Philippine Sugar Railways
Sugar has been produced in commercial quantities on at least seven of the 7,000 islands which make up the Republic of the Philippines.
Luzon, Mindoro, Panay, Negros, Cebu, Leyte and Mindanao have all produced sugar and railways served many of the Sugar Mills, known locally as "Centrals".
All of the larger Sugar Mills working during the twentieth century will be listed with their various names and information about their railways, locomotives, rolling stock, production and any other relevant information. The small Muscovado Mills will be included if information is available.
The first written reference I have seen to carrying sugar cane by rail in the Philippines was on the Manila Railway in 1893. Cane was also no doubt hauled over light rails by carabao (water buffalo) to some of the many muscovado mills. I have seen a photograph of a small 'germanic' locomotive, possibly an Orenstein & Koppel at the Canlaon Sugar Mill. This was one of the larger of the 500 muscovado mills on Negros. Rail haulage was introduced on a large scale with the setting up of the 'American Centrals' from about 1912. Published information seems to assume that locomotives were purchased new up to the 1930's but several second hand 'centrals' were imported from Hawaii and could have included the locomotives and cane cars.
The Philippine sugar companies and refineries operating during the last ninety years are listed although not all operated railways. Some companies on Luzon Cebu and Panay were served by the main line railways.
NB. There are a few omissions of both early and modern mills and several have changed ownership and names during the 1990's.
Information and a selection of photographs will be added regularly as time permits.
Cebu
Bogo-Medellin Milling Co., Inc., Medellin
No.3 Fowler 0-6-2T
(JF18500/30) in
1979
No.4 as rebuilt from JF18501/30 in 1979
Cebu Sugar Company, Talisay
Durano Sugar Mills, Dungo-an, Danao City
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Leyte
Hilongos Development Corporation, Kananga
Ormoc Sugar Company, Inc., Ipil, Ormoc City
Rosario Sugar Milling Company - absorbed by the Ormoc Sugar Company
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Luzon
Bataan Sugar Company, Bataan
Batangas Sugar Central, Barrio Caloocan, Balayan, Batangas
Bicolandia Sugar Development Corp., Barrio Hima-ao, Camarines Sur
Calamba Sugar Estate, Canlubang, Laguna (see Canlubang Sugar Estate)
Canlubang Sugar Estate, Canlubang, Laguna
Central Azucarera Don Pedro, Nasugbu, Batangas
Central Azucarera de Calatagan, Batangas
Central Azucarera del Norte, Ilocos Sur
Central Azucarera de Rafineria de Bata-an, San Juan, Botolan, Zambales
Central Azucarera de Tarlac, San Miguel, Tarlac
Central Luzon Milling Company, Bamban, Tarlac
Hind Sugar Company, Manaoag, Pangasinan
Insular Sugar Refining Corporation, Bamban, Tarlac (1928 -1934)
Insular Sugar Refining Corporation, Mandaluyong, Rizal (1934)
Luzon Sugar Company
Mabalacat Sugar Development Company, Pampanga
Malabon Sugar Refinery, Malabon (absorbed by Insular Sugar Refining Corporation in 1933)
Mt. Arayat Sugar Company, Pampanga
Nueva Ecija Sugar Mills
Pampanga Sugar Development Company, Inc., San Fernando, Pampanga
Pampanga Sugar Mills, Del Carmen, Pampanga
Panigui Sugar Mills, Inc., Paniqui, Tarlac
Philippine Sugar Estates Development Co.
St. Louis Oriental Factory, Manaoag, Pangasinan (see Hind Sugar Company)
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Mindanao
Cotobato Sugar Central, construction of this mill was started in the 1920's and the plans included 100 Km of railway but this was abandoned due to a dispute over land ownership and exploitation.
Davao Sugar Central, Inc., Barrio Guihing, Hagonoy, Davao del Sur
Railways are not known to have been used for carrying sugar cane on the Island of Mindanao, only on Lumber Railways, abaca plantations and in mining.
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Mindoro
Philippine Milling Co, San Jose
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Negros
Agro-Industrial Development of Silay-Saravia, Inc., Sitio Kabankalan, Silay City, Negros Occidental
Bacolod-Murcia Milling Co., Bacolod City, Negros Occidental
Binalbagan-Isabela Sugar Company, Inc., Binalbagan Negros Occidental
Binalbagan Sugar Estate, Binalbagan Negros Occidental (see Binalbagan-Isabela Sugar Company)
Central Azucarera de Bais, Bais, Negros Oriental
Central Azucarera de La Carlota, La Carlota City, Negros Occidental
Central Azucarera del Danao, Negros Oriental
Central Leonor, Negros Occidental
Central Ossorio, Manapla, Negros Occidental (Local Name for North Negros Sugar Company)
Central Palma, Negros Occidental
Central San Isidro (De La Rama), Negros Occidental
Central Sta. Aniceta (De La Rama), Negros Occidental
Dacongcogon Sugar and Rice Milling Co., Inc., Dacongcogon, Negros Occidental
Danao Sugar Development Corporation, Toboso, Negros Occidental
First Farmers Milling & Cooperative Marketing Association, Inc., Barrio Dos Hermanaos, Talisay, Negros Occidental
Hawaiian-Philippine Company, Silay, Negros Occidental
Isabela Sugar Company, Negros, Occidental (Amalgamated with Binalbagan Sugar Estate)
Kabankalan Sugar Company, Negros, Occidental
La Carlota Sugar Central, La Carlota City, Negros Occidental (see Central Azucarera de La Carlota)
Lopez Sugar Central Milling Company, Inc., Fabrica, Negros Occidental
Lopez Sugar Corpration, Inc., Fabrica, Negros Occidental (see Lopez Sugar Central Milling Company)
Ma-ao Sugar Central., Inc., Bago, Negros Occidental
North Negros Sugar Company, Manapla, Negros Occidental
Sagay Sugar Central, Inc., Barrio Bato, Sagay, Negros Occidental
San Carlos Milling Co., Inc., San Carlos City, Negros Occidental
Southern Negros Development Corporation, Kabankalan, Negros Occidental
Talisay-Silay Milling Co., Inc., Talisay, Negros Occidental
Tolong Sugar Milling Co., Inc., Sta. Catalina, Negros Oriental
Victorias Milling Company Inc., Victorias, Negros Occidental
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Panay
Asturias Sugar Central, Inc., Dumalag, Capiz
Calinog-Lumbunao Sugar Mill, Inc., Calinog, Iloilo
Central Azucarera de Pilar, Roxas City, Capiz
Central Lourdes
Central Santos-Lopez Co., Inc., Barotac, Iloilo
Central Sara-Ajuy
New Frontier Sugar Corporation, Passi, Iloilo
Passi (Iloilo) Sugar Central, Inc., Passi, Iloilo
Philippine Starch and Sugar Company
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