Victorias City

Negros Occidental

 HISTORY
The town of Victorias was originally located in what is now known as Daan Banwa (Old Town),
a fishing village beside Malihaw River and near its outlet to the sea.

During the Spanish era, the town was called Malihaw, a name taken from Malihaw trees which
grew in abundance along the riverbanks.  It was ruled by Capitan Gregorio Conlu, and Moro
pirates and Tulisanes reigned unmolested.

One day, the Capitan’s household was robbed. He was able to escape together with his Secretary
Alfonso Pachera, but his wife Capitana Tutang and their servant Micay were taken aboard the
sailboat which immediately sailed for the open sea. When Capitana Tutang was asked whether
she knew how to swim, she replied that she could not. And so she and her servant were thrown
overboard while their vessel was just outside Malihaw’s river mouth.

The robbers sailed on believing that the two will be drowned. But that was not the case, for both
women were good swimmers. While struggling in the water, Capitana Tutang saw a beautiful
lady she believed was the Blessed Virgin Mary.

When she reached home she prayed and promised to buy an image of the Lady who helped her.
But having been divested of their possessions, it took several months of careful savings to be
able to purchase the image from Barcelona, Spain.  However, since she did not specify what
image she wanted, Capitana Tutang received the statue of the Nuestra Senora de las Victorias,
which to her amazement held the likeness of the Lady who saved her and Micay from drowning.
The inhabitants later proposed to change the name Malihaw to Nuestra Senora de las Victorias 
to perpetuate the miraculous incidents. They enjoined Capitan Gorio to ask the Governor to
approve the change of name. The governor gave his consent, but retained only “Victorias” as the
official name.
On February 11, 1998, Victorias became a component city when Republic Act No. 8488 was
signed into law by then President Fidel V. Ramos. Witnessing the signing at Malacanang were
officials of Victorias led by Mayor Severo A. Palanca and key officials of Congress.

A plebiscite for the ratification was held on March 21, 1998. On March 21, 1999, Victorias City
celebrated its first anniversary.

 PRODUCTS

 FESTIVALS
The city celebrates the Annual Charter Anniversary every 21st  day of March and Annual Fiesta
every 26th  day of April. On this occasion, the search for  Lin-ay  sang Victorias, street dancing
and other cultural activities are presented. Visitors from neighboring towns and cities as well as
from other provinces come to Victorias to see the beauty and culture of Victoriahanons.

 TOURIST SPOT
 Gawahon Eco-tourism Development project – has seven natural waterfalls that nature
lovers and trekkers would love to explore. Various facilities and other infrastructure projects
are being implemented through the Gawahon Eco-tourism Development Project. There are
also two-room staff house, a one-room cottage and open shed house/ picnic cabanas.
 The Victorias Public Plaza – is surrounded by different horticultural plants, flowers and
trees. This plaza is considered as one of the tourist attractions in the city. Facilities include
an amphitheater, skating rink, SK and Senior Citizens pavilion. It has a small lagoon with
man-made waterfalls as an added attraction.
 Victorias Milling Company – this is the biggest integrated sugar mill and refinery in the
world. The more than 7,000-hectare compound is self-contained agro-industrial complex
with a world famous St. Joseph the Worker Church that features the Angry Christ Mural.
Tours run every day except weekend and Mondays.
 Himamaylan City
Negros Occidental

 HISTORY
It was in the middle part of 1565 when the Spaniards came and subjugated Himamaylan. Aside
from subduing the people of the settlement, it was also the desire of the Spaniards to introduce
the religion to them and the form of government they bring. They introduced the Encomiends
System by which a piece of land including its products and other resources, and its inhabitants
were granted to members of the conquering force as their puppets.

Himamaylan was founded in the 18th century and it became the second capital of Negros Island
from 1795-1849.

Because of the oppressions that the people were experiencing from the Spaniards, revolutionary
movements were created. On November 4, 1898, these revolutionary forces received orders from
Gen. Juan Araneta to disclose the Spanish Soldiers stationed in the town on November 5, and the
rest of the towns in Negros. Because of the lack of weapons, they were not able to foolow the
command. It was only on November 8, 1898 when the Deputy Commander for Southern Negros
showed a copy of the Act of Capitulation tot he Spanish Corporal, that the Spanish Soldiers
surrendered and freed the Himamaylan. Himamaylan was the last town to have been liberated
from the Spanish Government.

PRODUCTS
Major economic activities are resource extractive such as farming, forestry and fishing. These
are followed by business and professional practice.

The City’s major agricultural products are sugarcane, palay and corn. Fishponds cover 496.05
has. while the area devoted prawn production extends to about 155.97 has. The estimated
average annual fish production is at 5,850 metric tonnes. Fishponds are mostly located in Bgys.
Caradio-an and Talaban. The major fishery products include fish, talaba, greenshell, tahong and
others.
  TOURIST SPOT
 Buenavista Heroes Park – this placed shows the heroism of the Himamaylanons during
the Japanese rule.
 Acapulco Spring Resort – this is a twin swimming pool nestled along the mountains of
barangay Mahalang. The place is overlooking the view of Himamaylan. It also has a cave,
perfect to explore.
 FESTIVALS
 Himaya-an Festival – this festival is celebrated every April 14-25 in honor and praise to
God for the good harvest and good life endowed to the people of Himamaylan. There are
merrymaking and street dancing along the city’s main roads.
 Bunlaw Festival – every year ( a day after), people in Himamaylan and of nearby town
and cities trooped to Batang Peninsula to celebrate this festival to refresh the body and
mind, for them to face the new year with optimism. many beach activities are lined up for
enjoyment of beach goers.
 Escalante City
Negros Occidental

 HISTORY
Virtually nothing is known of Escalante during the pre-Hispanic era. But archaeological findings
in October 1975 and May 1976 made by a team of Anthropology students led by Professor
Lionel Chiong of Silliman University reveal early record of men who inhabited not only the
present city but also the island of Negros during the Pre-Spanish time. The findings were
recovered in nine (9) graves in what seemed to be an ancient burial ground in Brgy. Japitan, a
coastal barangay lying along the Tañon Strait, facing the island of Cebu, some 17 kilometers
from the city proper. The artifacts consists of celadon plate and bowls, stoneware bowls and jars,
a Sung Dynasty (960-1280 A.D.) jarlet, gold beads, iron implements, daggers and a hunting
knife with ivory bone handle. Obviously buried with the dead, the plate, bowls, jars and iron
implements were found alongside the skeletal remains, the daggers and hunting knife on top of
the breast section, and the gold beads inside the skulls in-between the upper and lower jaws.
When carbon-14 tested, these findings together with the human skeletal remains were found to
date as far back as the 12th century A.D. All this prove that this part of the island now known as
Escalante was inhabited by settlers with a relatively developed culture who were engaged in
some form of trade and commerce with the outside world, such as the Chinese traders who could
have brought the jarlet, stoneware and celadon pieces during the Ages of Contacts and Trade
with the East (11th & 12th centuries A.D.)

 PRODUCTS
Local products of Escalante City is mainly sugar cane. These harvested sugar canes are
transferred to the nearest sugar plantations to extract the sugar from it. Sugars are also shipped to
the provinces and cities in the country. There are also rice and corn products in the city

 FESTIVALS
 Manlambus Festival - A unity dance of the queens celebrates during 30th of May.
 Canlaon City
Negros Oriental

 HISTORY
Canlaon was known before as Sitio Mabigo, of Barrio Panubigan which was then under the
Municipality of Vallehermoso. It was named as such because of the bigo trees abounding the
place. This wilderness area was ruled before by a native chieftain named Saniko. Later on,
Mabigo became part of the sprawling property of Don Diego de la Viña in Vallehermoso. The
area soon gained prominence as a hub of commerce and agriculture as migrants from Cebu,
Bohol and Panay settled in the area. In 1941, an Ilocano geodetic engineer, Isidro Bautista Sr.,
together with the other residents filed a petition urging the national government for Mabigo’s
conversion into a municipality. However, war in the Pacific broke out and dimmed all hopes for
township.
It was October 11, 1946 that Sitio Mabigo was converted into a municipality. It was then named
as Municipality of Canlaon. It was then changed into a component city on July 2, 1967.

 PRODUCTS
It is easy to grow plants here since it is situated in the elevated part of the island. You can see sugarcane fields
and rice fields almost at every side of the road, giving you a rural feeling in the middle of the city. Much of the
agriculture products of the city are exported to the neighboring municipalities and islands.

 TOURIST SPOT
 Canlaon Volcano – the highest peak in whole Negros Island with a height of 2,465 meters above sea
level.
 The Oldest Tree – this is one of the main attractions in the city. It will take 42 individuals to embrace
the whole trunk of it.

 FESTIVALS
 Pasayaw Festival – this festival derived its name from the combined word of “Pasalamat Pinaagi sa
Sayaw” (a thanksgiving through dance). This Pasayaw expresses the joys and jubilations in praise and
thanksgiving to the Almighty God through the intercession of St. Joseph. The “Pasayaw Street Dancing
& Parade” is participated in by 12 contingents from the 12 barangays.
 Sipalay City
Negros Occidental

 HISTORY
Sipalay City started as a settlement of the wandering Bornean datus. These settlers started their
stay almost in the year 1800s. The people were staying near the Canman-og River, known today
as Naga River or Sipalay River, and was being rules by Basilio Debuyan. Houses were built and
a village was organized. However, the peaceful village near the Sipalay River didn’t existed that
long. The Sipalay River brought much destruction to the village and the people. The whole
village was swallowed up by the river, making the church and plaza to be carried away by the
flood. Because of that, the people decided to transfer to a flat land area across the river to the
north. The selected area was forestland. The former settlement is now known as Sipalay Diotay.
It stands today as the sentimental reminder of a once happy and prosperous village.

Within the new place, the people continued to make their living. Much of the people focused in
the agriculture and aqua-culture industry. Making Sipalay as an already organized settlement
even before the Americans came.

 PRODUCT
Barongoy (flying fish) is one of the best finds in Sipalay

handmade buri hats and bags are up for sale in the native products section.

Succulents cute ornamental plants called succulents. These low-maintenance plants need
just a little spray of water in a week to survive.
 TOURIST SPOT
 Sugar Beach – this is a German, Swiss and Filipino-owned resorts line which offer an excellent place
for swimming and various water activities.
 Tinagong Dagat – a hidden sea sprinkled with dozen islets covered with lush vegetation.
The sea bottom is covered with patches of sea grass beds, with the shoreline lined by
mangroves.
 Punta Ballo Beach – located within the proximity of Tinagong Dagat. This has a fine
white sands, stretching to kilometers. This is also the nearest jump off point towards the sea,
ideal for snorkeling and diving due to the rich marine life.
 FESTIVALS
 Pasaway sa Sipalay – this festival is annually celebrated every last week of March,
marking the Charter Anniversary of the city. It features street dancing and merry making by
performers from seventeen barangays of the city attired in mardigras and exotic costumes
int he semblance of copper minerals.
 Handurawan Festival – this festival is held every December 18-20 coupled with the
yuletide season. This is a three-day activity scheduled to give Sipalaynon and other tourist
visitors a time to enjoy.