Sum-ag is a former town and constituent barangay of

Bacolod Bacolod, officially the City of Bacolod (; ; ; ), is a Cities of the Philippines#Legal classification, highly urbanized city in the Negros Island Region in the Philippines. With a total of 600,783 inhabitants as of the 2020 census, it is th ...

. Located in the southernmost section of the city, it is considered the southern gateway of Bacolod.

History

Sum-ag was instituted as a pueblo in 1780, with Don Andres Claridad as the first . It was created as a pueblo in 1803 by former Alcalde-Mayor Don Manuel Valdevieso. Originally known as “Pueblo de Sum-ag," its territory consists of the present-day barangays of Felisa, Tangub, Cansilayan, Pahonocoy, Taloc, Punta Taytay, Tabunan, and Dulao. After the dissolution of the

Republic of Negros The Republic of Negros (; ; ) was a short-lived Revolutionary government in the Philippines, revolutionary entity which had existed on the Negros Island, island of Negros first as a Canton (country subdivision), canton of the First Philippine Rep ...

, in 1902, petitions were made for the creation of new municipalities in Negros Occidental, particularly those of

Murcia Murcia ( , , ) is a city in south-eastern Spain, the Capital (political), capital and most populous city of the autonomous community of the Region of Murcia, and the Ranked lists of Spanish municipalities#By population, seventh largest city i ...

Bago Bago may refer to: Places Myanmar * Bago, Myanmar, a city and the capital of the Bago Region * Bago District, a district of the Bago Region * Bago Region, an administrative region * Bago River, a river * Bago Yoma or Pegu Range, a mountain ran ...

, and Bacolod. Under the reorganization initiated by the American

Insular Government of the Philippine Islands The Philippine Insular GovernmentThis form of the name appeared in the titles of US Supreme Court cases, but was otherwise rarely used. See s:Costas v. Government of the Philippine Islands/Opinion of the Court, Costas v. Government of the Phili ...

. Sum-ag was incorporated as a barrio of Bacolod. Four bangays (Taloc, Tabunan, Abuanan, and Dulao) were given to Bago, while Cansilayan was augmented to Murcia.

Present day

Historically, the territory of Sum-ag included the modern-day barangays of Tangub, Pahonocoy, Punta Taytay, Cabug, Handumanan, and Felisa in Bacolod, Abuanan, Taloc, Tabuanan, and Dulao in Bago, and Cansilayan in Murcia. until these separated to form their own. It is bounded by the barangays of Punta Taytay to the west, Cabug to the east, and Pahonocoy to the north. Being one of Bacolod’s southernmost barangays, the city of

directly bounds it to the south. To this day, Sum-ag remains the main commercial and educational hub in southern Bacolod.

Educational

Sum-ag Elementary School serves the primary needs of the community, along with nearby Sum-ag National High School. The Benedictine Sisters of St. Scholastica run Holy Family Vocational School in Sum-ag as a charity, co-educational institution. VMA Global College and Bacolod City College Sum-ag Campus serve the tertiary educational needs of the residents. Christian Venture Academy Ministries Incorporated or more formerly known as Goodie Kids School is a non-profit private school that existed in Sum-ag since 1983.

Tourism

Its proximity to the seashore made Sum-ag a weekend destination for Bacolod residents, along with nearby Punta-Taytay. However, Sum-ag River, which bisects the barangay is currently being developed as a cruising destination and natural preservation. The river is home to a small fishing wharf and a water transport facility for Coca-Cola Bottlers Philippines.

Demographics

Sum-ag residents are predominantly Roman Catholic and adherents are currently served by the San Juan de Nepomuceno Parish Church. However, there is a strong Protestant presence in the area, most notably Sum-ag Evangelical Church. It is home to the provincial offices of the Philippine Convention of Baptist Churches and the Adventist Church in the Philippines. Iglesia ni Cristo and The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints (commonly known as the Mormons) have a small congregation in Sum-ag or formally known as the Sum-ag Ward under the Bacolod South Stake.

References

{{Former municipalities of Negros Occidental Bacolod Metro Bacolod Barangays of Negros Occidental Former municipalities of the Philippines Populated places established in 1780 1780 establishments in the Philippines