Bacolod City
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Bacolod City Lungsod ng Bacolod Ciudad sang Bacolod |
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| Location of Bacolod City in the Negros Occidental Province | |||
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| Basic data | |||
| Region : | Western Visayas | ||
| Province : | Negros Occidental | ||
| Barangays : | 61 | ||
| PSGC : | 064501000 | ||
| Income class : | 1st income bracket | ||
| Households : | 87,441 May 1, 2000 census
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| Population : | 561,875 August 1, 2015 census
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| Population density : | 3480 inhabitants per km² | ||
| Area : | 161.45 km² | ||
| Coordinates : | 10 ° 40 ′ N , 122 ° 56 ′ E | ||
| Postal code : | 6100 | ||
| Area code : | +63 34 | ||
| Mayor : | Evelio Ramos Leonardia ( NPC ) | ||
| Website: | www.bacolodcity.gov.ph | ||
| Geographical location in the Philippines | |||
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Bacolod City ( Filipino : Lungsod ng Bacolod ; Hiligaynon : Ciudad sang Bacolod ) is the capital and largest city of the Negros Occidental Province on Negros , the third largest island in the Philippines . The city is about ten meters above the sea. Bacolod is often referred to as the “city of smiles”.
The name of the city is derived from the word "bakolod", which means "forest hill". The city was the center of the “sugar boom” in the second half of the 20th century.
In 2005 it was named the cleanest and greenest city in the Philippines.
history
Bacolod was founded in 1770 by the Spanish colonial government on the west coast of the island of Negros on a hilly place in what is now the municipality of Grenada. The name originated from the Hiligaynon term "buklod". The city also grew through the Bacolod Murcia Milling Company sugar refinery . Migrant workers came from Panay and Luzon to work in the sugar plantations.
Because of attacks and raids by Islamic pirates from Mindanao, the city had to be moved further to the northern coast and fortified.
In 1894 the then governor-general Claveria and the island governor Manuel Valdevieso Morquecho demanded the appointment of the city of Bacolod as the capital of the then province of Negros. Bernardino de los Santos was elected as the first mayor and the friar Fray Julian Gonzaga the church leader of the city.
During the Philippine Revolution in Luzon, the Revolucionarios made their own revolution on Negros Island. Tensions between the locals and the colonial rulers were created by the leadership of Generals Aniceto Lacson and Juan Araneta . In 1897 the "Battle of Bacolod" was fought on the Matab-ang river. On November 5, 1898, the Spanish army, led by Coronel Isidro de Castro y Cisneros , was defeated. After the victory, the Revolucionarios founded the short-lived "Provisional Republic of Negros" in the city.
In March 1899, Bacolod and the rest of the island were taken over by the American occupation army. During World War II, the Imperial Japanese Army invaded the city. It was only liberated on May 29, 1945. 1947-1949, the destroyed city was rebuilt in a short time under the leadership of the then mayor Vicente T. Remitio.
Since October 19, 1938, Bacolod, under Commonwealth Act No. 326, recognized as an independent city in the Philippines.
Culture
Hiligaynon is the most widely spoken language, although Kinaray-a , Tagalog , Mandarin, and English are also widely spoken. The population of Bacolod and the rest of the province are mostly descendants of immigrants from Panay Island . Above all, the flourishing trade and the years of the “sugar boom” attracted many migrant workers. Even ethnic Chinese Filipinos and descendants of Spanish mestizos have a strong presence here.
The founding of the city is celebrated annually by the MassKara Festival on October 19th. The whole city is decorated in bright colors and several dance groups present themselves with smiling masks and colorful costumes.
economy
Bacolod has been one of the country's growing metropolises since the second half of the 20th century. The city has a long history of tradition and trade, shipping, and sugar industry. It is considered the starting point for all tourist destinations in the province. The city's economic growth is greater than that of Iloilo City , Naga , Cagayan de Oro, and other major cities in the Philippines . Foreign investments are increasing in Bacolod much faster than in other metropolises in the region: TeleTech, Convergy's Philippines, IO Asia and Focus Pacific. This is attributed to the city's well-developed infrastructure and the high standard of living in the region. Bacolod has a modern port facility, a sports stadium and several hospitals with international standards. In January 2009 the new Bacolod-Silay City International Airport opened 15 kilometers northeast of the city.
The prestigious Goldenfield Commercial Complex offers an amusing nightlife with numerous bars, hotels, discos and restaurants. Many economists see Bacolod as the next "hotspot" for the call center and information technology industry in the Philippines. More than 20 percent of all Filipino companies and large companies are represented here. Many national events and congresses take place in Bacolod every year.
geography
Bacolod is politically divided into 61 barangays :
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sons and daughters of the town
- Bobby Enriquez (1943–1996), jazz pianist
