Bacolod

Bacolod, officially the City of Bacolod (; Tagalog: [bɐˈkɔlɔd]; Hiligaynon: Dakbanwa/Syudad sang Bacolod; Filipino: Lungsod ng Bacolod), is a 1st class 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 serves as the 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 and also the largest city of that province. It is also the center of the Bacolod metropolitan area, which also includes the cities of Silay and Talisay. 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.