Pulupandan

Pulupandan, officially the Municipality of Pulupandan (Hiligaynon: Banwa sang Pulupandan; Tagalog: Bayan ng Pulupandan), is a municipality in the province of Negros Occidental, Philippines. According to the 2024 census, it has a population of 31,942 people.^[5] The town is known for their annual "Salapan Festival".

The town's name is derived from the vernacular phrase Pulo sang Pandan, meaning the "Isle of Pandan". Pandan itself is a Malayo-Polynesian vocabulary for a plant with the scientific name Pandanus amaryllifolius.

Saint Philomena is the patron saint of Pulupandan. February 15 is the feast day. The main street is named after St. Philomena, the Wonderworker.

Formerly a barrio of Valladolid, Pulupandan was organized into an independent pueblo, along with Sum-ag, Ma-ao, Dancalan, and other neighboring areas, in 1899 under the Republic of Negros, following the successful revolution of the Negrenses against Spain.

In 1903, after the short-lived existence of the Negros Cantonal Government, a Re-organization Committee was established in line with the restructuring of the government during the American occupation. Ironically, however, Pulupandan was once again incorporated as a barrio of Valladolid under this re-organization. It remained a barrio until 1916, when it was segregated from Valladolid and re-established as an independent municipality. Pulupandan was officially recognized as a town under the mandate of Governor General Francis Burton Harrison through Executive Order No. 95, dated December 23, 1916. This took effect on January 1, 1917, and was implemented by Resolution No. 36 of the Provincial Board of Negros Occidental, dated January 12, 1917, during the tenure of Governor Matias Hilado.

It was in the beaches of Pulupandan in the early dawn of March 29, 1945 that the historical event of the landing of American liberation forces without any opposition, who together with the Filipino guerillas, drive the Japanese forces away from the island of Negros during the Battle of the Visayas.

With an area of 23 square kilometers, Pulupandan is the smallest town in terms of area in Negros Occidental. It is 29 kilometres (18 mi) from Bacolod.

Pulupandan is politically subdivided into 20 barangays. Each barangay consists of puroks and some have sitios.

The people in the municipality speak Hiligaynon. Tagalog and English are generally understood.

Majority of the town are adherents of the Roman Catholic Church, followed secondly by the Philippine Independent Church.

Poverty incidence of Pulupandan

Source: Philippine Statistics Authority^{[12][13][14][15][16][17][18][19]}

The Salapan Festival is an annual cultural event typically celebrated on February. The name Salapan is derived from the words "salap" and "pandan". Salap is a native term for "fishnet", linked to the town's traditional guinamos industry, while pandan refers to the basis of the town's name, Pulo sang Pandan ("Isle of Pandan"), and also alludes to the port (pantalan), which contributed to the town's economic development.

The current mayor of Pulupandan is Miguel C. Peña, the son of former mayor Magdaleno "Magsie" Peña, who also served as mayor in the town of Moises Padilla.

Known for being a bailiwick of the Liberal Party, the town is notable for being the only municipality in Negros Occidental where Rodrigo Duterte won during the 2016 presidential election.

President Bongbong Marcos won by a landslide with a delivery vote of 89% (12,544 votes) in the 2022 Presidential election.

Pulupandan can be accessed by jeepneys operated by the Pulupandan Transport Service Cooperative (PTSC), which regularly travel to and from Bacolod City. Transportation within Pulupandan is mainly done by tricycles. The town also has a seaport, with vessels traveling to the town of Sibulan in the island province of Guimaras.

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• Gerard Salonga - Classical Music Conductor, Composer

• Philippine Standard Geographic Code
• Philippine Census Information
• Local Governance Performance Management System