2015, President Benigno Aquino III signed Executive Order 183 creating the Negros Island Region (NIR)
Executive Order 183
Negros Occidental was carved from Region VI (Western Visayas), and Negros Oriental from Region VII (Central Visayas) to form the new region.
It is located between the islands of Panay and Guimaras to the west and Cebu to the east, with Siquijor located on the toe of the island and Bantayan Island to the north.
Negros is an Island of the Philippines located in the Visayas. It is the fourth largest island in the country , with a land area of 13, 309.6 square kilometers.
Negros Island Region has the least number of provinces in the Philippines (only 2). It has 19 cities (including the highly urbanized city of Bacolod) in total, making it the region with the most cities, tying alongside with CALABARZON, which also has 19 cities.
Negros Occidental has the most chartered cities among all the provinces in the Philippines. The province comprises 13 cities and 19 municipalities, which are further subdivided into 601 barangays. Although Bacolod serves as the capital, it is governed independently from the province as a highly urbanized city. Negros Oriental comprises 6 cities and 19 municipalities, with 557 barangays.
Inhabitants of the island region are called Negrenses (and less often Negrosanons), the name of the Filipino island means Blacks in the Spanish language.
Why is it named Negros?
Negros Island was originally known to the natives as "Buglas", meaning "cut off" in old Hiligaynon. When the Spaniards arrived in April 1565, they named it "Negros" because of the dark-skinned natives they found.
Language:
The primary spoken language is Hiligaynon (also known as Ilonggo) and the predominant religious denomination is Roman Catholicism.
The Masskara Festival (Hiligaynon: Pista sang MassKara, Filipino: Fiesta ng MassKara) is a festival held each year in Bacolod, Philippines. It is held every third weekend of October or on the closest weekend to October 19.
The word "Masskara" is a portmanteau, coined by the late artist Ely Santiago from mass (a multitude of people), and the Spanish word cara (face), thus forming MassKara (a multitude of faces). The word is also a pun on maskara, Filipino for "mask" (itself from Spanish máscara), since a prominent feature of the festival are the masks worn by participants, which are always adorned with smiling faces.
Pasalamat Festival is a thanksgiving celebration held on Sunday nearest to the month of May.
Pasalamat brings together the La Carloteños in unity and thanksgiving to God Almighty for providing the people with gift of life and perseverance despite life’s difficulties.
San Carlos City, Negros Occidental, Philippines highlights its annual festival celebration every November 3-5. Pintaflores derived from the two words Pintados (painted ones), and Flores, Spanish for “flower”. It’s also known as Dances of Flowers. The street dancing competition is one of the highlights.
Sports
Negros Occidental has produced a large number of athletes that have achieved success in both national and international circuits. The province is also well known for hosting national and international athletic events, which has given it a reputation as the sports capital of the Philippines.
Negros Occidental has produced a large number of athletes that have achieved success in both national and international circuits. The province is also well known for hosting national and international athletic events, which has given it a reputation as the sports capital of the Philippines.
The Panaad Stadium (also spelled as Pana-ad) is a multi-purpose stadium located inside the Panaad Park and Sports Complex in Bacolod, Philippines.
Owned by the Negros Occidental provincial government, it is used for football matches, and is the adopted home of the Philippines national football team. It played host to football at the 2005 Southeast Asian Games and was later the venue of
the qualifiers of the 2007 ASEAN Football Championship or ASEAN Cup, in which the Philippines,Cambodia, Timor
Leste, Brunei and Laos participated. The stadium has a seating capacity of 15,500.
The Capitol Park and Lagoon is a provincial park located in Bacolod City, Negros Occidental, in the Philippines. One of the landmarks of the park is the statue of a carabao (water buffalo) being pulled by a woman. This statue is located at the northern end of the lagoon. On the other end, there is also another carabao sculpture but the figure is being pulled by a man. These sculptures are located at the northern and southern ends of the lagoon. These figures were executed by Italian sculpture Francesco Riccardo Monti who also did the sculptures of the Metropolitan Manila Theater and the University of the Philippines - Visayas Iloilo campus. Guillermo Tolentino also contributed as a sculptor of the figures.
The Fountain of Justice is a historic landmark in Bacolod City, Negros Occidental, Philippines. It marks the location where the house of Jose Ruiz de Luzurriaga used to stand. It was in this house that the surrender of Bacolod by Spanish authorities to the Filipino forces of General Aniceto Lacson took place on November 6, 1898, during the Negros Revolution.
The Bacolod Public Plaza is one of the notable landmarks of Bacolod City, the capital of Negros Occidental, Philippines. It is located in the heart of the downtown area, near the city hall and across from the San Sebastian Cathedral. The plaza is a trapezoidal park with a belt of trees around the periphery and a gazebo at the center. Scattered within the trees are four circular fountains.
The plaza was constructed in 1927 as a place for recreation, political, spiritual and cultural activities. It is quite a popular site for outdoor picnics and concerts. The gazebo is often used to house a bandstand.
Silay City, to the north of the capital of Bacolod City, nicknamed the "Paris of Negros", is the cultural and artistic center of Negros Island Region. It has 30 heritage houses declared by the national historical institute, most notable of which is Balay Negrense; it is also the hometown of National Artist of the Philippines for Architecture Leandro Locsin and international mezzo-soprano Conchita Gaston.
Gora na sa Negros mga kapatid :)
Take nothing but pictures. Leave nothing but footprints. Kill nothing but time.
