1. WELCOME
to the
City of
Smiles!

3. Profile
Land Area: 15,610.00 hectares
Classification: Highly Urbanized City
No. of Barangays: 61 Barangays – (41
Urban, 20 Rural)
Population: 429,076 (May 1, 2000) –
453,873 (2005 Projection)
Language: Hiligaynon/Ilonggo/English is
spoken and understood
Website: www.bacolodcity.gov.ph

4. Bacolod was derived from the Ilonggo word
"bakolod" meaning "stonehill" since the settlement
was founded in 1770 on a stonehill area.

5. 1565 - Prior to the coming of the Spaniards in Negros , there
existed a small village near the mouth of the Magsungay river
inhabited by Malayans who belong to the “Taga-ilog” group.
1770 - Bernardo de los Santos became its first Governadorcillo.
Its first parish priest was Fr. Leon Pedro, having been appointed
as Propitario of Bacolod in 1806.
1849 - Gov. Valdevieso y Morquecho declared Bacolod as the
capital of the whole island of Negros. Subsequently, with the
splitting of Negros into two provinces, Bacolod was named
capital of the province of Negros Occidental in 1884.

6. October 19, 1938 - Bacolod became the fifth chartered city
during the Commonwealth period under President Manuel L.
Quezon, with Alfredo Montelibano, Sr. as its appointed chief
executive.
From a mere settlement in the hills with only about 5,000
people in 1770, Bacolod has developed into a highly
urbanized city in 1984. In 1996, Bacolod was named one of
the “Outstanding Cities of the Philippines”. It was also
adjudged the “Cleanest and Greenest Highly Urbanized
City” in the country in 1997, 1998 and 2000, 2001,
respectively.

7. What the FACT !
April 1565 - the
Spaniards called the
land “Negros” after the
black natives whom
they saw when they
first came to the island.

8. What the FACT !
"Sugar City
in the
Philippines"