In 2017 & 2019, Bacolod was awarded the ' Top Philippine Model City' as the most livable urban center in the country by The Manila Times. The city has also been declared by the Department of Science and Technology as a 'center of excellence' for information technology and business process management operations. In 2008, Bacolod topped a survey by MoneySense Magazine as the 'Best Place to Live in the Philippines'. The city is also famous for its local delicacies piaya and chicken inasal.
It is notable for its MassKara Festival held during the third week of October and is known for being a relatively friendly city, as it bears the nickname 'The City of Smiles'. It is the center of the Bacolod metropolitan area, which also includes the cities of Silay and Talisay with a total population of 791,019 inhabitants, along with a total area of 578.65 km 2 (223.42 sq mi). With a total of 600,783 inhabitants as of the 2020 census, it is the most populous city in Western Visayas and the second most populous city in the entire Visayas after Cebu City.
It is the capital of the province of Negros Occidental, where it is geographically situated but governed administratively independent.
Bacolod, officially the City of Bacolod ( / b ɑː ˈ k ɔː l ə d/ Hiligaynon: Dakbanwa/Syudad sang Bacolod Tagalog: Lungsod ng Bacolod), is a 1st class highly urbanized city in the region of Western Visayas, Philippines.
