an river system, linked by a big steel bridge traversing the national highway. The bridge, which is considered a landmark, still exists. It was constructed by the American engineers during the American occupation in the Philippines. On the other hand, many Americans, who were ILCO executives and their families, stayed in the American compound, which was part of ILCO industrial complex.
Among the well-known Filipinos who were born and reared in Fabrica are Gilopez Kabayao, the internationally-famous violinist and virtuoso, and Ramon Bagatsing
, the former congressman of Manila
who became Manila's legendary mayor during the Martial Law years in the Philippines.
and other hardwood. The barrio subsequently became a ghost town.
The Present times:
Currently, after several years that ILCo. left the barrio, the place has developed its river cruise tourism project. The project is sponsored by the government of Sagay City
. Recently DepEd
Secretary Jeslie Lapus rode one of the floating cottages that resembled like those found in Loboc River. The ride takes about 1 hour from the river port to the mouth of the Himoga-an River in Old Sagay.
Check the web site please...http://www.sagay-city.com.ph/galleries/hrc/index.htm
Barrio
Barrio is a Spanish word meaning district or neighborhood.-Usage:In its formal usage in English, barrios are generally considered cohesive places, sharing, for example, a church and traditions such as feast days...
s (or barangay
Barangay
A barangay is the smallest administrative division in the Philippines and is the native Filipino term for a village, district or ward...
) in the Philippines, including in the province of Negros Occidental
Negros Occidental
Negros Occidental is a province of the Philippines located in the Western Visayas region. Its capital is Bacolod City and it occupies the northwestern half of Negros Island; Negros Oriental is at the southeastern half...
, in the Republic of the Philippines. It was formerly the biggest barrio in the Philippines, and one of the most cosmopolitan area in the Visayas
Visayas
The Visayas or Visayan Islands and locally known as Kabisay-an gid, is one of the three principal geographical divisions of the Philippines, along with Mindanao and Luzon. It consists of several islands, primarily surrounding the Visayan Sea, although the Visayas are considered the northeast...
.
Fabrica was internationally famous since the early 1900s up to the year 1976, as the site of the largest lumber
Lumber
Lumber or timber is wood in any of its stages from felling through readiness for use as structural material for construction, or wood pulp for paper production....
company and sawmill
Sawmill
A sawmill is a facility where logs are cut into boards.-Sawmill process:A sawmill's basic operation is much like those of hundreds of years ago; a log enters on one end and dimensional lumber exits on the other end....
in the world, the Insular Lumber Company (ILCO), owned by the Americans. ILCO produced hardwood
Hardwood
Hardwood is wood from angiosperm trees . It may also be used for those trees themselves: these are usually broad-leaved; in temperate and boreal latitudes they are mostly deciduous, but in tropics and subtropics mostly evergreen.Hardwood contrasts with softwood...
lumber which was well-known the world over, and was exported to the United States, Australia, and to many other countries in the world, bringing in dollars to the Philippine economy.
Fabrica was also the generic name of the barrios of Fabrica, Paraiso, and Central Lopez, where a sugarmill was located, making the area the most industrialized in Negros.
Facilities
Compared to the many barrios and places in the Philippines in the early 1950s and 1960s which were underdeveloped and stagnated in poverty due to poor agricultural crops, Fabrica was the most developed in terms of infrastructureInfrastructure
Infrastructure is basic physical and organizational structures needed for the operation of a society or enterprise, or the services and facilities necessary for an economy to function...
, water system, electricity and lighting facilities. At that time, majority of the towns and barrios in the Philippines did not have the same running water, electricity and lighting, and infrastracture that Fabrica had.
Fabrica also had Insular Lumber Company Hospital (ILCO Hospital), at that time considered the most modern hospital in Negros Occidental and the Visayas, and one of the country's most modern hospital, staffed by American doctors and nurses. The place has also funeral parlors, when the idea of having a funeral parlor was not yet in vogue in the early 1960s.
During its long boom years from 1910 to 1976, Fabrica had two large moviehouses, a cockpit arena, a number of medical clinics, drugstores, compared to many towns and barrios in the Philippines that did not have these amenities. It has also a vocational school
Vocational school
A vocational school , providing vocational education, is a school in which students are taught the skills needed to perform a particular job...
teaching dressmaking and tailoring, the Jean Jacquet Institute, run by an American. The barrio included two private schools, the Holy Trinity Academy (closed in 2007 By: Grace Bing Serafin Morizawa), run by Augustinian nuns, and the Faraon Institute.
Fabrica was also the only barrio in the Philippines that had its own post office
Post office
A post office is a facility forming part of a postal system for the posting, receipt, sorting, handling, transmission or delivery of mail.Post offices offer mail-related services such as post office boxes, postage and packaging supplies...
/ postal service, with its own zip code
ZIP Code
ZIP codes are a system of postal codes used by the United States Postal Service since 1963. The term ZIP, an acronym for Zone Improvement Plan, is properly written in capital letters and was chosen to suggest that the mail travels more efficiently, and therefore more quickly, when senders use the...
. Fabrica was also linked to the rest of the Philippines by the two telegraph companies, operated by the former Radio Communications of the Philippines, Inc. (RCPI) and the Philippine Telephone and Telegraph Company.
Importance
During the 1950s to the 1970s, Fabrica was the commercial and industrial center of the province of Negros OccidentalNegros Occidental
Negros Occidental is a province of the Philippines located in the Western Visayas region. Its capital is Bacolod City and it occupies the northwestern half of Negros Island; Negros Oriental is at the southeastern half...
and the Visayas
Visayas
The Visayas or Visayan Islands and locally known as Kabisay-an gid, is one of the three principal geographical divisions of the Philippines, along with Mindanao and Luzon. It consists of several islands, primarily surrounding the Visayan Sea, although the Visayas are considered the northeast...
. Many Chinese businessmen had invested and put up stores in Fabrica, especially in Barrio Paraiso, which separate Fabrica by the big and navigable Himoga-an river system, linked by a big steel bridge traversing the national highway. The bridge, which is considered a landmark, still exists. It was constructed by the American engineers during the American occupation in the Philippines. On the other hand, many Americans, who were ILCO executives and their families, stayed in the American compound, which was part of ILCO industrial complex.
Among the well-known Filipinos who were born and reared in Fabrica are Gilopez Kabayao, the internationally-famous violinist and virtuoso, and Ramon Bagatsing
Ramon Bagatsing
Dr. Ramon D. Bagatsing was the Mayor of Manila during Martial Law from 1971 to 1986. He was the first Indian Filipino to serve in this position.-Early Life and Military Career:...
, the former congressman of Manila
Manila
Manila is the capital of the Philippines. It is one of the sixteen cities forming Metro Manila.Manila is located on the eastern shores of Manila Bay and is bordered by Navotas and Caloocan to the north, Quezon City to the northeast, San Juan and Mandaluyong to the east, Makati on the southeast,...
who became Manila's legendary mayor during the Martial Law years in the Philippines.
Closure
In 1976 the Insular Lumber Company closed its operations in Fabrica due to the scarcity of mahoganyMahogany
The name mahogany is used when referring to numerous varieties of dark-colored hardwood. It is a native American word originally used for the wood of the species Swietenia mahagoni, known as West Indian or Cuban mahogany....
and other hardwood. The barrio subsequently became a ghost town.
The Present times:
Currently, after several years that ILCo. left the barrio, the place has developed its river cruise tourism project. The project is sponsored by the government of Sagay City
Sagay City
Sagay City is a 3rd class city in the province of Negros Occidental, Philippines.Sagay can be easily identified in the map of Negros Occidental, because of its “ice-cream cone” shape sliced from the northern tip of Negros...
. Recently DepEd
Department of Education (Philippines)
The Department of Education , is the executive department of the Philippine government responsible for the management and governing of the Philippine system of basic education. It is the chief formulator of Philippine educational policy and is responsible for the Philippine primary and secondary...
Secretary Jeslie Lapus rode one of the floating cottages that resembled like those found in Loboc River. The ride takes about 1 hour from the river port to the mouth of the Himoga-an River in Old Sagay.
Check the web site please...http://www.sagay-city.com.ph/galleries/hrc/index.htm