Bacolod

Bacolod, officially the City of Bacolod (; Tagalog: [bɐˈkɔlɔd]; Hiligaynon: Dakbanwa sang Bacolod; Filipino: Lungsod ng Bacolod), is a 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 the most populous city in the Negros Island Region and the second most populous city in the entire Visayas after Cebu City. It is the largest city and capital of the province of Negros Occidental wherein it is geographically situated and grouped under the province by the Philippine Statistics Authority, but governed administratively independent. It is one of the two regional centers of Negros Island Region, with the other being Dumaguete. It is also the center of the Bacolod metropolitan area, which also includes the cities of Silay and Talisay. It also hosts the sub-national office of the Sugar Regulatory Administration which has jurisdiction over the Sugar Industry of the Philippines. Bacolod is the only city in the Philippines that permanently hosts national, regional and provincial level government offices. It is notable for its MassKara Festival held during the third week of October and is known for bearing the nickname "The City of Smiles". The city is also famous for its local delicacies piaya, cansi, napoleones, and chicken inasal.