7 September, Foundation Day of Bais

1. SIPONG FESTIVAL
   

   A colorful and lively mardi gras festival participated in by the different barangays, local and national offices in a choreographed street dancing. Magnificent floats and spectacular head dresses can also be viewed during this event. This biggest annual merry making marks the Charter Day celebration of Bais City.

2. Bais, officially the City of Bais and often referred to as Bais City, is a third class city in the province of Negros Oriental, Philippines. 
3. Bais City is just about 45 Kilometers (28 mi), or 1 hour drive north of Dumaguete City, the capital city of Negros Oriental province in the Philippines with a total land area of 31,964 hectares (78,980 acres) or over 316 square kilometer.
4. Bais is best known for its Dolphins off the coast in the Tañon Strait which are the most popular Tourist attraction of the region. Although its premier attraction -- Dolphin and Whale Watching is promoted, one should not expect to see any whales on regular basis. A few whales only have been spotted very rarely in 2012 after yearlong absence.  Dolphins are spotted in big numbers mainly from March until October with the best surface conditions from mid-August to mid-October. Spinner and Bottlenose Dolphins are the most common species in the Tañon Strait.
5. Bais once belonged to the municipality of Manjuyod and gained “city-status” in 7 September 1968 and belongs to the second district of Negros Oriental.
6. Other references suggests that the name "Bais" originates from the two bays (Bais).
7. There is, however, a dispute that the name Bais was taken after the eels locally called "Bais" that used to thrive in the Pelarta River which runs beside the city center. 
8. Pelarte River has been the source of irrigation water for the nearby sugar farms and also has a big influence on the city's geography, as it deposits sediments in the former mangrove areas during the (formerly annual) flood season and these former mangrove swamps have now dried out and become populated with residents. In the late seventies, under the government of Genaro Goñi, there was established a river control system stretching from the city center towards the low lying areas in order to lessen flooding during the rainy season.
9. In the early days of Spanish exploration, some Spaniards came upon a swampy land and docked their boats at the vicinity of the two small islets that guarded the village while exploring the place they saw natives fishing along the coast. The Spaniards approached the natives and asked for the name of the place. The natives could not understand Spanish,and believing that the Spaniards were asking for the name of their catch, the natives answered saying "Ba-is", from the day on this swampy valley of the Old Panlabangan and Talamban Hills became known as Bais.
10. Bais City is the largest producer of raw sugar in Negros Oriental. There are two sugar mills in the city. The Central Azucarera de Bais was established by Tabacalera of Spain in the early 1900s and is one of the oldest in the country. The other mill, URSUMCO (Universal Robina Sugar Milling Corporation) was formerly URSUMCO (United Planters Milling Corporation) and constructed in the mid '70s by Marubeni Corporation of Japan as a project of Ignacio Montenegro (also of Spanish roots).
11. Other places of interest this location are the historical Central Azucarera de Bais where one can find the Balwain Locomotive is, as well as beaches and a mangrove park.
12. PROCLAMATION NO. 855 DECLARING TUESDAY, 9 SEPTEMBER 2014, AS A SPECIAL (NON-WORKING) DAY IN THE CITY OF BAIS

NOTABLE BAISANON

• Gen Segrio Sinco - local hero during the Spanish Rule
• Dr. Vicente G. Sinco - founder of Foundation University, former UP President
• Jovenal Villanueva-Somoza - World War II
• Josefa Villanueva-Perez - historian, visual artist
• Demetrio Larena - civil governor, political hero and co-founder of Silliman University
• Mileton Larena - political hero and Board Member during the American Regime
• Emplaz Paulio-Violeta - cultural worker and visual artist
• Penn T. Villanueva-Larena - cultural worker, civic leader, accredited tour guide, tourism educator and Stamp collector
• Hermigildo Villanueva - first senator the city and the province has produced

References:

Bais City - Negros Oriental - Philippines
Bais, Negros Oriental
Bais City, Negros Oriental The Home of Dolphin Watching in the Philippines
Bais City, Negros Oriental | Facebook
Proclamation No. 855, s. 2014
Dolphin Watching at Bais City, Negros Oriental
BAIS CITY PROFILE
Bais, it's yours to discover!
September