Don Salvador Benedicto

Don Salvador Benedicto Salvador Benedicto
Municipality
Municipality of Don Salvador Benedicto
DSB Pinewood Forest
Flag Seal
Nickname:  Summer Capital of Negros Occidental
Map of Negros Occidental with Don Salvador Benedicto highlighted
OpenStreetMap
Don Salvador Benedicto Location within the Philippines
Coordinates: 10°33′02″N123°14′11″E / 10.55056°N 123.23639°E / 10.55056; 123.23639
Country	Philippines
Region	Negros Island Region
Province	Negros Occidental
District	1st district
Founded	February 9, 1983
Named for	Vice Governor Salvador V. Benedicto
Barangays	7 (see Barangays)
Government   [1]
• Type	Sangguniang Bayan
•  mayor of Don Salvador Benedicto [*]	Laurence Marxlen J. dela Cruz
•  Vice Mayor	Nehemiah Joe J. dela Cruz
•  Representative	Gerardo P. Valmayor Jr.
•  Municipal Council	Members Ricky A. Rebatado Rogelio R. Asin Roger M. Apellido Sr. Jobert B. Hijastro Vicente B. Bacordo Sr. Herman G. Badera Jr. Ronnie H. Toreno Stephen Wyndell A. Pedrosa
•  Electorate	18,632 voters (2022)
Area [2]
• Total	170.50 km2 (65.83 sq mi)
Elevation	715 m (2,346 ft)
Highest elevation	1,535 m (5,036 ft)
Lowest elevation	260 m (850 ft)
Population  (2020 census) [3]
• Total	26,922
• Density	160/km2 (410/sq mi)
•  Households	6,390
Economy
•  Income class	4th municipal income class
•  Poverty incidence	38.29 % (2021) [4]
•  Revenue	₱ 123.2 million (2020)
•  Assets	₱ 317.2 million (2020)
•  Expenditure	₱ 118.3 million (2020)
•  Liabilities	₱ 120 million (2020)
Service provider
• Electricity	Central Negros Electric Cooperative (CENECO)
Time zone	UTC+8 (PST)
ZIP code	6117
PSGC	0604532000
IDD  :  area code	+63 (0)34
Native languages	Hiligaynon Tagalog Cebuano

Don Salvador Benedicto, officially the Municipality of Don Salvador Benedicto (Hiligaynon : Banwa sang Don Salvador Benedicto; Tagalog : Bayan ng Don Salvador Benedicto) or simply Salvador Benedicto and abbreviated as DSB, is a 4th class municipality in the province of Negros Occidental, Philippines. According to the 2020 census, it has a population of 26,922 people. ^[3]

The municipality is a post-colonial provincial hill station, designated the Summer Capital of Negros Occidental, and is a popular tourist site. ^[5]

History

Mountain ranges seen at Don Salvador Benedicto

The idea for the creation of the municipality originated from Nehemias “Nene” de la Cruz, a political dissident who was imprisoned during the Martial law era. While in prison, he began dreaming of creating a town out of the “cradle of insurgency/rebellion”, and after his release, gained the support of his friend Mike Coronel, who was also the provincial commander of the Philippine Constabulary in Negros Occidental, in establishing the upcoming municipality based in Barangay Igmaya-an, which was then part of Murcia, in 1976. Located at the center of the mountains of northern Negros Occidental, Don Salvador Benedicto was chartered in 1983 through Batas Pambansa Bilang 336 by then President Ferdinand Marcos. It consolidated all the remote barangays of San Carlos City and the towns of Calatrava and Murcia. ^[6] which were apparently neglected due to inaccessibility.^{[ citation needed ]}

The town is named after the former Vice Governor Salvador Valois Benedicto (March 31, 1889–November 28, 1956) who played an important role in the setting up of a Revolutionary Government in Negros Island particularly in Barangay Igmaya-an, when the country was occupied by the Japanese during World War II. ^[6] He was also the main guerrilla coordinator in both Negros Oriental and Negros Occidental during the said war. Salvador Benedicto is a relative of Roberto Benedicto, a crony of Marcos.^{[ citation needed ]}

• 
  DSB Tourism Marker
• 
  Overlooking view at DSB

Geography

Don Salvador Benedicto is 47 kilometres (29 mi) east of Bacolod, via Negros Occidental Eco-Tourism Highway (N69).

Barangays

Don Salvador Benedicto is politically subdivided into 7 barangays. Each barangay consists of puroks and some have sitios.

• Bago (Lalung)
• Bagong Silang (Marcelo)
• Bunga
• Igmaya-an
• Kumaliskis
• Pandanon
• Pinowayan (Prosperidad)

Climate

Climate data for Don Salvador Benedicto, Negros Occidental
Month	Jan	Feb	Mar	Apr	May	Jun	Jul	Aug	Sep	Oct	Nov	Dec	Year
Mean daily maximum °C (°F)	23 (73)	24 (75)	26 (79)	27 (81)	27 (81)	26 (79)	25 (77)	25 (77)	25 (77)	25 (77)	24 (75)	24 (75)	25 (77)
Mean daily minimum °C (°F)	19 (66)	18 (64)	19 (66)	20 (68)	21 (70)	21 (70)	20 (68)	20 (68)	20 (68)	20 (68)	20 (68)	19 (66)	20 (68)
Average precipitation mm (inches)	120 (4.7)	87 (3.4)	95 (3.7)	97 (3.8)	187 (7.4)	263 (10.4)	251 (9.9)	220 (8.7)	227 (8.9)	268 (10.6)	220 (8.7)	158 (6.2)	2,193 (86.4)
Average rainy days	16.1	12.6	15.4	16.8	25.8	28.4	29.1	27.9	27.7	28.5	23.9	18.4	270.6
Source: Meteoblue [7]

Demographics

Population census of Don Salvador Benedicto

Year	Pop.	±% p.a.
1990	13,538	—
1995	17,635	+5.08%
2000	17,259	−0.46%
2007	22,979	+4.03%
2010	23,624	+1.01%
2015	25,662	+1.59%
2020	26,922	+0.95%
Source: Philippine Statistics Authority [8] [9] [10] [11]

Major languages are Hiligaynon, followed by Cebuano with English and Filipino being used as second languages.

Economy

A small nipa hut amidst the rice fields of Don Salvador Benedicto.

Poverty incidence of Don Salvador Benedicto

10 20 30 40 50 60 2006 50.10 2009 55.85 2012 40.65 2015 25.86 2018 32.40 2021 38.29 Source: Philippine Statistics Authority [12] [13] [14] [15] [16] [17] [18] [19]

Although a small town, the town of Don Salvador Benedicto has seen a rise in its municipal economy thanks to tourism and local agriculture. Due to its high altitude like Baguio, the town can support crops that grow in temperate areas, making it ideal for a multitude of farming businesses. Tourism is on the rise for the town especially when travellers head out into the heart of the province. Also located in the municipality are the Choco Hills, similar to Bohol's Chocolate Hills, with shared boundary of Barangay Prosperidad, San Carlos City. ^[20]

See also

Alternate rendering of seal, showing 8 teeth

• Mambukal, a township hill station in Negros Occidental.
• Baguio, first hill station and Summer Capital of the Philippines.

References

1.   Municipality of Don Salvador Benedicto | (DILG)
2. "2015 Census of Population, Report No. 3 – Population, Land Area, and Population Density" (PDF). Philippine Statistics Authority. Quezon City, Philippines. August 2016. ISSN   0117-1453. Archived (PDF) from the original on May 25, 2021. Retrieved July 16, 2021.
3. Census of Population (2020). "Region VI (Western Visayas)". Total Population by Province, City, Municipality and Barangay. Philippine Statistics Authority . Retrieved 8 July 2021.
4. "PSA Releases the 2021 City and Municipal Level Poverty Estimates". Philippine Statistics Authority. 2 April 2024. Retrieved 28 April 2024.
5. "Things to see and do in Don Salvador Benedicto, Negros Occidental". Yap, Roxie. Retrieved August 24, 2008.
6. Delilan, Erwin (March 28, 2024). "Just imagine how John Lennon's 'Imagine' inspired the creation of Negros' frontier town". Rappler . Retrieved March 28, 2024.
7. "Don Salvador Benedicto: Average Temperatures and Rainfall". Meteoblue. Retrieved 7 May 2020.
8. Census of Population (2015). "Region VI (Western Visayas)". Total Population by Province, City, Municipality and Barangay. Philippine Statistics Authority . Retrieved 20 June 2016.
9. Census of Population and Housing (2010). "Region VI (Western Visayas)" (PDF). Total Population by Province, City, Municipality and Barangay. National Statistics Office . Retrieved 29 June 2016.
10. Censuses of Population (1903–2007). "Region VI (Western Visayas)". Table 1. Population Enumerated in Various Censuses by Province/Highly Urbanized City: 1903 to 2007. National Statistics Office.
11. "Province of Aklan". Municipality Population Data. Local Water Utilities Administration Research Division. Retrieved 17 December 2016.
12. "Poverty incidence (PI):". Philippine Statistics Authority. Retrieved December 28, 2020.
13. "Estimation of Local Poverty in the Philippines" (PDF). Philippine Statistics Authority. 29 November 2005.
14. "2003 City and Municipal Level Poverty Estimates" (PDF). Philippine Statistics Authority. 23 March 2009.
15. "City and Municipal Level Poverty Estimates; 2006 and 2009" (PDF). Philippine Statistics Authority. 3 August 2012.
16. "2012 Municipal and City Level Poverty Estimates" (PDF). Philippine Statistics Authority. 31 May 2016.
17. "Municipal and City Level Small Area Poverty Estimates; 2009, 2012 and 2015". Philippine Statistics Authority. 10 July 2019.
18. "PSA Releases the 2018 Municipal and City Level Poverty Estimates". Philippine Statistics Authority. 15 December 2021. Retrieved 22 January 2022.
19. "PSA Releases the 2021 City and Municipal Level Poverty Estimates". Philippine Statistics Authority. 2 April 2024. Retrieved 28 April 2024.
20. "Agriculture and Tourism Potentials of Don Salvador Benedicto". Reyes, Glady. Retrieved February 11, 2010.

External links

• Don Salvador Benedicto Profile at the Official Website of Negros Occidental Archived 2018-12-05 at the Wayback Machine
• Philippine Standard Geographic Code
• Philippine Census Information