Overview of Negros Occidental

Negros Occidental, once known as “Buglas” by its early inhabitants and was later renamed “Negros” by the Spanish colonizers, is one of the 6 provinces of Western Visayas located at the northwestern portion of Negros Island. It is located southeast of Panay Island from which it is separated by Guimaras Strait. Its terrain gently slopes in the north and the west towards the center of Negros Island where peaks of varying elevations divide it from Negros Oriental, its sister province. The coastline that surrounds it is irregular, dotted with islands and lined with reefs. It is about 372 kms. from San Carlos City, its northern tip, to the Municipality of Hinoba-an, its southern end. Shaped like a man’s boot when viewed on a map, its total land area is 792,607 hectares, making it as the largest province in Western Visayas. The alienable and disposable lands, including built-up areas, comprise 68.17 percent of its land area, while forest lands cover the remaining 31.83 percent or 252,221 hectares. It is composed of 19 municipalities and 13 cities, including Bacolod City, a highly urbanized city and the capital of the province.

Negros Occidental is the sixth most populous province in the country. Total population in 2007 Census is pegged at 2.37 million excluding Bacolod City, which is a highly urbanized city with population of 0.50 million. The annual population growth rate computed from 2000-2007 for the province is 1.44 percent while that of Bacolod City is 2.12 percent. Ilonggo or Hiligaynon is the dialect that is widely spoken along with Cebuano and Tagalog although English is also widely understood.

The province, considering that it is an agricultural one, is a major sugar producer contributing about 50 percent of the total sugar production in the country in 2007. It has 10 mill districts and 3 sugar refineries. Apart from sugar, it has also reached a food sufficiency level of 92.22 percent in 2007 with a production of 328,017.14 metric tons of rice. Furthermore, it is also producing corn, coconuts, abaca, and other fruits like bananas, mangoes, durian, pineapples and lanzones, among others.

Fishing is another industry that boosts the economy of the province. It is also a major producer of livestock and poultry that have become booming industries in the countryside. Other growing industries include cutflowers and gamefowl breeding.

The province is accessible from Manila and Cebu by several daily flights while regular shipping and ferry links provide access from Panay Island and other neighboring areas. It has a road network of at least 5,500 kilometers that is maintained by the government, six seaports and the Bacolod-Silay Airport of international standards for domestic and commercial flights located in Silay City. Two more airports are presently under construction: one in San Carlos City in the north and another one in Kabankalan City in the south. Power supply presently comes from Palinpinon Geothermal Plant in Negros Oriental distributed by three electric cooperatives that are strategically located at the northern, southern and central parts of the province. Water supply is tapped mainly from ground and spring sources. Bacolod City and 16 other cities and municipalities have water districts providing potable water system.

For communication facilities, the Philippine Long Distance Telephone Co. and Globelines provide the main telephone systems in the province, complemented by five other companies providing fixed and mobile cellular phone systems. The financial needs of the province are being served by 153 banks and other financial institutions.

Today, Negros Occidental is on its way to recovery having been propelled by its various diversification programs and projects. Its dramatic upswing has made investment opportunities diverse and vibrant. The large consumer population provides vast potential for retail trade and consumer services. Business ventures in furniture making, toys, gift items, garments, food processing and dairy production, among others, have gained strong support and market linkages in the country and abroad. The various innovations and development initiatives vigorously pursued by the Provincial Government is gaining momentum as evidenced by the numerous awards and national and international recognition accorded the province. The provincial government’s visions and programs have opened new horizons and development potentials that are generally supporting Negros Occidental being a major key growth center in Western Visayas.