Murcia, Negros Occidental

Murcia
Municipality
Municipality of Murcia
Murcia Municipal Building
Flag Seal
Map of Negros Occidental with Murcia highlighted
OpenStreetMap
Murcia Location within the Philippines
Coordinates: 10°36′N123°02′E / 10.6°N 123.03°E / 10.6; 123.03
Country	Philippines
Region	Negros Island Region
Province	Negros Occidental
District	3rd district
Named after	Murcia, Spain
Barangays	23 (see Barangays)
Government   [1]
• Type	Sangguniang Bayan
•  Mayor	Victor Gerardo M. Rojas
•  Vice Mayor	Johnny P. Reosura (Lakas)
•  Representative	Javier Miguel L. Benitez (PFP)
•  Municipal Council	Members Enegio C. Gravino, Jr. Phillip S. Belleza Carlito B. Yu, Jr. Alfredo L. Villarosa Joey R. Gomez Belen E. Magbanua Francoise O. Ginson Hernan C. Alintana
•  Electorate	56,755 voters (2025)
Area [2]
• Total	279.14 km2 (107.78 sq mi)
Elevation	429 m (1,407 ft)
Highest elevation	2,432 m (7,979 ft)
Lowest elevation	0 m (0 ft)
Population  (2024 census) [3]
• Total	90,123
• Density	322.86/km2 (836.20/sq mi)
•  Households	21,101
Economy
•  Income class	1st municipal income class
•  Poverty incidence	22.95 % (2021) [4]
•  Revenue	₱ 400.3 million (2022)
•  Assets	₱ 865.7 million (2022)
•  Expenditure	₱ 284.4 million (2022)
•  Liabilities	₱ 342.4 million (2022)
Service provider
• Electricity	Negros Electric and Power Corporation (NEPC)
Time zone	UTC+8 (PST)
ZIP code	6129
PSGC	064520000
IDD  :  area code	+63 (0)34
Native languages	Hiligaynon Tagalog
Named after	Murcia, Spain

Murcia, officially the Municipality of Murcia, is a municipality in the province of Negros Occidental, Philippines. According to the 2024 census, it has a population of 90,123 people. ^[5]

History

Murcia was founded by an Augustinian Recollect priest named Fr. Miguel Alvarez in 1860. ^[6]

During World War II, the municipal hall of the town was used as a garrison by the invading Japanese. Due to resistance from Filipino guerillas, the Japanese withdrew from the municipality on April 21, 1945. ^[6]

Geography

It is 17 kilometres (11 mi) east of Bacolod.

Barangays

Murcia is politically subdivided into 23 barangays. Each barangay consists of puroks and some have sitios.

Abo-abo Alegria Amayco Zone I (Poblacion) Zone II (Poblacion) Zone III (Poblacion) Zone IV (Poblacion) Zone V (Poblacion) Blumentritt Buenavista Caliban Canlandog

Cansilayan Damsite Iglau-an Lopez Jaena Minoyan Pandanon (Silos) San Miguel Santa Cruz Santa Rosa Salvacion Talotog

Climate

Climate data for Murcia, Negros Occidental
Month	Jan	Feb	Mar	Apr	May	Jun	Jul	Aug	Sep	Oct	Nov	Dec	Year
Mean daily maximum °C (°F)	27 (81)	28 (82)	29 (84)	31 (88)	30 (86)	29 (84)	28 (82)	29 (84)	28 (82)	28 (82)	28 (82)	27 (81)	29 (83)
Mean daily minimum °C (°F)	22 (72)	22 (72)	22 (72)	23 (73)	24 (75)	24 (75)	24 (75)	24 (75)	24 (75)	24 (75)	23 (73)	23 (73)	23 (74)
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 (modeled/calculated data, not measured locally) [7]

Demographics

Population census of Murcia

Year Pop. ±% p.a. 1903 4,227 —     1918 10,058 +5.95% 1939 18,948 +3.06% 1948 28,243 +4.53% 1960 23,482 −1.53% 1970 32,176 +3.20%	Year Pop. ±% p.a. 1975 38,668 +3.75% 1980 45,162 +3.15% 1990 50,996 +1.22% 1995 55,128 +1.47% 2000 59,358 +1.60% 2007 71,289 +2.56%	Year Pop. ±% p.a. 2010 75,207 +1.97% 2015 81,286 +1.49% 2020 88,868 +1.89% 2024 90,123 +0.34%
Source: Philippine Statistics Authority [8] [9] [10] [11] [12]

Economy

Negros Occidental Eco-Tourism Highway (N69) along Murcia

Poverty incidence of Murcia

10 20 30 40 50 60 2000 54.01 2003 34.26 2006 25.10 2009 20.73 2012 23.26 2015 21.61 2018 21.26 2021 22.95 Source: Philippine Statistics Authority [13] [14] [15] [16] [17] [18] [19] [20]

Tourism

Lake in Mambukal

Tinabu-ay of Murcia Festival

The Mambukal Resort in Barangay Minoyan, Murcia, Negros Occidental has bats as tourist attraction. There resort has 3 species of bats – the Philippine Flying Fox (Philippine Giant Fruit Bat), the Philippine bare-backed fruit bat, and the Little Golden-mantled Flying Fox, which is already endangered. They produce a nitrogen-rich organic fertilizer called guano. Bats are included in the list of animals protected by Republic Act 9147 (Wildlife Resources Conservation and Protection Act). ^[21] The provincial government-owned Mambukal Resort inaugurated its "Butterfly Garden," in December 2007. Live predators of butterflies like tarantula, wild geckos, scorpions, millipedes and centipedes were displayed. ^[22]

Aside from the Mambukal Mountain Resort, Murcia is also famous for its Pandanon River Resort situated in the Murcia-Don Salvador Benedicto municipality border. A golf and country club is situated in Barangay Blumentritt.

Notable personalities

• Donnie Nietes - Professional Boxing World Champion

Twin cities

• Murcia, Spain
• Baguio, Philippines

References

1.   Municipality of Murcia | (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. "2024 Census of Population (POPCEN) Population Counts Declared Official by the President". Philippine Statistics Authority. July 17, 2025. Retrieved July 18, 2025.
4. "PSA Releases the 2021 City and Municipal Level Poverty Estimates". Philippine Statistics Authority. April 2, 2024. Retrieved April 28, 2024.
5. "2024 Census of Population (POPCEN) Population Counts Declared Official by the President". Philippine Statistics Authority. July 17, 2025. Retrieved July 18, 2025.
6. "Murcia, Negros Occidental – Executive Summary" (PDF). Commission on Audit of the Philippines . 2021.
7. "Murcia: Average Temperatures and Rainfall". Meteoblue. Retrieved May 7, 2020.
8. "2024 Census of Population (POPCEN) Population Counts Declared Official by the President". Philippine Statistics Authority. July 17, 2025. Retrieved July 18, 2025.
9. Census of Population (2015). "Region VI (Western Visayas)". Total Population by Province, City, Municipality and Barangay. Philippine Statistics Authority . Retrieved June 20, 2016.
10. Census of Population and Housing (2010). "Region VI (Western Visayas)" (PDF). Total Population by Province, City, Municipality and Barangay. National Statistics Office . Retrieved June 29, 2016.
11. 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.
12. "Province of". Municipality Population Data. Local Water Utilities Administration Research Division. Retrieved December 17, 2016.
13. "Poverty incidence (PI):". Philippine Statistics Authority. Retrieved December 28, 2020.
14. "Estimation of Local Poverty in the Philippines" (PDF). Philippine Statistics Authority. November 29, 2005.
15. "2003 City and Municipal Level Poverty Estimates" (PDF). Philippine Statistics Authority. March 23, 2009.
16. "City and Municipal Level Poverty Estimates; 2006 and 2009" (PDF). Philippine Statistics Authority. August 3, 2012.
17. "2012 Municipal and City Level Poverty Estimates" (PDF). Philippine Statistics Authority. May 31, 2016.
18. "Municipal and City Level Small Area Poverty Estimates; 2009, 2012 and 2015". Philippine Statistics Authority. July 10, 2019.
19. "PSA Releases the 2018 Municipal and City Level Poverty Estimates". Philippine Statistics Authority. December 15, 2021. Retrieved January 22, 2022.
20. "PSA Releases the 2021 City and Municipal Level Poverty Estimates". Philippine Statistics Authority. April 2, 2024. Retrieved April 28, 2024.
21. "eturbonews.com, Bats are tourist attractions in Negros Occidental". Archived from the original on December 4, 2008. Retrieved November 16, 2008.
22. pia.gov.ph, Butterfly garden in Mambukal Resort opens

External links

• Murcia Profile at the Official Website of Negros Occidental
• Philippine Standard Geographic Code
• Philippine Census Information
• Local Governance Performance Management System