Negros Island – Of Culture, Heritage, 

and Breathtaking Sights 

With the diversity among the 7, 107 islands making up the Philippine
archipelago,​Negros Island​ is the fourth largest and boasts of ​heritage,
countless scenic destinations, and a distinct culture that makes it
stand out from the rest. 

 
Divided into two by a string of mountains, the island is composed of the
two provinces: Negros Occidental and Negros Oriental, the former being
the bigger portion. This sock-shaped island located in the middle area of
the archipelago is the only island that has two main languages –
"Hiligaynon" (or "Ilonggo") in Negros Occidental and "Cebuano" in
Negros Oriental.  
 
Negros Occidental occupies 7,926 sq. km and is the northern and
western areas of the island, while Negros Oriental holds 5,402.30 sq.
km, and comprises the southern and eastern areas of the island. Both
provinces color the islands distinct culture with the East's (Oriental)
Spanish-oriented cultural influences, and the West's (Occidental) warm
hospitality and tremendously delicious cuisine. 
 
 
Just a Bit of History
Negros Island was originally known as ​"Buglas"​ – a native word meaning
"cut off" because this island was said to be part of a larger island but got separated
during the continental drift during the Ice age. 
The original inhabitants of the island were members of the Negritos
ethnic group, dark-skinned, thick-lipped, kinky haired natives. Thus the
name "Negros" was given to the island by the Spaniards who discovered
it. 
 
Bacolod City 

center of the Bacolod public plaza

photo courtesy of: ​http://www.vistapinas.com

Bacolod City​ is the capital of

Negros Occidental and is dubbed as a city of the friendliest and gentlest
people in the country. Known as the ​"sugar bowl" of the Philippines​,
it has vast lands of sugarcane plantation and several milling centrals all
over the province. 
 

This is also the home of the ​Masskara Festival​; the festival that attracts
thousands of tourists both from and outside the country who flock to the
city every October.  

a dancer during the street dancing

of the Masskara Festival
They are dubbed as "cariñoso", a Spanish word meaning "affectionate".
Negros Island is one of the islands that have been highly influenced by
the Spanish culture and it lives on in its inhabitants up to this day. 
 
The warmth of the "Ilonggo" people (people in Negros Occidental) is so
distinct that it goes very well with the "Negrense" cuisine, the pristine
beaches and serene mountain resorts. 
People from other areas of the Philippines are often heard saying 
 
 photo courtesy of: ​http://blogalag.typepad.com

"In Bacolod, everywhere you go, the food is great! You

don't need to choose a good restaurant because every
restaurant is good." 
Another "Ilonggo" trademark. 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
Dumaguete City 
 Dumaguete's famous boulevard
photo courtesy of: ​http://in-indie.org

The portside city of D​ umaguete​ is the capital of Negros Oriental

and ​home of the oldest American University established in Asia –
Silliman University (1901)​. 

Silliman University
photo courtesy of: ​http://img40.imageshack.us

Just like its sister province on the other side of the island, it also holds
the "festival of festivals" in the Oriental side which is the ​Buglasan
Festival​, apparently also celebrated in the month of October. 

Buglasan Festival
photo courtesy of: ​http://farm4.static.flickr.com

Although there are areas in Negros Occidental with great beaches and
scenic views, Negros Oriental is much more known for this. They ​have
beautiful white sand beaches and terrific diving sites​ that any beach
lover would love. Apo island, a marine sanctuary just off the coast of
Dumaguete is a favorite among divers. It is also here that you can find
the only resort in the island with villas – private villas with your own pool
and outdoor Jacuzzi. 
 
 Sugar Beach at Sipalay, Negros Occidental
photo courtesy of: ​http://www.travelphil.com

"Negrenses"​ as what people from Negros Island are called, are known
for their laid back lifestyles, great food, friendly people, and a culture rich
of heritage and tradition. It is even said that Negros Island has a​"culture
of its own"​ that even astonishes Filipinos from other areas of the country. 

view of Apo Island, Negros Oriental

photo courtesy of: ​http://www.rgreve.dk
 
Experiencing Philippines is one thing, experiencing Negros is another; a
blend of heritage, culture, and tradition with the fun-loving individuals
and the natural warmth of the people – it's just something that even other
Filipinos would like to have a taste of. Drop by Negros island and
witness the blend of heritage, tradition, and culture, along with savory
foods that you can't get enough of, and the warm and friendly nature of
the Negrenses. :) 

FAST FACTS: The Negros 

Island Region 
(UPDATED) Population, economics, politics of Negros Occidental and Negros 
Oriental, which President Aquino has officially constituted into a separate region 

Michael Bueza 
@mikebueza 
Published 8:15 AM, April 19, 2015 
Updated 7:11 PM, June 05, 2015 

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MANILA, Philippines (UPDATED) – On May 29, 2015, President Benigno Aquino 
III ​signed Executive Order 183​ creating the Negros Island Region (NIR). 

Negros Occidental was carved from Region VI (Western Visayas), and Negros 
Oriental from Region VII (Central Visayas) to form the new region. Its regional 
center will be determined by a technical working group. 

An idea 20 years in the making, the Negros Island Region was created "to 
further accelerate the social and economic development of the cities and 
municipalities comprising the provinces of Negros Occidental and Negros 
Oriental and improve the delivery of public services in the aforementioned 
provinces." 

How does the Negros Island Region look like? Here are some quick figures. 

Population 

The region has a population of 4,194,525, as of 2010. 

Negros Occidental, including its capital Bacolod City, has a population of 
2,907,859 living in 13 cities and 19 municipalities, with a combined 662 
barangays. Bacolod City, with a population of 511,820, is independent from the 
province due to its status as a highly-urbanized city. 

Negros Oriental has a population of 1,286,666. It has a total of 557 barangays in 
6 cities and 19 towns. Dumaguete City is the provincial capital. 

Below is a map of the Negros Island Region, with the capital of each province 
and all the cities highlighted. 
  
 
According to data from the Philippine Statistics Authority (PSA), Hiligaynon or 
Ilonggo is the language predominantly spoken in Negros Occidental, while 
Bisaya and Cebuano are the languages used by most people in Negros Oriental. 

Economic, poverty data 

Negros Occidental and Negros Oriental are both 1st class provinces. Their 
respective capitals, however, have different income classifications: Bacolod is a 
1st class city, while Dumaguete is a 3rd class city. 

Negros Occidental is set to receive a total of P11.07 billion in internal revenue 

allotment (IRA) funds in 2015, while Negros Oriental would get a total of P5.86 
billion, according to data from the Department of Budget and Management. 

The Commission on Audit (COA)​ reported that Negros Occidental generated an 

income of P2.2 billion in 2013 – making it among the richest provinces in the 
country – while Negros Oriental earned P1.4 billion. 

In terms of poverty, Negros Occidental has an estimated incidence rate of 

32.3% of its population (and 24.9% among families), according to the 2012 
full-year poverty statistics of the PSA. 

Meanwhile, Negros Oriental recorded a higher poverty incidence rate, at 50.1% 

of its population (and 43.9% among families). The province ranks among ​the 
poorest ones in the country​. 

Politics 

The governor of Negros Occidental is Alfredo Marañon Jr, who is now on his 
second term. 

Affiliated with the local United Negros Alliance (Unega) party in the 2013 
gubernatorial race, Marañon defeated then-Vice Governor Genaro Alvarez Jr of 
the Nationalist People's Coalition (NPC), the party of political kingmaker 
Eduardo "Danding" Cojuangco Jr. (READ: ​Can you defy Danding and win in 
Negros polls?​) 

Meawhile, the governor of Negros Oriental is Roel Degamo. In 2013, he ran 

under the PDP-Laban banner and won a second term, beating 
then-Representative Jocelyn Limkaichong of the Liberal Party (LP), former 
Finance Secretary Margarito Teves of NPC, and independent candidate Samuel 
Torres. 

Elected the top provincial board member in the 2010 polls, Degamo became 
governor in January 2011 after the death of then-Governor Agustin Perdices, 
who himself succeeded governor-elect Emilio Macias II who passed away 
weeks before he took office in June 2010. 

The provinces' respective vice governors belong to opposing parties: Negros 

Occidental Vice Governor Eugenio Jose Lacson belongs to NPC, while Negros 
Oriental Vice Governor Mark Macias is from LP. 

Negros Occidental has 6 legislative districts, plus a separate district for Bacolod 
City, while Negros Oriental has 3 districts. 

The 10 congressmen representing these districts in the House of 

Representatives are: 

Negros Occidental 

● Julio Ledesma IV (1st district; he belongs to the NPC 

and is now on his 3rd term) 
● Leo Rafael Cueva (2nd district; National Unity Party 
or NUP, 1st term) 
● Alfredo Benitez (3rd district; LP, 2nd term) 
● Jeffrey Ferrer (4th district; Unega, 3rd term) 
● Alejandro Mirasol (5th district; LP, 2nd term) 
● Mercedes Alvarez (6th district; NPC, 2nd term) 
● Evelio Leonardia (Bacolod City, lone district; NPC, 
1st term) 
Negros Oriental 

● Manuel Iway (1st district; LP, 1st term) 

● George Arnaiz (2nd district; NPC, 3rd term) 
● Pryde Henry Teves (3rd district; NPC, 3rd term) 

Transition work 

A technical working group (TWG) was constituted via EO 183 to handle the 
transition process. It is composed of the Office of the President, the Department 
of Budget and Management, the National Economic Development Authority 
(NEDA), the Department of the Interior and Local Government (DILG), and 
representatives from the two Negros provinces. 
The TWG will draw up a roadmap for "institutional arrangements" for the new 
region, and will recommend the preferred regional center. It will also arrange for 
organizational development, staffing, and budgeting of regional line agencies 
and regulatory agencies. 

The following regional councils were also created for the NIR, with the following 
agencies as interim secretariats: 

● Negros Island Development Council - with NEDA as 

Secretariat 
● Negros Island Peace and Order Council - with the 
DILG as Secretariat 
● Negros Island Disaster Risk Response Management 
Council - with the Office of Civil Defense as 
Secretariat 

– Rappler.com