Bacolod City, Philippines
Bacolod City is the capital city of Negros Occidental. The charm of Bacolod lies in her people—smiling, warm, gregarious and optimistic despite some vicissitudes in life. As a capital and modern city, Bacolod is an ambivalence of the lush greenery of her countryside and the pulse and dynamo of a highly urbanized city.
Characterized today by an unprecedented boom in infrastructures and constructions, Bacolod is a haven for investments and business opportunities. The life of gentility and taste for the finest is seen in the comforts and conveniences of world-class hotels, restaurants and other visitors’ facilities as well as in many Bacoleño homes and personal lifestyles.
Physiography
Bacolod has 61 barangays–41 urban and 20 rural–and a total of 640 puroks. Situated on an area with average slopes of approximately 0.9% from suburban areas, Bacolod has a total land area of 16,145.8305 hectares, 529.814 of which are bodies of water.
Accessibility
Bacolod is approximately 55 minutes by air to and from Manila; 30 minutes to and from Cebu City and is serviced by three airline companies.
By sea, Bacolod is a 20-hour cruise to and from Manila; 55 minutes to and from Iloilo City by fast sea crafts; 7 hours by land and sea travel to and from Cebu.
History
From a mere community settlement in the “buklods” (hills) in 1770 with only about 5,000 people, the city has developed into a metropolis with a population of about 450,000. Bacolod was named capital of the province of Negros Occidental in 1884; proclaimed as a chartered city in 1938; classified as a highly urbanized city in 1984 and in 1996 was named as one of the Outstanding Cities of the Philippines.
Under the able leadership of Honorable Mayor Evelio R. Leonardia, Bacolod was proclaimed as one of the two Cleanest and Greenest Highly Urbanized Cities in the Philippines.
With a government that is firmly entrenched in a strong leadership that knows what it wants and with an optimistic and reliable populace, Bacolod will certainly be ON THE RIGHT TRACK for this NEW MILLENIUM .
(Adapted from the Department of Tourism Brochure)