Metro Bacolod (Hiligaynon: Kaulohan nga Bacolod; Tagalog: Kalakhang Bacolod) is the 8th-most populous and the 6th-most densely populated metropolitan area out of the 12 metropolitan areas in the Philippines. This metropolitan area as defined by the National Economic and Development Authority (NEDA) has an estimated population of 840,170 inhabitants as of the 2020 official census by the Philippine Statistics Authority.[3]

Metro Bacolod
Skyline of Urban Bacolod
Skyline of Urban Bacolod
   Metro Bacolod within    Negros Occidental
CountryPhilippines
RegionNegros Island Region
ProvinceNegros Occidental
CitiesBacolod
Silay
Talisay
Legislative districtsLone District of Bacolod
3rd District of Negros Occidental
Barangays104[1]
Largest cityBacolod
Government
 • TypeMetropolis
Area
 • Total
578.65 km2 (223.42 sq mi)
Population
 (2020)[3]
 • Total
840,170
 • Density1,452/km2 (3,760/sq mi)
Time zoneUTC+8 (Philippine Standard Time)

The metropolitan area is centered on Bacolod, the provincial capital, and the component cities of Silay and Talisay, all located in the province of Negros Occidental. As of 2005, Metro Bacolod has relatively high GDP shares, contributed 88,056,250 or about 7.3% of the country's gross domestic product (GDP). Metro Bacolod is among those identified by the National Framework for Physical Planning: 2001–2030 as one of the country’s industrial, financial and technological centers. It is ranked 4th among the six regions in terms of GDP contributions in 2005 and expanded. The Bacolod city government, the definition based on the 2020 official census of the Philippine Statistics Authority.[4][5]

Cities

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All of the cities of Metro Bacolod are located in the province of Negros Occidental.

City Population (2020)[3] Barangays Pop. density (per km²) Area (km²) Income class Legal class Zip code
Bacolod 600,783 61 3,500 162.67 1st class Highly urbanized city 6100
Silay 130,478 16 590 214.80 3rd Class Component city 6116
Talisay 108,909 27 510 201.18 4th Class Component city 6115

Media

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AM stations
FM stations
TV stations
Cable & satellite TV providers

Transportation

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Bacolod–Silay International Airport Terminal in Silay City

Airport

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Bacolod–Silay International Airport is located in Silay City. Metro Bacolod is approximately 1hr 13mins by air from Ninoy Aquino International Airport and approximately 30–45 minutes by air from Mactan–Cebu International Airport. Commercial Airlines serving the metropolitan area are Philippine Airlines, Cebu Pacific Air, PAL Express, Philippines Air Asia and Cebgo.

Roads

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Bacolod has two main roads, Lacson Street to the north and Araneta Street to the south. The city has a good traffic plan lay-out and very seldom has traffic jams. The streets in the downtown area are one way, making Bacolod free from traffic congestion. Recently, Bacolod is experiencing an increase in traffic congestion due to an increase in number of vehicles and a perceived lack of implementation of traffic rules by the local government.

Seaports

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Banago Wharf and BREDCO Port are the vessels entry point in Bacolod. It has daily access to Iloilo, with different shipping lines such as 2GO Travel, Weesam Express, SuperCat, Ocean Jet, Montenegro Lines, FastCat, and Tri Star megalink. 2GO Travel routes from Bacolod going Manila, Iloilo and Cagayan de Oro. Bacolod is 18–23 hours from the Port of Manila, 2–3 hours from Dumangas Port and 45 minutes- 1hr from the Port of Iloilo.

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Bacolod

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Silay

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Talisay

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Proposed developments

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Former Bacolod Mayor Monico Puentevella proposed the creation of Metro Bacolod Development Authority (MBDA) which is now supported by the Negros Occidental Governor Alfredo Marañon Jr. The cities of Bacolod, Talisay, Silay, Bago, and the municipality of Murcia will be the components of MBDA. Once approved, Metro Bacolod will have a total population of 1,058,203.[6]

Metro Bacolod Chamber of Commerce and Industry (MBCCI) president Frank Carbon believes that turning Bacolod and surrounding places into a metropolitan area is an essential factor in progress. He envisions Metro Bacolod to be composed of Bacolod, Silay, Talisay and Bago cities, as well as Murcia and Don Salvador Benedicto towns. There is a need to create a master plan for Metro Bacolod and the Metro Bacolod Development Authority (MBDA) which will help this capital city and nearby areas achieve their long-term goals and boost their business sector, Carbon said.[7]

This plan divides the cities and municipalities to the following industries:

See also

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References

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  1. ^ Government of the Philippines. "Total Population by Province, City, Municipality and Barangay: as of August 1, 2007 (Region VI – Western Visayas)" Archived February 15, 2010, at the Wayback Machine, Philippine Statistics Authority, Republic of the Philippines, Retrieved on July 7, 2010.
  2. ^ "List of Cities". Archived from the original on April 29, 2011. Retrieved July 7, 2010.
  3. ^ a b c Census of Population (2020). Table B - Population and Annual Growth Rates by Province, City, and Municipality - By Region. Philippine Statistics Authority. Retrieved July 8, 2021.
  4. ^ "Building Globally Competitive Metro Areas in the Philippines" (PDF). National Economic and Development Authority. August 30, 2007. Archived from the original (PDF) on October 4, 2013. Retrieved February 6, 2014.
  5. ^ "DAILY STAR: Top Stories". Archived from the original on February 3, 2018.
  6. ^ "Local News: Gov. Supports Creation of Metro Bacolod Development Authority | Negros Daily Bulletin". Archived from the original on August 11, 2013. Retrieved August 7, 2013.
  7. ^ "Panaynewsphilippines.com".
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