A 8rlef PlsLory of 8als ClLy

Pow 8als goL lLs name ls a legend ln lLself

When Lhe ferLlle flaLlands and rlch flshlng grounds were reporLed Lo Lhe Spanlsh colonlzers afLer Lhey
arrlved ln Lhe hlllpplnes an expedlLlon headed by a Spanlsh englneer was senL Lo Lhe area Lo geL lLs
name and plnpolnL lLs exacL locaLlon as well as prepare a map of Lhe lsland 1hey happened Lo enLer Lhe
mouLh of Lhe rlver ln Lhe area and saw some people gaLherlng Lhe abundanL fresh waLer eel locally
called 8als" LhaL were caughL ln Lhelr flsh Lraps

upon seelng Lhe flshermen Lhe Spanlard asked ln hls naLlve Longue Como se llama esLe lugar?" (WhaL
ls Lhe name of Lhls place?) lalllng Lo undersLand Lhe englneer of course and Lhlnklng LhaL he was asklng
for Lhe name of Lhe flsh caughL Lhe flsherman answered curLly bals" 1he Spanlard Lherefore
recorded Lhe name 8als" as Lhe name of Lhe place

AfLer Lhe dlscovery of Lhe lsland by Lhe Spanlsh conqulsLadores several of Lhem moved Lo negros on
accounL of Lhe hlgh ferLlllLy of Lhe flaLlands of 8als Many came and seLLled ln Lhe area and planLed sugar
cane Lhus produclng moscovado" (sugar from Lhelr mllls) whlch was exporLed Lo Spaln vla llollo whlch
Lhen was Lhe prlnclpal shlpplng polnL ln Lhe vlsayas 1hls was loaded ln large sallboaLs called Lurcha or
8aLel

Cn !anuary 20 1848 Cov Cen uon narclso Claverla enLrusLed Lhe lsland of negros Lo Lhe 8ecollecLs
Lhen senL Mlsslonarles Lo negros ln 1849 8als was creaLed as a Lown ln 1849 ln 1830 8als was only a
vlslLa under Lhe clvll and eccleslasLlcal [urlsdlcLlon of Lhe Lown of 1an[ay LaLer lL became a barrlo of
Man[uyod wlLh Lhe Lrlbunal as lLs only sLrongly bullL sLrucLure

1he flrsL vlllage chapel was bullL of llghL maLerlals and Lhe consLrucLlon of a concreLe church sLarLed only
ln 1830 when laLher Culllermo Carcla del Carmen became parlsh prlesL ln 1883 laLher Manuel Alonzo
Look over Lhe parlsh

ln 1863 hydraullc mllls were lnsLalled ln 8als 8ago 8acolod La CarloLa onLevedra Cranada Mlnuluan
and Sllay AlLogeLher Lhey were capable of mllllng 100 plculs of sugar ln 12 hours 1hese machlnerles
replaced Lhe prlmlLlve wooden mllls lrom 1863 Lhe progress of 8als sLarLed wlLh such lncreaslng
economlc acLlvlLles parLlcularly ln sugar producLlon unLll 1896 when Lhe hlllpplne 8evoluLlon broke
ouL

1he 8evoluLlon ln negros sLarLed ln november 3 1898 Cen !uan AraneLa led Lhe reslsLance movemenL
agalnsL Lhe Spanlards 1wo days laLer ln 8acolod Lhe Spanlsh forces ln negros surrendered Lo AnlceLo
Lacson y Ledesma Commander ln Chlef of Lhe llllplno lorces ln norLhern negros A CanLonal
CovernmenL was Lhen esLabllshed and Cen AraneLa became Lhe SecreLary of War

When Lhe Amerlcan lorces arrlved Cen AraneLa counseled Lhe CanLonal CovernmenL Lo submlL Lo Lhe
Amerlcan lnvaders CccldenLal and CrlenLal negros whlch were separaLed ln 1890 were agaln unlLed
unLll Lhe esLabllshmenL of a clvll governmenL by Amerlcans ln 1901

8als became a busLllng Lown afLer Lhe war when Lhe Amerlcans replaced Lhe Spanlsh reglme ln Lhe
hlllpplnes

negros CrlenLal became a provlnce wlLh Lhe laLe uemeLrlo Larena of 8als holdlng Lhe dlsLlncLlon as lLs
flrsL governor lL was durlng Lhls epoch ln 1901 LhaL 8als reallzed a dream come Lrue when she was
ralsed pollLlcally from a barrlo Lo a full Lown hood Lmlllo 1eves served as lLs flrsL Munlclpal Mayor

uurlng World War ll 8als was Lhe headquarLers of Lhe guerllla forces under Ma[ lacldo Ause[o a
consLabulary offlcer A !apanese garrlson was sLaLloned ln Lhe Lown for someLlme When Lhe Amerlcans
landed ln uumagueLe Lhe enemy wlLhdrew llerce flghLlng Look place only ln Lhe souLhwesLern coasLllne
and mounLaln areas of negros CrlenLal

1he Lown was creaLed as a CharLed ClLy by vlrLue of 8epubllc AcL no 3344 approved SepL 9 1968
Cenaro Conl was Lhe flrsL clLy mayor

Cn SepLember 9 1968 hlllpplne resldenL lerdlnand L Marcos offlclally and personally proclalmed
8als as a clLy


CLCC8AP?

LocaLed on Lhe easLern slde of negros lsland 8als ClLy ls bounded on Lhe norLh by Lhe munlclpallLy of
Mablnay Man[uyod on Lhe norLheasL 1an[ay on Lhe souLh 1anon SLralL on Lhe easL and 8ayawan on Lhe
wesL

SlLuaLed 43 kllomeLers norLh of uumagueLe ClLy 8als ClLy has a LoLal land area of 23109 hecLares or
320267 sq km

8elng Lhe core of negros CrlenLal's sugar dlsLrlcL 8als ClLy ls home Lo one of Lhe counLry's ploneerlng
mllls Lhe CenLral Azucarera de 8als 1he unlLed 8oblna Sugar Mllls Company ls also found ln here

Local produce lncludes corn vegeLables rooLcrops legumes flsh prawns shells mollusks and Luchema
seaweed or goso Sugar culLlvaLlon ls conflned Lo 9036 hecLares coconuL aL 3120 hecLares and corn aL
3060 hecLares

rawn and bangus producLlon are llmlLed Lo weLland and shorellne areas coverlng 468 hecLares whlle
mangrove and nlpa areas coverlng approxlmaLely 378 hecLares are malnLalned as flsh sancLuarles
wlldllfe preserves and buffer zones


1CCC8AP?

8als ClLy whlch comprlses around 433 of Lhe LoLal land area of Lhe rovlnce of negros CrlenLal ls
predomlnanLly rural lL ls composed of 33 barangays 13 of whlch are coasLal 3 barangays are ln Lhe
lowlands and Lhe resL are hlnLerland barangays