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Negros Island Philippines
About Negros Island
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Negros Occidental occupies the northern and western parts of Negros
Island, the fourth largest
island in the Philippines located between Panay and Cebu in the Visaya
Sea, on the east the Panay Gulf and Negros Oriental, on the west by
the Panay Gulf and Guimaras Strait, and on the south by the Sulu Sea.
Negros island festivals are one of
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Negros Oriental
Tourist attractions:
The Provincial Capitol in Dumaguete was built in 1924. It has a park
lined with shady trees, three tennis courts and two schools nearby.
The Dumaguete Bell Tower, built in 1811, used to warn residents of
raiding pirates.
Dumaguete Boulevard along the sea is a favorite of promenaders,
especially at night.
Silliman University in Dumaguete, founded by American missionaries in
1901, is the only Protestant university in the country. Its 35 hectars
area is a bird sanctuary. Its ethnograpich museum houses an extensive
collection of lacally-excavated artifacts, Sung and Ming dynasty
porcelain, and voodoo paraphernalia from Siquijor. Its marine
laboratory at Silliman Farm Beach just outside the city offers gear
for diving and exploring the fish-rich waters.
The twin Lakes Balinsasayao and Danao, northwest of Dumaguete, are
small adjacent crater lakes on an elevation of 300 meter amidst lush
forrest. But also Palimpinon Hot Springs, 10 kilometers from the city
come from crevices along the Ocaoy river bank and are hot engough to
boil an egg.
Camp lookout in Valencia west of Dumaguete is in the foothills of
Cuernos de NEgros or "Horns of Negros", so named because of its twin
peaks. This "Litle Baguio" provides a panoramic view of Dumaguete port
and the islands of Cebu and Siquijor.
Other places to see in Valencia is in Tajero, a fresh-water swimming
pool flanked by verdant hills, Karolan Twin Falls, and the
Filipino-Japanese-American Amity shrine in Sagbang, site of a fierce
battle during World War II.
"The Baguio of the Visayas", however, is Kanlaon city near the
province´s northern border on the eastern slopes of Kanlaon Volcano
climb which takes two to three days. Abouth halfway up is Margaha
valley, a two-hectar patch of white sand ideal as a campsite.
At the summit are the two craters, one extinct and the other active.
North of Dumaguete in the costal road leading to Kanlaon city is Bais
city. The province´s industrial center is also noted for fine mangoes.
South of Dumaguete are the towns of Bacong with its old coral church
facing the sea.
Dauin with its centuries-old towers used against marauding pirates and
a seaside market in Malatapay village every Wednesday, and
Zamboanguita from where a banca may be hired to Apo Island, a haven
for scuba-diving.
Negros Occidental
Tourist attractions:
The Bacolod City Plaza downtown has plenty of shade trees and concrete
benches that make it a popular meeting place and venue of cultural
performances.
The provincial Capitol, acclaimed to be the most imposing building in
all of Negros, fronts a park and lagoon. Learn more about Negros tourist guide
San Sebastian Cathedral is primarily made of corals from Guimaras.
Two unique churches have gained prominence even outside the province.
The Church of Saint Joseph the Worker at the Victorians compound has a
psychedelic mural made of broken soda bottles. It depicts an angry
Christ surrounded by brown-skinned saints. The Hacienda Rosalia Chapel
in Manapla has a facade in the form of a stylised wooden salakot. It
wells are made of discarded carabao cartwheels.
Bacolod City
has a number of fine antique collections. Both the Torres
Collection and Vega´s Antique Collection feature Chinese and
indo-Chinese pottery, as well as wooden and ivory santos. Recuerdos de
Bacolod displays excavated items and heirlooms. The house of Leon
Guinto, the first mayor of Manila, in Talisay has a collection of
antique furniture and fixtures.
Mambucal Summer resorts in Murcia is a 24 hectare mountain resort that
has seven waterfalls, natural swimming pools, hot springs, picnic
sheds, and lodging facilities. It is on the northwest slope of Mt. Kanlaon which itself is a national park. This volcano has two craters
at the summit. It is home to more than a hundred birds species found
only here, including the bleeding hearth pigeon and the Negros fruit
dove.
Steam locomotives, or "Iron Dinosaurs", are still used in the sugar
towns. They haul cane from the fields to the mills through
narrow-gauge railroad tracks that, at certain points, span rivers and
ravines.
Maskara Festival, held every fourth week of October (coinciding with
the city´s anniversary) in Bacolod, climaxes in a street parade with
revellers in colourful costumes and smiling masks of various designs.
Kabankalan holds a Sinulog Festival every second Sunday of January
with street dancing similar to the Ati-Atihan and horse fighting.
The Pasalamat Festival in La Carlota
every first of May is a labour
and harvest thanksgiving fiesta, also with street dancing and a parade
of farm products.
The land: The northern and western parts are largely level plains and
gently rolling slopes. The remaining portion consists of mountain
ranges of varied elevations.
Mt. Kanlaon at 2465 meter is the highest peak in the Visayas. Other
major mountains are Mt. Madalagan and Mt. Silay.
The coastline is more irregular than that of Nergos Oriental.
There are 6 big rivers in the province, the largest of which is the
Ilog River which stars from Mt. Kanlaon and empties into the Panay
Gulf.
The province has two pronounced seasons, wet and dry.
A brief history:
Negros Island was originally called " Buglas", but the Spaniards
changed this to Negros because of the dark skinned Negritos they found
there.
Ilog was made the first capital of the province in 1743, this was
later transferred to Himamaylan. Bacolod became the capital in 1849.
Negros Occidental became a province on March 10, 1917.
In 1986, the province was split into two, with the northern portion
forming the new province of Negros del Norte. The Supreme Court,
however, later that year declared the creation unconstitutional,
making Negros Occidental whole again.
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The people:
The people are called Negrenses but the dialects they speak are "Ilonggo"
or "Hilligaynon" (by about 85%) and "Cebuano" (by the rest),
particularly in the areas boarding Tanon Strait and Negros Oriental.
Residents of the Capital of Bacolod in Negros Occidental are known as
"Bacolenos"
Commerce and industry:
The province is the nations "sugar bowl", producing more than half the
country sugar. Fifteen sugar centrals are located throughout the
plains, the one in Victorias is said to be the worlds largest
integrated sugar mill and refinery.
Because of the priority given to sugar cane, the province brings in
most of its food from neighbouring islands. New crops like coffee,
black pepper, and ramie are now being grown following the recent
plunge in world sugar prices.
A fishing industry is based in Cadiz and fishponds can be found all
over.
One of the biggest copper mines in the country is found in Sipalay.
Cottage industries produce handicrafts made from indigenous materials
Getting there and away
Boat: Ferries and passenger fast boats are going from many different
places to other neighbour island - check up in books (Lonely planet is
a bible in this - or contact a tourist office in a big city in the
province)
Air:
PAL and other airlines is going to and from Bacolod from other city´s
in the Philippines - check it up before you want to go, and where
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