Kabankalan City, Negros Occidental – Montage
|Nickname(s): The Rising City of the South|
Map of Negros Occidental with Kabankalan highlighted
|Region||Western Visayas (Region VI)|
|Congr. district||6th District of Negros Occidental|
|Incorporated||March 14, 1907 (town)|
|Incorporated||August 2, 1997 (city)|
|• Mayor||Isidro P. Zayco|
|• Vice Mayor||Delia O. Anacan|
|• Total||697.35 km2 (269.25 sq mi)|
|• Density||240/km2 (620/sq mi)|
|Time zone||PST (UTC+8)|
|Income class||1st class|
Kabankalan is a first class city in the province of Negros Occidental, Philippines. According to the 2010 census, it has a population of 167,666 people, making it the second most populous city in Negros Occidental next to Bacolod City.
Kabankalan is over an hour's drive south of Bacolod City by private car while public utility vehicles reach the place in about two hours. The city, which serves as the center of economic activities in southern Negros, is also the take-off point for various destinations down south, and links the province to Dumaguete City, capital of Negros Oriental, via the Kabankalan-Mabinay Highway. It's halfway location between Bacolod and Dumaguete Cities made it the planned regional center of the proposed Negros Island Region, along with the nearby Municipality of Mabinay in Negros Oriental.
The Kabankalan City Domestic Airport will be the second active airport in the province (after the Bacolod-Silay International Airport) and the scheduled completion of the said airport will be on 2014.
The city hosts three major festivals: the Kabankalan Sinulog every third Sunday of January (celebrated together with Cebu City), Udyakan sa Kabankalan and the Charter Anniversary. Kabankalan is also known for its world renowned Mag-aso Falls and the Balicaocao Resort.
Recently, Kabankalan City won the major award as the "Best Performing City" in Region VI in the 2011 Regional Search for Excellence in Local Governance (EXCEL). The award was given during the Pagdayaw 2011 program held at the Iloilo Grand Hotel in December 2011.
Kabankalan occupies the central portion of the Southern Negros Island and its geographically located at 10° north and 122° east. It is bounded on the north by the City of Himamaylan, on the northwest by Panay Gulf, on the southwest by Municipality of Ilog and on the southeast by the Province of Negros Oriental. It is 90 kilometers away from Bacolod City and 100 kilometers from Dumaguete City and the Southern most town of Hinoba-an.
Kabankalan has Type 3 climate condition which means dry season is from December to May while the rainy season is from June to November. Average temperature is 26 degrees Celsius (80 degrees Fahrenheit).
- Daan Banua
- Barangay 5 (Pob.)
- Barangay 6 (Pob.)
- Barangay 7 (Pob.)
- Barangay 8 (Pob.)
- Barangay 9 (Pob.)
- Barangay 1 (Pob.)
- Barangay 2 (Pob.)
- Barangay 3 (Pob.)
- Barangay 4 (Pob.)
According to historians, the first inhabitants of Kabankalan were people who came from neighboring towns. They derived the name Kabankalan from the word “Bangkal” a species of trees which is abundant and can be found in the place. The settlers established the Barangay form of government, which every group has its own leader called the Capitan.
In early years, Kabankalan started as a barrio of Ilog, a neighboring town of the city today. When Kabankalan turned into a town in 1903, its first town president was Capitan Lorenzo Zayco, but in mid-1907 a group of rebel called “pulahan” led by Papa Isio raided the town and burned all the houses. However, the people of Kabankalan quickly recovered and rebuilt the town from destruction caused by the dissidents.
During the Spanish regime, the people were taught by the Spanish with their language and introduced the Roman Catholic religion. When the Americans came they introduced the democratic form of government. During this time, a lot of improvements came through to the town and new modern techniques of farming were introduced by the Americans to the local farmers that give them good products.
After the American regime, another invader occupied the town of Kabankalan: the Japanese, and during this time, a guerilla unit was formed to oppose the foreign aggression and many people fled to the mountain to avoid the Japanese military abuse but when Americans returned in the island, they helped the people to be freed from the Japanese.
After the World War II, the town began to move and regain the economy. The establishment of two sugar mills in 1960’s and early 70’s give the town a boost into the list of top improving towns of Negros.
The town of Kabankalan was declared by former president Fidel V. Ramos as a chartered city on August 2, 1997, under Republic Act No. 8297.
|Population census of Kabankalan|
|Source: National Statistics Office|
- "Cities". Quezon City, Philippines: Department of the Interior and Local Government. Retrieved 5 March 2013.
- "Province: Negros Occidental". PSGC Interactive. Makati City, Philippines: National Statistical Coordination Board. Retrieved 5 March 2013.
- "Total Population by Province, City, Municipality and Barangay: as of May 1, 2010". 2010 Census of Population and Housing. National Statistics Office. Retrieved 5 March 2013.
- "Province of Negros Occidental". Municipality Population Data. LWUA Research Division. Retrieved 19 August 2013.
- Kabankalan City Official Website
- Philippine Standard Geographic Code
- Philippine Census Information
- Local Governance Performance Management System
|Ilog||Ayungon, Negros Oriental|
|Bayawan, Negros Oriental||Mabinay, Negros Oriental|