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Local Information

Lat:10.666670 x Lon:122.950002

Area: 162.67 sq km (62.81 sq mi)

Calling Code: + (6334)

Currency: Philippine peso

Population: (est) 499,497

Official Language: Tagalog

Other Spoken Languages: Finnish

Time Zone: GMT +8 hrs

Bacolod - General Information

Bacolod, also nick named as “The City of smiles” and “Foot ball city of the Philippines”, is a highly developed city in Philippines. Situated in the western Visayas Region, Bacolod is the capital city of Negros occidental province. Being part of a metropolitan area known as metro Bacolod, Bacolod is the 17th most populous city in the country. The city is stretched across an area of 162.67 km2 with a population of over 499,497. While the metro covers an area of 578.65 km2 with a population of 716,306. Hiligaynon is the language spoken by the majority of people. English is understood as well.

The word Bacolod is derived from old Hiligaynon dialect term “Bakolod” which means a ‘stone hill’. It is globally positioned at 10 degrees 40 minutes north and 122 degrees 54 minutes east. The city is situated 10 meters above the sea level. Coming to the brief history of Bacolod, The first settlement in the area dates back to 1770. After that the Spanish colonial rule was established, during which the city was under church dictates. The city was also subject to American colonization and the Japanese conquest during the Second World War. Later the city was finally liberated.

Bacolod is well known for its exotic tropical beaches, many historical places, delicious tropical food, and exquisite ambience and warm hospitality. Beautiful white sand beaches and resorts offer life time enjoyment to the tourists making the place one of the finest holiday destinations. The beaches also provide thrilling diving experience with diverse marine and coral life. The various beaches around Bacolod city include Tambobo Beach, Antulang Beach, Isla Puti, Llacaon Island, La Vista Del Mar, Punta Ballo Beach and Sipalay Beach.

Some of the most refreshing resorts along the beach side include Punta Bulata Beach Resort, Easy Diving and Takatuka. The Mambucal Resort which is located on high altitude has a set of natural hot water springs giving soothing and relaxing effect. The Salas Park is which is just few miles away from Mambucal gives an exquisite glimpse of the city. It is characterized by mahogany and pine trees which generates bliss in the hearts of the tourists.

Historical sites include the world famous Carmelite monastery, San Sebastian cathedral depicting Baroche architecture, Negros Museum, Fort San Juan of late 18th century, Palacio Episcopal, Theodore Vinther monument and many other places like Bacolod Public Plaza, Capitol Park & Lagoon, Centennial Park and Negros Forest Ecological Foundation.

The city also attracts many sports lovers with its Negros occidental golf club, Pannad Park and stadium and Paglaum sports complex which hosts events in several sports. In fact the city hosted some of the games during 2005 south East Asian games and many other international events.

Apart from being an enthusiastic city, the city also celebrates colorful festival known as Masskara which means festival of masks, celebrated in the third week in the month of October. Vibrant and unique designed masks with smiling expression on them are paraded happily dancing to the beats of the drums by local residents in the streets of the city. The week long celebrations include food festivals, agricultural trade fairs, street dancing, garden shows and pageants.

The climate of the city shows two distinct seasons- dry and wet. Wet or the rainy season occurs between May and January, the rest of the year experiencing tropical climate. The city also offers great tropical food delicacies like fresh lumpia, inasal, piyaya, and batchoy and pina sugbo. The major commercial crop of Bacolod is the sugar cane. Hence the city is also called as “Sugar city of Philippines”. The city also cultivates rice, coconut, banana and corn.

The administration of the city is carried out by the city mayor along with his council members. The city has been strategically planned with quick access to the air port and sea. The Bacolod-Silay Airport is just 15 kms away from the main town. The city is just 45 minutes away from Manila by flight and 24 hours by water. The city also features Banago Wharf and BREDCO sea ports through which trade and commerce flourish.

In the wake of modernization and the increasing globalization, the city has become the largest BPO Hub in the country of Philippines. Prominent BPO companies like Tele Tech, Transcom, Focus International, Panasiatic, Teleperformance and Convergys have established their offshore units in the city. Language centers are also a flourishing business venture in this region which caters the needs of foreign students studying in the city. In terms of ‘competitiveness’ Asian Institute of Management has declared Bacolod city as one among the top five highly progressing cities in Philippines. Bacolod city is considered to be one of the Philippines top tourist, financial and out sourcing centers in Philippines.