, one of the
Regions of the
Philippines , is designated as Region VI. It consists of seven
Provinces ;
Aklan ,
Antique ,
Negros Occidental ,
Capiz ,
Guimaras and
Iloilo ; and 17 cities making it the region with the highest number of cities.
Iloilo City is the regional center.
Western Visayas is composed of 6 provinces and the
Cities of
Bacolod and
Iloilo .
The province of
Aklan occupies the northwestern coastal plain of the island of Panay. Its 1,853 km&
2 supports a population of 441,000 in seventeen municipalities, of which
Kalibo is the capital. After strenuous and sustained political efforts, Aklan was separated from Capiz by act of the national legislature in April 1956. Agriculture is a prominent part of the economy, principal products being rice, maize, coconuts, and cut flowers. Ocean- fishing is also important, as is tourism,
Boracay , a white-sand island just offshore, being a world-class resort. Inland fishing and aquaculture yield several export products. This actually seems to explain every element in the shield. Cottage weaving is widespread, and rattan furniture is manufactured for export.
The province of
Antique , on the western side of
Panay Island , is separated from the other provinces by a long range of mountains. One of these, Mt. Madia-as, is the highest mountain on the island, a dormant volcano adorned with several lakes and more than a dozen waterfalls. The population is largely Austronesian; according to legend, they were immigrants from Borneo centuries before the Spanish arrived. The main language in Antique is
Kinaray-a , but several Visayan languages are also spoken. The area was made a separate province by the Spanish government in 1790. Its name seems to be a Spanish adaptation of a local word. The province's area is 2,522 km&
2, its population 456,000, no cities, eighteen towns, of which
San José De Buenavista is the capital. Agriculture is important; sugar and coconuts lead, with coconut oil and coconut wine both being significant. Ocean fishing is also important; one website speaks of "the tuna highway along the coast." Seaweed is harvested. Marble and gemstones are mined. Other valuable mineral deposits are known but undisturbed. Like Capiz, it seems to have enormous potential for tourism, its many miles of sandy beaches being sparsely settled. There are also hot springs in the mountains.
The people of
Negros Occidental speak mostly
Ilonggo , a Visayan language of the Central Philippine group;
Cebuano , another Central Philippine language, is a distant second. Most also speak English. In the second half of the nineteenth century sugar cane cultivation grew enormously, drawing many settlers from other islands. Negros Occidental was made a separate province in 1890. In spite of three periods of warfare, sugar remained dominant long into the twentieth century, as the province came to produce most of the country's total sugar production. In the late 1970s the world price of sugar fell sharply, and continued into the early 1980s, and in 1983 the province suffered a serious drought, and, in 1984, two typhoons. An attempt in 1986 to separate the northern part as the province of Negros del Norte was defeated. Meanwhile, starting in 1985, the province received considerable help from the national government and foreign donors to recover economically, which included economic diversification. Today the province has substantial production of coffee, cacao, black pepper, fruits, and grains. It also has a large copper mine. Gold, silver, molybdenum, iron, gypsum, coal, and other minerals are mined. Light industry is growing. Should one wish to visit and disburse, there are excellent opportunities for aquatic recreations, including underwater photography.
Mount Kanlaon , the highest peak on the island, is a bird sanctuary, home to a hundred species known nowhere else in the world. The sugar industry led to the building of steam railroads, now nicknamed "iron dinosaurs." Some are still roar and race and breathe fire; others, abandoned, moulder away. The population of Negros Occidental is 2,556,000 in thirteen cities and nineteen towns. In addition to the capital city of Bacolod, Negros Occidental has twelve component cities, making it the province with the most number of cities.
Bacolod City and Iloilo City are highly urbanized cities; figures are excluded from Negros Occidental and Iloilo respectively.
- Bago City , Negros Occidental
- Cadiz City , Negros Occidental
- Escalante City , Negros Occidental
- Himamaylan City , Negros Occidental
- Kabankalan City , Negros Occidental
- La Carlota City , Negros Occidental
- Passi City , Iloilo
- Roxas City , Capiz
- Sagay City , Negros Occidental
- San Carlos City, Negros Occidental
- Silay City , Negros Occidental
- Sipalay City , Negros Occidental
- Talisay City, Negros Occidental
- Victorias City , Negros Occidental
The Western Visayas region was created from
Aklan ,
Antique ,
Capiz ,
Iloilo (including its then-subprovince of
Guimaras ) and
Negros Occidental by Presidential Decree No. 1 as part of the
Integrated Reorganisation Plan of President
Ferdinand Marcos .
