Facts and Figures: Negros Occidental

FACTS & FIGURES

Land Area : 7,926.10 sq. km (2007)
No. of Barangays: 601 (As of June 2009)
No. of Municipalities: 19 (As of June 2009)
No. of Cities: 12 (As of June 2009)
Total Population: 2,370,269 (As of August 1, 2007)
Population Growth Rates: 1.44 (2000-2007)
Income Class: First Class
Consumer Price Index (2000=100): 160.7 (Jan 2011)
Inflation Rate: 4.8(Jan 2011)
Average Family Income: 73,923 (2000)
Average Family Expenditure: 69,241 (2000)
No. of Elementary Schools:
     Public:    598 (SY 2008-2009)
     Private: 39 (SY 2004-2005)
No. of Secondary Schools:
     Public :   120 (SY 2008-2009)
     Private: 38 (SY 2004-2005)
No. of Tertiary Schools: 6 (SY2005-2006)
No. of Licensed Hospitals: 27 (2009)
Telephone Loads: 54,577 (2009)
Telephone Density: 1.8 (per 100 population 2009)
No. of AM Broadcast Stations: 13 (2008)
No. of FM Broadcast Stations: 7 (2008)
No. of Motor Vehicles Registered: 145,552 (2010)
No. of Establishments (2010)
     Business Name Registration: 2,927

Bacolod City is the city capital of the province. It lies on the northwestern part of the province of Negros Occidental and on the western side of Negros Island. It is 50 minutes from Manila and 30 minutes from Cebu by plane. Philippine Airlines has 3 daily flights to and from Manila and a daily flight to and from Cebu. Bacolod City is also accessible by boat from Manila, almost 24 hours and from Iloilo only two hours by ordinary ship. By land from Cebu, Bacolod City is approximately 7 hours.

Negros Occidental's economy was pivoted practically around one commodity, "Sugar" which made it the country's premier sugar producer. However, when the world sugar prices plummeted during the early 1980's, the economy of Negros Occidental was devastated. From that experience, Negrenses learned to diversify their economy. Large tracts of sugar plantation were converted into more profitable ventures such as prawn and fish ponds, farms nurturing high value crops and floral species, as well as livestock fattening projects.

Sugar still remains as the main agricultural produce of the province with about 56%
of its land area planted to sugar cane. Sugar farms produce 800,000 metric tons of raw sugar annually. Rice, corn and coconuts are also planted extensively. Other agricultural produce are corn, abaca, bananas, mangoes and pineapples.


Aklan	Antique	Capiz	Guimaras	Iloilo	Negros Occidental