Araneta Family - 19th Century and The Philippine Revolution

19th Century and The Philippine Revolution

Buenaventura Araneta became the Gobernadorcillo (Alcalde Naturales) of Iloilo, becoming the first member of the family to enter political life.

In the latter part of the century, a kinsman of his on the Negros side; Juan Araneta was the architect of the Negros Revolution that defeated the Spanish forces in that island. This would lead to the creation of the Cantonal Republic of Negros. He would serve as Secretary of War of the short lived government which were later absorbed into the American controlled military government of the Philippines. A statue of him stands in the Bago City public plaza.

Other members of the family were involved in the revolution elsewhere.

Pablo Araneta y Soriano (1864–1943) Commanding General of the Panay Revolutionary Forces and Chief of the expeditionary forces of the Federal Republic of the Visayas, encountered several fierce battles in San Miguel, Pavia and in the outskirt of Jaro, more notably the battle of Oton to Arevalo. Along with General Angel Corteza and General Leandro Fullon of Antique, who fired the first shot, they crushed the Spanish Garrisons.

Marciano Araneta y Soriano (1866–1940) and Anastacio Araneta y Soriano participated in combat against the Spanish forces and captured the Spanish Garrison in Mangkas (now La Carlota City, Negros Occidental)

The eminent Gregorio Soriano Araneta (1869–1930), legal luminary, businessman, nationalist and patriot, served his country and people under three regimes. He was elected a member of the National Assembly representing Iloilo. In 1898, he was appointed by General Emilio Aguinaldo as Secretary General and delegate to the Malolos Republic. Gregorio Araneta became the Secretary of Justice of the Philippine Republic on September 26, 1898.

Gregorio also became a successful and prosperous lawyer in Manila and married Dona Carmen Zaragoza y Roxas, of the prominent Spanish mestizo Zaragoza and Roxas clans of Manila, and established the Araneta name in Manila Society for the first time.

After the end of the revolution and the creation of the Philippine commonwealth, members of the clan expanded their business and political interests. Juan Araneta went on to establish the Ma-ao Sugar (refinery) Central in his hometown of Bago City. Industrialist Jorge Araneta would later expand it, and later the barangay where the Central stood was named after him. Jorge was also a close friend of commonwealth Philippine President Manuel Quezon.

It was Jorge's son-in-law and distant relation, J Amado Araneta, who 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. It's landmark structure, the ARANETA COLISEUM, was the world's largest indoor stadium. It still remains one of the largest in Asia.

In politics Salvador Araneta, son of Gregorio Araneta become a Cabinet Secretary in the Philippine government. He was the founder of Araneta University and FEATI University. Later, his nephew Greggy Araneta married Irene Marcos, the daughter of Philippine President Ferdinand Marcos.

Other members of the clan involved with Marcos was Rafael M. Salas, the son of Ernesto Araneta Salas of Bago City. He served as Marcos' Executive Secretary, due to political differences he left this position and later become Under-Secretary General of the United Nations, head of UNFPA. He would serve in this capacity for 17 years.

Many other members of the clan also serve in various political positions. Currently, the most well known example is Senator Mar Roxas, a grandson of J Amado Araneta. The most prominent is Philippine former First Gentleman Jose Miguel Arroyo, husband of Philippine former President Gloria Arroyo. He is a descendant of Jesusa Araneta Lacson de Arroyo of the Negros Branch of the family.