Silay, officially the City of Silay ( hil, Dakbanwa/Syudad sang Silay; ceb, Dakbayan sa Silay; fil, Lungsod ng Silay), is a 3rd class component city in the

province A province is almost always an administrative division within a country or state. The term derives from the ancient Roman ''provincia'', which was the major territorial and administrative unit of the Roman Empire's territorial possessions outsi ...

Negros Occidental Negros Occidental ( hil, Nakatungdang Negros; tl, Kanlurang Negros), officially the Province of Negros Occidental, is a Provinces of the Philippines, province in the Philippines located in the Western Visayas Regions of the Philippines, region. ...

Philippines The Philippines (; fil, Pilipinas, links=no), officially the Republic of the Philippines ( fil, Republika ng Pilipinas, links=no), * bik, Republika kan Filipinas * ceb, Republika sa Pilipinas * cbk, República de Filipinas * hil, Republ ...

. According to the 2020 census, it has a population of 130,478 people. It is part of the metropolitan area called

Metro Bacolod The Bacolod Metropolitan Area ( hil, Kaulohan nga Bacolod; tl, Kalakhang Bacolod), simply known as Metro Bacolod, is the 8th-most populous and the 6th-most densely populated metropolitan area out of the 12 metropolitan areas in the Philippin ...

, which includes the cities of

Bacolod Bacolod, officially the City of Bacolod (; hil, Dakbanwa/Syudad sang Bacolod; fil, Lungsod ng Bacolod), is a 1st class Cities of the Philippines#Legal classification, highly urbanized city in the Regions of the Philippines, region of Western ...

(the metropolitan center) and Talisay. It has a sizable commercial and fishing port and is the site of the new Bacolod–Silay International Airport, which replaced the old

Bacolod City Domestic Airport Bacolod City Domestic Airport (Filipino: ''Paliparang Domestiko ng Lungsod ng Bacolod'', Hiligaynon: ''Domestiko nga Hulugpaan sang Dakbanwa sang Bacolod'') , also known as Bacolod Airport, was the airport serving the general area of Bacolod, ...

. Silay is often referred to as the "

Paris Paris () is the capital and most populous city of France, with an estimated population of 2,165,423 residents in 2019 in an area of more than 105 km² (41 sq mi), making it the 30th most densely populated city in the world in 2020. ...

of Negros" due to its artists, cultural shows and large collection of perfectly preserved heritage houses. More than thirty of these houses have been declared by the

National Historical Commission of the Philippines The National Historical Commission of the Philippines ( fil, Pambansang Komisyong Pangkasaysayan ng Pilipinas, abbreviated NHCP) is a government agency of the Philippines. Its mission is "the promotion of Philippine history and cultural herit ...

as part of the Silay National Historical Landmark. In 2015, the city celebrated its 58th charter anniversary.

Etymology

The appellation ''Silay'' is derived from the name of a native tree which grew abundantly in the area. The kansilay is the city's official tree.

The Legend of Princess Kansilay

A local legend tells of how Silay City got its name. It is said that in the days of the

datu ''Datu'' is a title which denotes the rulers (variously described in historical accounts as chiefs, sovereign princes, and monarchs) of numerous indigenous peoples throughout the Philippine archipelago. The title is still used today, especia ...

s and

rajah ''Raja'' (; from , IAST ') is a royal title used for South Asian monarchs. The title is equivalent to king or princely ruler in South Asia and Southeast Asia. The title has a long history in South Asia and Southeast Asia, being attes ...

s, there once lived a princess named Kansilay. An attack on the settlement by pirates was thwarted when the princess bravely led the people in the village's defense. The fight was furious and the princess fought like a seasoned warrior. Murals that used to grace some of the city's public buildings depict her as a fierce fighter wielding a huge ''

talibong The kampilan (Baybayin: ) also known as talong is a type of single-edged sword, traditionally used by various ethnic groups in the Philippine archipelago. It has a distinct profile, with the tapered blade being much broader and thinner at the po ...

'', a short native single-edged sword. The pirates were routed, but at the cost of the princess' life. Her paramour arrived in time to see her die. In grief, the people lovingly buried her. To their surprise, a tree grew right over her grave, the first Kansilay tree, a final gift from the brave princess.

History

Spanish colonization

Silay was first settled in 1565, under the name ''"Carobcob"'', which means "to scratch" in Kinaray-a; residents of the settlement relied upon harvesting ''tuway''

clam Clam is a common name for several kinds of bivalve molluscs. The word is often applied only to those that are edible and live as infauna, spending most of their lives halfway buried in the sand of the seafloor or riverbeds. Clams have two sh ...

s, which involved "scratching" (or raking) the sands for the

mollusk Mollusca is the second-largest phylum of invertebrate animals after the Arthropoda, the members of which are known as molluscs or mollusks (). Around 85,000 extant species of molluscs are recognized. The number of fossil species is es ...

s at low tide, as a means of livelihood. In early writings, the settlement was also referred to as ''"Calubcub"'', ''"Caracol"'' and ''"Caraco"''. The last two variations mean "snail" or a "spiral" in

Spanish Spanish might refer to: * Items from or related to Spain: ** Spaniards are a nation and ethnic group indigenous to Spain **Spanish language, spoken in Spain and many Latin American countries **Spanish cuisine Other places * Spanish, Ontario, Ca ...

. ''Carobcob'' was built near the mouth of a creek; nothing is left of the village today. ''Carobcob'' was granted as an

encomienda The ''encomienda'' () was a Spanish labour system that rewarded conquerors with the labour of conquered non-Christian peoples. The labourers, in theory, were provided with benefits by the conquerors for whom they laboured, including military ...

to Cristobal Nuñez Paroja, one of the seventeen soldiers of

Miguel López de Legazpi Miguel López de Legazpi (12 June 1502 – 20 August 1572), also known as ''Adelantado, El Adelantado'' and ''El Viejo'' (The Elder), was a Spaniard who, from the age of 26, lived and built a career in Mexico (then the Viceroyalty of New Sp ...

on January 25, 1571. In the second half of the century, Moro slave raiders escalated their incursions on the large island, forcing the ''Corregidor'' of Negros to adopt the policy of flight rather than resistance. People left their homes sometime in 1760 and settled in a new location between two small rivers, Matagoy and Panaogao. A ''paloisades'' or ''estacada'' (

for "palisade" or "stockade") was constructed to protect the populace from Moro raiders. The place is now known as Sitio Estaca, its name derived from the Spanish word ''estacada''. In 1760, Silay was recognized as a town being referred to in a letter from Governor Juan Jose de Mijares (1772–1775) mentioning Silay as a leading town in the north. In 1776, the bishop of

Cebu Cebu (; ceb, Sugbo), officially the Province of Cebu ( ceb, Lalawigan sa Sugbo; tl, Lalawigan ng Cebu; hil, Kapuroan sang Sugbo), is a province of the Philippines located in the Central Visayas region, and consists of a main island and ...

considered Silay as the center of the

parish A parish is a territorial entity in many Christian denominations, constituting a division within a diocese. A parish is under the pastoral care and clerical jurisdiction of a priest, often termed a parish priest, who might be assisted by one or ...

. In 1760, it became a ''pueblo'' or town. By 1896, it had become a leading sugar-producing area because of the ''Horno Economico'' (

sugar mill A sugar cane mill is a factory that processes sugar cane to produce raw or white sugar. The term is also used to refer to the equipment that crushes the sticks of sugar cane to extract the juice. Processing There are a number of steps in pr ...

) built in 1846 by a Frenchman who became a permanent resident of Silay, Yves Leopold Germain Gaston.

Negros Revolution

With the outbreak of the Revolution of 1896 came a division between the sugarcane planters of Silay and the

clergy Clergy are formal leaders within established religions. Their roles and functions vary in different religious traditions, but usually involve presiding over specific rituals and teaching their religion's doctrines and practices. Some of the t ...

. Some planters and clergy supported the rebels while others were against the revolution. On November 5, 1898, at about 2:00 in the afternoon, residents of Silay gathered in the street corner now known as ''Cinco de Noviembre'' Street and from there they proceeded to the Spanish garrison near the Catholic Church. The encounter was bloodless. The Spanish civil guard commander, Lt. Maximiano Correa, refused to surrender. After negotiations with the revolutionaries mediated by Juan Viaplana, a local Spaniard, the Spanish garrison did surrender. A

Philippine flag The national flag of the Philippines ( tgl, Pambansang watawat ng Pilipinas; ilo, Nailian a bandera ti Filipinas; ceb, Nasudnong bandila ng Pilipinas; es, Bandera Nacional de Filipinas) is a horizontal List of flags by design#Bicolour, bicol ...

was raised for the first time at the Silay plaza later that afternoon. Leandro Locsin became temporary president after the signing of the terms of surrender. Timoteo Unson and the group of Silay residents then marched south to join forces with some residents of Talisay for an attack on

, the capital.

World War II

On the slopes of Mt. Silay lies Patag, the site of

Imperial Japan The also known as the Japanese Empire or Imperial Japan, was a historical nation-state and great power that existed from the Meiji Restoration in 1868 until the enactment of the post-World War II 1947 constitution and subsequent for ...

last stand A last stand is a military situation in which a body of troops holds a defensive position in the face of overwhelming and virtually insurmountable odds. Troops may make a last stand due to a sense of duty; because they are defending a tacti ...

in Negros during

World War II World War II or the Second World War, often abbreviated as WWII or WW2, was a world war that lasted from 1939 to 1945. It involved the World War II by country, vast majority of the world's countries—including all of the great power ...

. In 1945, U.S. military forces landed in the island. The occupying forces of the Nagano Detachment of the

Imperial Japanese Army The was the official ground-based armed force of the Empire of Japan from 1868 to 1945. It was controlled by the Imperial Japanese Army General Staff Office and the Ministry of the Army, both of which were nominally subordinate to the Emperor ...

retreated to Silay and proceeded up Mt. Silay to Patag. There, they established a defensive position. Military forces of the

Philippine Commonwealth The Commonwealth of the Philippines ( es, Commonwealth de Filipinas or ; tl, Komonwelt ng Pilipinas) was the administrative body that governed the Philippines from 1935 to 1946, aside from a period of exile in the Second World War from 1942 ...

and soldiers of the U.S. 40th Infantry Division proceeded up the slopes of Mt. Silay with help from Filipino soldiers of the 7th, 72nd and 75th Infantry Division of the Philippine Commonwealth Army and Negrense guerrilla fighters and defeated the Japanese defenders. Today, the site is marked by a monument dedicated to the efforts which led to the liberation of the island of Negros.

Post-World War II

Cityhood

On June 12, 1957, Silay was converted into a city, by virtue of Republic Act 1621.

Culture

Maria Ledesma Golez Heritage House Front view

Silay City had been known in the past as the "Paris of Negros" and the "cultural and intellectual hub of Negros" due to the residents' love for knowledge and works of art, and its collection of heritage mansions built during the height of the Philippine sugar industry's success, of which Negros was the very center. Most notable among these houses is

Balay Negrense The Balay Negrense ( Hiligaynon for Negrense House), also as Victor Fernandez Gaston Ancestral House is a museum in Silay City, Negros Occidental in the Philippines, showcasing the lifestyle of a late 19th-century Negrense sugar baron. It is ...

, the mansion of the son of the first Negrense sugar baron, Yves Leopold Germain Gaston and the Hofileña Ancestral House built by Manuel Severino Hofileña for his wife, former Miss Silay Gilda Ledesma Hojilla. Silay became a chartered city on June 12, 1957, by virtue of Republic Act 1621. On June 7, 2003, Silay City became the first local government unit in the Republic of the Philippines to hold a

referendum A referendum (plural: referendums or less commonly referenda) is a direct vote by the electorate on a proposal, law, or political issue. This is in contrast to an issue being voted on by a representative. This may result in the adoption of ...

through a

People's Initiative People's Initiative (or "PI") is a common appellative in the Philippines that refers to either a mode for constitutional amendment provided by the 1987 Philippine Constitution or to the act of pushing an initiative (national or local) allowed b ...

approving the 2003 annual executive budget. Today, Silay City is listed by the Department of Tourism as one of its 25 tourist destinations in the Philippines. It is considered the seat of arts, culture and

ecotourism Ecotourism is a form of tourism involving responsible travel (using sustainable transport) to natural areas, conserving the environment, and improving the well-being of the local people. Its purpose may be to educate the traveler, to provide fund ...

in the

Negros Island Region The Negros Island Region ( hil, Rehiyon sang Pulo sang Negros; ceb, Rehiyon sa Pulo sa Negros), also abbreviated and officially designated as NIR (unofficially ''Region XVIII''), was a short-lived administrative region in the Philippines which ...

Hugyaw Kansilay Festival

Every 12th day of June, the city celebrates their annual festival called ''Hugyaw Kansilay Festival.'' The theme is derived from the story of Kansilay, which is also the origin of the city's name. The festival reflects the growth of Silay; from a lowly

pueblo In the Southwestern United States, Pueblo (capitalized) refers to the Native tribes of Puebloans having fixed-location communities with permanent buildings which also are called pueblos (lowercased). The Spanish explorers of northern New Spain ...

to a city that can hold its own among the country's best. The city's festival dance depicts the setting, characters,

plot Plot or Plotting may refer to: Art, media and entertainment * Plot (narrative), the story of a piece of fiction Music * ''The Plot'' (album), a 1976 album by jazz trumpeter Enrico Rava * The Plot (band), a band formed in 2003 Other * ''Plot ...

, sub-plots,

conflict Conflict may refer to: Arts, entertainment, and media Films * ''Conflict'' (1921 film), an American silent film directed by Stuart Paton * ''Conflict'' (1936 film), an American boxing film starring John Wayne * ''Conflict'' (1937 film) ...

climax Climax may refer to: Language arts * Climax (narrative), the point of highest tension in a narrative work * Climax (rhetoric), a figure of speech that lists items in order of importance Biology * Climax community, a biological community th ...

and the story of the Legend of Kansilay.

Geography

Silay City is from

Barangays

Silay is politically subdivided into 16

barangay A barangay (; abbreviated as Brgy. or Bgy.), historically referred to as barrio (abbreviated as Bo.), is the smallest administrative division in the Philippines and is the native Filipino term for a village, district, or ward. In metropolit ...

Climate

Demographics

Economy

Transportation

Airports

The Bacolod–Silay International Airport, serves the whole

area and surrounding places. The P4.37-billion airport is capable of handling all-weather and night-landing operations. Its 2,000-meter (6,600 ft.) long and 45-meter (148 ft.) wide primary runway, and 678-meter by 23-meter taxiways can accommodate

Airbus A320 family The Airbus A320 family is a series of Narrow-body aircraft, narrow-body airliners developed and produced by Airbus. The A320 was launched in March 1984, Maiden flight, first flew on 22 February 1987, and was introduced in April 1988 by Air F ...

-size aircraft, and the

Boeing 737 The Boeing 737 is a narrow-body aircraft produced by Boeing at its Renton Factory in Washington. Developed to supplement the Boeing 727 on short and thin routes, the twinjet retains the 707 fuselage width and six abreast seating with two ...

, while the apron can hold five aircraft at any one time. The runway runs in a direction of 03°/21°. Provisions for a expansion of the present runway in order to accommodate even larger airplanes like the

Airbus A330 The Airbus A330 is a wide-body aircraft developed and produced by Airbus. Airbus conceived several derivatives of the A300, its first airliner in the mid-1970s. Then the company began development on the A330 twinjet in parallel with the A3 ...

Airbus A340 The Airbus A340 is a long-haul, long-range, wide-body passenger airliner that was developed and produced by Airbus. In the mid-1970s, Airbus conceived several derivatives of the Airbus A300, A300, its first airliner, and developed the A340 qu ...

and

Boeing 747 The Boeing 747 is a large, long-range wide-body airliner designed and manufactured by Boeing Commercial Airplanes in the United States between 1968 and 2022. After introducing the 707 in October 1958, Pan Am wanted a jet times its size, ...

are now in place. The airport is expected to be the primary entrance by air to Negros Island Region. Silay is 50 minutes by air from

Manila Manila ( , ; fil, Maynila, ), officially the City of Manila ( fil, Lungsod ng Maynila, ), is the capital city, capital of the Philippines, and its second-most populous city. It is Cities of the Philippines#Independent cities, highly urbanize ...

, 30 minutes by air from

, 1 hour by air from Cagayan de Oro and 37.2 minutes by air from

General Santos General Santos, officially the City of General Santos,; hil, Dakbanwa sang Heneral Santos; Maguindanao: ''Ingud nu Heneral Santos''; Blaan: ''Banwe Dadiangas''; Tboli: ''Benwu Dadiangas''; Filipino: ''Lungsod ng Heneral Santos'' and abbre ...

. Commercial airlines operating in the Bacolod–Silay International Airport are

Philippine Airlines Philippine Airlines (PAL), a trade name of PAL Holdings, Inc. ( PSEPAL (Philippine Air Lines until 1970), is the flag carrier airline of the Philippines. Headquartered at the PNB Financial Center in Pasay, the airline was founded in 1941 and ...

Cebu Pacific Air Cebu Air, Inc., operating as Cebu Pacific (), is a low-cost airline of the Philippines. Founded in 1988, it is Asia's oldest low-cost airline. It offers scheduled flights to both domestic and international destinations. The airline operates fl ...

PAL Express Air Philippines Corporation, operating as PAL Express and formerly branded as Air Philippines and Airphil Express, is a wholly owned subsidiary airline of Philippine Airlines which is under its ownership. It is PAL's regional brand, with servic ...

, Zest Airways and South East Asian Airlines.

Education

In Silay City, there are 31 schools that are officially listed by the city's

Department of Education An education ministry is a national or subnational government agency politically responsible for education. Various other names are commonly used to identify such agencies, such as Ministry of Education, Department of Education, and Ministry of Pub ...

Public schools

Elementary

Silay South Elementary School Silay, officially the City of Silay ( hil, Dakbanwa/Syudad sang Silay; ceb, Dakbayan sa Silay; fil, Lungsod ng Silay), is a 3rd class Cities of the Philippines#Legal classification, component city in the Provinces of the Philippines, province ...

* Silay North Elementary School * Governor Emilio Gaston Memorial Elementary School * Barangay Mambulac Elementary School * Guinhalaran Integrated School * Balaring Elementary School * Don Estaquio Hofileña Memorial School * Villa Miranda Elementary School * Estaquio Lopez Elementary School * Don Homero Hilado Tanpinco Elementary School * Patag Elementary School * Silay SPED Center (''Elementary'') * Salvacion Elementary School * Emiliano Lizares Elementary School * Hinicayan Elementary School * Hawaiian-Philippine Company Elementary School * Santo Rosario Elementary School * La Purisima Concepcion Elementary School

High schools

Doña Montserrat Lopez Memorial High School Doña Montserrat Lopez Memorial High School, also referred to by the acronym DMLMHS, is a public national high school in Silay City, Negros Occidental, Philippines. It is one of the leading secondary schools in the Philippines, and one of ...

* Barangay E Lopez National High School * Barangay Guimbalaon National High School * Don Felix T. Lacson Memorial National High School * Doña Montserrat Lopez Memorial High School HPCO Extension * Doña Montserrat Lopez Memorial High School Patag Extension * Doña Montserrat Lopez Memorial High School Santo Rosario Extension * Don Albino and Doña Dolores Jison Integrated School * Lantawan Integrated School * Don Serafin L. Golez Memorial Integrated School * Napilas Integrated School * Sibato Integrated School * Violeta Integrated School * Silay SPED Center * Guinhalaran Integrated School

Private schools

St. Theresita's Academy St. Theresita's Academy, informally referred to by the Acronym and initialism, acronym STA, is the only private, Catholic secondary school in Silay City, Negros Occidental, Philippines. Its students and alumni are called ''Theresians''. History ...

Silay Institute Silay Institute, informally referred to by its acronym SI, is a private, co-educational institution of learning located in Silay City, 14 kilometers north of Bacolod, the capital of Negros Occidental province in the Philippines. It is the only s ...

* Cinco De Noviembre Learning Center * Faith Christian Academy-Silay Incorporated * St. Francis of Assisi of Silay Foundation Inc. * San Diego Study Center * Silay Hope Baptist Academy

Gallery

File:7-11 Silay City.JPG, The renowned convenience store 7/11 is now open in the city. File:Hofilena Museum.JPG, The '' Hofileña Ancestral House'' is the first museum in the city to open in public. File:Dr. Jose Corteza Locsin Heritage House.jpg, '' Dr. Jose Corteza Locsin Ancestral House'' is one of the ancestral houses in the city. It was the domicile of the late Sen. Jose C. Locsin. File:Bernandino Jalandoni Ancestral House, Silay City, Negros Occidental.JPG, The ''Bernandino Jalandoni Ancestral House'' or also known as the "''pink house'', is one of the museums in the city. File:JoseRizalStatue.jpeg, A

Dr. Jose Rizal Doctor is an academic title that originates from the Latin word of the same spelling and meaning. The word is originally an agentive noun of the Latin verb 'to teach'. It has been used as an academic title in Europe since the 13th century, w ...

statue is located at the Silay City Public Plaza. File:Smallest Doll In The World.jpeg, The smallest doll in the world can be found in '' Hofileña Ancestral House.'' File:Balay Negrense.JPG, The ''

'' is the most visited museum in the city. File:San Diego Pro-Cathedral, Silay, Negros Occidental.jpg, The ''San Diego Pro-Cathedral'' is the only church in the province that has a dome.

Sister cities

Silay City has been twinned with the following cities:

Local

Mandaluyong Mandaluyong, officially the City of Mandaluyong ( fil, Lungsod ng Mandaluyong), is a first class highly urbanized city in the National Capital Region of the Philippines. According to the 2020 census, it has a population of 425,758 people. Lo ...

Metro Manila Metropolitan Manila (often shortened as Metro Manila; fil, Kalakhang Maynila), officially the National Capital Region (NCR; fil, link=no, Pambansang Punong Rehiyon), is the capital region, seat of government and one of three List of metrop ...

International

Marseille Marseille ( , , ; also spelled in English as Marseilles; oc, Marselha ) is the prefecture of the French department of Bouches-du-Rhône and capital of the Provence-Alpes-Côte d'Azur region. Situated in the camargue region of southern Fran ...

Provence-Alpes-Côte d'Azur Provence-Alpes-Côte d'Azur (; or , ; commonly shortened to PACA; en, Provence-Alps-French Riviera, italic=yes; also branded as Région Sud) is one of the eighteen administrative regions of France, the far southeastern on the mainland. Its prefe ...

, France * Amagi of

Kagoshima , abbreviated to , is the capital city of Kagoshima Prefecture, Japan. Located at the southwestern tip of the island of Kyushu, Kagoshima is the largest city in the prefecture by some margin. It has been nicknamed the "Naples of the Eastern wor ...

Prefecture, Japan

Notable residents

Juan Sebastián Elcano Juan Sebastián Elcano (Elkano in modern Basque; sometimes given as ''del Cano''; 1486/1487Some sources state that he was born in 1476. Most of this sources try to make a point about him participating on a military campaign at the Mediterranean w ...

* Yves Leopold Germain Gaston *

Leandro Locsin Leandro V. Locsin (August 15, 1928 – November 15, 1994) was a Filipino architect, artist, and interior designer known for his use of concrete, floating volume and simplistic design in his various projects. An avid collector, he was fond of mo ...

* Jose Locsin *

Teodoro Locsin Jr. Teodoro "Teddy Boy" Lopez Locsin Jr. (born November 15, 1948) is a Filipino politician, diplomat, lawyer, and former journalist who is currently serving as the Philippine Ambassador to the United Kingdom since August 30, 2022. He previously ...

* Rose Lacson-Porteous * Sander Severino

References

External links

* Philippine Standard Geographic Codebr>Official Website of the City of Silay2007 Philippine Census Information Region VI – Western VisayasLocal Governance Performance Management System
{{Authority control Cities in Negros Occidental Metro Bacolod Populated places established in 1760 1760 establishments in the Philippines Component cities in the Philippines