Bacolod is a city in the Philippines. It is the capital of the
province of Negros Occidental. Having a total of 511,820 inhabitants as of
2010, it is the most populous city in Western Visayas and the 17th most
populous city of the Philippines. It is part of the Bacolod Metropolitan Area,
which also includes the cities of Silay and Talisay. It is notable for its
MassKara Festival held during the 3rd week of October. Known for being a
relatively friendly city, it bears the nickname "City of Smiles". In
2008, Bacolod ranked number 1 in a survey by MoneySense Magazine
