The City of Dumaguete is a city in the Philippine province of Negros Oriental. It is the capital, principal seaport, and largest city of the province.

Dumaguete City is nicknamed “The City of Gentle People”. Dumaguete is also referred to as a university town 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-established university in Asia. The city attracts a considerable number of foreign tourists, particularly Europeans, because of easy 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.

Political Subdivisions

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.

Language / Dialect

Dumaguete City’s population of 90,000 people speak Cebuano and are conversant in Eanglish and Filipino.

Economy

Dumaguete is becoming one of the most economically vibrant cities in the country in recent years, thanks to the influence of various anchor industries which drive the City’s and neighboring areas’ economies. These industries include business process outsourcing, retirement, retail, medical services, and a host of other industries. Robinsons Land Corporation, a leading mall operator in the Philippines, has established a 6-hectare mall complex south of downtown Dumaguete and inside the Dumaguete Business and IT Park. The latter is a 21 hectare complex being developed in Brgy. Calindagan, masterplanned by the Palafox Associates.

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