Economics
Brief Historical Timeline
Brief Historical Timeline of the Hacienda Luisita Land Dispute
Spanish Period
Hacienda Luisita was once owned by the “Compañía General de Tabacos de Filipinas,” also known as “Tabacalera”, founded in November 1881 by Don Antonio López y López, a Spaniard from Santander, Cantabria, Spain.
Lopez acquired the estate in 1882, a year before his death, and named it “Hacienda Luisita” after his wife, Luisa Bru y Lassús.
Lopez was considered a financial genius and the “most influential Spanish businessman of his generation.” He counted the King of Spain as a personal friend.
Luisita was just one of his haciendas. Lopez also owned estates in other parts of the country: Hacienda Antonio (named after his eldest son), Hacienda San Fernando, and Hacienda Isabel (named after his eldest daughter).
Tabacalera’s incorporators included the Sociedad General de Crédito Inmobiliario Español, Banque de Paris (now Paribas), and Bank of the Netherlands (now ABN-AMRO). Luisita was a sugar and tobacco plantation.
American Period
During the American Occupation (1898 to 1946), the Tabacalera experienced prosperous times because of the legendary sweet tooth of the Americans.
As Cuba could not supply all of the sugar requirements of the United States, they turned to the Philippines. At one point, Hacienda Luisita supplied almost 20% of all sugar in the US.
Japanese Regime
During the Japanese occupation, Hacienda Luisita continued to operate, like all haciendas and tabacaleras in the Philippines, because the Japanese wanted to ensure that commodities such as sugar and rice were available to Filipinos.
Pepe Cojuangco Period
1957
Problems with Huk rebels led the Spanish owners of Tabacalera to sell Hacienda Luisita and the sugar mill Central Azucarera de Tarlac.
The late Philippine President Ramon Magsaysay reportedly blocked the sale of the plantation to the wealthy Lópezes of Iloilo, fearing that they might become too powerful as they already owned
Brief Historical Timeline of the Hacienda Luisita Land Dispute
Spanish Period
Hacienda Luisita was once owned by the “Compañía General de Tabacos de Filipinas,” also known as “Tabacalera”, founded in November 1881 by Don Antonio López y López, a Spaniard from Santander, Cantabria, Spain.
Lopez acquired the estate in 1882, a year before his death, and named it “Hacienda Luisita” after his wife, Luisa Bru y Lassús.
Lopez was considered a financial genius and the “most influential Spanish businessman of his generation.” He counted the King of Spain as a personal friend.
Luisita was just one of his haciendas. Lopez also owned estates in other parts of the country: Hacienda Antonio (named after his eldest son), Hacienda San Fernando, and Hacienda Isabel (named after his eldest daughter).
Tabacalera’s incorporators included the Sociedad General de Crédito Inmobiliario Español, Banque de Paris (now Paribas), and Bank of the Netherlands (now ABN-AMRO). Luisita was a sugar and tobacco plantation.
American Period
During the American Occupation (1898 to 1946), the Tabacalera experienced prosperous times because of the legendary sweet tooth of the Americans.
As Cuba could not supply all of the sugar requirements of the United States, they turned to the Philippines. At one point, Hacienda Luisita supplied almost 20% of all sugar in the US.
Japanese Regime
During the Japanese occupation, Hacienda Luisita continued to operate, like all haciendas and tabacaleras in the Philippines, because the Japanese wanted to ensure that commodities such as sugar and rice were available to Filipinos.
Pepe Cojuangco Period
1957
Problems with Huk rebels led the Spanish owners of Tabacalera to sell Hacienda Luisita and the sugar mill Central Azucarera de Tarlac.
The late Philippine President Ramon Magsaysay reportedly blocked the sale of the plantation to the wealthy Lópezes of Iloilo, fearing that they might become too powerful as they already owned