Top 10 Reasons to Visit Bacolod

Why Bacolod is a TOP destination

1. Greatly improved accessibility through an airport that connects to the city to Manila 8 times daily through 3 major airlines and a seaport for large cargo and passenger vessels in addition to the fast sea crafts cruising the waters between Iloilo and Bacolod.
2. Upbeat local economy and unlimited opportunities for trade and investments because the city is home to a high percentage of the Philippines' top 20 corporations;
3. Intensified initiatives towards agri-based diversification like the production of food items, mucovado sugar, organic fertilizers, light farm equipment and home décor;
4. Acclaimed as the Most Business Friendly City in the Philippines in 2007 by the Philippine Chamber of Commerce & Industry.
5. Inexpensive cost of doing business with numerous amenities, facilities and available opportunities;
6. Effective maintenance of clean and green surroundings as evidenced by a HALL OF FAME AWARD as the Cleanest and Greenest Highly Urbanized City in the Philippines.
7. Low percentage of illegal settlers.
8. Now considered as the Information Technology and Business Process Outsourcing hub of Western Visayas with the presence of 8 major call centers.
9. Strong involvement and partnership between the government and various private stakeholders plus that legendary hospitality and cuisine that make Bacolod City an ideal place to visit, to work in and much more to live in this lifetime.
10. A stable peace and order condition where incidence of crime is low, there is high police visibility and a crime solution of 97%.

The Provincial Capitol Building - a Bacolod City landmark

How to Get to Bacolod


 BY AIR-The city is only 55 minutes from and to Manila, serviced by the country's 3 major airlines - Philippine Airlines, Cebu Pacific and Air Philippines, with four round trip flights daily.


From Cebu City, Bacolod is only 30 minutes away, with 3 round trips daily through Philippine Airlines and Cebu Pacific.
 The New Bacolod-Silay Airport of International Standard is 20 minutes to and from the Bacolod downtown.


The Bacolod Silay Airport

BY SEA-Bacolod is normally a 20-hour cruise to and from Manila aboard world-class vessels; 55 minutes to and from Iloilo on fast seacrafts. The Banago and BREDCO ports are the vessels entry point.


BY SEA AND LAND- The 18-hour travel time to and from Manila via land and sea transport is now possible through RORO (Roll On Roll Off) vessels traversing through the Strong Republic Nautical Highway using the ports of Iloilo, Caticlan in Aklan, Roxas in Mindoro and Batangas in the Province of Batangas.

Source: www.bacolodcity.gov.ph

Bacolod City - Best Place to Live in the Philippines

Bacolod City is the capital and largest highly urbanized mid-size Philippine city of the province of Negros Occidental. Having a total of 499,497 inhabitants as of August 1, 2007, it is the most populous city in the Western Visayas Region. It is notable for its MassKara Festival held during October. Known for being a relatively friendly city, it bears the nickname "City of Smiles" and the "Football City of the Philippines". Bacolod City recently topped a survey by MoneySense Magazine as the "Best Place to Live in the Philippines".

A Brief History
The city's name is derived from the Hiligaynon word bakolod – meaning "stonehill" – since the settlement was founded in 1770 on a stony, hilly area, now the district of Granada.
Due to Muslim raids in 1787, Bacolod was transferred towards the shoreline. The old site was called Da-an Banwa, meaning "old town".

In 1894, by order of Governor General Claveria, through Negros Island Governor Manuel Valdevieso Morquecho, Bacolod was made the capital of the Province of Negros. Bernardino de los Santos became the first gobernadorcillo and Fray Julian Gonzaga the first parish priest.

The success of the revolution in Bacolod was attributed to the low morale of the local Spanish detachment, due to its defeat in Panay and Luzon and to the psychological warfare waged by Generals Aniceto Lacson and Juan Araneta. In 1897, a battle in Bacolod was fought at Matab-ang River. A year later, on November 5, 1898, the Negrense "Revolucionarios," armed with knives, bolos, spears, and rifle-like nipa stems, and pieces of sawali or amakan mounted on carts, captured the convento where Coronel Isidro de Castro y Cisneros, well-armed cazadores and platoons of civil guards, surrendered. Two days later, on the 7th, most of the revolutionary army gathered together to establish a Provisional Junta and to confirm the elections of Aniceto Lacson as president, Juan Araneta as war-delegate, as well as the other officials.

On March 1899, the American forces led by Colonel James G. Smith occupied Bacolod, the revolutionary capital of the Provisional Republic of Negros.

By virtue of Commonwealth Act No. 326, enacted by the National Assembly, Bacolod was made a chartered city on October 19, 1938.

In World War II, Bacolod City was occupied by Japanese forces on May 21, 1942. The Japanese commanding general seized the Mariano Ramos Ancestral House, home of the first appointed Presidente Municipal of Bacolod, which served as the seat of power and a watchtower over city. The city was liberated by joint Filipino and American forces on May 29, 1945. It took time to rebuild Bacolod after liberation. The city's public markets and slaughterhouses were rebuilt during the administration of former mayor Vicente Remitio from 1947 to 1949.

Location
Bacolod City is located on the northwestern coast of the Province of Negros Occidental. It is bounded on the northwest by the town of Talisay; on the east by the City of Silay; on the east and southwest by the town of Murcia; on the southwest by the City of Bago; and in the west by the Guimaras Strait. The global location of Bacolod City is 10 degrees, 40 minutes 40 seconds - north and 122 degrees 54 minutes 25 seconds - east with Bacolod Public Plaza as the benchmark.

Bacolod has a total land area of 16,145 hectares, including straits and bodies of water and the 124 hectare reclamation area; and is composed of 61 barangay (villages) and 639 purok (smaller units composing a village). It is accessible by sea through the ports of Banago; the BREDCO Port in the Reclamation Area, and the port of Pulupandan. By air, it is accessible through the Bacolod Airport, which is approximately three (3) (four is counting from the Lagoon) kilometers away from the center of the city.

Bacolod is ideally located on a level area, slightly sloping as it extends toward the sea with an average slope of 0.9 percent for the city proper and between 3 to 5 percent for the suburbs. The altitude is 32.8 feet or 10.0 meters above sea level with the Bacolod City Public Plaza as the benchmark. Bacolod has two pronounced seasons, wet and dry. The rainy season starts from May to January of the following year with heavy rains occurring during the months of August and September. Dry season starts from the month of February until the last week of April.

Source: Wikipedia

Bacolod Night Life: Mu Shu

I often visit Mu Shu Asian Restaurant and Lounge, usually to dine out with my family or to meet up and hang out with my friends.

I love their food, especially the Java Spareribs and Hainanese Chicken which goes perfect with their mixed fried rice. They also have Mu Shu pork dishes like Glazed Pork Spareribs, Crispy Garlic Spareribs, Pork Satay and more!

If we’re not dining at Mu Shu, we usually go there after dinner to chill out and enjoy the Bacolod night life. Since it opened, Mu Shu is the popular hang out and party place in Bacolod City, especially for the younger crowd.

Mu Shu serves a diverse choice of cocktails and drinks. I especially like their Strawberry Margarita which you can order by the glass or by the pitcher. For group or barkada gimmicks, their cocktails like the Mango Margarita, Purple Ninja and Kamikaze, which they serve in a pitcher, are perfect.

Drinks and cocktails would go well with pica pica. I would recommend their mozzarella cheese sticks served with a very delicious dip! They also have a dimsum platter which is very filling and appetizing. If you want to try something new and different, Mu Shu serves pizza with a twist! True to their Asian theme, they offer Hoisin Pork Pizza, Beef Teriyaki Pizza, Chicken Curry Pizza and more. It’s not your typical Italian Pizza but it tastes very good!

So the next time you’re in Bacolod and would like to eat Asian food or sample the Bacolod night life, go to Mu Shu for a total experience. It’s usually the first stop for a night out, with other Bacolod bars and clubs nearby. It’s located just off Lacson Street, Bacolod’s main road, where all the action is. Mu Shu is more like a lounge than a bar though. But during weekends and especially when there’s a party or a special event, it dims it lights and transforms into a club-like venue where a DJ spins the hottest dance tracks and people just dance and have fun.




Mu Shu Asian Restaurant and Lounge
20th Lacson Street, 
Bacolod City, Negros Occidental
Philippines 6100

Phone: +63(34)435-0972
http://www.mushubacolod.com/