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| Written by Administrator |
| Tuesday, 30 September 2008 03:25 |
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Philippines / West Visayas / Negros Philippines / West Visayas / Negros / History  Philippines / West Visayas / Negros / History / Colonial Period The history of Negros is closely interwoven with that of neighboring Panay, from which it is separated only by the 30km (20mi) wide Guimaras Strait. According to the earliest written accounts,the expedition of Legazpi touched shore in 1665. The integration of the island into the Spanish Empire was carried out subsequently to a large extent by the colonizers most efficient instrument, the Roman Catholic Church. The first missions were established by the Augustinians in Binalbagan, Tanjay and ilog in 1575, 1580 and 1584 respectively. During the 17th and 18th centuries, roughly what is now Negros Occidental was administered from Iloilo. The remaining part (now Negros Oriental) was controlled by the local government of Cebu. In 1734, a separate military district was created, covering the whole island under the jurisdiction of its own corregidor (Spanish Judge). This official was vested with judicial power and authorized to collect tribute. The local capital was established in Ilog, but later moved to Himamaylan and from there, in 1849, to Bacolod. It was, however, not until 1856 that Negros became an independent province, with Emilio Saravia as its first Governor. The second half of the 19th century was marked by rapid social and economic changes.In the early 1800's a new policy was enacted which opened the colony to foreign trade and investment. Foreigners soon had a quasi-monopoly in export and import. From 1820 to 1870, the Philippines jumped from a subsistence economy to one of agricultural export.Together with US companies, British firms were most successful throughout the archipelago. When Iloilo was opened to foreign trade in 1855, the post of a British vice-consul was created in this thriving urban center. Nicolas Loney, a young, enterprising man from Plymouth, England, was the first to be appointed to this office. Later named father of the sugar industry in Negros and Panay, he did a lot to promote sugar as a cash crop grown on large plantations. Sugar Arrives In partnership with another Englishman, Ker, Loney imported sugar cane seeds from Sumatra and machinery from England and Scotland. They arranged the necessary financial transactions and, finally, exported sugar. The first shipments went to Australia (1859) China and Great Britain (863). Sugar produced in Negros soon became the region's major export. The topography of the eastern part of the island, consisting of plains and rolling hills, was ideal for the crop. Growing demand on the world market caused production to soar. The agri-industrial development was characterized by very labor-intensive production methods and by the acquisition of new land rather than by investments in technological innovations for more efficient cultivation of existing plantations. As a result, an increasing demand for a larger labor force led to a massive migration from neighboring islands, mainly from Panay. From a sparsely populated rain forest, the coastal plains of Negros Occidental were transformed into the most productive agricultural area of the archipelago. The tribes of Negritos, the island's original population, were driven into the central mountains. From 1850 to 1893, the population of Negros Occidental increased more than ten fold from 30,000 to about 320,000. In the same time period, 814 sugar mills were constructed. In a parallel development,land was acquired by a small number of native and Chinese-mestizo families. Their agricultural enterprises, the haciendas, were described as communities in themselves", often consisting of a privately owned village inside a closed compound, dominated by the fortress like residence of the landlord. A pyramidal social stratification took shape, characterized by distinct vertical differences. The levels of the pyramid were: 1.A small capitalist elite of omnipotent hacienderos. 2.former small landowners who stayed as cropsharing tenants after having mortgaged their farms to the haciendero when in need of capital. 3. Overseers and managers to supervise and organize the work. 4. The sacadas, the laborers earning their daily wage whenever they were needed. The last category formed the vast majority of the hacienda's residents. Their salaries were at a subsistence level. Sacadas were usually hired seasonally, and in periods of time when there was no demand for their work, they were forced to take loans which kept them constantly dependent on their landlords, reducing them to mere debt-slaves. Return to main menu west Visayas Philippines / West Visayas / Negros / History / Revolution These depressed conditions created a growing discontent which, in 1896, led to the first revolutionary conflict in Negros, also called the Babaylanes Insurrection. The movement was under the leadership of Dionisio Sigobela, later known as the legendary Papa lsio (Isio the Pope). It fought under the banner of a fervent nationalism, revived traditional pre-Christian religious practises and demandedradical land reform. The movement rapidly gained adherents whomassed as rebel forces in mountain areas, mainly on the slopes of Mt. Kanlaon. Fromthere, the Babaylanes undertook several attacks against neighboring haciendas. They also declared their sympathy for the nationalist Katipunan insurrection, although this movement was locally led by prominent planters. Taking advantage of a brief alliance with Papa Isio, the Katipuneros, under the local command of Aniceto Lacson and Juan Araneta, staged a coup d'etat which on November 6, 1898, swept the Spanish administration from power on Negros. Aniceto Lacson was elected first President of the provisional government of Negros in Bacolod City. In the eastern part of Negros, the colonial era came to an end November 24, 1898 when Demetrio Larena took over as President. November 27, 1898, a cantonal form of government was adopted by representatives of Oriental and Occidental Negros, declaring the island an independent "Federal Republic of Negros", subdivided into two provinces, Negros Oriental and Negros Occidental. However, the revolutionaries in Luzon, under the command of General Aguinaldo, rejected the move. The aim of the Luzon revolutionaries was to establish provincial councils under a centralized command. In addition to reprisals from the troops of Aguinaldo, the officials of the new republic had to fear another rival for power. Representing the social elite, they considered their previous allies, the Babaylanes, a threat to internal security. In an attempt to bribe Babaylanes leader Papa Isio, they invited him to Bacolod, showered him with respect and decorations and bestowed on him the title "military chief of La Castellana". However, distrust and fear remained with the landlords. Only three months after the declaration of independence, on February 11 1898, the new government contacted US General Otis, formally seeking protection under the sovereignty of the US. Negros Occidental was the first province of the archipelago to take such a step. The Stars and Stripes was raised over Dumaguete (Negros Oriental), April 30, 1899. Col. James Smith (who would become Governor General in 1906) was the first military governor of Negros. Immediately following the treaty between the Negros Committee and the US, lsio Papa withdrew his allegiance from the local government. He assumed the leadership in a fierce fight against both, the new colonial power and the prevailing social order. The insurgents instigated mass uprisings in the vast haciendas along the slopes of Mt. Kanlaon and razed several towns in the course of a few months. It took US forces and their local lackeys eight years to subdue the insurrection. Finally cornered by government forces, Isio Papa surrendered to an American officer August 6, 1907. He was first sentenced to death, but the punishment was later mitigated to life imprisonment. Papa Isio died in New Bilibid Prison near Manila in 1911.Return to main menu west Visayas Philippines / West Visayas / Negros / History / The Sugar Crisis The meteoric ascent of the sugar baron’s wealth suffered a hard landing in the aftermath of a disastrous plunge of the world market prices of sugar from 1976 up to the mid 80’s. This global crisis was caused by oversupply and by a cutback in the importations of the main sugar buyer, the US (before the Philippines had greatly benefitted from the US import boycott on Cuban sugar). As the low price for sugar prevailed for years, a number of big companies, supporting industries and sub-contractors, were forced to shut down. Tens of thousands of sugar workers and thousands of other employees lost their jobs. Reports of children suffering and dying of hunger sent a ripple around the world. The reports claimed that workers were being kept like serfs on the large haciendas, bereft of dignity, and vegetating in subhuman conditions. Independent observers, however, held that the depressing pictures were grossly exaggerated. Moreover, intelligence reports of the local military claimed that the communist New People’s Army. (NPA) devised disinformation drives to create the image of a starving Negros. Critics also assailed some questionable methods of fund-raising by relief organizations and pointed at the sensationalist exposes by some of the mass media. Official statistics confirm that over 30% of children under 14 were "severely or moderately" undernourished. Medical experts, however, do not explain this deficiency by extraordinary poverty, but by lack of sanitation and proper education about nutrition. Witnesses state that pictures used in soul stirring pleas and political propaganda did not show victims of starvation, but children suffering from emaciating disease, such as can be found even in the wealthiest countries. Nevertheless, the region had slid into an economic depression; a fertile ground had been created for a communist insurgency. The Communist Party of the Philippines (CPP) and, its armed wing, the New People’s Army (NPA), gained ground in almost all parts of the island. In 1987 they had already obtained strong influence in the so-called CHICKS area in Negros Occidental. CHICKS stands for the towns of Cawayan, Hinoba-an, ilog, Candoni Kabankalan and Sipalay. The law and order situation in Negros deteriorated rapidly. In 1988, the island developed into one of the major battle grounds between the NPA and government forces. The NPA boasted of 130,000 supporters, organized in various groups. They claimed to have more firepower than the NPA of Panay, Cebu and Bohol islands combined. However, at that time, the movement had already passed its peak. Return to main menu west Visayas Philippines / West Visayas / Negros / His tory / Conflicts in the Revolutionary Movement As in other parts of The Country , in Negros too, the pragmatic leadership of the NPA was swept away in 1987/1988 by a group of dogmatic hard-liners. While activities of some very successful deep penetration government agents gave a decisive impact to internal purges, suspected "moles" also served as a pretext for the removal of members whose loyalty did not belong to the party’s new leadership. Official sources claim that hundreds of CPP/NPA partisans were liquidated and their bodies dumped into hidden mass graves. The alleged purge disenchanted many of the more liberal minded and pragmatic members. Allegedly fearing for their own lives, many of these "moderate" leftists chose to escape by moving in with distant relatives or even deserting to the government. Analysts opine today that the insurgency forces suffered heavy losses in manpower, expertise and credibility due to the internal dissent, intrigues and power-struggles. Some, however, argue that the NPA will emerge from this crisis as a better organized and streamlined monolithic block, gaining new strength from the solidarity among its remaining followers and from a more coherent political concept. Return to main menu west Visayas Philippines / West Visayas / Negros / History / Facets of War The leadership of the CPP/NPA knew from the beginning that the struggle could not be won just on a military level. It rather had to encompass political action and educational efforts as well. Therefore, from its early days, the revolutionary movement had put a lot of effort on ideological instruction and the building of a political mass base. Because of its Maoist origin, the communist movement had furthermore concentrated on The Country side. However, it was later analyzed as wrong to work exclusively in rural areas when there was a rapidly growing urban population and an increasing concentration of information networks, means of production and financial resources in urban centers. The rebels’ prime objective during the 70’s and early 80’s was to create a "revolutionary situation". But this aim was jeopardized by the toppling of the Marcos dictatorship by moderate forces in 1986 and by an economic upturn as well as pledges of far reaching social reforms by the Aquino administration. These factors ultimately gave rise to a redesign of the NPA’s short and medium term objectives and to changes in their military disposition in Negros. Due to the decrease in strength of the rebel forces, direct attacks against police and army units were reduced. The local military claims that at the same time, the NPA was increasingly resorting to the "human shield strategy", which endangers civilian lives with premeditation. Rebel forces who apply this trategy allegedly move in such a way that any counterattack by government forces would cause as many civilian casualties as possible. The local military also claims that a variation of the human shield strategy allegedly led, purely for propaganda purposes, to a kind of biological warfare waged against innocent civilians. In the course of a massive government military offensive (Operation Thunderbolt) carried out in the area of Sipalay (southern Negros) in 1989, civilians displaced numbered between 35,103 (official sources) and 53,259 ("Kapwa News, July 28, 1989). Most of them had been asked by the government to evacuate their homes to avoid being caught in a cross-fire. These internal refugees were moved to different centers under the care of the DSWD (Dept. of Social Welfare and Development). The biggest concentration of refugees was in Sipalay and Candoni. The shelters were soon overcrowded. In May and June, 1989, epidemics of measles and diarrhea ravaged the camps and were considered to have caused the death of 280 children (according to the Catholic Church). The left accused the military of being responsible for the disaster. Witnesses presented by the military, however, accused the insurgents to have taken willful advantage of the refugee centers overcrowding, their lack of proper sanitation and of logistic shortages of the government s assistance program. These military witnesses claimed that NPA agents infected drinking water and food with pathogens causing intestinal diseases in such a way that it would not create suspicion. This accusation was modified by other informants of the local military who claimed the insurgents brought a large number of families with children carrying highly contagious diseases (like measles) to the centers. The local military claims that in order to conceal this covert sabotage and to gain sympathy as "brave Samaritans", the insurgents cooperated with medical teams during subsequent assistance operations. Insurgents and the military alike blamed each other of exploiting the children’s deaths in refugee camps for psychological warfare.Who was right or wrong has become extremely difficult to establish. The head of the Provincial Health Services, Dr. De a Rama refused with emphatic stress to "make any comment on such a delicate issue". The above case is just one example of how both sides in the isurgency war not only use bullets but bulletins as well in order to weaken the opponent. While the insurgents claim that the military has for years discredited the rebel movement by spreading lies, the military in return accuses the insurgents of well organized disinformation campaigns. According to the local military, the disinformation drives of the rebels aim to discourage foreign and domestic investments and to discredit the infrastructure projects of the government (in particular road construction) and the Agrarian Reform Program, thereby also committing a form of economic sabotage. The local military claims that disinformation by the rebels has two distinct aspects, often used as complementary parts of a single message. On one side it attacks foreigners, Chinese-Filipinos, government institutions (both civilian and military) and government officials; on the other side, it glorifies leftist guerilla warfare and supports activities which are instrumental to the insurgents aims (such as former CID-commissioner Santiago’s appeal to the communists to assist her in the campaign against so-called "illegal aliens"). Disinformation (propaganda) and sabotage are allegedly meticulously coordinated in such a way that they act as mutual reinforcers. The local military claims that the CCP/NPA also instigates disinformation drives to precede and justify their selective liquidation of government officials, particularly soldiers and policemen. In 1987, the NPA of Negros formed assassination squads modeled after the famous Alex Boncayao Brigade in Metro Manila. Among others who were allegedly secretly "salvaged", these groups shot in Bacolod City at least 13 policemen up to 1989. By highlighting and allegedly exaggerating the involvement of some military and police elements in criminal activities and "human rights violations", and by the dissemination of alleged slanderous rumors, depicting opponents and other inconvenient persons as scalawags, scoundrels and criminals, their assassination is made to appear as "just punishment". In the explanation of the rebels, however, those executed were indeed "enemies of the people". They claim that the accusations against those killed were not fabricated but true. According to rebel sympathizers, the military only labels the spread of information about such enemies of the people as disinformation campaigns because they want to defend themselves and confuse the people. Military analysts explain that the objective in the liquidations is not to punish enemies of the people but first to demoralize the police force, second to erode public confidence in the government’s ability to maintain law and order (thus discouraging investors), and third to give credibility to countless death-threats by staging spectacular examples. These countless death-threats allegedly are made to force media men to comply with rebel demands, to extort from businessmen revolutionary taxes and to coerce officials into inactivity. According to the local military, targets of leftist disinformation campaigns are Filipinos of Chinese descent and foreigners. This goes hand in hand with the promotion of an aggressive chauvinistic nationalism with an outright fascist tinge, whipping up fear, distrust, hatred, jealousy and racist sentiments. According to local military sources, the NPA has a highly sophisticated "disinformation network" into which segments of the mass-media were integrated. This network allegedly fabricates plausible stories out of pure fantasy and half-truths and responsible to integrate them as "well founded facts" into the basic framework of knowledge and beliefs of large segments of the population. These sources claim that newspapers, radio stations as well as the movie industry are infiltrated by communist agents. Moreover, many editors and reporters are said to give involuntary help by unknowingly picking up well devised rumors originating from the desks of leftist psychological warfare specialists. Others support these drives by fomenting xenophobic sentiments and racism, unaware that they are playing the role of "useful idiots’ for the insurgent’s cause. The initiators of fabricated news in Negros, according to military intelligence reports, are a closely-knit group of young university graduates or former students with ties to the regional and national command. They allegedly design the "news material" in accordance with the CPP/NPA operational needs and subsequently take the concocted information to the transmitters who give it the "last touch" and let the messages work on the "masses Transmitters have allegedly been placed into carefully selected private enterprises and organizations which enjoy the confidence and respect of the local populace. Many of these agents are allegedly newspaper columnists, church workers (with a preference for Roman Catholic), school teachers and unionists. Leftists, however, blame the military of doing exactlly what they claim the CCP/NPA is doing: spreading out carefully designed disinformation about the revolutionaiy movement. They even accuse the military of applying exactly those methods described above: to give the raw material to well placed transmitters who then let the propaganda message work on the masses. The picture here is somehow typically Filipino. One has to know that in this country, attorneys commonly believe that attack is the best defence. So, if particular charges are filed against one of their clients, attorneys will often advise their clients to file in return exactly the same charges against the complainant -- a kind of echo-chamber strategy. Return to main menu west Visayas Philippines / West Visayas / Negros / History / Janus Church It was particularly the alleged involvement of functionaries of the Roman Catholic Church which stirred a controversy in Negros. Referring to alleged leftist tendencies of this religious institution in Negros Occidental, some critics have elaborated the following line of thought: The Catholic Church has traditionally geared for a foothold in the center of power, regardless of the social philosophy used to legitimatize the rulers’ position or the economic order. Arrangements between the Holy See and Hitler’s Third Reich or some communist (i.e. atheist) or military dictatorships bear witness to this attitude throughout history. These analysts further state that in countries, where a transition of power or a shift to another social system becomes a possibility to reckon with, the Catholic Church’s tries to gain influence in some of the promising opposition movements. The analysts claim that it therefore is in pursuit of this strategy, in cool deliberation, that the leadership of the Roman Church in Negros Occidental allowed some of its assistance distributing agencies to be effectively controlled by leftist radicals. This allegedly went to such an extent that money donated with a bona fide attempt to alleviate poverty was used to fund the insurrection. The former bishop of the diocese of Negros Occidental, Mgr. Antonio Fortich, was even suspected by the military of being an NPA sympathizer and was nicknamed "Kumander Tony". Furthermore, many priests of Negros do allegedly belong to the communist movement. International attention was captured by a case involving two foreign priests, Brian Gore and Neal O’Brien. The two served as parish priests in the town of Kabankalan where on March 12, 1982 four persons were killed, including the town’s mayor, Pedro Sola. The two priests together with nine Filipinos were suspected of being involved in the killing and were detained for eight months and, kept under house arrest for nine more months. On July 3, 1984, the two priests were acquitted of the charges, but the more outspoken and charismatic of the two, Brian Gore was hastily deported. While leftists active in Church organizations and priests active in leftist undertakings both stress that there is an accidental concurrence of objectives, the leaderships of both, the Church and the communist movement believe that they are the ones who have infiltrated the others and make use of them. It can be debated whether the communist movement makes use of Catholic institutions, or whether the Catholic Church makes use of communist groups. For one thing, the church has a foot in both camps and feels that it will survive either, the defeat of the revolutionary movement or the defeat of the current capitalist state. With the Church having influential representatives on both sides, it can easily switch to the winner, regarding those of their representatives on the side of the losers as lost sons who, however, can be taken back into the fold.
Philippines / West Visayas / Negros / History / Communists or Criminal The military claims that the insurgents more and more are resorting to methods used by well organized crime syndicates, and that they are actually turning criminal. Allegedly, the NPA on Negros engages in highway-robbery, theft of livestock, extortion of money and large-scale drug-trafficking. What military sources call "extortion "is referred to by the rebels as "revolutionary taxes". Inside so-called liberated areas (the zones predominantly under NPA influence), the local peasants are asked to surrender a part of their crop and livestock to the NPA. Failure to comply allegedly entails harsh sanctions, including the confiscation of property. Rebels, however, argue that most of these peasants owe their land titles to the communists’ revolutionary land reform program; hence, they had undertaken an obligation to support the movement. The revenues from the taxation of peasants are of rather modest volume and almost exclusively in kind. They represent only a fraction of what the business community involuntarily contributes to the insurgents’ war chest. Intelligence reports of the military claim that thousands of entrepreneurs, from food-stall operators to managers of international corporations, supply the NPA with funds ranging from 50 pesos per month to several millions a year. These "taxpayers" claim that they act under the threat of sabotage, arson, assassination, food-poisoning etc, and they draw a parallel between this "organized blackmail" (as they call it) and the US Mafia’s way of extorting money for "protection. Although they can’t show much evidence, the military also claims that the NPA has its finger in the drug-trade. Based on testimony of disgruntled former NPA-members, the military propagated that large-scale drug-trafficking is one of the most secret and best organized operations the NPA rebels have ever undertaken in Negros. Since the late 1970’s the use of marijuana and (since the 1980’s) shabu (also called "synthetic cocaine") have risen steadily on Negros. Because these substances are illegal and therefore promise much higher returns than the trade in any legal merchandise, big crime syndicates took control of the production and distribution. The syndicates built up a sophisticated infrastructure moving the most sensitive parts of their logistics into the labyrinths of Bacolod’s squatters areas. In the squatter areas, in the immediate neighborhood of the underworld gangs, the communists had set up their urban organization. Although considered "enemies of the people", the communists were, according to the local military, willing to forge tactical alliances with these gangs in order to participate in the gains from the drug trade. Cynics point out that the communists not only benefit from the drug trade in financial terms (if they actually do), but also in other ways. As wide-spread drug abuse and a rising drug-related criminality have a detrimental impact on the economic development, it also serves to again create a "revolutionary situation". What would make sabotage through the promotion of drug abuse particularly efficient, is the propaganda leverage it gives: leftists can easily put the blame for these social defects on the "capitalist system". Leftists, in their answer stress that the military in its attempts in psychological warfare blames the communists of being involved in anything, if it only helps to discredit them. Return to main menu west Visayas Philippines / West Visayas / Negros / History / Military's Counter Insurgency Negros is an island with a rich landowner class, so armed operations against the NPA were always different than in Mindanao and Samar, two other islands with a strong rebel movement. Whereas on Samar and Mindanao the state force was represented mostly by government troops, Negros always had many militias and private security groups that were financed by landlords. Until the end of the Marcos presidency these militias were organized as the Civil Home Defense Force (CHDF). Critics of the CHDF claimed that the character of this militia was best exemplified by a bloody event September 20, 1985,in the northern Negros town of Escalante. There, CHDF atrocities escalated to a point where the CHDF fired on a group of leftist but unarmed demonstrators. 21 civilians were killed. Before she was elected President, Cory Aquino promised to disband the notorious (CHDF) which has been charged with numerous human rights violations. Indeed, the CHDF was dissolved in accordance with Article XVIII, Section 24 of the 1987 Constitution. However, as militias have been proven effective in guerilla wars all over the world, the Philippine military didn’t want to give up such a valuable force. Therefore, a new militia was created soon after the old one was disbanded, now under the new name Citizens Armed Force I Geographical Units. (CAFGU) but allegedly with much of the same personnel hoodlums, lumpens, semi-criminals. According to leftist critics, these vigilante groups operate outside any legal frame as "armed goons". They accuse the military of having organized them to carry out "dirty jobs" in the anti-insurgency war like summary executions, threats and illegal detentions. Military sources, however, call these groups a spontaneous expression of the citizens’ free will to defend them selves against the "communist onslaught". While the reputation of the military in general was not quite as bad as that of the CHDF, the military during Marcos times also was considered unprofessional, undisciplined, brutal and corrupt. Many officers were considered not very interested in efficient counter insurgency measures but rather in efficient means to enrich themselves. After Marcos was toppled, the Philippine military was reorganized and a more professional approach to counter insurgency was introduced. Operation Oplan Mamamayan was launched in 1987 with the objective of regaining the initiative on the battlefield and to win "the minds and hearts" of the people. Since then, offensives were designed as a combination of military attacks, propaganda drives, and social and medical services to affected communities. They were supported by experts in psychological warfare, engineer battalions and medical teams. Coordination was sought with other government agencies particularly those planning infrastructure projects. In August 1989 the Armed Forces unveiled a new master campaign strategy called "Oplan Lambat Bitag". This thrust was aimed at the archipelago’s 19 "priority fronts" where the communists were believed to be strongest. Then army chief, Gen. Manuel Cacanando, told a press conference August 16, 1989, that "combat troops are to be deployed to strategic and tactical choke points and key terrain in the hinterlands to deny their use by the enemy" (The Philippine Daily Inquirer, August 17, 1989). The plan provided for a combination of offensive drives by conventional forces and Special Operations Teams (SOT’s). SOT’s were designed as counterparts of guerilla units and were composed of nine men highly trained in combat, psychological warfare and intelligence. The AFP’s new approach is, according to Negros Occidental Governor Daniel Lacson, decisively weakening the insurgency movement. In July, 1989, the Manila Standard quoted him as saying that the NPA’s were "now on the run and their forces had been scattered". Lacson referred in his speech to the Oplan Thunderbolt which the Army had undertaken in May, 1989, under the command of Gen. Reymundo jargue. This offensive succeeded in "temporarily disbanding" regular NPA-units, according to a former head of the Communist Party’s Negros Island Trade Union Committee. Furthermore, the military successfully infiltrated the communist movement with deeppenetration agents (DPA’s). Some of them managed to get access to highly sensitive information, such as hideouts, locations of camps, lines of communications and arm caches. Since 1988 several high ranking NPA-leaders fell into the hands of the military. The most spectacular catch on Negros was the arrest of the island commander, Nemesio Demafiles, March 8, 1989, in Bacolod City. More arrests created an atmosphere of distrust within the NPA leading to the above cited internal purges which further decimated the insurgents’ ranks although allegedly failing to uncover most of the government’s agents. Cynics have claimed that the government DPA’s were probably the ones strongly advocating the internal purges. These cynics reasoned that on the one hand the purges served the propaganda drives of the military just too well to believe that psychological warfare specialists of the government would not have had their "dirty" hands in it. On the other hand, the cynics argued that history has proven that the best protection against becoming a purge victim is to be on the side of the purgers. Return to main menu west Visayas Philippines / West Visayas / Negros / Geography Land Area: 13,328 sqkm (5,146 sqmi) Topography: The northern and western parts are largely plains and gently rolling hills. The rest is mountainous. Mountains: Mt. Kanlaon 2,483m (7,999ft), the highest elevation in the central Philippines. Mt. Cuernos de Negros near Damin (Negros Oriental) 1,903 m (6,244 ft). Rivers: Himogaan River (northern Negros), Danao River (northern Negros), Silay River, Bago River, Ilog River (Nesros Occidental) Return to main menu west Visayas Philippines / West Visayas / Negros / Population Majority group: Ilonggos on the western side, Cebuanos on the eastern side of the island. Language: Ilonggo is the lingua franca on the west coast (80’/o to 90% speak it in Negros Occidental) while on the east coast, the majority speaks Cebuano (almost 100’%). Minorities: Atis (Negritos), Sulods, Bukidnons. Island Population: 3,268,000 (1989) Cities, towns (1989) Return to main menu west Visayas Philippines / West Visayas / Negros / Negros Occidental
Bacolod City 317,685; Cadiz City 140278; Silay City, 131,351; Bago City 126,436; Sagay 115,223; Kabankalan 106,051; San Carlos City 97,766; Escalante 90,167; Cawayan 85,317; Himamaylan 84,337; Hinigaran 62,830; La Carlota City 56,624
Philippines / West Visayas / Negros / Negros Oriental Guinhulngan 92,172; Bayawan 87,422; Dumaguete City 78,782; Sta. Catalina 65,123; Tanjay 64,820; Mabinay 63,177; Bais City 56,010; Siaton 46,048; La Libertad 34,662; Ayungon 33,603; Basay 32,603; Canlaon City 30,340 Return to main menu west Visayas Philippines / West Visayas / Negros / Political Structure Negros Occidental, pop. 2.3 million; 7,926sqkm (3,O6Osqm), capital Bacolod City Negros Oriental, pop. 960,000; 5,402sqkm (2,O86sqm), capital Dumaguete City
Philippines / West Visayas / Negros / Bacolod City Philippines / West Visayas / Negros / Bacolod City / The City Historians believe that the city derived its name from the hilly contours of the terrain where it was initially located. In Ilonggo, a hill is called "buklod". The first settlement was located near what is now called Barrio Granada. Historical accounts of the Roman Catholic Church date the old municipality center to 1770 and mention Bernardo de los Santos as first Spanish Gobernadorcillo. In 1787, Bacolod was attacked and invaded by Moro warriors. They looted and pillaged,killing hundreds of inhabitants. The raid was the bloodiest event ever in the community. After having ransacked the town, the Moros retreated. The survivors reestablished the settlement along the shore. Sweet business came to Bacolod in the early 1800’s when sugar plantations were established on Negros. In 1849, it became the island’s capital. Negros gained temporary independence in 1898, with General Lacson as its first President. A catastrophe hit the city in 1918 when a cholera epidemic took the lives of almost one third of its inhabitants. Rapid economic growth started to change the face of Bacolod in the late 1920’s. It became a chartered city October 19, 1938, with Alfredo Montelibano Sr. as its first mayor. After the Japanese occupation which lasted from May 1942 to March 1945, high sugar prices spurred a spectacular expansion which soon made Bacolod one of the most prosperous cities in The Country . The wealth, however, depended only on one crop, sugar, and therefore did not survive the sugar boom. The plunge of sugar prices after 1976 had disastrous consequences for the city. Thousands of plantations workers who had ‘lost their jobs poured in, desperately searching for jobs. Most of them ended up in one of the fast growing squatter areas Beggars filled the streets, houses decayed and construction almost came to a standstill. The situation changed in 1987 with some economic improvement. Aside from new investments, help from relief organizations supported the local economy. New ventures in prawn farming proved to be highly profitable and sugar prices rose noticeable. Widespread drug abuse by minors remained one of Bacolod’s major problems. Observers claim that drug addiction is rampant in several high schools. Concerned citizens criticized that glue and solvent-sniffing young children their intoxication often in broad daylight and in the neighborhood of the City Hall. The city government has, however, taken measures to counter this development, such as integration of the out-of-school-youth into community projects, upgrading and development of sports facilities and educational campaigns in the basic political structures (the Barangay and the Purok). Today, Bacolod is on its way to again become a bustling regional center. A wide range of support businesses have substantially benefitted from the economic upturn. This trend is now being followed by the entertainment sector, restaurants and hotels. Aside from these improved facilities, the city has very few traditional tourist attractions However, it has a very nice city plaza which is a small version of Manila’s Rizal Park and just as accommodating. As in Luneta, there are late afternoon funny religious debates in the plaza. Another curiosity of this park are the spider fights. As with the cock fights, there is betting, but the amounts match the size of the animals.Philippines / West Visayas / Negros / Bacolod City / Transportation Jeepneys
In contrast to other cities (Cebu, Iloilo, Manila, Legazpi, Davao etc.) jeepney routes in Bacolod in between the end-points (as indicated on the vehicles sides) are not determined. They are chosen from within a range of two or three parallel streets according to the passengers wishes on a first-ride-firstchoice basis. However, all southbound transport converge on the city plaza, while all northbound lines either lead to the city plaza or to the central market or through the intersection of Locsin/Gonzaga Sts (50m from the market). The main routes are: (boldface: signboard on the vehicles) Banago-Sto.Nino-City Plaza-Libertad-City Hall- City Plaza-Banago Banago-Sto.Nino-City Plaza-City Hall-Singcang- Airport-Tangub & back Banago-Sto Nino-City Plaza-Araneta St- Singcang-Airport-Pta. Taytay & return Banago-Sto Nino-City Plaza-Central Market- Libertad-Mansilingan & back Libertad-Locsin/Gonzaga Sts.-Burgos St.-Burgos Market -Shopping-Burgos Market-City Plaza- Libertad Mandalagan-Lacson St City Plaza-Libertad-City Hall-City Plaza-Mandalagan Mandalagan-Lacson St.-City Plaza-Libertad- Mansilingan & back Taloc-Central Market-Taloc Burgos Market-PC Headquarter-Sta Fe Resort >& return Mansilingan-Libertad-Locsin/Gonzaga Sts.- Burgos St.-Shopping-Burgos St.-City Plaza- Libertad-Mansilingan Villamonte-Burgos Market-Burgos St.-City Plaza-Libertad & back City Heights (Subdivision)-Libertad-City Hall- City Plaza-Mandalagan & back Taculing-Central Market-Burgos Market- Shopping-Burgos Market-City Plaza-Central Market-Taculine Airport Subdivision-Cor. Gonzaga/Locsin Sts.-Burgos Market-Shopping-Burgos Market-City Plaza-Singcang-Airport Subdivision Bata (Subdivision)-Mandalagan-Lacson Sts.-City Plaza-Libertad & return
Sum-ag-Singcang-Lacson St.-Burgos Market- Shopping-Burgos Market-City Plaza-City Hall-Singcang-Sum-ag Mandalagan-Lacson St.-City Plaza-Singcang- Alijis & return Alijis-Singcang-City Hall-City Plaza-Banago & return Dona juliana-Central Market-Burgos Market- Shopping & return PHHC-Central Market and return Remarks: "Libertad" refers to the South Public Market situated on Hernaez St (formerly Libertad St(. "Shopping" denotes the whole northern city quarter between Burgos Market and Ceres Terminal. On request of passengers jeepneys with signboard "Shopping" make their final stop in front of Ceres Terminal of North Terminal. Jeepney terminals, stops (city destinations): Gatuslao/Cuadra Sts (1) - to Banago (Puno Banago or Barrio Banago), Mandalagan Bata Gatuslao/San Sebastian Sts (4) - to Sum-ag, Punta Taytay-Airport Subdivision, Tangub, Mansilingan Gatuslao/Rizal Sts (7) - to Banago (Pier) Gatuslao/Ballesteros Sts (10) - to Rodriguez, Dons Juliana Gonzaga/Locsin Sts (2) - to PHHC Gonzaga/Locsin Sts (21) - to Shopping Locsin St (3) near Halili Inn - to Alijis Luzuriaga/Locsin Sts (5) - to Taculing, Alijis, Libertad, Don Juliana Luzuriaga St (6) in front of Cine Ruby - to Mansilingan Puno Banago (8) - to Tangub (Airport), Pta. Taytay Libertad, Central Market Hernaez St/Amelia Ave (9) in front of Libertad Market - to City Heights, Taculing Hernaez St (20) in front of Libertad Market - to Banago, Mandalagan, Shopping Araneta Ave/Ballesteros St (23) - to Shopping, Mandalagan, Banago Lacson St/Mandalagan in front of Lopue’s - to Libertad Central Market, Shopping Mansilingan Taxis in Bacolod are often called PU and do not have meters. The minimum charge is 5 pesos for a distance of up to approximately 1.5km (almost one mile). For trips over this short range fares have to be negotiated. Longer trips within the city proper can cost up to 25 pesos for peripheral barangays such as Banago or Alijis). Rates for trips from the airport and the pier are higher: Airport to: Sugarland/Goldenfield Garden Hotel 10 pesos (500m); downtown (central barangays) 15 pesos to 20 pesos; northern quarter (Bata, Mandalagan, Sta Clara, Banago) 30 pesos; pier minimum 30 pesos
Pier to: northern quarter 10 to 20 pesos; to most other areas of town, one has to bear fares of 30 to 50 pesos Car Rentals Sea Breeze Hotel: ask for Mr. Danilo lubongbanwa, Sea Breeze Hotel, Tel 24571; airconditioned car with driver; the rates have to be negotiated Sugarland Hotel: several cars can be hired in front of Sugarland Hotel, the rate is 500 pesos per day (within city limits), plus expenses for gasoline. Contact: Ms. Lime Dumaicos, Sugarland Hotel 22462 to 8 or Mr. Noe Cana, Tel 20050
Philippines / West Visayas / Negros / Bacolod City / Accommodations Goldenfield Garden Hotel Goldenfield Commercial Complex This hotel opened for business in May 1990. The room rates were not yet available when this report was written. In line with an international standard of upper class hotel, the Goldenfield Garden offers two swimming pools, two restaurants, 24-hour room service and car rental service. All rooms are equipped with color tv receiving satellite programs, with a refrigerator, a bath tub and piped-in stereo.
Tatso Hotel (11)This 4-star-hotel will open for business in 1991.
Middle Class Hotels Sugarland Hotel - Singcang, Tel 24262 to 68 All rooms with ac, hw, tel. The hotel is located only about 500m from the airport; guests have to put up with noise in the morning. The compound has a well-maintained swimming pool (entrance for outsiders: Excellent cuisine with international dishes can be enjoyed in the new Caribbean Grill Restaurant. Bacolod Pavilion Resort (12) Reclamation Area, Tel 82626 rest (Int) with seafood specialties, swpl. Only club members or guests lodging in the cottages have access to the swpl; lifetime membership for pool use, guests have free use. Sea Breeze Hotel (13) San Juan St, Tel 25471 All rooms ac, hw. De luxe rooms and suites with tv. Bascon Hotel (14) - Gonzaga St, Tel 23141 All rooms ac, hw and tel.Recommended for its friendly, reliable and honest service. tv on request Dragon Lodge Magsaysay Ave, Taculing, Tel 83561 24 hrs room service, restaurant Moonlight Lodge Goldenfield Commercial Complex, Tel 22492 All rooms ac, tv, hw, tel, 24 bra room service, stand by car. D’Hacienda - Aljis, Tel 26611 All rooms ac, tv, betamax, tel, VIP and super-VIP with bathtub. The super-VIP is a separate small concrete house with garden, luxuriously furnished and very discreetly located.
Adam’s Lodge - Block 4, Bata Subdivision, Tel 21701 and 21702 VIP; ac, hw LD Pension (15) - San Juan St, Tel 22055 All rooms ac and tb, very spacious and clean. The suite is equipped with a complete set of living room furniture and has hw. Rooms without ac (but with fan) are available as well.
Simple Hotels and Pension Houses Deja-vu lodge (16) Locain/San Sebastian Sts, Tel 20381 All rooms tb, ac rooms with hw, room service 24 hrs, restaurant Somewhere Else and bar with nightly variety show. Mansion Motel - Alijis, Tel 26192 All rooms ac and hw. Casa Mel Lodge - Alijis, Tel 8104585 24 hr room service. All rooms ac, hw and carpet. Bayani De luxe - Bata Subdivision, Tel 28053ac room service Bayani De luxe Alijis, Tel 24800 All rooms ac: 24 hr room service Las Rocas Hotel (17)Gatuslao St, Tel 27011, 27012 All ac rooms with tel; 24 hrs room service, restaurant El Segundo Halili Inn (18) - Locsin St, Tel 81548, 81549 Family Pension House (19) Roxas St corner Lacson St, Tel 22647All rooms tb; 24 hr room service; restaurant Kaktus The Best Inn (22)Bonifacio St, Tel 23312, 27852 (hw) Noisy, unfriendly staff at the reception.
Pension Negrense (24)Kamagong St (off North drive), Tel 22071 All rooms with fan tb Townhouse Bacolod North Drive corner Burgos St, Tel 81552 All rooms with fan and common bath, restaurant, room service.
YMCA (25) - Burgos St, Tel 26919 fan, common bath Travellers Home (26) Gonzaga St corner Mabini St, The water pressure is sometimes low, espe- cially during daytime.Paris Lodging House (27) Narra Aye, Shopping, Tel 21566 Downtown Lodge (28) - Cuadra St (no Tel) common bath, fan Standard Hotel (29) 39 Gatuslao St, Tel 28351
Philippines / West Visayas / Negros / Bacolod City / Restaurants First and Middle Class Restaurants (all air-conditioned, well maintained, clean) International and Filipino Cuisine
The Caribbean Grill - Sugarland Hotel, Araneta St, Singcang, Tel 22462 to 68 First class restaurant for elegant dining; international cuisine. Under the management of Mr. Franz Weber from Munich. Dinner tip: Hungarian Goulash with a bottle of Bordeaux. Ang Sinugba Restaurant (30) - Adelfa St corner San Sebastian St, Tel 20547 First class, seafood. Menu with 170 entries (soups, main courses, desserts). Casa Noble (31)91 Lacson St, Tel 27462, 24096first class The Basement (32) - Gatuslao St, Tel 83349first class Cozy Nook Restaurant (33) 15th St, Tel 81880 Bascon Restaurant (14) - Bascon Hotel,Gonzaga St, Tel 23141Recommended for tasty food, friendly service, cozy atmosphere and reasonable prices. Glass Top Restaurant (34) Rosario St, Tel 29421Filipino cuisine, video-shows. The Sugar Bowle - Sugarland Hotel, AranetaSt Singcang, Tel 22462 to 68 Flavors (35) - Gatuslao St Ihaw-Ihaw Restaurant (36)Gatuslao St corner Nueva St, Tel 27011 Roli’s Restaurant (37) San Juan St, Tel 25436Roli’s Restaurant La Salle Ave, Tel 23028 Street Six Cafe (38) - 6th St, beside DollBuilding, first class Bob’s Big Boy (39) - North Drive, Tel 26541 Bob’s Big Boy (40) - La Salle Ave, Tel 22227 Bob’s Big Boy (41) - Araneta St, CineplexBuilding, Tel 24576 Barrio Fiesta Restaurant (42) - Araneta St, infront of City Hall, Tel 29522Offers also Chinese cuisine. Satellite programs are shown on wide screen tv s. Somewhere Else (16)Deja-vu Lodge, Locsin St, Tel 20381 21 Food Corner (43) - Lacson St cor 21st St Goldah Bites (44) - Burgos St, in front ofBurgos Market; snacks Tita’s Food Center (45) - North Drive corner San Agustin St, Tel 28580 Alice Log Cabin - Goldenfield CommercialComplex, Singcang Airport Restaurant Airport compound, Taculing
Steak Houses
The Sizzling Inn (46)Doll Building, 6th St, Tel 20335Luxury class restaurant with imported meat. Old West Steak House - Goldenfield Commercial Complex, Singcang, Tel 23435 First class restaurant Kristin’s Steak House (47) - Lacson St, acrossfrom the Provincial Hospital El Segundo (17) Las Rocas Hotel, Gatuslao St Chinese Cuisine Senyang Restaurant - Goldenfield Commercial Complex, Singcang, Tel 20927 First class Senyang Restaurant (48) - Araneta St corner Quezon St, Tel 23997; first class New Holiday Restaurant (49)Hilado St, Tel 25702; Hong Kong style Yok Pek Dimsum (50) Araneta St corner Gonzaga St, City Plaza United House Restaurant (51)Hilado St Tel 24815, 24965 Apollo (52) - Plaza Mart Building, Gonzaga St,City Plaza, Tel 22093 The Original Manila Restaurant (53)Narra Ave, Tel 21038 Japanese Cuisine Inaka Restaurant Capitolville Subdivision, Tel 20846 Inaka Restaurant (54), Lacson St cor 21st StCozy
Nook Restaurant (55)15th St, Tel 81880Goldenfield Garden Hotel - At the time ofthis research, a new Japanese restaurantwas scheduled to open in May 1990. Italian Cuisine Carlo - Ristorante Italiano, Goldenfield Commercial Complex, Singcang, Tel 81821 Shakey’s Pizza, Goldenfield Commercial Complex, Singcang, Tel 26346 Greenwich Super Pizza (56) Iris Building, Araneta St Specialty: baked macaroni Ice Cream & Pastries Bacolod Ice Cream House (57) Aratseta St corner Rosario St Bacolod Ice Cream House (58) Lacson St corner North Drive Celyn’s Ice Cream House (59) Tindalo St corner Hilado St, Shopping Cake House (60) - Araneta St Fast-food Listed below are exclusively modern, fully air-conditioned facilities Benjie’s (61) - Gonzaga St corner Gatuslao St,City Plaza; US style Popeye’s (62) - Gonzaga St; US stylePopeye’s - Goldenfield Commercial Complex, Singcang; US style Popeye’s (63) - North Drive; US style Bizzi Bear (64)Araneta St corner San Sebastian St With children’s playground; US style Tavie’s Simple Food (65) - Araneta St, Cineplex Building, US style Snack Plaza (66) - Araneta St, across from the port office; US style Snack Plaza (67) - Gatuslao St cor Cuadra St, City Plaza; US style Snack Plaza (68) - Gatuslao St, near Gaisano; US style Egg Snack (69) - Luzuriaga St Good bargain; US style Gaisano Fastfood (70)Gaisano Shopping Mall, Gatuslao St Good, but quite expensive cakes. Serves also Filipino fast-foods. Ball’s Burger (71) - Araneta St US style; shows on wide screen tv.
Gaisano Food Plaza (72)Luzuriaga St, near City Hall An arcade of several brand new self-servicerestaurants in a cool, modern and clean air-conditioned hall, with video shows on wide-screen tv’s. Offers a wide range of US, Filipino and Chinese dishes.
Middle Class Restaurants (no air-conditioning) Sea Breeze Restaurant (13) Sea Breeze Hotel, Tel 24571 upper middle class Tita’s Food Center (73) - Seawall Complex, City Plaza. Reasonable and good. Reming’s (74) - Seawall Complex, City Plaza Reming’s - Lizares Ave, near UNO-R Limelight - Goldenfield Commercial Complex,Singcang; beer garden, partially open air Iris Fastfood (75) - Araneta St, Iris Complex Filipino cuisine; good value Manokan Country (76) - Reclamation Area, near City Plaza. An open-air compound of numerous food-stalls selling chicken barbecue and oysters.
Kong Kee Restaurant (77) - Bonifacio St Supermix (78) - Ballesteros St cor Gatuslao St Staffers Kitchenette (79)Lacson St near corner Rizal St Rock'n Soda (80) - North Drive, in front of San Agustin College Chicken Deli (81) - Lacson St corner 15th St Food Fantasy and Coney Island (82) Ice cream stand, Plaza Mart Building, San Juan St corner Gonzaga St
Philippines / West Visayas / Negros / Bacolod City / Entertainment Bacolod Casino, Goldenfield Commercial Complex, Singcang
Discos and Bars
Zero Degree Disco (83)Araneta Ave corner Quezon St New Disco 2000 - Goldenfield Commercial Complex, Singcang Deja-vu Bar (16) - Deja-vu Lodge, Locsin StDisco-bar with singers Macho Disco (84)Rizal St near corner Lacson St Spectrum Disco (13)Sea Breeze Building, San Juan St Los Angeles Disco (85)Lacson St, Phil-Am-Life Building Disco with show; simple Roofdeck Disco (86) - Luzuriaga St Peninsula Disco (87)San Jose Building, Lacson St Music lounge with bar; simple JB Disco House (88) - Rizal St; simple Blue Bar (89) - 15th St; videos Space Port (90) - 15th St Sunrise Disco (91) - San Sebastian St; simple Intersection Disco (92) Araneta corner Alunan Ave; simple Magic Disco (93)Rosario St corner Araneta St; simple Philippines / West Visayas / Negros / Bacolod City / Movie Theater Bacolod Cinema (70) Gaisano Shopping Mall Complex, Gatuslao Comfortable, brand new with cool ac. The Little Cinema - Goldenfield Commercia Complex. Comfortable, good ac. Cineplex 1 and 2 (94) - Araneta StBrand new and cool. Rizal Cinema (95) - Luzuriaga StNew and cool. Crown Cinema (96) - Araneta St New and cool. Ruby (97) - Luzuriaga StShowing so-called "bold movies State (98) - Gatuslao St, City Plaza Iris (99) - Araneta St Era (100) - Gatuslao St corner Rizal StRather run down and hot. Real (101) - Araneta St Old and hot; shows Tagalog movies. Holiday Cinema (102) - Luzuriaga St Run down and unbearably hot; Tagalog movies. Plaza 1 and 2 (103) - Luzuriaga StRun down and unbearably hot; Tagalogmovies. Philippines / West Visayas / Negros / Bacolod City / Festival Masskara Festival From the second to the third week in October. A kind of Mardi Gras culminating in a colorful parade. Charter Day, on October 19In commemoration of the 19th of October, 1938, when Bacolod became a chartered city. Philippines / West Visayas / Negros / Bacolod City / Attractions The Provincial Capitol Building (104) This large structure, built in neo-classical style, was completed in 1931. It is said to be the most impressive capitol building in the entire archipelago. San Sebastian Cathedral (105)Originally a small chapel; initiated in 1848 as a cathedral. Built of coral from Guimaras Island and hard wood fromPalawan, the edifice was finally completed in 1876. The Palacio Episcopal (106)Dating back to 1830, the "Palacio Episcopal" or Bishop’s Palace is older than the Cathedral. During the early years, no ordinary citizen could enter the palacio, and only very few Spanish officials had the opportunity to be guests at the bishop’s see.The original hardwood and coral structure was almost entirely destroyed by a fire in January 1985. The reconstruction which took more than two years was completed in 1990. The Fort San Juan (107)Built in 1848, it was used for military purposes until WW II. At present, the building serves as the Provincial Jail. House of Negros Showroom (108) At the height of the sugar crises, enterprising residents launched various small and medium-scale cottage industries to augment the province’s meager income. Products of these cottage industries are now exhibited in a museum-like building near the Provincial Capitol. Rizal Elementary School (109)This school was the first to be established in Bacolod City. The main building, at its present site, was erected during the early period of US colonialism in 1907. Philippines / West Visayas / Negros / Bacolod City / Shopping Shopping malls and big department stores are open from 8:30 (Lopue’s Araneta) or 9:00 to 20:00, seven days a week. Smaller stores open at 8:00 or 9:00 and close between 18:30and 21:00.
Antiques
Bacolod City offers a wide range of antiques, even for exacting buyers, ranging from Chinese porcelain to furniture and brass-ware.Some items come from excavations and originate in the 19th century and earlier. Bacolod Arts Collection (110) - Rizal StPhilippine Arts Antiques - Lopue’s Building, Lacson St, Mandalagan Tel 28791 Sar-Le Arts and Antiques Store (111) 19th St corner Lacsons St Handicrafts Several shops inside the Central Market, entrance Gonzaga St. Recommended is: Ortiz Native Products (112) Central Market, Stalls 353/354
Household appliances Bargains can sometimes be found in the big shopping malls, such as Lopue’s and Gaisano. P0’s Marketing (113)- Araneta St Also reliable repair service Citi Appliances (114)- Rizal St cor Mabini St Central Appliances (115) - Rizal St Public Markets Central Market (116) Along Gatuslao St and Gonzaga St Handicrafts and food (esp. fruits)
Burgos Market (117) - (officially: North Hilado Market), along Burgos St and Hidalgo St. Libertad Market (118) - (officially: South Public Market), Hernaez St Villamonte Public Market - VillamonteNegros Occidental Food Terminal Market (119)Also called Pala-Pala Market, along San Juan St. Wholesale market, open from 19:00 to 6:00. Biggest fish market in theprovince. Daytime retail market for fish, meat and vegetables (closed during siesta hours). North Terminal Public Market (120)Lopez Jaena St; meat and fish Department Stores and Supermarkets Only well-maintained, air-conditioned establishments are listed. Gaisano (70) - Gatuslao St cot Ballesteros St Shopping Mall Lopue’s (121)Araneta St cot San Sebastian St Shopping Mall Lopu's (122) Araneta St Department Store Lopu's Lacson St, Mandalagan Shopping Mall Servandos (123) 67 Araneta St corner Hernaez St Department Store China Rose (124) Gonzaga St, City Plaza Department Store. Consuelo Supermarket (125) - Luzuriaga St Department Store with groceries; neat, cool and clean
Miscellaneous Uno—R Hook Store (126) — University of Negros Occidental, 51 Lizares Ave Tel 26888 Our Book Exchange Club (127) Araneta St corner Rosario St Membership 40 pesos can be Rented for a few pesos. Kodak Express (128) Araneta St; 1 hr film developing M & D Ceramics (129) - Rosario St, in front of Rizal Elementary School
Philippines / West Visayas / Negros / Bacolod City / Offices Communications General Post Office (130) - Gatuslao St, Across from provincial jail (new bldg) Other post offices: Ballesteros St (131)
West Negros College (132) - Burgos St A-5O Tindalo Ave (133) Shopping near North terminal Villamonte- Barangay Hall Sum-Ag- Stadium PLDT (134) Galo St, near Lacson St Modern,air-conditioned and comfortable facilities frientdlv, helpful staff. Long distance (especially international)calls here Bureau of Telecommunications (131) 2nd floor, Post Office Bilding Ballesteros JRS Express (135) Philam life Building, Lacson St Telecash Express (136) Ocana Building, Luzuriaga St PT&T (137) Gonzaga St City Plaza lso telefax RCPI (138) Gozaga St City Plaza RCPI (139) Galo St corner Gatuslao St Travel Agencies Rajah Tours (13) Sea Breeze Hotel, San juan St, Tel 28918 Classic Travel louse (140) - 6th St, Tel 20044 Delmar Travel Agency (141) - San juan St Corner San Sebastian St, Tel 29037 Banks Foreign currency can be changed at the banks. All larger banks exchange US dollars in cash fur what is called the "official rate" dictated by the Central Bank. Only the PNB, Lacson St Branch, exchanges travellers checks, though for a lower rate than cash and involving an incredibly painstaking bureaucratic procedure. Other currencies than US dollars are only exchanged in the PNB, Lacson St Branch. The transaction is extremely complicated and Time-consuming. There is a free market for currency exchange around Ballesteros St corner Araneta St and at the entry of the General Post Office. For US dollars, most dealers offer a rate which is only 20 to 25 centavos lower than the rates at the most advantageous free markets in the Philippines, in Ermita and binondo /Sia.Cruz. Swiss Francs, German Marks and japanese Yen are also accepted, at the same rate given by the PNB. Traveller’s checks are not honored. Central Bank (142) Lacson St, Milagros Court, Tel 28091 Philippine National Bank (143) Lacson St cor North Capitol Rd, Tel 25109 Head Branch Philippine National Bank (144) Araneta St corner Luzuriaga St 24-hours Express Teller (145) Bank of the Phil. Islands, Araneta St Police Stations Metro Police District Headquarters Magsaysay Ave, Taculing, Tel 119 Precinct I (146) - San juan St, 2nd flour Reming Building, Tel 22503 Precinct II (147) 19th St corner Lacson St, Tel 28885 Precinct III - Lopue’s Building, Lacson St, Mandalagan, Tel 23758 Precinct IV - La Salle Ave, Tel 21184 Precinct VI - Taculing Rd, Tel 20030 Precinct VIII - Tangub, Tel 22312 Precinct IX - Sum-ag, Tel 25853 Phil. Constabulary - Provincial Headtquarters, Camingawan, Tel 28828 Miscellaneous Philippine Information Agency (148) Milagros bldg, Gatuslao St, Tel 28754 Information for tourists, businessmen and journalists; friendly and helpful staff.
Commission of Immigration and Deportation (CID) (149) - Alien Control Officer, Milagros Bldg, Gatuslao St, Tel 22904 Philippine News Agency - Negros Media Center, San juan St, Tel 25383 City Hall (150) Luzuriaga St corner Araneta St
Philippines / West Visayas / Negros / Bacolod City / Sports Swimming Pools Negros 0cc. Golf & Country Club - Bata Subdivision, Tel 21086; entr 10 pesos Sugarland Hotel - Singcang, Tel 22462 to 68 Sta Fe Resort - Burgos St Ext; two swpls, children’s playground, restaurant; jeepney from Burgos Mkt, direction Granada Goldenfield Garden Hotel - Goldenfield Commercial Complex, 2 swpls, new Bacolod Pavilion Resort (12) - Reclamation Area; only for club members and guests Tennis Courts Negros 0cc. Tennis Association (NOTA) (151)Gatuslao St Las Palmas Tennis Club - Bata Subdivision, off Lacson St, to be reached through a small road across from Lopue’s, Mandalagan Negros 0cc. Golf & Country Club Bata Subdivision, Tel 21086 Basketball Courts Seawall Complex (152) behind Reming’s, San Juan St YMCA Complex (25) Burgos St, beside YMCA Lodge Golf Courses Negros 0cc. Golf & Country Club Bata Subdivision, Tel 21086 200 day/person; equip. 200 (non-member) Bowling Alleys Players (95) - Rizal Cine Bldg, Luzuriaga St Super Bowling Lanes - Goldenfield Commercial Complex, Singcang Miscellaneous Pagla-um Sports Complex (153) Hernaez St; athletics, soccer Uchi Geri Karate Club (154) Burgos St, behind YMCA Complex Sweat Shop (155) - Gatuslao St; gym Chess Center (156) City Plaza, across from Reming’s
Philippines / West Visayas / Negros / Bacolod City / Culture & Education Public Libraries City Library, (157) - Seawall Complex, basement of Reming’s Building Provincial Library (104) 3rd floor, Provincial Capitol Library of the National Statistics Office (158) 3rd floor, Villasor Bldg, Luzuriaga St corner San Juan St; useful for research, studies. Philippines / West Visayas / Negros / Bacolod City / Art
Art Association of Bacolod (159) Pavilion, Seawall Complex, City Plaza In this exhibition hall, local artists regularly display their paintings and sculptures. Information about cultural activitie Bacolod.
Universities and Colleges De La Salle University (160) - la Salle Ave University of Negros Occidental (161) (UNO-R), Lizares Ave Colegio de San Agustin (162) - North Drive West Negros College (163) - Burgos St La Consolacion College (164) - City Plaza
Philippines / West Visayas / Negros / Bacolod City / Health Bacolod Sanitarium and Hospital ‘Taculing, Tel 26631, 26632 Dr. Pablo Torre Memorial Hospital (165) North Drive, Tel 27031 The Doctor’s Hospital (166) North Drive, Tel 21811 Our Lady of Mercy Hospital Mandalagan, Tel 81270 Montelibano Memorial Hospital (167) Lacson St corner Burgos St, Tel 26305
Philippines / West Visayas / Negros / Bacolod City / Travel From And To Bacolod
Flights The airport is located in a southern suburb of Bacolod City, about 4km from the town center. Taxis charge (from the city center) 10 pesos. One can easily go by jeepney (Direction "Tangub" or "Punta Taytay", not "Airport Subdivision") for a fare of 1 peso. It is advisable to board the jeepney at the terminal station at the corner of Gatuslao St and San Sebastian St.
Philippine Airlines has flights to Iloilo and vice versa, just across Guimaras Strait three times a day, one in the morning, one around noon and one in the afternoon. The flight takes just 15 minutes. The fare is around 200 pesos. There are also flights to San Carlos, on Negros, and to Manila and Cebu. Many other southern Philippine destinations can conveniently be reached via Cebu. Philippine Airlines Airport, Tel 27379, 24929, 25579, 25085 Aircraft Charter Gumayan Air Charter Service - Airport Compound, Singcang, Tel 21981 Planes with a capacity of 3 passengers (Cherokee and Tri-Pacer). Rate per hour: 1,500 pesos. Pacific Airways Airport Compound, Singcang, Tel 23644. Apart from some scheduled flights this firm offers 3 and 5-seater planes for charter. Rates per hour: 3-seater: 2,500 pesos, 5-seater 4,000 pesos. Aircraft are at disposal for both domestic and international flights. RG Air Charter Airport Compound, Singcang, Tel 23570 The customer is given the choice between a 5 and a 3-seater (Cherokee) for any domestic destination. The rates per hour: 3-seater 2,000 pesos; 5-seater 3,000 pesos. Ships Due to the shallowness along the shore of Bacolod, the city does not have a harbor for passenger ships or bigger cargo vessels. These ships have to use a private pier as landing place. The facility has been set up some 4km north of the city center and is named Banago Wharf, after the quarter, where it is located(Barangay Banago). One gets there by taxi (15 pesos from downtown) or by Jeepney with signboard "Banago" from Rizal St corner Gatuslao St, from the Central Market or Libertad Market. The fare is 5 pesos. All passenger ships from and to Bacolod belong to a single company: Negros Navigation (NN). Tickets are sold in the following offices: Negros Navigation Office (168) Doll Building, 6th St, Tel 29300 Pier Ticket Office Barangay Banago, Tel 28952 Jeepney and Bus Terminals North Bus and jeepney Terminal (169) Lopez Jaena St. One can get to by jeepneys with signboard Shopping". The driver has to be 50 instructed, because the jeepneys do not always follow the same route (see "jeepneys"). Destinations: Silay, Talisay, Victorias, Cadiz, Balintawak, Buenavista, and other northern places. Burgos Market (170) - Hilado St near corner Burgos St. Destinations: Sta. Fe, Granada, Alangilan Hernaez St corner Adelfa St (171) Near Libertad Market. Destination: La Carlota. Hernaez St corner Mabini St (172) Across from Libertad Market. Destination: Ma-ao Mabini St (173) - across from Libertad Market Destinations: Valladolid, Pulupandan, San Enrique, Hinigaran, Mamsucal and other southbound lines. Hernaez St corner Amelia St (174) Across from Libertad Market Destination: Murcia Northern Bus Terminal (169) - Lopez Jaena St Destinations: Northbound buses to Sagay, Victorias, Silay, Escalante, Cadiz, San Carlos. The new terminal has been erected recently for all non-Ceres buses. It is located about 500m away from its old position in direction Burgos Market and can be attained by jeepneys displaying the signboard "Shopping". Ceres North Terminal (175) Lopez Jaena St corner North Drive Only for northbound Ceres buses. Destinations: Silay, Victorias, Escalante, Cadiz, Sagay, San Carlos, Dumaguete, Cebu (direct buses every morning). Southern Bus Terminal (176) Hernaez St, near Libertad Market Destinations: Southbound buses: Bago City, Kabankalan, Hinigaran, Isabela, La Castellana, Kanlaon City, San Carlos City (via Kaniaon). The terminal can be gotten to by jeepney, signboard "Libertad". Philippines / West Visayas / Negros / Bacolod City / Attractions Around Bacolod
Jara Beach Resort - Airport Rd, Bacolod, 30min from downtown; luxury resort cot 300/400 (fan/ac); rest, convention facilities, tide-pools, .beach area Punta-Taytay Beach Resorts at Alcade, 12km (7mi) south of Bacolod, jeepneys from South Public Market Mambucal Falls - Mambucal, 30km (l9mi) southeast of Bacolod, jeepneys from Libertad St (1 hr); recreation area with several waterfalls, swimming pools, hot and cold springs; accommodation available at Mambucal Tourist Lodge and at Pagoda Lodge Canlaon Volcano and National Park - can be reached from Mambucal; Canlaon Volcano stands 2,438m (7,999ft) Victorias - An interesting day trip out of Bacolod City is to the town of Victorias, 34km (2lmi) to the north. It can be easily reached by jeepneys; the trip takes about 1.5 hours. The Victorias Sugar Milling Company is located there which is reputed to be the largest mill of its kind in the world. The company owns an extensive network of private rail lines which is used to ship the sugar cane from the plantations to the milling center. Free public tours are conducted through the mills. For information, visitors should contact the company’s tourist office inside the complex. Aside from that it is worth to see the Osorio and Rosales Chapel.
Philippines / West Visayas / Negros / San Carlos City From here a ferry goes twice a day to Toledo City on Cebu island. Accommodation: Coco Grove Pension - Ylagan St Tel 432; rm 50-250; rest La Suerte Pension - Tel 976; rm 25-150 Papal Lodge - Gustilo St, Tel 455; rm 30 Return to main menu west Visayas Philippines / West Visayas / Negros / Kabankalan This town, 80km (5Omi) south of Bacolod, is noted for the Sinolog Festival on the third weekend in January which is similar to the Sinolog Festival in Cebu City. However, there has been some political turmoil in Kabankalan for the last few years. Return to main menu west Visayas Philippines / West Visayas / Negros / Dumaguete City Dumaguete has its strange, somehow unPhilippine features. First of all, Catholicism is not the predominant denomination there but Protestantism. Furthermore, as the city has a very large Protestant university, Siliman University (3), it gives the impression of all in all just being a campus. Many of the teachers at Siliman University are religious Americans. The city therefore got its share in Protestant moral rigidity. Dumaguete has a very nice coastal boulevard, Rizal Ave, commonly also just called Boulevard. It is a shame it has not been better developed with some commercial infrastructure, and it would be nice for evening strolls if it would be a little bit better lighted. Accommodation Insular Hotel (11) - 53 Siliman Ave Tel 24-95; rm 157-202 El Oriente Hotel (9) - Real St, Tel 24-86 rm 75-220 Casa Lona Lodge (15) - Real St; rm 69-196 Al Mar Hotel (13) - Rizal Ave, Tel 34-53 rm 50-150 Opena’s Hotel (7) - Katada St rm 45-150 Miscellaneous Phil Nat’l Bank (10) - Siliman Ave Provincial Hospital (1) Museum (8) - Administrat. Bldg, Siliman Ave City Hall (18) - Colon St Public Market (16) - Real cor Colon Sts Transportation Northern Bus Terminal (4) - Looc Rd near pier 1; buses to Bacolod via San Carlos (northern route) Southern Bus Terminal (20) - Real cor Sta Rosa St; buses to Bacolod via Hinobaan (southern route), mostly in the morning
Jeepney & Minibus Terminals (14) - Locsin St; to San Jose and Tampi (19) - Real cor Colon Sts; to Valencia Shipping Lines William, George & Peter (6) - near pier Gothong (12) - San Juan cor Rizal Ave AROUND DUMAGUETE Camp Lookout - near Valencia; jeepney from corner Real and Colon Sts, Dumaguete to Valencia, then tricycle to Bongbong and the rest by foot. View from the radio station area over Dumaguete and the islands Cebu, Sumilon, and Siquijor.
Palentinong Hot Springs - at Valencia Siliman Beach - Bantayan, north of Dumaguete Acc: South Sea Beach Hotel ac-cot 180-258; rest North Pole Resort Hotel, Tel 35-35 Cangmating Beach - Sibulan, north of Dumaguete; rms 80-180 El Oriente Beach Resort - Mangnao cot 90-195 Sta Monica Beach Resort - Banilad, Tel 34-41 rms P 160-320 Apo Island - can be reached from Zamboanguita by motor banca; good site for snorkeling and scuba diving Acc: Excelsior Lodge, Tel 991; rm 20-40 Return to main menu west Visayas Philippines / West Visayas / Negros / Transportation Land Transportation
Bacolod - San Carlos - Dumaguete (7 hrs) frequent Ceres Liner buses Bacolod - Canlaon City (4 hrs) several Ceres Liner buses daily San Carlos - Canlaon - frequent jeepneys Canlaon - Dumaguete (4 hrs) several Ceres Liner buses daily Dumaguete - Hinobaan - Bacolod (11 hrs) buses in the morning Shipping Schedule
Destination Isl/Port /From/Company/Departure time-day
Travel time/via/vessel Bohol Tagbilaran / Dumaguete / William /14:00-Sat ! 3 hrs ! MV Ozamis Cebu Cebu City Bacolod Negr.Nav /1 trip weekly ! 12 hrs Cebu City Dumaguete Georg&P. /1 trip daily ! 8 hrs Cebu City Dumaguete K & T /2 trips weekly !8 hrs! Samar Queen Tuburan Escalante /2 trips daily ! 2hrs !car!passenger ferry Toledo San Carlos / 2trips daily! 2hrs Talisay Tampi /several trips daily !hr Luzon Manila Bacolod Negr.Nav /16:00-mon!24 hrs !MV Don Claudio Manila Bacolod Negr.Nav /16:-wed,13:Sat!24 hrs!MV Don julio Manila Bacolod Negr.Nav /16:00-Fri! 24 hrs!MV STA Maria Mindanao Dipolog Dumaguete /1 trip daily!4 hrs Panay Iloilo Bacolod Negr.Nav /7:00,15:00 daily !2hrs Slquijor Larena Dumaguete /1 trip daily !3hrs Flight from Negros from-to / Days / Dep / Arr / Fare Bacolod-Manila /daily / 9:20 /10:20 /654 /daily /13:50 /14:50 /654 / Su /15:25 /16:25 /654 /Th,Fr /16:50 /17:50 /654 /Sa /19:10 /20:10 /654 Baeolod-Cebu /daily /7:20 /7:50 /237 /daily /18:10 /19:00 /210 Dumaguete-Manila /daily /14:35 /16:45 /847 Dumaguete-Cebu /daily /7:45 /8:25 /238 Return to main menu west Visayas
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| Last Updated ( Tuesday, 07 October 2008 05:45 ) |
