INTRODUCTION

The Philippines was colonized by Spain from 1521 to 1898 and that’s about 377 years.
The Manila-Acapulco Galleon Trade (from 1565 to 1815) was a ship trade going back and forth
yearly between Manila and Acapulco, Mexico. The trade has served as the fundamental
income-generating business for Spanish colonists in the Philippines. The Galleon Trade was in
fact a government monopoly. In 250 years of trading, the number of ships that was crossing the
Pacific between Philippines and Mexico to carry the trading goods of the Southeast Asia such as
spice, cotton, indigo, porcelain, jade, ivory, lacquerware, processed silk cloth varied, and gold.

The trade during the colonial period has led to the migration of people. A lot of Filipinos
with Spanish ancestry mostly are descendants of migrants to the Philippines who intermarried
with the archipelago's indigenous Austronesian groups during the Spanish colonization.

Of course, not only goods and people were transferred but also ideas. The trade also
allowed modern, liberal ideas to enter the country, eventually inspiring the movement for
independence from Spain. Even some of our national heroes actually had Spanish blood.

During the galleon trade of 1723, Don Jose de Araneta y Guyol from the Basque Region
of Spain arrived in Manila from Acapulco, Mexico on board the “Nuestra Senora de Guia”. He
was married to Maria Juana Sta. Ana thus the birth of the Araneta clan in the Philippines.

The Araneta family is an influential family having notable members in business, politics,
religion, sports and others. One of these notable members is Hon. Ramon Diasnes Torres, the
current mayor of Bago City and the father of our interviewee, Ramon Francisco “Monch” Yulo
Torres. As descendants of Irene Limsiaco Araneta, Monch dictated the line of descent from
Irene Araneta to himself. It’s amazing how well he knows their family history despite his young
age. The Araneta-Torres family is a prominent family not just in Bago City, but also in the whole
of Negros Island.
From Spain to the Island of Negros

In 1723, during the galleon trade, Don Jose de Araneta y Guyol from the Basque Region
of Spain arrived in Manila from Acapulco, Mexico on board the “La Sacra Familia” together with
his brother Baltazar. In 1725, Don Jose de Araneta joined the first Spanish expedition forces to
Mindanao. Don Jose de Araneta served the Spanish Politico-Military Government of Mindanao
based in Zamboanga City. He also served as interpreter between the Spanish colonial
government and the Sultan of Maguindanao, along with Placido Alberto de Saavedra. In 1746,
Don Jose Araneta was executed in Anuling, Cotabato. Don Jose Araneta married to Sra. Sta.
Ana had three sons namely Benito, Mathias, and Guillermo.

Benito Araneta who migrated to Negros Island was married to Manuela Vicenta whom
he had three children: Jacinto Araneta, Luis Araneta, and Jose. There may be more half brothers
and sister which are not noted. Jose Araneta married Catalina Pelayo and had two sons:
Guillermo and Ambrosio. Jacinto’s children with Josefa Cecilia Cabunsol were Juan C. Araneta,
Jose C. Araneta, Patricio C. Araneta, Maria Dominga C. Araneta who married Jose Palacios, and
Romualdo C. Araneta married to Agueda V. Torres. Romualdo is the father of General Juan
Anacleto Torres Araneta, a pioneer sugar farmer and revolutionary leader during the Negros
Revolution. He was the Secretary of War after the Spanish Governor of Negros Island
surrendered to forces under Aniceto Lacson and himself. His ancestral house was later turned
into a museum ‘Balay ni Tan Juan’. Juan Anacleto was married four times to four different
women thus having numerous descendants. He died in 1924.

Monument of General Juan Anacleto Araneta

A life-size replica of Gen. Juan A. Araneta on

horseback.
Balay ni Tan Juan

General Juan Anacleto Torres Araneta’s

ancestral house later turned into a museum.

Luis Araneta married to Celedonia De Los Dolores had five children: Pedro, Vicente
Atancio, Manuela, Teresa, and Josefa. J. Amado Araneta, a descendant of Vicente Atancio made
the family into a household name. He established the real estate empire of commercial Cubao.
His most prominent achievement is building the Araneta Center. DILG Secretary Manuel “Mar”
Roxas is the grandson of J. Amado Araneta.

The 1960s Araneta Coliseum

In 1952, J. Amado Araneta, a

member of the prestigious Araneta
dynasty, purchased a 35-hectare
property in Cubao that is now
the Araneta Center

Pedro Araneta and Dionisia Limsiaco’s children were Irene L. Araneta, Lina L. Araneta,
Simeon L. Araneta, and Tomas L. Araneta. From Irene L. Araneta descended Ramon Francisco’s
family.
The Araneta – Torres Clan

In our interview with Ramon Francisco Yulo Torres, he said that Irene L. Araneta is his
great great grandmother. According to Monch, Irene Limsiaco Araneta married to Francisco
Torres and had two sons: Manuel Araneta Torres and Ramon Araneta Torres – former senator,
Secretary of Labor, author of 8 hours per day law.

Manuel Araneta Torres and Juliana Sitchon Yulo were the parents of Francisco Yulo
Torres and Manuel Yulo Torres. Francisco was a lawyer and Manuel served as mayor of Bago
City for almost 40 years. Bago’s coliseum and cultural center was named after him. Manuel was
married to Janet Araneta Espinosa-Torres who late succeeded him as city mayor.

Francisco Yulo Torres married Lydia Diasnes and had Ramon Diasnes Torres, the current
Bago City Mayor. Hon. Ramon D. Torres has been elected mayor since 2007 succeeding Janet
Torres.

Ramon Diasnes Torres married Menchie Yulo and had five children: Andrew Martin,
Katrina Angelica, Jake Patrick, Erica Sabrina, and Ramon Francisco. Andrew is currently a city
councilor in Bago City.

(From left: Katrina Torres, Monch Torres, Menchie Yulo, Andrew Torres, Hon. Ramon Torres,
Jake Torres, and Erica Torres)
 RAMON FANCISCO’S ARANETA ROOTS

Ramon Francisco
"Monch" Yulo Torres​

Ramon
Menchie Yulo
Diasnes
Torres​
Torres​

Francisco Lydia Diasnes

Yulo Torres​ Torres​

Manuel
Juliana
Araneta
Sitchon Yulo
Torres​

Francisco Irene Limsiaco

Torres​ Araneta Torres​

Pedro Dionisia
Araneta​ Limsiaco​

Celedonia De
Luis Araneta​
Los Dolores​

Benito Manuela Vicenta

Araneta​ Araneta​

Don Jose Maria Juana

Araneta Sta. Ana​