Bacolod is known for being an urbanised Filipino city with a history in the sugar industry. It's the capital of Negros Occidental province and has around 500,000 inhabitants, making it the most highly-populated city in the Negros Island Region. The city has earned a reputation for being very friendly and is nicknamed the 'City of Smiles', which is partly due to the annual MassKara Festival, which boasts a spectacular display of colour, music and dance.
As a large sprawling city, attractions in Bacolod are well spread out. With a growing environmental consciousness, the city and surrounds have many green spaces and parks to enjoy such as the Capitol Lagoon Park, offering a real breath of fresh air. Visiting the interesting museums in the city is a real pleasure, including the Negros and Dizon-Ramos speciality museums.
Fine food is a feature of Bacolod and part of its culinary heritage is a dish called Inasal, which is a delicious type of roasted chicken served on skewers. When eating out, visitors can also enjoy legendary sweet desserts of the region, harking back to its sugar industry origins.
When it comes to annual events, in addition to the delightful MassKara Festival in October, there's Holy week in March/April and the Bacolaodiat Festival held in the spring, widely celebrated by the Filipino-Chinese population.
With the great outdoors to enjoy, visitors can also indulge in museum culture and a little retail therapy while spending time in Bacolod.
As a city with a strong ecological conscience, visitors can enjoy Mt. Kanlaon Natural Park, a natural reserve in nearby Canlaon with flora, fauna and animals. North Negros National Park offers Lush rainforests and good walking trails, while back in the city, Capitol Lagoon Park is a peaceful urban retreat.
The Negros Museum is full of Negros Occidental province history and also has a great cafe where Filipino artists exhibit their works. Then, there's the Dizon Ramos Museum with its many interesting collections such as The National Artist Gallery and The Holy Land Collection.
Those who enjoy shopping can explore Terra Dolce, an arcade-like mall with vibrant local clothing stores. For something a little different, head to 888 Chinatown Mall on Gatuslao St. with its true Chinese goods and ambience.
As a diverse community with Malay, Chinese, Indian and European influences, several prominent annual festivals bring a splash of life and colour to the city.
Holy Week: This religious event is celebrated in March or April and the Passion of Christ is re-enacted alongside a tradition of touring seven churches in the city to pray.
Bacolaodiat Festival: Held in the spring, this festival is widely celebrated by the Filipino-Chinese population and has music, dancing and local food.
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