Silay | |
|---|---|
| City of Silay | |
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 Flag  Seal | |
| Nicknames: "The Paris of Negros" "The Visayan Marseille" | |
| Anthem:Silaynon Song | |
 Map of Negros Occidental with Silay highlighted | |
OpenStreetMap  | |
.svg)  Silay Location within thePhilippines | |
| Coordinates:10°48′N122°58′E / 10.8°N 122.97°E /10.8; 122.97 | |
| Country | Philippines |
| Region | Negros Island Region |
| Province | Negros Occidental |
| District | 3rd district |
| Founded | 1565 |
| Cityhood | June 12, 1957 |
| Named after | Cratoxylum sumatranum (locally calledKansilay) |
| Barangays | 16 (seeBarangays) |
| Government | |
| • Type | Sangguniang Panlungsod |
| • Mayor | Joedith C. Gallego |
| • Vice Mayor | Thomas Maynard J. Ledesma (Ind) |
| • Representative | Javier Miguel L. Benitez (PFP) |
| • City Council | Members
|
| • Electorate | 90,213 voters (2025) |
| Area | |
• Total | 214.80 km2 (82.93 sq mi) |
| Elevation | 57 m (187 ft) |
| Highest elevation | 1,398 m (4,587 ft) |
| Lowest elevation | 0 m (0 ft) |
| Population (2024 census)[3] | |
• Total | 136,802 |
| • Density | 636.88/km2 (1,649.5/sq mi) |
| • Households | 32,693 |
| Demonym | Silaynon |
| Economy | |
| • Income class | 3rd city income class |
| • Poverty incidence | 16.29 |
| • Revenue | ₱ 1,186 million (2022) |
| • Assets | ₱ 1,628 million (2022) |
| • Expenditure | ₱ 979.9 million (2022) |
| • Liabilities | ₱ 552.9 million (2022) |
| Service provider | |
| • Electricity | Negros Electric and Power Corporation (NEPC) |
| Time zone | UTC+8 (PST) |
| ZIP code | 6116, 6117 (Silay Hawaiian Central) |
| PSGC | |
| IDD : area code | +63 (0)34 |
| Native languages | Hiligaynon Tagalog |
| Website | www |
Silay, officially theCity of Silay (Hiligaynon:Dakbanwa/Syudad sang Silay;Filipino:Lungsod ng Silay), is acomponent city in theprovince ofNegros Occidental,Philippines. According to the 2024 census, it has a population of 136,802 people.[5]
Silay is often referred to as the "Paris of Negros"[6] due to its artists, cultural shows and large collection of perfectly preserved heritage houses. More than thirty of these houses have been declared by theNational Historical Commission of the Philippines as part of the Silay National Historical Landmark.[7][8] In 2015, the city celebrated its 58th charter anniversary.[9]
The appellationSilay is derived from the name of a native tree which grew abundantly in the area. Thekansilay is the city's official tree.
A local legend tells of how Silay City got its name. It is said that in the days of thedatus andrajahs, 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 hugetalibong, 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.
Silay was first settled in 1565, under the name"Carobcob", which means "to scratch" inKinaray-a; residents of the settlement relied upon harvestingtuwayclams, which involved "scratching" (or raking) the sands for themollusks at low tide, as a means of livelihood. In early writings, the settlement was also referred to as"Calubcub","Caracol" and"Caraco".[10] The last two variations mean "snail" or a "spiral" inSpanish.Carobcob was built near the mouth of acreek; nothing is left of the village today.Carobcob was granted as anencomienda to Cristobal Nuñez Paroja, one of the seventeen soldiers ofMiguel López de Legazpi on January 25, 1571.
In the second half of the century,Moro slave raiders escalated their incursions on the large island, forcing theCorregidor ofNegros 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. Apaloisades orestacada (Spanish 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 wordestacada.
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 ofCebu considered Silay as the center of theparish. In 1760, it became apueblo or town. By 1896, it had become a leading sugar-producing area because of theHorno Economico (sugar mill) built in 1846 by aFrenchman who became a permanent resident of Silay,Yves Leopold Germain Gaston.
With the outbreak of theRevolution of 1896 came a division between thesugarcane planters of Silay and theclergy. 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 asCinco 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. APhilippine flag was raised for the first time at the Silay plaza later that afternoon.Aniceto Lacson became 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 ofTalisay for an attack onBacolod, the capital.
On the slopes ofMt. Silay lies Patag, the site ofImperial Japan'slast stand in Negros duringWorld War II. In 1945,U.S. military forces landed in the island. The occupying forces of the Nagano Detachment of theImperial Japanese Army retreated to Silay and proceeded up Mt. Silay to Patag. There, they established a defensive position. Military forces of thePhilippine Commonwealth and soldiers of theU.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.
On June 12, 1957, Silay was converted into a city, by virtue of Republic Act 1621.
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 isBalay Negrense, the mansion of the son of the first Negrense sugar baron,Yves Leopold Germain Gaston and theHofileña Ancestral House built by Manuel Severino Hofileña for his wife, former Miss Silay Gilda Ledesma Hojilla.
On June 7, 2003, Silay City became the first local government unit in the Republic of the Philippines to hold areferendum through aPeople's Initiative approving the 2003 annual executive budget.
Today, Silay City is listed by theDepartment of Tourism as one of its 25 tourist destinations in the Philippines. It is considered the seat of arts, culture andecotourism in theNegros Island Region.
TheKabataang Silay Ensemble Rondalla (KSE) is a rondalla group based in Silay. Through its more than 20-year history, KSE has won several regional and national musical competitions and has represented the Philippines in a number of international music festivals. Over the years, it has expanded its repertoire from folk and traditional music to classical, contemporary, pop and modern under the able leadership of conductor Jegger C. Anjao.[11]
Every 12th day of June, the city celebrates their annual festival calledHugyaw 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 lowlypueblo to a city that can hold its own among the country's best. The city's festival dance depicts the setting, characters,plot,sub-plots,conflict,climax and the story of the Legend of Kansilay.[12]
Silay is part of themetropolitan area calledMetro Bacolod, which includes the cities ofBacolod (the metropolitan center) andTalisay.[13] It has a sizable commercial and fishing port and is the site of the newBacolod–Silay International Airport, which replaced the oldBacolod City Domestic Airport. It is 14 kilometres (8.7 mi) from Bacolod.
Silay is politically subdivided into 16barangays. Each barangay consists ofpuroks and some havesitios.
| Climate data for Silay | |||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Month | Jan | Feb | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec | Year |
| Mean daily maximum °C (°F) | 28 (82) | 29 (84) | 30 (86) | 32 (90) | 32 (90) | 31 (88) | 30 (86) | 29 (84) | 29 (84) | 29 (84) | 29 (84) | 28 (82) | 30 (85) |
| Mean daily minimum °C (°F) | 23 (73) | 23 (73) | 23 (73) | 24 (75) | 25 (77) | 25 (77) | 25 (77) | 24 (75) | 24 (75) | 24 (75) | 24 (75) | 23 (73) | 24 (75) |
| Averageprecipitation mm (inches) | 57 (2.2) | 37 (1.5) | 41 (1.6) | 42 (1.7) | 98 (3.9) | 155 (6.1) | 187 (7.4) | 162 (6.4) | 179 (7.0) | 188 (7.4) | 114 (4.5) | 78 (3.1) | 1,338 (52.8) |
| Average rainy days | 12.0 | 7.7 | 9.2 | 10.2 | 19.5 | 24.6 | 26.9 | 25.1 | 25.5 | 25.2 | 18.0 | 13.0 | 216.9 |
| Source: Meteoblue[14] | |||||||||||||
| Year | Pop. | ±% p.a. |
|---|---|---|
| 1903 | 25,214 | — |
| 1918 | 23,328 | −0.52% |
| 1939 | 39,483 | +2.54% |
| 1948 | 35,570 | −1.15% |
| 1960 | 60,324 | +4.50% |
| 1970 | 69,200 | +1.38% |
| 1975 | 104,887 | +8.70% |
| 1980 | 111,131 | +1.16% |
| 1990 | 101,031 | −0.95% |
| 1995 | 122,748 | +3.72% |
| 2000 | 107,722 | −2.76% |
| 2007 | 120,365 | +1.54% |
| 2010 | 120,999 | +0.19% |
| 2015 | 126,930 | +0.92% |
| 2020 | 130,478 | +0.58% |
| 2024 | 136,802 | +1.14% |
| Source:Philippine Statistics Authority[15][16][17][18][19] | ||
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Poverty incidence of Silay
Source:Philippine Statistics Authority[20][21][22][23][24][25][26][27]
Eugenio Jose Lacson led thegroundbreaking of the 2-story multipurpose PHP1.03 billion Negros OccidentalConvention Center in Silay. It was MayorAlbee Benitez who initiated the project near theBacolod-Silay Airport.[28] His brother3rd District Rep. Jose Francisco Benitez certified the center asgreen building for conferences, cultural events, and social gatherings.[29]
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TheBacolod–Silay International Airport, serves the wholeMetro Bacolod 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 accommodateAirbus A320 family-size aircraft, and theBoeing 737, while the apron can hold five aircraft at any one time. The runway runs in a direction of 03°/21°. Provisions for a 500-meter (1,600 ft) expansion of the present runway in order to accommodate even larger airplanes like theAirbus A330,Airbus A340 andBoeing 747 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 fromManila, 30 minutes by air fromCebu, 1 hour by air fromCagayan de Oro and 37.2 minutes by air fromGeneral Santos. Commercial airlines operating in the Bacolod–Silay International Airport arePhilippine Airlines,Cebu Pacific Air,PAL Express, andPhilippines AirAsia.
In Silay City, there are 31 schools that are officially listed by the city'sDepartment of Education.
Silay City has been twinned with the following cities:
Marseille ofProvence-Alpes-Côte d'Azur, France
Amagi ofKagoshima Prefecture, Japan
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