Bacolod City - AbsoluteAstronomy.com

The City of Bacolod , is a highly urbanized midsize Philippine city

Cities of the Philippines

A city is a tier of local government in the Philippines. All Philippine cities are chartered cities, whose existence as corporate and administrative entities is governed by their own specific charters in addition to the Local Government Code of 1991, which specifies the administrative structure...

. It is the capital of the Negros Occidental province. Having a total of 499,497 inhabitants as of August 1, 2007, it is the most populous city in the Western Visayas Region

Western Visayas

Western Visayas, one of the regions of the Philippines, is designated as Region VI. It consists of six provinces; Aklan, Antique, Negros Occidental, Capiz, Guimaras and Iloilo and 16 cities making it the region with the highest number of cities. Iloilo City is the regional center...

. It is currently ranked as the 17th most populous city in the Philippines

Philippines

The Philippines , officially known as the Republic of the Philippines , is a country in Southeast Asia in the western Pacific Ocean. To its north across the Luzon Strait lies Taiwan. West across the South China Sea sits Vietnam...

. It is part of a metropolitan area

Metropolitan area

The term metropolitan area refers to a region consisting of a densely populated urban core and its less-populated surrounding territories, sharing industry, infrastructure, and housing. A metropolitan area usually encompasses multiple jurisdictions and municipalities: neighborhoods, townships,...

called Metro Bacolod

Metro Bacolod

The Bacolod metropolitan area, also known as Metro Bacolod, is the 7th most populous out of the 12 metropolitan areas in the Philippines. This metropolitan area as defined by the National Economic and Development Authority has an estimated population of 716,306 as of 2007. Roughly 1 in 124...

, which includes the cities of Silay

Silay City

Silay City is a 2nd class city in the province of Negros Occidental, Philippines. According to the August 1, 2007 census, it had a total population of 120,365 people...

and Talisay

Talisay City, Negros Occidental

Talisay City is a 5th class city in the province of Negros Occidental, Philippines. It neighbors Silay City to the north, and Bacolod City to the south. According to the August 1, 2007 census, it has a total population of 96,444 people. As of 2007, it has a total land area of 20,118 hectares...

. It is notable for its world famous MassKara Festival

MassKara Festival

The MassKara Festival is a festival held each year in Bacolod City, the capital of Negros Occidental province in the Philippines every third weekend of October nearest October 19, the city's Charter Inauguration Anniversary.-History:...

held during the 3rd week of October. Known for being a relatively friendly city, it bears the nicknames "City of Smiles" and "Football City of the Philippines". Bacolod City recently ranked no. 1 in a survey by MoneySense Magazine as the "Best Place to Live in the Philippines". Bacolod ranks 3rd among the top ten "Next Wave Cities" of the Philippines for the best location for business process outsourcing

Business process outsourcing

Business process outsourcing is a subset of outsourcing that involves the contracting of the operations and responsibilities of specific business functions to a third-party service provider. Originally, this was associated with manufacturing firms, such as Coca Cola that outsourced large segments...

and offshoring

Offshoring

Offshoring describes the relocation by a company of a business process from one country to another—typically an operational process, such as manufacturing, or supporting processes, such as accounting. Even state governments employ offshoring...

according to the 2010 report of the Commission on Information and Communications Technology.

Etymology

Bacólod (Bacolod), is derived from bakólod (Old Spelling: bacólod), the Old Hiligaynon

Hiligaynon language

Hiligaynon, often referred to as Ilonggo, is an Austronesian language spoken in the Western Visayas region of the Philippines.Hiligaynon is concentrated in the provinces of Iloilo, Negros Occidental and Capiz but is also spoken in the other provinces of the Panay Island group, including Antique,...

or Old Ilonggo (Old Spelling: Ylongo and Ilongo) word for a "hill, mound, rise, hillock, down, any small eminence or elevation", since the resettlement was founded on a stony, hilly area, now the barangay

Barangay

A barangay is the smallest administrative division in the Philippines and is the native Filipino term for a village, district or ward...

of Granada. It was officially called Ciudad de Bacólod (City of Bacolod) when Municipalidad de Bacólod (Municipality of Bacolod) was converted into a city in 1938.

Spanish colonial period

Historical church accounts provide a glimpse of the early years of Bacolod as a mere small settlement by the riverbank known as Magsung̃ay (English

Philippine English

Philippine English is the variety of English used in the Philippines by the media and the vast majority of educated Filipinos. English is taught in schools as one of the two official languages of the country, the other being Filipino, a standardized version of Tagalog.English is used in education,...

: Magsungay). When the neighboring settlement of Bago

Bago City

Bago City is a second class city in the province of Negros Occidental in the Philippines. According to the August 1, 2007 census, it has a population of 159,933 people. The city is located 21 kilometers south of the provincial capital, Bacolod City....

was elevated into the status of a small town in 1575, it had several religious dependencies and one of which was the village of Magsung̃ay. The early missionaries placed the village under the care and protection of San Sebastián (Saint

Saint

A saint is a holy person. In various religions, saints are people who are believed to have exceptional holiness.In Christian usage, "saint" refers to any believer who is "in Christ", and in whom Christ dwells, whether in heaven or in earth...

Sebastian) sometime in the middle of the 18th century. A corregidor (magistrate

Magistrate

A magistrate is an officer of the state; in modern usage the term usually refers to a judge or prosecutor. This was not always the case; in ancient Rome, a magistratus was one of the highest government officers and possessed both judicial and executive powers. Today, in common law systems, a...

) by the name of Luis Fernando de Luna, donated a relic of San Sebastián for the growing mission

Catholic missions

As the church normally organizes itself along territorial lines, and because they had the human and material resources, religious orders—some even specializing in it—undertook most missionary work, especially in the early phases...

, and since then, the village came to be known as San Sebastián de Magsung̃ay.

Bacolod was not established as a town until 1755 or 1756, after the inhabitants of the coastal settlement of San Sebastián de Magsung̃ay, were attacked by forces under Datu

Datu

Datu is the title for tribal chiefs, sovereign princes, and monarchs in the Visayas and Mindanao Regions of the Philippines. Together with Lakan , Apo in Central and Northern Luzon, Sultan and Rajah, they are titles used for native royalty, and are still currently used in the Philippines...

Bantílan of Sulu on July 14, 1755 and the villagers transferred from the coast to a hilly area called Bacólod. Bernardino de los Santos became the first gobernadorcillo

Gobernadorcillo

The Gobernadorcillo was a municipal judge or governor in the Philippines during the Spanish colonial period, who carried out in a town the combined charge or responsibility of leadership, economic, and judicial administration. The Gobernadorcillo was the leader of a town or pueblo . In a coastal...

(municipal judge or governor). The town of Bacolod was constituted as a parroquia (parish

Parish

A parish is a territorial unit historically under the pastoral care and clerical jurisdiction of one parish priest, who might be assisted in his pastoral duties by a curate or curates - also priests but not the parish priest - from a more or less central parish church with its associated organization...

) in 1788 under the secular clergy

Secular clergy

The term secular clergy refers to deacons and priests who are not monastics or members of a religious order.-Catholic Church:In the Catholic Church, the secular clergy are ministers, such as deacons and priests, who do not belong to a religious order...

, but did not have a resident priest

Priesthood (Catholic Church)

The ministerial orders of the Catholic Church include the orders of bishops, deacons and presbyters, which in Latin is sacerdos. The ordained priesthood and common priesthood are different in function and essence....

until 1802, as the town was served by the priest from Bago

Bago City

, and later Binalbagan

Binalbagan, Negros Occidental

Binalbagan is a 1st class municipality in the province of Negros Occidental, Philippines. According to the 2000 census, it has a population of 58,280 people in 11,092 households....

. By 1790, slave raids on Bacolod by Moro pirates

Piracy

Piracy is an act of robbery or criminal violence at sea. The term can include acts committed on land, in the air, or in other major bodies of water or on a shore. It does not normally include crimes committed against persons traveling on the same vessel as the perpetrator...

had ceased.

On 11 February 1802, Fr. Eusebio Laurencio became acting parish priest of Bacolod. In September 1806, Fr. León Pedro was appointed interim

Interim

Interim is an album by British rock band The Fall, compiled from live and studio material and released in 2004. It features the first officially released versions of "Clasp Hands", "Blindness" and "What About Us?" — all of which were later included on the band's next studio album Fall Heads Roll —...

parish priest and the following year became the first regular parish priest.

In September 1817, Fray (Friar

Friar

A friar is a member of one of the mendicant orders.-Friars and monks:...

) Julián Gonzaga from Barcelona

Barcelona

Barcelona is the second largest city in Spain after Madrid, and the capital of Catalonia, with a population of 1,621,537 within its administrative limits on a land area of...

was appointed as the parish priest. He encouraged the people to settle once again near the sea. He also encouraged migration to Bacolod and the opening of lands to agriculture and industry.

In 1846, upon the request of Msgr

Monsignor

Monsignor, pl. monsignori, is the form of address for those members of the clergy of the Catholic Church holding certain ecclesiastical honorific titles. Monsignor is the apocopic form of the Italian monsignore, from the French mon seigneur, meaning "my lord"...

. Romualdo Jimeno, bishop

Bishop

A bishop is an ordained or consecrated member of the Christian clergy who is generally entrusted with a position of authority and oversight. Within the Catholic Church, Eastern Orthodox, Oriental Orthodox Churches, in the Assyrian Church of the East, in the Independent Catholic Churches, and in the...

of Cebu

Cebu

Cebu is a province in the Philippines, consisting of Cebu Island and 167 surrounding islands. It is located to the east of Negros, to the west of Leyte and Bohol islands...

and Negros at that time, Gobernador General (Governor-General

Governor-General of the Philippines

The Governor-General of the Philippines was the title of the government executive during the colonial period of the Philippines, governed mainly by Spain and the United States, and briefly by Great Britain, from 1565 to 1935....

) Narciso Clavería y Zaldúa sent to Negros a team of Recollect missionaries headed by Fr. Fernando Cuenca. A decree of 20 June 1848 by Gobernador General Clavería ordered the restructuring of Negros politically and religiously. The following year (1849), Negros Island Gobernadorcillo Manuel Valdevieso y Morquecho transferred the capital of the Province of Negros from Himamaylan

Himamaylan City

Himamaylan City is a 3rd class city in the province of Negros Occidental, Philippines. According to the 2000 census, it has a population of 88,684 people in 16,878 households. Himamaylan is 83 kilometers south of Bacolod City, the provincial capital...

to Bacolod and the Augustinian

Augustinians

The term Augustinians, named after Saint Augustine of Hippo , applies to two separate and unrelated types of Catholic religious orders:...

Recollects were asked to assume spiritual administration of Negros, which they did that same year. Transfer of Bacolod to the Recollects, however, took place only in 1871. Fray Mauricio Ferrero became the first Augustinian Recollect parish priest of Bacolod and successor to the secular priest

Secular clergy

, Fr. Mariano Ávila. In 1863, a compulsory primary public school system was set up.

In 1889, Bacolod became the capital of Occidental Negros when the Province of Negros was politically divided into the separate provinces of Occidental Negros (English

Philippine English

: Negros Occidental) and Oriental Negros (English

Philippine English

: Negros Oriental
Negros Oriental
Negros Oriental is a province of the Philippines located in the Central Visayas region. It occupies the south-eastern half of the island of Negros, with Negros Occidental comprising the north-western half. It also includes Apo Island — a popular dive site for both local and foreign tourists...

).

Negros Revolution

The success of the uprising in Bacolod was attributed to the low morale of the local Spanish detachment, due to its defeat in Panay

Panay

Panay may refer to*Panay Island*Panay *Panay, Capiz*Panay River*Panay Gulf* USS Panay *Panay incident...

and Luzon

Luzon

Luzon is the largest island in the Philippines. It is located in the northernmost region of the archipelago, and is also the name for one of the three primary island groups in the country centered on the Island of Luzon...

and to the psychological warfare waged by Generals Aniceto Lacson

Aniceto Lacson

Aniceto Lacson y Ledesma was a sugar farmer, revolutionary general and businessman in the Philippines. He was the fifth son of seven children of Lucio Lacson y Petronila and Clara Ledesma of Iloilo, Philippines who migrated to Negros when Aniceto was still young...

and Juan Araneta

Juan Araneta

Juan Anacleto Araneta , was a pioneer sugar farmer and revolutionary leader during the Negros Revolution.-Early life:Juan was born to Romualdo Araneta and Agüeda Torres in Molo, Iloilo, Philippines...

. In 1897, a battle in Bacolod was fought at Matab-ang River. A year later, on November 5, 1898, the Negrense Revolucionarios (Negrense Revolutionary Army), armed with knives, bolos

Bolo knife

A bolo is a large cutting tool of Filipino origin similar to the machete, used particularly in the jungles of Indonesia, the Philippines, and in the sugar fields of Cuba...

, spears, and rifle-like nipa palm

Nypa fruticans

Nypa fruticans, known as the attap palm , nipa palm , and mangrove palm or buah atap , buah nipah , dừa nước , Ging Pol in Sinhala in Sri Lanka and gol pata , dani . It is the only palm considered a mangrove in the Mangroves Biome...

stems, and pieces of sawali
Sawali
Sawali refers to woven split bamboo mats used in the Philippines to construct walls.It is a commonly used material in the construction of the ubiquitous nipa hut....

or amakan mounted on carts, captured the convento (convent

Convent

A convent is either a community of priests, religious brothers, religious sisters, or nuns, or the building used by the community, particularly in the Roman Catholic Church and in the Anglican Communion...

), presently Palacio Episcopal (Bishop's Palace), where Coronel (Colonel) Isidro de Castro y Cisneros, well-armed cazadores (hunters) and platoon

Platoon

A platoon is a military unit typically composed of two to four sections or squads and containing 16 to 50 soldiers. Platoons are organized into a company, which typically consists of three, four or five platoons. A platoon is typically the smallest military unit led by a commissioned officer—the...

s of Guardias Civiles (Civil Guards), surrendered.

Cantonal Republic of Negros

On 7 November 1898, most of the revolutionary army gathered together to establish a provisional junta and to confirm the elections of Aniceto Lacson

Aniceto Lacson

as president, Juan Araneta

Juan Araneta

as war-delegate, as well as the other officials. For a brief moment, the provinces of Occidental Negros and Oriental Negros were reunited under the cantonal government of the Negrense Revolucionarios, from 6 November 1898 to the end of February 1899, making Bacolod the capital. On March 1899, the American forces

United States armed forces

The United States Armed Forces are the military forces of the United States. They consist of the Army, Navy, Marine Corps, Air Force, and Coast Guard.The United States has a strong tradition of civilian control of the military...

led by Colonel

Colonel

Colonel , abbreviated Col or COL, is a military rank of a senior commissioned officer. It or a corresponding rank exists in most armies and in many air forces; the naval equivalent rank is generally "Captain". It is also used in some police forces and other paramilitary rank structures...

James G. Smith occupied Bacolod, the revolutionary capital of República Cantonal de Negros (Cantonal Republic of Negros).

American colonial period

República de Negros became a U.S. territory on April 30, 1901. Negros was once again separated, reverting Bacolod to its status as the capital of Occidental Negros.

The public school of Instituto Rizal (Rizal Institute

Negros Occidental High School

Negros Occidental High School is a public secondary educational institution in Bacolod City in the province of Negros Occidental, in the Philippines...

) opened its doors to students on 1 July 1902. Colegio de Nuestra Señora de la Consolación (College of Our Lady of Consolation), the first private institution in the province of Negros Occidental, was established in Bacolod by the Augustinian

Augustinians

The term Augustinians, named after Saint Augustine of Hippo , applies to two separate and unrelated types of Catholic religious orders:...

sisters on March 11, 1919 and opened in July 1919.

A historic event took place in 1938 when Municipality

Municipalities of the Philippines

A municipality is a local government unit in the Philippines. Municipalities are also called towns . They are distinct from cities, which are a different category of local government unit...

of Bacolod was elevated into a city through Commonwealth Act No. 326 passed by the 1st National Assembly of the Philippines

1st National Assembly of the Philippines

The First National Assembly of the Philippines was the meeting of the legislature of the Commonwealth of the Philippines, from November 25, 1935 until August 15, 1938.-Sessions:...

creating the City of Bacolod. Assemblyman Pedro C. Hernaez of the second district of Negros Occidental sponsored the bill. The law was passed on June 18, 1938. Bacolod was formally inaugurated as a chartered city

Charter city

A charter city is a city in which the governing system is defined by the city's own charter document rather than by state, provincial, regional or national laws. In locations where city charters are allowed by law, a city can adopt or modify its organizing charter by decision of its administration...

on October 19, 1938 by virtue of Commonwealth Act No. 404, highlighted by the visit of Commonwealth

Commonwealth of the Philippines

The Commonwealth of the Philippines was a designation of the Philippines from 1935 to 1946 when the country was a commonwealth of the United States. The Commonwealth was created by the Tydings-McDuffie Act, which was passed by the U.S. Congress in 1934. When Manuel L...

President

President of the Philippines

The President of the Philippines is the head of state and head of government of the Philippines. The president leads the executive branch of the Philippine government and is the commander-in-chief of the Armed Forces of the Philippines...

Manuel L. Quezón

Manuel L. Quezon

Manuel Luis Quezón y Molina served as president of the Commonwealth of the Philippines from 1935 to 1944. He was the first Filipino to head a government of the Philippines...

. President Quezón appointed Alfredo Montelíbano, Sr. as the first city mayor of Bacolod.

Japanese occupation and Allied liberation

In World War II

Japanese occupation of the Philippines

The Japanese occupation of the Philippines was the period in the history of the Philippines between 1942 and 1945, when the Empire of Japan occupied the previously American-controlled Philippines during World War II....

, Bacolod City was occupied by the Japanese forces

Imperial Japanese Army

-Foundation:During the Meiji Restoration, the military forces loyal to the Emperor were samurai drawn primarily from the loyalist feudal domains of Satsuma and Chōshū...

on May 21, 1942. Lieutenant General Takeshi Kono, the Japanese commanding officer of the 77th Infantry Brigade, 102nd Division, seized the home of Don
Don (honorific)
Don, from Latin dominus, is an honorific in Spanish , Portuguese , and Italian . The female equivalent is Doña , Dona , and Donna , abbreviated "Dª" or simply "D."-Usage:...

(Sir

Sir

Sir is an honorific used as a title , or as a courtesy title to address a man without using his given or family name in many English speaking cultures...

) Mariano Ramos, the first appointed Presidente Municipal (Municipal President

Municipal president

A presidente municipal is the chief of government of municipios in Mexico. The position is comparable to the county executive of a county in the United States or to the mayor of a city in the United States, although the jurisdiction of a presidente municipal includes not only a city but the...

) of Bacolod, which served as the seat of power and the watchtower of the city. The city was liberated by joint Filipino

Armed Forces of the Philippines

The Armed Forces of the Philippines is composed of the Philippine Army, Philippine Navy and Philippine Air Force...

and American forces on May 29, 1945. It took time to rebuild the city after liberation.

The local military built and established of the general headquarters and camp bases of the Philippine Commonwealth Army was active on 1942 to 1946 and the 7th Infantry Regiment of the Philippine Constabulary was active on 1944 to 1946 and they stationed and located in Bacolod City during World War II.

Independent Philippines

When the country finally gained complete independence

Filipino-American Friendship Day

Filipino-American Friendship Day, July 4, is a day in the Philippines designated by President Diosdado Macapagal to commemorate the liberation of the country by joint Filipino and American forces from the Japanese occupation at the end of World War II....

from the United States, the city's public markets and slaughterhouses were rebuilt during the administration of former mayor Vicente Remitió from 1947 to 1949. In 1948, a fire razed a portion of the records section of the old city hall that consumed the rear end of the building and with it, numerous priceless documents of the city. When Batas Pambansa Blg. 51 was approved on December 22, 1979 and came into effect in 1980, the chartered City of Bacolod was converted into a highly urbanized city. The political relations with Negros Occidental were severed and the residents effectively lost their eligibility to vote for provincial officials because of this new status. In January 1985, the original hardwood and coral structure of Palacio Episcopal was almost entirely destroyed by a fire. Among the damage of the raging fire were items of significant historical value. The reconstruction of Palacio which took more than two years, was completed in 1990.

Geography

Bacolod City is located on the northwestern coast of the Province of Negros Occidental. It is bounded on the north by the City of Talisay

Talisay City, Negros Occidental

; on the east by the town of Murcia

Murcia, Negros Occidental

Murcia is a 1st class municipality in the province of Negros Occidental, Philippines. According to the August 1, 2007 census, it has a population of 71,289 people.-Culture and economy:...

; on the south by the City of Bago

Bago City

; and in the west by the Guimaras Strait. The global location of Bacolod City is 10 degrees, 40 minutes 40 seconds - north and 122 degrees 54 minutes 25 seconds - east with Bacolod Public Plaza

Bacolod Public Plaza

The Bacolod Public Plaza is one of the notable landmarks of Bacolod City, the capital of Negros Occidental, Philippines. It is located in the heart of the downtown area, near the city hall and across from the San Sebastian Cathedral. The plaza is a trapezoidal park with a belt of trees around...

as the benchmark.

Bacolod has a total land area of 16,145 hectares, including straits and bodies of water and the 124 hectare reclamation area; and is composed of 61 barangay (villages) and 639 purok (smaller units composing a village). It is accessible by sea through the ports of Banago; the BREDCO Port in the Reclamation Area, and the port of Pulupandan. By air, it is accessible through the New Bacolod-Silay International Airport, which is approximately 13 (four is counting from the Lagoon) kilometers away from the center of the city.

Bacolod is ideally located on a level area, slightly sloping as it extends toward the sea with an average slope of 0.9 percent for the city proper and between 3 to 5 percent for the suburbs. The altitude is 32.8 feet or 10.0 meters above sea level

Sea level

Mean sea level is a measure of the average height of the ocean's surface ; used as a standard in reckoning land elevation...

with the Bacolod City Public Plaza as the benchmark

Benchmark (surveying)

The term bench mark, or benchmark, originates from the chiseled horizontal marks that surveyors made in stone structures, into which an angle-iron could be placed to form a "bench" for a leveling rod, thus ensuring that a leveling rod could be accurately repositioned in the same place in the future...

. Bacolod has two pronounced seasons, wet and dry. The rainy season starts from May to January of the following year with heavy rains occurring during the months of August and September. Dry season starts from the month of February until the last week of April.

Barangays

Bacolod City is politically subdivided into 61 barangay

Barangay

A barangay is the smallest administrative division in the Philippines and is the native Filipino term for a village, district or ward...

Alangilan
Alijis
Banago
Barangay 1 (Población
Poblacion
A Poblacion or Población, literally "town" or "Population" in Spanish, is the name commonly used for the central barangay or barangays of a Philippine city or municipality. Common features of the poblacion include a town plaza, church, market, school and town hall. It is sometimes shortened to...

)
Barangay 2 (Población)
Barangay 3 (Población)
Barangay 4 (Población)
Barangay 5 (Población)
Barangay 6 (Población)
Barangay 7 (Población)
Barangay 8 (Población)
Barangay 9 (Población)
Barangay 10 (Población)
Barangay 11 (Población)
Barangay 12 (Población)
Barangay 13 (Población)

Barangay 14 (Población)
Barangay 15 (Población)
Barangay 16 (Población)
Barangay 17 (Población)
Barangay 18 (Población)
Barangay 19 (Población)
Barangay 20 (Población)
Barangay 21 (Población)
Barangay 22 (Población)
Barangay 23 (Población)
Barangay 24 (Población)
Barangay 25 (Población)
Barangay 26 (Población)
Barangay 27 (Población)
Barangay 28 (Población)

Barangay 29 (Población)
Barangay 30 (Población)
Barangay 31 (Población)
Barangay 32 (Población)
Barangay 33 (Población)
Barangay 34 (Población)
Barangay 35 (Población)
Barangay 36 (Población)
Barangay 37 (Población)
Barangay 38 (Población)
Barangay 39 (Población)
Barangay 40 (Población)
Barangay 41 (Población)
Bata
Cabug

Estefanía
Felisa
Granada
Handumanan
Mandalagan
Mansilingan
Montevista
Pahanocoy
Punta Taytay
Singcang-Airport
Sum-ag
Taculing
Tangub
Villamonte
Vista Alegre

Business Process Outsourcing

Bacolod City is the Business Process Outsourcing

Business process outsourcing

(BPO) hub of the Western Visayas Region of the Philippines. Among the notable BPO companies operating in the city are Convergys

Convergys

Convergys Corporation is a corporation based in Cincinnati, Ohio that provides solutions in customer management and information management. Customer management solutions include agent assisted, self-service and proactive care solutions tailored to the communications, financial services,...

, Teleperformance

Teleperformance

Teleperformance is a French customer service, technical support, call center and debt collection company with headquarters in Paris, France.The company operates in around 50 countries, including UK, Brazil, Chile, India, Philippines, China , Canada, Mexico, Colombia, Norway, Italy, USA, Costa...

, TeleTech

TeleTech

TeleTech Holdings, Inc. is a global business process outsourcing company that provides services for customer management, transaction-based processing, database marketing services, professional sales, and eCommerce. Kenneth D...

, Panasiatic, Focus International, Transcom, JPMorgan Chase & Co.

JPMorgan Chase & Co.

JPMorgan Chase & Co. is an American multinational banking corporation of securities, investments and retail. It is the largest bank in the United States by assets and market capitalization.It is a major provider of financial services, with assets of $2 trillion and according to Forbes magazine is...

and Telequest.

Language centers for Foreigners

Language centers catering to foreigners, like Koreans

Koreans in the Philippines

Koreans in the Philippines, largely consisting of expatriates from South Korea, form the largest Korean diaspora community in Southeast Asia and the eighth-largest in the world, after Korean Australians and before Koreans in Kazakhstan; as of 2009, statistics of South Korea's Ministry of Foreign...

, are a popular business venture in the city. These centers give instruction in the English language

English language

English is a West Germanic language that arose in the Anglo-Saxon kingdoms of England and spread into what was to become south-east Scotland under the influence of the Anglian medieval kingdom of Northumbria...

and other related subjects. Universities and colleges in Bacolod also offer English language instruction for foreign students who currently reside in the city.

Agriculture

Along its highways, sugarcane plantations are a typical scene. As of 2003, 7,216 hectares of the city’s 8,560 hectares of agricultural land were still planted to sugarcane. Meanwhile, 915 hectares were devoted to rice, 120 hectares to assorted vegetables, 100 hectares to coconut, 43 hectares to banana and 34 hectares to corn. The people are also engaged in livestock.

Competitiveness

According to the "Philippine Cities Competitiveness Ranking Project 2005" of Asian Institute of Management

Asian Institute of Management

The Asian Institute of Management, or simply AIM, is a graduate school of business and a center of business and management research. It is one of the few business schools in Asia to be internationally accredited with the AACSB. It was established in partnership with Harvard Business School and uses...

(AIM), Bacolod tops the list in terms of infrastructure, ahead of such other mid-size cities like Iligan City

Iligan City

The City of Iligan is a highly urbanized industrial city north of the province of Lanao del Norte, Philippines, and the province's former capital. It is approximately 795 kilometers southeast of Manila...

, Calamba City

Calamba City

Calamba City is a first class component city located in the province of Laguna, Philippines. Situated only 54 kilometers south of Manila, about an hour by chartered bus, Calamba City is a popular tourist destination with its hot spring resorts, most of the resorts are located in Barangay Pansol...

, and General Santos City

General Santos City

The City of General Santos is the southernmost port city of the Philippines. Being a highly urbanized first class city, GenSan is one of the most populous urban centers in the country with a population of 679,588 as per census data of 2010...

. Bacolod also tops the list in terms of quality of life, ahead of such other mid-size cities like San Fernando City

San Fernando City, Pampanga

The City of San Fernando, is a first class, component city in the Philippine province of Pampanga. It is the capital city of Pampanga and the regional center of Central Luzon...

, Baguio City

Baguio City

The City of Baguio is a highly urbanized city in northern Luzon in the Philippines. Baguio City was established by Americans in 1900 at the site of an Ibaloi village known as Kafagway...

, Iloilo City

Iloilo City

The City of Iloilo is a highly urbanized city in the Philippines and the capital city of Iloilo province. It is the regional center of the Western Visayas, as well as the center of the Iloilo-Guimaras Metropolitan Area...

and Lipa City

Lipa City

The Lipa City /Li-pâ/ is a first class city in the province of Batangas, Philippines. It is one of the three component cities of Batangas province...

. AIM also recognizes Bacolod as one of the Top Five most competitive mid-size cities together with Batangas City

Batangas City

- Foreign Rule :The first Spanish missionaries arrived in Batangas City since 1572. Finally on 1581 Spanish authorities governing the Philippines created a pueblo in the area which included the hill where the present Provincial Capitol of Batangas stands after the formal end of the Coumintang...

, Iligan City, Iloilo City and San Fernando City

San Fernando City, Pampanga

The City of San Fernando, is a first class, component city in the Philippine province of Pampanga. It is the capital city of Pampanga and the regional center of Central Luzon...

Domestic Airport

Bacolod City Domestic Airport was the airport serving the general area of Bacolod. It was one of the busiest airports in the Western Visayas region and was one of four trunkline airports, or major commercial domestic airports, in the region, the others being Mandurriao Airport

Mandurriao Airport

Mandurriao Airport , also known as Iloilo Airport during its operation, was the main airport serving the area of Iloilo City and the province of Iloilo in the Philippines. The airport was located five kilometers northwest of downtown Iloilo City in the district of Mandurriao...

in Iloilo City, Roxas Airport

Roxas Airport

-External links:*...

in Roxas City

Roxas City

Roxas City is a medium-sized city in the province of Capiz, Philippines. It is the provincial capital and a component city. , the city mayor is former city vice mayor Angel Alan Celino who was elected during the 2010 election....

and Puerto Princesa Airport

Puerto Princesa Airport

Puerto Princesa International Airport is an airport serving the general area of Puerto Princesa City, located in the province of Palawan in the Philippines...

in Puerto Princesa

Puerto Princesa City

The City of Puerto Princesa is a city located on the western provincial island of Palawan, one of 80 provinces which make up the Philippines...

. This airport was replaced by the new Bacolod-Silay Airport, located in nearby Silay City. It was classified as such by the Air Transportation Office, a body of the Department of Transportation and Communications

Department of Transportation and Communications (Philippines)

The Department of Transportation and Communications is the executive department of the Philippine government responsible for the maintenance and expansion of viable, efficient, and dependable transportation and communications systems as effective instruments for national recovery and economic...

that is responsible for the operations of all other airports in the Philippines except the major international airports. The Bacolod City Domestic Airport ceased operations on January 17, 2008, prior to the opening of the Bacolod-Silay Airport which began operations the day after.

Panaad Stadium

The Panaad Stadium

Panaad Stadium

The Panaad Stadium is a multi-purpose stadium located inside the Panaad Park and Sports Complex in Bacolod, Philippines. Owned by the Negros Occidental provincial government, it is used for football matches, and is the adopted home of the Philippines national football team...

is a multi-purpose stadium in the city. It is currently used mostly for football matches, and it serves as the home football stadium of the Philippines national football team

Philippines national football team

The Philippines national football team is the national football team of the Philippines and represents the country in international football. The team is controlled by the Philippine Football Federation , the governing body of football in the Philippines....

(Azkals). It was used for the 2005 South East Asian Games. It was the venue of the pre-qualifiers of the 2007 ASEAN Football Championship

2007 ASEAN Football Championship

The 2007 ASEAN Football Championship was the 6th ASEAN Football Championship, hosted by Singapore and Thailand....

or ASEAN Cup, in which the Philippines, Cambodia

Cambodia

Cambodia , officially known as the Kingdom of Cambodia, is a country located in the southern portion of the Indochina Peninsula in Southeast Asia...

, East Timor

East Timor

The Democratic Republic of Timor-Leste, commonly known as East Timor , is a state in Southeast Asia. It comprises the eastern half of the island of Timor, the nearby islands of Atauro and Jaco, and Oecusse, an exclave on the northwestern side of the island, within Indonesian West Timor...

, Brunei

Brunei

Brunei , officially the State of Brunei Darussalam or the Nation of Brunei, the Abode of Peace , is a sovereign state located on the north coast of the island of Borneo, in Southeast Asia...

and Laos

Laos

Laos Lao: ສາທາລະນະລັດ ປະຊາທິປະໄຕ ປະຊາຊົນລາວ Sathalanalat Paxathipatai Paxaxon Lao, officially the Lao People's Democratic Republic, is a landlocked country in Southeast Asia, bordered by Burma and China to the northwest, Vietnam to the east, Cambodia to the south and Thailand to the west...

participated. The stadium has a seating capacity of 15,500, but holds around 20,000 people with standing areas. It is unofficially designated as the home stadium of the Philippines national football team. Aside from the football field, it also has a rubberized track oval, an Olympic-size swimming pool and other sports facilities.

The stadium is also the home of Panaad Festival, a week-long celebration participated in by all cities and municipalities in the province held annually every summer. The festival is highlighted by merry-making and field demonstrations at the stadium. The stadium itself features replicas of the landmarks of the 13 cities and municipalities of Negros Occidental.

The Willing Willie live on tour in May 7, 2011.

Bacolod Public Plaza

The Bacolod Public Plaza

Bacolod Public Plaza

is one of the notable landmarks in Bacolod City the capital of Negros Occidental which is found right in the heart of down town area, very near to the city hall and right across the San Sebastian Cathedral. The plaza is a trapezoidal park with a belt of trees all around the periphery and a gazeebo/bandstand at the center. Scattered within the trees are four circular fountains.

The Plaza was constructed back in 1927 as a place for recreation, political, spiritual and cultural activities; it seems to be quite a popular site for outdoor picnic and concerts. The gazeebo/bandstand is often where the stage is located and this is quite apt since inscribed along the sides of the roofing are the names of Western musical composers like Beethoven, Wagner, Haydn, and Mozart.

The plaza is the celebrated place of MassKara Festival

MassKara Festival

. It is a week-long festival held each year in Bacolod City every third weekend of October nearest October 19, the city's Charter

Charter

A charter is the grant of authority or rights, stating that the granter formally recognizes the prerogative of the recipient to exercise the rights specified...

Anniversary. Bacolod public plaza is the final destination of Masskara street dancing competitions which is the highlights of the celebration.

Capitol Park & Lagoon

The Capitol Park and Lagoon

Capitol Park and Lagoon

The Capitol Park and Lagoon is a provincial park located in Bacolod City, Negros Occidental, in the Philippines. One of the features of the park are matching sculptures depicting a woman standing alongside a water buffalo and that of a man pulling another water buffalo. These sculptures are...

is a provincial park located right in the heart of Bacolod City, Negros Occidental, in the Philippines. One of the landmarks of the park is the carabao

Carabao

The carabao or Bubalus bubalis carabanesis is a subspecies of the domesticated water buffalo found in the Philippines, Guam, Indonesia, Malaysia, and various parts of Southeast Asia...

(water buffalo

Water buffalo

The water buffalo is a domesticated bovid widely kept in Asia, Europe and South America.Water buffalo can also refer to:*Wild water buffalo , the wild ancestor of the domestic water buffalo...

) being pulled by a woman. This carabao is located at the northern end of the lagoon. On the other end, there is also another carabao sculpture but the figure is being pulled by a man.

There are several other attractions in the park. These include
activities of the locals-jogging, aerobics, school dance rehearsals, promenaders, arnis

Arnis

Arnis may refer to:*A Filipino martial art, see Eskrima**a modern version of the traditional martial art, see Modern Arnis*Arnis, Germany, a small town in Schleswig-Holstein, Germany...

adors, martial arts practitioners and even the relaxing and therapeutic quiteness of feeding the tilapias of the lagoon. It is well-secured and well-lighted; it is very safe to walk /stroll, 24 hours a day, 7 days a week.

New Airport

Bacolod-Silay Airport (ICAO: RPVB, FAA/IATA: BCD) is 15 kilometers north-east from the city. The P4.37-billion airport is capable of handling all-weather and night-landing operations. Its 2,000-meter (6,600 ft.) long and 45-meter (148 ft.) wide primary runway, and 678-meter by 23-meter taxiways can accommodate Airbus A320 family

Airbus A320 family

The Airbus A320 family is a family of short- to medium-range, narrow-body, commercial passenger jet airliners manufactured by Airbus Industrie.Airbus was originally a consortium of European aerospace companies, and is now fully owned by EADS. Airbus's name has been Airbus SAS since 2001...

-size aircraft, and the Boeing 737

Boeing 737

The Boeing 737 is a short- to medium-range, twin-engine narrow-body jet airliner. Originally developed as a shorter, lower-cost twin-engine airliner derived from Boeing's 707 and 727, the 737 has developed into a family of nine passenger models with a capacity of 85 to 215 passengers...

, while the apron can hold five aircraft at any one time. It is just a bit longer than its predecessor, the Bacolod City Domestic Airport. The runway runs in a direction of 03°/21°. Provisions for a 500 metres (1,640.4 ft) expansion of the present runway in order to accommodate even larger aircraft like the Boeing 747

Boeing 747

The Boeing 747 is a wide-body commercial airliner and cargo transport, often referred to by its original nickname, Jumbo Jet, or Queen of the Skies. It is among the world's most recognizable aircraft, and was the first wide-body ever produced...

and the Airbus A340

Airbus A340

The Airbus A340 is a long-range four-engine wide-body commercial passenger jet airliner. Developed by Airbus Industrie,A consortium of European aerospace companies, Airbus is now fully owned by EADS and since 2001 has been known as Airbus SAS. a consortium of European aerospace companies, which is...

are in place.

Bacolod City is 45 minutes by air from Ninoy Aquino International Airport

Ninoy Aquino International Airport

The Ninoy Aquino International Airport or NAIA , also known as Manila International Airport , is the airport serving the general area of Manila and its surrounding metropolitan area...

and 30 minutes by air from Mactan-Cebu International Airport

Mactan-Cebu International Airport

Mactan-Cebu International Airport is a major international airport in the Visayas region of the Philippines. It is located in Lapu-Lapu City, Mactan Island, Metro Cebu and is the country's second primary gateway...

plus approximately 20 minutes of travel by land since the new airport is now located in Silay City

Silay City

Silay City is a 2nd class city in the province of Negros Occidental, Philippines. According to the August 1, 2007 census, it had a total population of 120,365 people...

. Commercial Airlines serving in Bacolod are Philippine Airlines

Philippine Airlines

Philippine Airlines, Inc. operating as Philippine Airlines, is a flag carrier of the Philippines. Headquartered in the Philippine National Bank Financial Center in Pasay City, the airline was founded in 1941 and is the first and oldest commercial airline in Asia operating under its original name...

, Cebu Pacific Air, Airphil Express, and Zest Air.

Ports

Banago Wharf and BREDCO Port are the vessels entry point in Bacolod. It has daily access to Iloilo, with different shipping lines such as Supercat, Weesam Express, Ocean Jet, Montenegro Lines, Jomalia Shipping and Tri Star megalink. There are also access routes to Puerto Princesa City

Puerto Princesa City

The City of Puerto Princesa is a city located on the western provincial island of Palawan, one of 80 provinces which make up the Philippines...

via Iloilo City, Cagayan de Oro City

Cagayan de Oro City

Cagayan de Oro; , officially the City of Cagayan de Oro, is the provincial capital city of the province of Misamis Oriental in the Philippines...

, General Santos City

General Santos City

., Zamboanga City

Zamboanga City

The City of Zamboanga : is a highly urbanized, independent and a chartered city located in Mindanao, Philippines....

, Cotabato City

Cotabato City

The City of Cotabato is one of the cities of the Philippines located in Mindanao. Cotabato City is an exclave of the SOCCSKSARGEN region found within the boundaries of Maguindanao province, but is independent of that province...

, Butuan City

Butuan City

The City of Butuan is the regional center of Caraga, serving as an administrative region of the Philippines; it is a highly urbanized city. It is located at the northeastern part of Agusan Valley, Mindanao, sprawling across the Agusan River. It is bounded to the north, west and south by Agusan del...

via Cagayan de Oro route, Dipolog City

Dipolog City

The City of Dipolog is a 1st class city and the capital of the province of Zamboanga del Norte on the southern Philippine island of Mindanao...

Iligan City

, Ozamiz City

Ozamiz City

Ozamiz is a 2nd class city in the province of Misamis Occidental, Philippines. According to the 2007 census, it has a population of 123,137.- History :...

, and Surigao City

Surigao City

The City of Surigao The City of Surigao The City of Surigao (Filipino Pronunciation: (sů-rēh-GAŮ) ( Filipino: Lungsod ng Surigao; Surigaonon: Siyudad nan Surigao) located at the northeasternmost tip of Mindanao Island in the Philippines and the capital of the province of Surigao del Norte,...

via Cagayan de Oro route served by different shipping lines such as Negros Navigation

Negros Navigation

Negros Navigation Co., Inc. is one of the oldest domestic shipping companies in the Philippines. It is also one of the largest companies in the passenger transport business in the Philippines...

and SuperFerry

SuperFerry

SuperFerry, founded as Aboitiz SuperFerry, is a shipping company based in Manila, Philippines. It is the country’s largest shipping company,with its main hub located in Pier 15 in Manila South Harbor...

. By boat, Bacolod City is 18-23 hours from the Port of Manila

Port of Manila

The Port of Manila is the largest seaport in the Philippines, and is the premier international shipping gateway to the country. It is located in the vicinity of Manila Bay.-Port Area:...

, 2-3hrs from Dumangas Port and 45 minutes- 1hr from the Port of Iloilo

Port of Iloilo

The Port of Iloilo, Iloilo, Philippines, is the port serving the general area of Iloilo and the premier port on Panay Island. The new port of iloilo is strategically located at a new site away from the older port facilities. Situated in the Southern coast of Panay Island, in the Panay Gulf, it has...

Land routes

Bacolod City has two main roads, Lacson Street to the north and Araneta Street to the south. The city has a good traffic plan lay-out and very seldom has traffic jams. The streets in the downtown area are one way

One-way traffic

One-way traffic is traffic that moves in a single direction. A one-way street is a street either facilitating only one-way traffic, or designed to direct vehicles to move in one direction.-General signs:...

, making Bacolod City free from traffic congestion. Recently, Bacolod City is experiencing an increase in traffic congestion due to an increase in number of vehicles and a perceived lack of implementation of traffic rules by the local government.

By land-RORO

RORO

Roll-on/roll-off ships are vessels designed to carry wheeled cargo such as automobiles, trucks, semi-trailer trucks, trailers or railroad cars that are driven on and off the ship on their own wheels...

-land, Bacolod City is approximately 3 hours from Iloilo City

Iloilo City

via Dumangas route. By land-ferry-land, Bacolod City is approximately 4 hours and 30 minutes from Cebu City

Cebu City

The City of Cebu is the capital city of Cebu and is the second largest city in the Philippines, the second most significant metropolitan centre in the Philippines and known as the oldest settlement established by the Spaniards in the country.The city is located on the eastern shore of Cebu and was...

via Toledo City

Toledo City

Toledo City, formerly known as Pueblo Hinulawan, is a 2nd class city in the province of Cebu, Philippines. Population as of 2007 census: 152,960....

-San Carlos City

San Carlos City, Negros Occidental

San Carlos City is a 2nd class component city in the province of Negros Occidental, Philippines. The settlement was elevated to city status on July 1, 1960 per Republic Act 2643...

-Salvador Benedicto-Murcia

Murcia, Negros Occidental

Murcia is a 1st class municipality in the province of Negros Occidental, Philippines. According to the August 1, 2007 census, it has a population of 71,289 people.-Culture and economy:...

route. By land-RORO

RORO

-land, Bacolod City is approximately 6 hours and 30 minutes from Cebu City

Cebu City

via Tabuelan-Escalante City

Escalante City

Escalante City is a 4th class city in the province of Negros Occidental, Philippines. According to the 2007 census, it has a population of 92,035 people in 19,324 households. Melecio Jabian Yap, Jr. is the current Mayor of the City while Ester M. Ampil is the current Vice-Mayor of the City. The...

route.

Football

In 2005, the city hosted the 2005 Southeast Asian Games football tournament

Football at the 2005 Southeast Asian Games

The football tournament at the 2005 Southeast Asian Games was held on November 20, 2005 to December 4, 2005. The men's tournament is played at under-23 level, while the women's tournament has no age limit.- Venues :Men's*Paglaum Sports Complex, Bacolod City...

at the Panaad Stadium

Panaad Stadium

and Paglaum Sports Complex. The city also hosted the 2007 ASEAN Football Championship qualification

2007 ASEAN Football Championship qualification

This 2007 ASEAN Football Championship qualification was held in Bacolod City, Philippines between 12 November and 20 November 2006 for the lower-ranked teams in Southeast Asia...

tournament at the Panaad Stadium. In 2009, Bacolod hosted the 2010 AFC U-16 Championship qualification tournament. On February 9, 2011, the 2012 AFC Challenge Cup qualification

2012 AFC Challenge Cup qualification

The 2012 AFC Challenge Cup qualification phase saw eight teams advance to the final tournament in Nepal. The qualification draw was held on 20 October 2010, in AFC House.-Seeding:...

play-off first leg was held at the Panaad Stadium where the won 2–0 over the .

Basketball

Bacolod City hosted the 2008 PBA All-Star Weekend

2008 PBA All-Star Weekend

The 2008 PBA All-Star Weekend is the annual all-star weekend of the Philippine Basketball Association 's 2007-08 PBA season. The events were held from April 24 to 27, 2008 at the West Negros University Gym, Bacolod City, Negros Occidental....

. The city is also a regular venue for the Philippine Basketball Association

Philippine Basketball Association

The Philippine Basketball Association , is a men's professional basketball league in the Philippines composed of 10 company-branded franchised teams. It is the first and oldest professional basketball league in Asia and the second oldest in the world after the NBA...

out-of-town games.

Golf

Bacolod City has two major golf courses. These are the Bacolod Golf and Country Club and the Negros Occidental Golf and Country Club. The city hosted the 61st Philippine Airlines

Philippine Airlines

Inter-club Golf Tournament and the 2008 Philippine Amateur Golf Championship.

Karatedo

Bacolod City hosted two major karatedo championships, the 1996 Philippine Karatedo Federation

Philippine Karatedo Federation

The Philippine Karatedo Federation is the governing body of sport karate in the Philippines. Member of Asian Karatedo Federation with 39 affiliated countries in Asia and duly...

National Championship and the 2007 20th PKF National Open. Both tournaments were held at the La Salle Coliseum

La Salle Coliseum

The USLS Coliseum is an indoor sporting arena located in Bacolod City, Philippines.The La Salle Coliseum has played host to a number of basketball games including those of Philippine Basketball Association out of town games and the now-defunct Metropolitan Basketball Association...

of USLS. The tournaments were participated by hundreds of karatekas all over the country.

Entertainment

Saicy Aguila
Saicy Aguila
Saicy Abucejo Aguila is a dancesport and samba instructor in Bacolod City and former reality show contestant who joined Pinoy Big Brother . She is currently a dancer for the Filipino variety noontime show, Pilipinas Win Na Win.-Filmography:-References:...

– actress, dancer, former Pinoy Big Brother: Season 2 housemate
Bobby Enriquez
Bobby Enriquez
Roberto Delprado Yulo Enriquez , better known as Bobby Enriquez, was a Filipino jazz pianist who became prominent in the United States and well-known internationally.New York Times critic John S. Wilson wrote:Mr...

– jazz pianist who became prominent in the United States and well-known internationally
Allan K.
Allan K.
Allan K. is a singer, comedian, actor and TV host. He is one of the co-hosts of the noontime variety show Eat Bulaga.-Career:...

– singer, comedian, actor and TV host
Kuh Ledesma
Kuh Ledesma
Kuh Ledesma is a popular Filipino pop and jazz singer. She is known in the Philippines as the "Pop Diva". Kuh Ledesma has been performing for 25 years in the music industry which encompasses more than 300 concerts, numerous awards in the Philippines, and 18 albums in the Philippine recording...

– popular pop and jazz singer; dubbed as the Pop Diva of the Philippines
Enrique G. Magalona, Jr.
Pancho Magalona
Enrique "Pancho" Magalona, Jr. — was a Philippine actor from the 1940s to the 1970s.-Early life:Born Enrique Gayoso Magalona, Jr. on 1921 in the southern Philippine province of Negros Occidental and was the son of Philippine Senator Enrique B. Magalona, Sr.-Personal life:Pancho and his real life...

– award-winning actor
Francis Magalona
Francis Magalona
Francis Michael Durango Magalona , also known as FrancisM, Master Rapper, MC The Mouth and The Man From Manila, was a Filipino rapper, entrepreneur, songwriter, producer, actor, director, and photographer. He was the first Filipino rapper in the Philippines to cross over to the mainstream...

– actor, TV host, VJ, and rapper
Romy Pastrana
Romy Pastrana
Romeo Pastrana , commonly known by his stage name Dagul, is a Filipino midget actor, comedian and politician. He was born in Victorias City, Negros Occidental on October 5, 1958 and is married with 3 children.-About:...

– comedian; better known by his screen name
Stage name
A stage name, also called a showbiz name or screen name, is a pseudonym used by performers and entertainers such as actors, wrestlers, comedians, and musicians.-Motivation to use a stage name:...

"Dagul"
Susan Roces
Susan Roces
Jesusa Purificación Sonora , better known as Susan Rocés, is a Filipina actress and widow of Ronald Allan Kelley Poe, better known as Fernando Poe, Jr...

– award-winning actress, nicknamed Queen of Philippine Movies; widow of Fernando Poe, Jr.
Fernando Poe, Jr.
Ronald Allan Poe y Kelley , better known as Fernando Poe, Jr. and colloquially known as FPJ and Da King, was a Filipino actor and cultural icon. From the 1950s, Poe played steadfast film heroes who fight for the common man, which won him respect and admiration...
Sandra Seifert
Sandra Seifert
Sandra Inez Suravilla Seifert is a beauty queen and an international fashion model of mixed Filipina and German descent....

– beauty queen and an international fashion model
Rosemarie Sonora
Rosemarie Sonora
Rosemarie Levy Sonora is a former actress.-Life:She was born to an American mother of French extraction and a Filipino father of Spanish-Chinese descent...

– former actress
Rafé Totengco – New York based fashion designer
Ronnie Lazaro
Ronnie Lazaro
Ronnie Lazaro is a Gawad Urian Award-winning Filipino film and television actor, producer and casting and art director.-Television:* 2011 Wansapanataym: Darmo Adarna ... Darako * 2011 Maalaala Mo Kaya ... Papa...

– award-winning actor
Christer Isulat – Philippines' pioneer guitar effects builder, multi-instrumentalist, and producer
Christian Vasquez
Christian Vásquez
Christian Vazquez is a Negros Occidentalese actor, model and a former housemate of ABS-CBN's Pinoy Big Brother: Pinoy Big Brother: Celebrity Edition. During his stint at Pinoy Big Brother, he was one of the comedian housemates. He graduated from high school at the University of St...

– actor, model and former Pinoy Big Brother: Celebrity Edition
Pinoy Big Brother: Celebrity Edition
The first celebrity edition of Pinoy Big Brother, titled Pinoy Big Brother: Celebrity Edition is a special edition of the original show...

housemate
Margaret Nales Wilson – beauty pageant contestant, TV personality, and actress
Peque Gallaga
Peque Gallaga
Peque Gallaga is a multi-awarded Filipino filmmaker. His most significant achievement in film is "Oro, Plata, Mata", which he directed after winning a scripwriting contest sponsored by the Experimental Cinema of the Philippines...

– multi award-winning film director
Aprilyn Gustilo; Performer, TV personality
Alvin Elchico- Broadcaster, TV Host, Former Provincial Correspondent
Joel Torre - Award winning actor

Literature

Elsa Martinez Coscolluela
Elsa Martinez Coscolluela
Elsa Martinez Coscolluela is an award-winning Filipina poet, short-story writer, and playwright from Bacolod City. She is married to Jose Orlando H. Coscolluela and has three sons, Jose Orlando Jr, John Paul Rupert, and Jacques Oscar Celerino...

– award-winning poet, short-story writer, and playwright

Politics

Enrique B. Magalona
Enrique B. Magalona
Enrique B. Magalona was a former Senator of the Philippines, and the grandfather of the late Francis Magalona.-Early life:Enrique B. Magalona was born in Saravia, Negros Occidental on November 5, 1891 to Vicente Magalona Y Ledesma and Agustin Barrera y Majarocan.-Personal life:He was married by...

- former senator of the Philippines
Alfredo Montelibano, Sr. – politician and industrialist, served as Mayor of Bacolod City, Governor of Negros Occidental, and Philippine Secretary of National Defense and Interior
Juan Miguel Zubiri
Juan Miguel Zubiri
Juan Miguel "Migz" Zubiri is a Filipino politician who served as a Congressman representing the third district of Bukidnon for three consecutive terms, and was the Senate of the Philippines Majority Leader, replacing Senator Francis Pangilinan on November 17, 2008...

– politician, current Senator of the Philippines

Religion

Rolando Ramos Dizon
Rolando Ramos Dizon
Brother Rolando Ramos Dizon FSC PhD is a Filipino De La Salle Brother who was the President of De La Salle University-Manila and the De La Salle University System from 1998–2003, Chairman of the Commission on Higher Education from March 2003 to September 2004, Director-at-Large of the Catholic...

– De La Salle brother, former chairman of the Commission on Higher Education
Commission on Higher Education (Philippines)
The Commission on Higher Education of the Philippines, , abbreviated as CHED. The CHED is attached to the Office of the President for administrative purposes...
Antonio Fortich
Antonio Fortich
Right Reverend Bishop Antonio Fortich was a Catholic bishop and social activist who lived in Bacolod City in Negros Occidental in the Philippines.-Early years:...

– former Bishop of Bacolod, political activist and Ramon Magsaysay Award
Ramon Magsaysay Award
The Ramon Magsaysay Award is an annual award established to perpetuate former Philippine President Ramon Magsaysay's example of integrity in government, courageous service to the people, and pragmatic idealism within a democratic society. The Ramon Magsaysay Award is often considered Asia's Nobel...

ee
Jesus Varela – Bishop Emeritus of the Roman Catholic Diocese of Sorsogon
Roman Catholic Diocese of Sorsogon
The Roman Catholic Diocese of Sorsogon is a diocese of the Latin Rite of the Roman Catholic Church in the Philippines. The diocese was established in 1951 by the Archdiocese of Caceres, and in 1968, the diocese was subdivided after the Diocese of Masbate separated. The diocese is a suffragan of...

, former President of the Philippine Federation of Catholic Broadcasters

Sports

Nonoy Baclao
Nonoy Baclao
Siverino A. Baclao, Jr. is a Filipino professional basketball player who currently plays for the Petron Blaze Boosters in the Philippine Basketball Association...

– professional basketball player; plays for the Philippine Patriots
Philippine Patriots
The Philippine Patriots is a professional basketball team currently seeing action in the ASEAN Basketball League. The Philippines' representative team to the first ASEAN Basketball League, it is co-owned by Mikee Romero of Harbour Centre fame and businessman Tony Boy Cojuangco...

in the ASEAN Basketball League
ASEAN Basketball League
The ASEAN Basketball League, often abbreviated to the ABL, is a men's professional basketball league in Southeast Asia. Six clubs from six different countries of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations competed in the league's 2009 inaugural season...
Jeffrei Chan
Jeffrei Chan
Jeffrei Allan Chan is a Filipino professional basketball player in the Philippine Basketball Association who currently plays for the Rain or Shine Elasto Painters...

– professional basketball player in the Philippine Basketball Association
Philippine Basketball Association
The Philippine Basketball Association , is a men's professional basketball league in the Philippines composed of 10 company-branded franchised teams. It is the first and oldest professional basketball league in Asia and the second oldest in the world after the NBA...

who currently plays for the Rain or Shine Elasto Painters
Monsour del Rosario
Monsour del Rosario
Manuel Monsour T. del Rosario III commonly known as Monsour del Rosario, is a Filipino taekwondo champion who has also starred in several Filipino and international action films...

– taekwondo champion who has also starred in several Filipino and international action films
Boyet Fernandez
Boyet Fernandez
Teodorico "Boyet" Fernandez III is a retired Filipino professional basketball player. He was the last head coach of the Sta. Lucia Realtors before the team disbanded in 2010. He is currently an assistance coach of the Meralco Bolts....

– coach of the Philippine Basketball Association
Philippine Basketball Association
The Philippine Basketball Association , is a men's professional basketball league in the Philippines composed of 10 company-branded franchised teams. It is the first and oldest professional basketball league in Asia and the second oldest in the world after the NBA...

's Sta.Lucia Realtors
Ramil Gallego
Ramil Gallego
Ramil Gallego is a Filipino professional pool player, nicknamed "Bebeng".As veteran player, Gallego has been competing in tournaments outside his homeland, mainly in Japan...

– professional pool player
Reynel Hugnatan
Reynel Hugnatan
Reynel Frances T. Hugnatan is a Filipino Professional basketball player of the Philippine Basketball Association...

– professional basketball player of the Philippine Basketball Association
Philippine Basketball Association
The Philippine Basketball Association , is a men's professional basketball league in the Philippines composed of 10 company-branded franchised teams. It is the first and oldest professional basketball league in Asia and the second oldest in the world after the NBA...
Noli Locsin
Noli Locsin
Manuel Luis Locsin , better known as Noli Locsin, is a retired Filipino professional basketball player. He spent most of his career for the Ginebra San Miguel franchise in the Philippine Basketball Association...

– Philippine Basketball Association Mythical Team award
Philippine Basketball Association Mythical Team award
The Philippine Basketball Association Mythical Team is the award given to the best player in each of the five basketball positions: point guard, shooting guard , small forward, power forward and center. A Mythical Second Team was institutionalized in 1984.-Mythical Team Selections:-Mythical first...

ee
Donnie Nietes
Donnie Nietes
Donnie Nietes is a Filipino professional boxer and the WBO Light Flyweight World Champion. He is also a former WBO Minimumweight World Champion. His cousin, Gerson Nietes, is also a boxer....

– professional boxer, current WBO Minimumweight World Champion
Joan Tipon
Joan Tipon
Joan Tipon is an amateur boxer from the Philippines who won gold at the 2006 Doha Asian Games in the Bantamweight division...

– boxer, Asian Games
Asian Games
The Asian Games, officially known as Asiad, is a multi-sport event held every four years among athletes from all over Asia. The Games were regulated by the Asian Games Federation from the first Games in New Delhi, India, until the 1978 Games. Since the 1982 Games they have been organised by the...

gold medalist
Ben Villaflor
Ben Villaflor
Benjamin Villaflor is a former boxer who was the WBA world junior lightweight champion during the 1970s.-Professional boxing career:...

– boxer who was the WBA
World Boxing Association
The World Boxing Association is a boxing organization that sanctions official matches, and awards the WBA world championship title at the professional level. It was previously known as the National Boxing Association before changing its name in 1962...

world junior lightweight (now called super featherweight) champion during the 1970s
Carlo Piccio – Swimmer who was a Olympian.

Sister cities

Bacolod City has the following sister cities

Town twinning

Twin towns and sister cities are two of many terms used to describe the cooperative agreements between towns, cities, and even counties in geographically and politically distinct areas to promote cultural and commercial ties.- Terminology :...

Kamloops, British Columbia

Kamloops is a city in south central British Columbia, at the confluence of the two branches of the Thompson River and near Kamloops Lake. It is the largest community in the Thompson-Nicola Regional District and the location of the regional district's offices. The surrounding region is more commonly...

, Canada

Canada

Canada is a North American country consisting of ten provinces and three territories. Located in the northern part of the continent, it extends from the Atlantic Ocean in the east to the Pacific Ocean in the west, and northward into the Arctic Ocean...

Singaraja

Singaraja is the regency seat of Buleleng, Bali, Indonesia. The name is Indonesian for "Lion King". It is on the north coast just east of Lovina...

, Indonesia

Indonesia

Indonesia , officially the Republic of Indonesia , is a country in Southeast Asia and Oceania. Indonesia is an archipelago comprising approximately 13,000 islands. It has 33 provinces with over 238 million people, and is the world's fourth most populous country. Indonesia is a republic, with an...

Butuan City

, Philippines Legazpi City

Legazpi City

The City of Legazpi is a first class city and capital of the province of Albay, Philippines. With 179,481 inhabitants according to the 2007 census, it is the largest city in the Bicol Region in terms of population, though not in land area...

, Philippines Marikina City

Marikina City

Marikina, officially the City of Marikina, known as the Shoe Capital of the Philippines, was former capital of the province of Manila during the declaration of Philippine Independence and one of the sixteen cities within the Manila Metropolitan Area. Marikina is part of Eastern Manila District of...

, Philippines Naga City, Philippines

Parañaque City

The City of Parañaque , or simply Parañaque , is one of the cities and municipalities that make up Metro Manila in the Philippines....

, Philippines Iloilo City

Iloilo City

, Philippines Tagaytay City

Tagaytay City

The City of Tagaytay is a second class city in the province of Cavite, Philippines. Only away from Manila via Aguinaldo Highway, it is one of the country's most popular tourist destinations. Tagaytay City provides a good view of the Taal Volcano...

, Philippines Mandaue, Philippines Andong

Andong

Andong is a city in Gyeongsangbuk-do Province, South Korea. It is the largest city in the northern part of the province with a population of 167,821 in October 2010. The Nakdong River flows through the city...

, South Korea

South Korea

The Republic of Korea , , is a sovereign state in East Asia, located on the southern portion of the Korean Peninsula. It is neighbored by the People's Republic of China to the west, Japan to the east, North Korea to the north, and the East China Sea and Republic of China to the south...

Keelung

Keelung City is a major port city situated in the northeastern part of Taiwan. It borders New Taipei and forms the Taipei–Keelung metropolitan area, along with the Taipei and New Taipei. Nicknamed the Rainy Port for its frequent rain and maritime role, the city is Taiwan's second largest seaport...

, Taiwan

Taiwan

Taiwan , also known, especially in the past, as Formosa , is the largest island of the same-named island group of East Asia in the western Pacific Ocean and located off the southeastern coast of mainland China. The island forms over 99% of the current territory of the Republic of China following...

Long Beach, California

Long Beach is a city situated in Los Angeles County in Southern California, on the Pacific coast of the United States. The city is the 36th-largest city in the nation and the seventh-largest in California. As of 2010, its population was 462,257...

, USA

External links

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Etymology

Spanish colonial period

Negros Revolution

Cantonal Republic of Negros

American colonial period

Japanese occupation and Allied liberation

Independent Philippines

Geography

Barangays

Business Process Outsourcing

Language centers for Foreigners

Agriculture

Competitiveness

Domestic Airport

Panaad Stadium

Bacolod Public Plaza

Capitol Park & Lagoon

New Airport

Ports

Land routes

Football

Basketball

Golf

Karatedo

Entertainment

Literature

Politics

Religion

Sports

Sister cities

See also

External links