Dumaguete

Dumaguete
Component City
City of Dumaguete

Dumaguete City Hall

Seal
Nickname(s): The City of Gentle People

Map of Negros Oriental showing the location of Dumaguete City
Dumaguete

Location within the Philippines

Coordinates: 09°19′N 123°18′E / 9.317°N 123.300°E / 9.317; 123.300Coordinates: 09°19′N 123°18′E / 9.317°N 123.300°E / 9.317; 123.300
Country Philippines
Region Negros Island Region (NIR/Region XVIII)
Province Negros Oriental
District 2nd district of Negros Oriental
Cityhood June 15, 1948
Barangays 30
Government[1]
  Mayor Felipe Antonio “Ipe” Remollo
  Vice Mayor Franklin Esmeña Jr.
Area[2]
  Total 33.62 km2 (12.98 sq mi)
Population (2015 census)[3]
  Total 131,377
  Density 3,900/km2 (10,000/sq mi)
Demonym(s) Dumagueteño (masculine)/Dumagueteña (feminine)
Time zone PST (UTC+8)
ZIP code 6200
Dialing code 35
Income class 3rd class (sub-highly urbanized)
PSGC 184610000
Languages Cebuano, Hiligaynon (Ilonggo), Filipino, English
Website dumaguetecity.gov.ph

Dumaguete, officially City of Dumaguete (Cebuano: Dakbayan sa Dumaguete; Hiligaynon: Dakbanwa/Syudad sang Dumaguete; Filipino: Lungsod ng Dumaguete) and often referred to as Dumaguete City, is a component city in the Philippines. It is the capital of the province of Negros Oriental. Having a total of 131,377 inhabitants as of 2015 census, it is the most populous city in the province. The city is nicknamed The City of Gentle People.[4]

Dumaguete is referred to as a university city because of the presence of four universities and a number of other colleges where students of the province converge to enroll for tertiary education. The city is also a popular educational destination for students of surrounding provinces and cities in Visayas and Mindanao. The city is best known for Silliman University, the country's first Protestant university and the first American university in Asia.[5][6] There are also 18 public elementary schools and 8 public high schools. The city's student population is estimated at 30,000.[4]

The city attracts a considerable number of foreign tourists, particularly Europeans, because of easy fast ferry access from Cebu City, the availability of beach resorts and dive sites and the attraction of dolphin and whale watching in nearby Bais City.

The power source of the city comes from the geothermal power plant in Palinpinon, Valencia. The city has redundant fiber optic lines and is a focal point for telecommunications. It is the landing point for fiber optic cables linking it to Manila, the capital of the country, the cities south of Luzon and the whole Visayas, as well as to other major cities in Mindanao.[7]

Etymology

The Dumaguete Belfry, on the right, is the city's landmark, built in the 1760s and rebuilt in the 1870s to warn townsfolk of marauding pirates.

"Dumaguete" was coined from the Cebuano word dagit, which means "to snatch". The word dumaguet, meaning "to swoop", was coined because of frequent raids by Moro pirates on this once coastal community and its power to attract and keep visitors, both local and foreign. In 1572, Diego López Povedano indicated the place as Dananguet, but cartographer Pedro Murillo Velarde in 1734 already used present name of Dumaguete for the settlement.[8]

Geography and climate

The promenade along Rizal Boulevard, facing the Tañon Strait.

The city has a land area of 3,362 hectares (8,310 acres),[2] situated on the plains of the southeastern coast of the island of Negros near the mouth of the Banica River. Of the province's 19 municipalities/towns and 6 cities, Dumaguete is the smallest in terms of land area. It is bounded on the north by the town of Sibulan, on the south by the town of Bacong and on the west by the town of Valencia. As a coastal city, it is bounded on the east by the Bohol Sea and the Tañon Strait, serving as a natural border to the neighboring island provinces of Cebu, Bohol and Siquijor.

The city's topography is generally flat from two to six kilometers from the shoreline. It slopes gently upwards to the adjoining municipality of Valencia. The highest ground elevation is located at the boundary of the municipality of Valencia, about one hundred meters above mean sea level. About 93% of the land have slopes of less than 3%. The remaining areas have 3% to 5% slope.

Barangays

Dumaguete is politically subdivided into 30 barangays, all classified as urban. The eight barangays in the city's downtown area are known primarily by number. The smallest barangay is Barangay 4 with an area of only 5.11 hectares, while the biggest barangay is Barangay Banilad with 362.71 hectares.

  • Bagacay
  • Bajumpandan
  • Balugo
  • Banilad
  • Bantayan
  • Barangay 1 (Tinago)
  • Barangay 2 (Upper Lukewright)
  • Barangay 3 (Business District)
  • Barangay 4 (Rizal Boulevard)
  • Barangay 5 (Silliman Area)
  • Barangay 6 (Cambagroy)
  • Barangay 7 (Mangga)
  • Barangay 8 (Cervantes Extension)
  • Batinguel
  • Buñao
  • Cadawinonan
  • Calindagan
  • Camanjac
  • Candau-ay
  • Cantil-e
  • Daro
  • Junob
  • Looc
  • Mangnao-Canal
  • Motong
  • Piapi
  • Pulantubig
  • Tabuc-tubig
  • Taclobo
  • Talay

Climate

Dumaguete has two seasons, namely; the dry and the wet seasons. The wet season covers the period from June to November, and the dry season starts from December to May, the hottest being April and May. The average maximum temperature is 34.3 °C and the average minimum temperature is 22.9 °C for the past years. The relative humidity of the locality for the past years was 78¾% with the month of December registering the highest.

Climate data for Dumaguete
Month Jan Feb Mar Apr May Jun Jul Aug Sep Oct Nov Dec Year
Average high °C (°F) 29.5
(85.1)
29.7
(85.5)
30.7
(87.3)
31.9
(89.4)
32.4
(90.3)
32.2
(90)
32.0
(89.6)
32.2
(90)
32.1
(89.8)
31.6
(88.9)
31.2
(88.2)
30.3
(86.5)
31.3
(88.3)
Daily mean °C (°F) 26.6
(79.9)
26.7
(80.1)
27.5
(81.5)
28.5
(83.3)
28.7
(83.7)
28.2
(82.8)
27.9
(82.2)
28.0
(82.4)
27.9
(82.2)
27.7
(81.9)
27.3
(81.1)
27.2
(81)
27.7
(81.9)
Average low °C (°F) 23.8
(74.8)
23.8
(74.8)
24.3
(75.7)
25.1
(77.2)
25.1
(77.2)
24.3
(75.7)
23.8
(74.8)
23.8
(74.8)
23.8
(74.8)
23.9
(75)
24.1
(75.4)
24.1
(75.4)
24.5
(76.1)
Average precipitation mm (inches) 80.8
(3.181)
54.3
(2.138)
54.3
(2.138)
49.5
(1.949)
75.6
(2.976)
134.3
(5.287)
139.6
(5.496)
123.5
(4.862)
137.4
(5.409)
183.1
(7.209)
162.8
(6.409)
113.7
(4.476)
1,308.9
(51.531)
Average rainy days (≥ 0.10 mm) 13 10 8 6 8 15 14 14 15 17 15 16 151
Average relative humidity (%) 81 80 77 76 77 78 80 79 79 80 80 81 79
Source: PAGASA[9]

Demographics

Population census of Dumaguete
YearPop.±% p.a.
1990 80,262    
1995 92,637+2.72%
2000 102,265+2.14%
2007 116,392+1.80%
2010 120,883+1.39%
2015 131,377+1.60%
Source: National Statistics Office[10]

As of the census in 2015, there are 131,377 people and 21,582 households residing in the city (as of 2010). The city has the least poverty incidence among urban centers in Visayas, according to the 2009 Small Area Estimates (SAE) of Poverty done by the National Statistical Coordination Board (NSCB). It has an average daylight population of 400,000 people. Dumaguete is the most populous city in Negros Oriental, comprising 9.05% of the province's total population. Its total voting population is 68,648 as of 2010.[11]

Education

Dumaguete is best known for Silliman University.[12]

Dumaguete has earned the distinction of being known as the "center of learning in the South," or a university city due to the presence of universities that have made their mark nationally and abroad. The city is a melting pot of students, professionals, artists, scholars and the literati coming from different parts of the country and the world.

Silliman University is the dominant institution of higher learning in Dumaguete, providing the city with a distinct university town atmosphere. It is the first Protestant university in the country and the first American university in Asia. The 610,000 m² campus is adjacent to and intermixed with the city's downtown district.[13] Some of its buildings have likewise been recognized as landmarks. These buildings include the Silliman Hall, Hibbard Hall, Katipunan Hall, the Luce Auditorium, and the Silliman Main Library (considered as one of the biggest libraries in the Philippines).[4][14][15][16]

Other universities located in the city are: Foundation University (1949), a private non-sectarian university, its Main Campus where the site of a very popular Sofia Soller Sinco Hall dubbed as White House of Dumaguete is located at Meciano Road offers tertiary education programs while North Campus along Locsin Street is the home of Foundation Preparatory Academy for basic education programs. The Negros Oriental State University (NORSU) which was founded on 1907, has its two main campuses in the city. It is the only state university in Negros Oriental and is very popular among students from different towns and cities of the province and some other parts of the country because the university offers various academic, technical-vocational degree, non-degree and short term courses from its nine colleges namely College of Arts and Sciences, College of Business Administration, College of Education, College of Industrial Technology, College of Law, College of Nursing, Pharmacy and Allied Health Sciences including Graduate School which are housed in Main Campus 1 at Capitol Area. Meanwhile, Main Campus 2 which is located in Brgy. Bajumpandan houses the College of Agriculture, Forestry and Fishery, College of Criminal Justice Education and College of Engineering and Architecture. And the last one is St. Paul University Dumaguete (1904), which is the first Saint Paul educational institution to be established in the Philippines by the Sisters of Saint Paul of Chartres (SPC) from France, is known for academic courses like Accountancy, Business, Environmental Science, Legal Management, Liberal Arts, IT, Mass Communication, Nursing, Public Administration, Teacher Education, Tourism, Graduate programs, basic education such as Grade School, Junior High, Senior High and among others.

Economy

Tourism, the academe, BPO and technology-related activities and the retail industries are the major sources of income for the city. BPOs and IT firms, as well as retailing, are the fastest rising industries.

Hotel and Tourism

Data from the Department of Tourism show that Dumaguete and Negros Oriental are among the top ten most visited tourist destinations in the country.[17] It was also cited by Forbes Magazine as one of the world's top retirement hubs.[18] As a result, international hotel chains are attracted to put up their hotel accommodations in or near the city, among them Mercure Hotels, which will open Mercure Hotel Dumaguete in 2016.[19] Tourists visit popular sites such as: the historic Rizal Boulevard aligned with some hotels, coffee shops, fine-dining restaurants and bars including the latest dining commercial complex, Paseo Perdices is the preferred location of Max's Restaurant, Yellow Cab Pizza and among others; Silliman Hall-home of University's Anthropology Museum; St. Catherine of Alexandria Cathedral being the oldest stone church of the island of Negros and ecclesiastical seat of the bishop of Roman Catholic Diocese of Dumaguete and Campanario de Dumaguete which is considered as one of the oldest heritage landmarks of Negros Island Region.

Business process outsourcing

A Tholons 100 outsourcing destination, Dumaguete's outsourcing industry has a wide and diversified range from call centers, publishing, medical transcription, animation, editing, and architectural outsourcing. With over 20 IT and BPO locators, Dumaguete City is becoming one of the most preferred Business Process Outsourcing (BPO) and Information Technology (IT) hubs of the Philippines.[20] These industries drive economic activity even at night time with the strong presence of 24-hour food-chains like Jollibee, McDonald's, Dunkin Donuts, Chowking, etc. and a considerable number of well-known convenience stores such as Ministop and 7-Eleven.

Some PEZA-accredited IT Parks and buildings located in the city are:

Retail

Malls and shopping centers in Dumaguete include CityMall (Philippines) and Cang's Inc. Shopping Complex both located in Brgy. Daro, Lee Super Plaza and Robinsons Perdices in the downtown area and Robinsons Place Dumaguete, the first full-service mall in the city which is about 02 kilometres (1.2 mi) from the city center heading to the south.

Employment

Due to the booming BPO industry in Dumaguete, many jobs were created and many of the citizens of Dumaguete are hired.[21] There is also a free job website named Dumjobs that offers free job posting for Dumaguete City and Negros Oriental employers.[22]

Health care and services

Dumaguete has three major tertiary hospitals, namely the Holy Child Hospital, Negros Oriental Provincial Hospital, and the Silliman Medical Center which is currently associated with St. Luke's Medical Center in Metro Manila[23] and considered one of the best hospitals outside Metro Manila and Metro Cebu. Under proposal is a medical resort with a 100 bed tertiary hospital, and which will cater primarily to the retirement market from North American, European and East Asian countries. Also being constructed is ACE Dumaguete Doctors Hospital, an eight storeys, 200-bed hospital near the downtown area. Dumaguete City is one of the five areas identified by the Philippine government as retirement hubs.

Transportation

Air

Sibulan Airport (IATA: DGT, ICAO: RPVD), also known as Dumaguete Airport or Dumaguete-Sibulan Airport, is the city's domestic airport located in neighboring Sibulan town in the north. It provides daily flights to and from Manila, Cebu City and other Philippine cities through Cebu Pacific, Cebgo and PAL Express.[24] However, a new airport is being planned to be built in Bacong, a town bordering Dumaguete in the south[25] The proposal for the transfer and upgrading of this airport to international standards has already been approved and should be completed before 2025. An initial PHP 500 million budget has already been released for initial study and procurement of free lands.[26]

Sea

The Port of Dumaguete

Dumaguete, as a major port city is a jump-off point for passengers/tourists who are going to other Visayas and Mindanao areas. There are daily ferry connections to the islands of Cebu, Bohol, Siquijor and Mindanao operated by Archipelago Philippine Ferries Corporation (Fast Cat), Montenegro Lines, Ocean Jet Shipping, Cokaliong and other companies. Dumaguete is an access city for passengers/tourists going to Cebu which is dubbed as economic hub of the Visayas. There are smaller ports north of the city where short and frequent ferry connections are available to that island as an alternative. Dumaguete is a port of call for travelers to Manila and Zamboanga City by ship serviced by 2GO Travel.

Land

The main form of public transport in Dumaguete is the motorized tricycle. The Dumaguete version of the motorized tricycle can fit up to 6-8 passengers. For transport to destinations outside the city limit, there are jeepney and buses travelling set routes. Meanwhile, Vallacar Transit Corporation, the company that operates Ceres buses recently constructed a 2-storey terminal building in Dumaguete just beside the newly erected commercial center, the Marketplace.

Notable residents

The following people are notable residents, past and present, from Dumaguete City:

Entertainment

Fashion

Literature

Politics

Religion

Sports

Sister cities

Dumaguete City has the following sister cities:

Local

International

References

  1. "Ipe Remollo – Mayor of Dumaguete City". Dumaguete.com. Retrieved 2016-05-10.
  2. 1 2 "Province: Negros Oriental". PSGC Interactive. Makati City, Philippines: National Statistical Coordination Board. Retrieved 13 March 2013.
  3. Census of Population (2015): Highlights of the Philippine Population 2015 Census of Population (Report). PSA. Retrieved 20 June 2016.
  4. 1 2 3 "Dumaguete City, the City of Gentle People". Department of Tourism. Retrieved 2010-11-04.
  5. "CSF program up in Dumaguete". Manila Bulletin. By Atty. Ignacio Bunye. Posted July 5, 2009. Accessed October 14, 2009.
  6. "Heritage Diary of Negros Oriental". Inquirer.net. By: Dexter Matilla. Posted July 14, 2008. Accessed October 15, 2009.
  7. http://www.negroshub.com/dumaguete-city/ NegrosHub.com - Dumaguete City
  8. experiencephilippines.org
  9. "Climatological Normals of the Philippines (1951-1985) (PAGASA 1987)" (PDF). PAGASA. Retrieved 18 April 2016.
  10. "Total Population by Province, City, Municipality and Barangay: as of May 1, 2010" (PDF). 2010 Census of Population and Housing. National Statistics Office. Retrieved 13 March 2013.
  11. Dumaguete City statistics as of 2010.
  12. "Dumaguete, Negros Oriental". Philippine Airlines. Retrieved 2010-09-01.
  13. UP is No.1 based on PRC exams. UP Newsletter, Vol. XXVIII, No. 09. September 01, 2007. Accessed May 26, 2009.
  14. Philippine Travel Center: Negros Oriental. Accessed September 1, 2009.
  15. Negros Chronicle. Where to go in Negros Oriental. Accessed September 1, 2009.
  16. WOWPhilippines: Things to do and see in Negros Oriental. Accessed September 1, 2009.
  17. Top Tourist Destinations in the Philippines
  18. Forbes Magazine's top retirement hubs list
  19. Accor to open Mercure in Dumaguete and Metro Manila
  20. Baguio, Dumaguete now in top 10 BPO Next Wave Cities
  21. http://business.inquirer.net/money/topstories/view/20110227-322562/Small-city-hits-big-league-in-BPO-trade
  22. http://dumjobs.com/
  23. "St. Luke's inks MOA with Silliman Medical Center". Philstar.com. Retrieved 2010-04-28.
  24. "CEB adds 2nd daily frequency to Manila-Dumaguete ". Cebu Pacific. Retrieved 2010-11-04.
  25. To a new site in bacong town Solon wants to relocate airport from Dumaguete
  26. Master Plan for Philippine Airports
  27. "PBB retains Beauty". Negros Chronicle. Accessed November 27, 2009.
  28. "Beauty Gonzales turns 18". ABS-CBN. Accessed November 27, 2009.
  29. "Another PBB Teen Edition placer joins showbiz". Telebisyon.net. Retrieved 2010-05-13.
  30. "Bret Alan Jackson". ABS-CBN. Retrieved 2010-06-22.
  31. "Bret Jackson". Facebook. Retrieved 2010-06-22.
  32. National Artists of the Philippines: Eddie Romero. Accessed October 11, 2009.
  33. stylebible.ph
  34. "Cesar Ruiz Aquino". Panitikan.com.ph. Accessed November 27, 2009.
  35. "National Artists for Literature: Edith L. Tiempo". Panitikan.com.ph. Accessed November 27, 2009.
  36. National Artists of the Philippines: Edith Tiempo. Accessed October 11, 2009.
  37. 1992 Ramon Magsaysay Awardees: Angel Alcala. Accessed August 5, 2009.
  38. Office of the Press Secretary, Republic of the Philippines. Accessed August 5, 2009.
  39. Mateo, Janvic (July 3, 2016). "Known fiscalizer is new DepEd chief". Retrieved October 20, 2016.
  40. "Former RP national treasurer receives prestigious award for women leaders". Philippine Information Agency. Retrieved 2011-04-22.
  41. "RP Economy: Out of the woods at last?". Sun.Star. Accessed November 27, 2009.
  42. Edgar A. Cadagat and Karl G. Ombion. "Bishop Antonio Y. Fortich: Pilgrim for the Poor ". Bulatlat.com. Accessed November 27, 2009.
  43. Cedelf P. Tupas. "Team Philippines leaves for Beijing in batches". Philippine Daily Inquirer. Accessed November 27, 2009.
  44. "RP’s best hope for Olympic gold medal climbs ring ". Philippine Daily Inquirer. Accessed November 27, 2009.
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