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San Carlos, Negros Occidental

San Carlos, officially the City of San Carlos (Dakbayan sa San Carlos; Dakbanwa/Syudad sang San Carlos; Lungsod ng San Carlos), is a second-class component city in the province of Negros Occidental in the Philippines. According to the 2020 census, it has a population of 132,650 people.

The municipality's status was elevated to city on July 1, 1960, per Republic Act No. 2643 and Presidential Proclamation No. 685 s. 1960.

Pre-Spanish and Spanish colonization
San Carlos City was formerly named Nabingkalan, deriving its name from Nabingka, the daughter of a chieftain of the Negrito settlement in the area, who ruled the barrio during the early part of the 17th century. She was famous for her loveliness and mental and physical prowess. After her death, the people mourned for two years, and to perpetuate her memory, named the barrio after her. The settlement was later bought by Carlos Apurado from Badian, Cebu, who with the help of fellow pioneers developed the settlement into a thriving Christian village. In 1856, Buglas (Negros) Island, as a politico-military province under the Spanish Empire, was divided into two provinces, west Negros under Iloilo and east Negros under Cebu. Nabingkalan was under the jurisdiction of Calatrava municipality in Iloilo. Don Emilio Saravia, the first political-military governor in the island during the Spanish era, renamed the barrio and established it as a pueblo.

A mission belonging to the municipality of Calatrava was created in 1895, although since 1891 a religious had been assigned to it. The number of inhabitants at the time was 1,100, living in the mountainous areas rather than the coast where the modern village is located. Father Pedro Chivite was assigned to the mission. It was vacated during the Revolution, and in 1904 Father Eusebio Valderrama took charge of it. With the help of Fathers Ángel Quintana, Juan Lorenzo, and Vicente Vázquez, all the towns of the coast from Guihulngan to Escalante were attended to. Since then, it has been administered to by the Fathers. According to a church chronicle from 1925, what was a poor and depopulated village in 1897 was by then one of the most important towns in Negros Occidental. In that year, the city had an estimated population of 30,000. The land began to be cultivated when a Spaniard who observed the fertility of the land built a small sugarcane farm. Seeing the good results obtained, others joined in cultivating the land, modern machines were installed, and it became one of the most productive villages on the island. In 1889 there were four estates and in 1897 there were 16, mainly owned by Spaniards.

In 1856 Negros was raised to the category of a politico-military province, Saravia being its first governor. It was during his term that several towns of Negros Occidental, including San Isido, San Carlos, and Calatrava were established.

San Carlos prospered through the years, however the village lost its pueblo status in 1890, when Negros Island was divided into Negros Occidental and Negros Oriental, and the village was recorded as an arrabal or barrio of Calatrava (Hilub-ang).

American colonization

During the first years of the American occupation of the Philippines, the economic and social pace of the activities of the people were gauged by the movements of the large landholders and Spaniards in the lowlands. In 1903, Filipinos were first allowed to elect their own leaders. In 1912, when a sugar central was constructed, the economic life of the people was greatly enhanced. Political activities, however, were closely connected to Calatrava until 1925, when it was organized into a municipality.

San Carlos Milling Company of San Carlos erected one of the first and only modern sugarcane mills in the Philippines, and has engaged in sugarcane cultivation and sugar production. The capacity of the mill is 1000 tons of cane per day, which results in 125 tons of centrifugal sugar. It was completed at the end of 1913 at a cost of about one million dollars, and the first cane ground was from the 1914 crop.

Per a 1903 act of the Philippine Commission, the municipality consisted of its present territory and that of Calatrava's, with the seat of the municipal government at San Carlos.

In 1920, the municipality comprised the barrios Antabayan, Cubay, Euzcasa, Looc, Malalamban, San Juan, Santa Filomena, Sitio Banatic, Tigbon, and Varconia.

World War I encouraged the people of San Carlos to grow more sugar-producing crops. After the armistice in 1917, the planters who produced more sugar had their wealth greatly increased because of the new price of sugar never before enjoyed by the planters. During the war, many men of the municipality volunteered to fight for the United States, but a few months later were sent back home because of the armistice.

World War II
San Carlos was actively involved on the war efforts against Imperial Japan during World War II. A month after the surrender of Negros to the Japanese Imperial Forces, the guerrilla movement began in San Carlos and Calatrava. As early as June 15, 1942, guerilla units under the leadership of Captain Eugenio Antonio, Jr. and Lieutenants Leonardo Marane and Alfredo Valdivia, assisted by Philippine Commonwealth Army soldiers, began operations against the Japanese. Pitched battles were fought within populated areas. Despite the presence of the U.S. forces under Major Edward McClenahan, separate guerrilla units were scattered in the area under different commanders as they were unable to effectively establish a formal chain-of-command among the different factions.

Upon the return of some local USAFFE officers to San Carlos, the guerrilla movement was formally organized into fighting units under USAFFE Captains Catalino D. Rivera, Eugenio Antonio, Jr. and Loreto Y. Apuhin Sr., and with Lieutenants Florencio C. Yap and Andres L. Arrogante, the bands of guerrillas in San Carlos were consolidated under one command. Young men in their early teens joined the ranks and fought face-to-face against the Japanese.

In March 1945, the Philippine Commonwealth forces under the 7th, 71st and 72nd Infantry Division of the Philippine Commonwealth Army, 7th Infantry Regiment of the Philippine Constabulary and local guerrilla units under the command of Colonel Ernesto Mata, attacked the Japanese garrison in the compound of San Carlos Milling Company and succeeded in driving away the Japanese Army, at the cost of the life of Lt. Valdivia.

On October 10, 1945, President Sergio Osmeña appointed Eugenio Antonio as Acting Mayor of San Carlos and Anacleto Facturan as Acting Vice Mayor.

Former President Manuel A. Roxas appointed Constancio Rabacal as Mayor and Fausto Caballero as Vice Mayor of San Carlos on June 13, 1946.

Dionisio Gajo was appointed as a councilor of the city on September 9, 1946.

Juan Broce was appointed Vice Mayor of the city on June 7, 1947.

Eufronio Dolino, Juan Broce, Victorino G. Apuhin, Carlos Jones, Alfredo Rivera, Feliciano Gauzon Fermin de la Victoria and Hipolito Rigor were appointed Councilors of the city on June 10, 1946.

Post-war period
The first post-war election in the municipality resulted in a Liberal government. In the 1953 elections, the Nacionalista Party wrested power from the Liberals.

Cityhood
By Virtue of Republic Act No. 2643, the Municipality of San Carlos was converted into a city on July 1, 1960. The city inherited from the municipality numerous improvements, introduced by the last municipal administration under Mayor Sofronio Carmona.

Geography

Located along the northeastern coast touching the Tañon Strait, San Carlos City is located along the boundary of two provinces, Negros Occidental and Negros Oriental. The city is also used as a departure point to Cebu City. It has a 40 km coastline, of which some parts are covered with mangroves. The city has a deep natural harbor protected from inclement weather by the island of Refugio, also known as Sipaway. Due to these aspects, the Philippine Ports Authority has chosen the San Carlos City port from among other ports in the province for its expansion program in 1998 which include the reclamation of four hectares of sea to accommodate various port buildings, facilities and container vans, an extension on the east side for two roll-on/roll-off (RO-RO) vessels and the extension of the length of the port to 242.50 m. It is 87 km east of Bacolod, via the Negros Occidental Eco-Tourism Highway (N69), and 168 km from Dumaguete, the capital of Negros Oriental.

Climate
San Carlos has two pronounced seasons, wet and dry. The rainy season is from May to January with heavy rains occurring during the months of August and September, and the dry season lasts from February to April. December and January are the coldest months while April is the hottest.

Barangays
San Carlos is politically subdivided into 18 barangays. Each barangay consists of puroks and some have sitios.

 * Bagonbon
 * Buluangan
 * Codcod
 * Ermita (Sipaway)
 * Guadalupe
 * Nataban
 * Palampas
 * Barangay I (Poblacion)
 * Barangay II (Poblacion)
 * Barangay III (Poblacion)
 * Barangay IV (Poblacion)
 * Barangay V (Poblacion)
 * Barangay VI (Poblacion)
 * Prosperidad
 * Punao
 * Quezon
 * Rizal
 * San Juan (Sipaway)

Demographics
Cebuano is the predominant language of San Carlos, closely followed by Hiligaynon. Both languages are understood and used in both urban and rural areas. English and to some extent Tagalog are also spoken and understood, especially in urban areas.

Economy
Located in the city is San Carlos Solar Energy, owner of the SaCaSol I solar installation located in the north of the city, currently the largest operational solar plant in the Philippines.

Elected officials
Members of the San Carlos City Council (2022–2025):
 * Mayor: Renato Y. Gustilo
 * Vice Mayor: Christopher Paul S. Carmona
 * Councilors
 * Benito Y. Gustilo Jr.
 * Mark E. Cui
 * Armando L. Laguda Jr.
 * Victoriana C. Cabili
 * Carlos Manuel L. Valmayor
 * Wilmer L. Yap
 * Jose Carlos L. Villarante
 * Jonie S. Uy
 * Philip Gerard B. Maisog
 * Jeffrey M. Hidalgo
 * Liga ng mga Barangay President: PB Alfredo Martin A. Cui
 * SK Federation Representative: Mary Dawn P. Cañetan

List of former chief executives
From 1899 to the last days of the administration of the municipality of San Carlos, the following persons have served as presidentes and mayors:

1899–1941

 * Agustin Ylagan (4 terms)
 * Bernardino Lazanas
 * Domingo Medina (2 terms)
 * Eugenio Antonio, Jr.
 * Fausto Caballero
 * Jose Cervantes
 * Juan P. Broce (2 terms)
 * Pelagio Carbajosa
 * Vicente Atienza
 * Vicente Flores

1942–1945

 * Antonio Azcona (in the occupied area)
 * Anacleto Factoran (in the free area)
 * Juan P. Broce

After 1945

 * Constancio Rabacal (2 terms)
 * Constancio Rabacal (Appointed, 1946)
 * Dominador Zaragoza (Appointed)
 * Eugenio Antonio, Jr. (Appointed)
 * Gregorio R. Reonisto (OIC, 1987)
 * Sofronio C. Carmona
 * Jose V. Valmayor Jr.
 * Tranquilino B. Carmona
 * Rogelio "Roger" Debulgado (3 terms, 1992–2001)
 * Eugenio Jose "Bong" Lacson
 * Gerardo "Ginggo" Valmayor Jr.

Tourism
The Pintaflores Festival was born out of the city's search for a cultural identity and tradition. In 1992 after successfully holding two activities with the Nabingkalan Tattoo Festival and the Dances of Flowers as highlights of the city fiesta, the idea of blending the two concepts to come up with a presentation that could be considered the city's very own started what today is one of the most popular street dancing festivals in the region, the Pintaflores Festival. Pintaflores was coined from the Spanish words pintados (lit. 'painted ones'), the concept behind the Nabingkalan Tattoo Festival, and flores (lit. 'flowers'), the theme of the Dances of Flowers. The pintaflores street dancing and ritual competition are the highlights of the annual festival every November 3–5.

It features rhythmic dances and dance dramas of life and death and the triumph of good against evil that depict the people's thanksgiving and merriment, abundant blessings and success. As part of the pintados tradition, the faces, arms, bodies and legs of the dancers are painted with flowers to express gratitude to man and his environment.

The street dancing culminates in a dance ritual performed at the city auditorium. Different dance steps and musical accompaniment add to the thrill of the competition. The human flower formation is another part of the ritual which is created by choreographed dancers.

Colegio de Santo Tomas – Recoletos high school students bested seasoned contestants to land third place in the free interpretation category in the heavily contested Sinulog festival in Cebu City in January 1993. In April of the same year, the group won the championship in Panaad Sa Negros, a province-wide cultural festival in Negros Occidental.

Represented by barangays II and Quezon, the Pintaflores street dancing contingent won first prize in Panaad Sa Negros in 1996. The same group with the participation of barangay Ermita secured the championship again in 1997 and the fifth prize in Sinulog festival 1998.

In the 1998 Panaad sa Negros, the Pintaflores group composed of dancers from barangays Punao and Palampas and the City Hospital appeared in the fiesta presentation as guest performers. In the 1999 festival the group, represented by elementary school children, continued its unbeatable streak by emerging champions, consequently reaping the Hall of Fame award for topping the fiesta presentation event in four consecutive years.

Having established a name in street dancing, Pintaflores danced performers in such places as Iloilo City in 1996 and Roxas City in 1997 among the best of the best in the region, and in Canlaon and Victorias in 1999 as the best in the province.

Pintaflores has evolved as a new breed of dancers emerged with the 1996 launch of Pintaflores Bata or Pinta Bata, a street dancing and ritual competition among elementary school children.

After five years and many awards, including the Panaad sa Negros Hall of Fame awards, the word Pintaflores, like Daan Sa Kaunlaran and the Homelot program, has become another byword of the creativity of San Carloseños.

Transportation
Pedicabs and Motorized tricycles are common modes of transport within the city. Buses and jeepneys provide service for inter-town travel. Local outriggers and pump boats provide inter-island travel to and from Sipaway Island.

The city is also served by RO-RO ferry services to Toledo City, Cebu.

The city is one of the termini of the Negros Occidental Eco-Tourism Highway, numbered N69 in the Philippine highway system. At the other end is the city of Bacolod, about 2 hours away.

Education

 * Julio Ledesma National High School
 * Bagonbon National High School
 * Sipaway National High School
 * Our Lady of Peace Mission School Inc
 * Colegio de Santa Rita de San Carlos, Inc.
 * Colegio de Santo Tomas – Recoletos
 * Central Negros College
 * Tañon College
 * Daisy's ABC School Foundation Inc.
 * Central Philippines State University – Justo V. Valmayor Campus
 * Sipaway National High School
 * Don Carlos Ledesma National High School
 * Ramon Magsaysay Elementary School

Notable personalities
Another historical milestone in the life of the city is the cabinet meeting of President Fidel V. Ramos in the city on August 27, 1996, making San Carlos the first component city to be made the venue of a Presidential Cabinet meeting. Award-winning actress Assunta de Rossi became a resident in the city when she married then congressman Jules Ledesma. Former boxer Gerry Peñalosa also hails from the city. Romeo Villalva Tabuena, an artist included in Who's Who in American Art, and has had works featured in publications like the "American Artists", "Diplomat", "Literary Review" and the "Reporter", has family roots in San Carlos. Elizabeth Ramsey, a comedian and the mother of singer Jaya, and Dr. Gerry H. Tan, Chairman of the Division of Endocrinology at Cebu Doctors' University College of Medicine – Cebu Doctors' University Hospital from 1999 to present, also hail from the city. Reiven Bulado, an actor who played Ibo in the MMFF film Panaghoy sa Suba was born in San Carlos and attended high school at the Colegio de Santo Tomas – Recoletos.

title: San Carlos, Negros Occidental


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Pretty Fly (For a White Guy)

"Pretty Fly (for a White Guy)" is a song by American rock band the Offspring. It is the fourth track from the band's fifth studio album, Americana (1998), and was released as its first single in November 1998. The song peaked at number 53 on the US Billboard Hot 100, number five on the Billboard Mainstream Rock Tracks chart, and number three on the Billboard Modern Rock Tracks chart. It was successful internationally, reaching number one in 10 countries, including Australia, where it stayed at number one for six weeks and was certified quadruple platinum.

The song appears as the seventh track on the Offspring's 2005 Greatest Hits album. It was parodied by Weird Al Yankovic in "Pretty Fly for a Rabbi".

Composition and lyrics
Beginning with a sample of the pseudo-German nonsense phrase "Gunter glieben glauchen globen" from Def Leppard's 1983 song "Rock of Ages", chanted as a replacement for the traditional "1, 2, 3, 4" to start the recording, the song ridicules a "wannabe gangsta" who is immersed in hip-hop culture, not because he truly loves or understands it but because it is trendy, makes him feel tough ("Friends say he's tryin' too hard, and he's not quite hip/But in his own mind, he's the, he's the dopest trip") and because he believes it attracts women ("and all the girlies say I'm pretty fly, for a white guy"). The “Give it to me baby” verse was done by voice actress Nika Futterman.

As summed up by Dexter Holland, the people described in the lyrics "are from, like, Omaha, Nebraska, regular white-bread boys, but who act like they're from Compton. It's so fake and obvious that they're trying to have an identity." Holland detailed that he meets many teenagers like those in his native Orange County, "going to the mall, where they buy FUBU, Tommy Hilfiger, and Ice Cube's latest record." Given rap culture is the starting point, Holland clarified that it was not an attack on African-Americans, but "poseurs of any kind", but without wanting "to be preachy about it... We're getting amusement out of it more than anything else." When asked about the musical similarities with the Offspring's previous hit "Come Out and Play", Holland said he expected comparisons but added that the band attempted to "take it further than ‘Come Out and Play’", with a particular focus on more percussion.

Critical reception
Daily Record commented that on "Pretty Fly (for a White Guy)", the band "has obviously been inspired by early-Beastie Boys and Run DMC songs." In Australia, it was ranked at number one on the Triple J Hottest 100 of 1998.

Music video
The music video for the song, directed by McG, begins with the "white guy" and some girls singing the opening lines, and Offspring guitarist Noodles walking on the pavement with his guitar, playing the introductory riff. The "white guy" drives through town in his lowrider and tries to act cool in front of African-Americans, playing with his car's hydraulic system and interrupting a break dance session to dance himself. He is then carried by a group of girls to a pool party and thrown into the pool. He jumps out of the pool and finds some bikini clad dancers in front of him. These scenes are cut with the band playing. The video ends with the "white guy" returning home and scaring his little sister, who is wearing a fairy costume, because of his dishevelled appearance.

According to Dexter Holland, the band wanted Seth Green to play the "white guy" but he was unavailable. After seeing an audition tape with "five unknowns", they settled on Israeli actor Guy Cohen, who went on to cameo in the "Why Don't You Get a Job?" video and occasionally appear at Offspring concerts.

DVD appearances
The music video also appears on the Complete Music Video Collection DVD. It was released in 2005. The DVD also contains a storyboard version of the video, in which the storyboard plays over top of the music video.

Track listings
US 7-inch single and UK cassette single

Australian CD single

European CD single

UK CD1

UK CD2

Italian 12-inch single

The Offspring

 * Dexter Holland – lead and backing vocals, rhythm guitar
 * Noodles – lead guitar, backing vocals
 * Greg K. – bass, backing vocals
 * Ron Welty – drums

Additional musicians

 * Chris "X-13" Higgins – additional vocals
 * Heidi Villagran and Nika Frost – additional vocals on "Pretty Fly (For a White Guy)"

Legacy

 * The song was parodied by "Weird Al" Yankovic as "Pretty Fly for a Rabbi".

license: Creative Commons - Attribution Share-Alike - https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0/

title: Pretty Fly (For a White Guy)


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San Enrique, Negros Occidental

San Enrique, officially the Municipality of San Enrique, is a 4th class municipality in the province of Negros Occidental, Philippines. According to the 2020 census, it has a population of 24,177 people.

The town's former name is called "Candaguit", named after the Candaguit River that runs through the town. The town is also notable for its signature delicacy buko pie. Notable tourism destinations include the Wisik Fishing Lagoon Resort, the South Midway Resort, and the Sitio Pasil beach front.

San Enrique is 35 km from Bacolod.

Barangays
San Enrique is politically subdivided into 10 barangays. Each barangay consists of puroks and some have sitios.
 * Bagonawa
 * Baliwagan
 * Batuan
 * Guintorilan
 * Nayon
 * Poblacion
 * Sibucao
 * Tabao Baybay
 * Tabao Rizal
 * Tibsok

title: San Enrique, Negros Occidental


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Silay

Silay, officially the City of Silay (Dakbanwa/Syudad sang Silay; Dakbayan sa Silay; Lungsod ng Silay), is a 3rd class component city in the province of Negros Occidental, Philippines. According to the 2020 census, it has a population of 130,478 people.

It is part of the metropolitan area called Metro Bacolod, which includes the cities of Bacolod (the metropolitan center) and Talisay. It has a sizable commercial and fishing port and is the site of the new Bacolod–Silay International Airport, which replaced the old Bacolod City Domestic Airport.

Silay is often referred to as the "Paris of Negros" due to its artists, cultural shows and large collection of perfectly preserved heritage houses. More than thirty of these houses have been declared by the National Historical Commission of the Philippines as part of the Silay National Historical Landmark. In 2015, the city celebrated its 58th charter anniversary.

Etymology
The appellation Silay is derived from the name of a native tree which grew abundantly in the area. The kansilay is the city's official tree.

The Legend of Princess Kansilay
A local legend tells of how Silay City got its name. It is said that in the days of the datus and rajahs, there once lived a princess named Kansilay. An attack on the settlement by pirates was thwarted when the princess bravely led the people in the village's defense. The fight was furious and the princess fought like a seasoned warrior. Murals that used to grace some of the city's public buildings depict her as a fierce fighter wielding a huge talibong, a short native single-edged sword. The pirates were routed, but at the cost of the princess' life. Her paramour arrived in time to see her die. In grief, the people lovingly buried her. To their surprise, a tree grew right over her grave, the first Kansilay tree, a final gift from the brave princess.

Spanish colonization
Silay was first settled in 1565, under the name "Carobcob", which means "to scratch" in Kinaray-a; residents of the settlement relied upon harvesting tuway clams, which involved "scratching" (or raking) the sands for the mollusks at low tide, as a means of livelihood. In early writings, the settlement was also referred to as "Calubcub", "Caracol" and "Caraco". The last two variations mean "snail" or a "spiral" in Spanish. Carobcob was built near the mouth of a creek; nothing is left of the village today. Carobcob was granted as an encomienda to Cristobal Nuñez Paroja, one of the seventeen soldiers of Miguel López de Legazpi on January 25, 1571.

In the second half of the century, Moro slave raiders escalated their incursions on the large island, forcing the Corregidor of Negros to adopt the policy of flight rather than resistance. People left their homes sometime in 1760 and settled in a new location between two small rivers, Matagoy and Panaogao. A paloisades or estacada (Spanish for "palisade" or "stockade") was constructed to protect the populace from Moro raiders. The place is now known as Sitio Estaca, its name derived from the Spanish word estacada.

In 1760, Silay was recognized as a town being referred to in a letter from Governor Juan Jose de Mijares (1772–1775) mentioning Silay as a leading town in the north. In 1776, the bishop of Cebu considered Silay as the center of the parish. In 1760, it became a pueblo or town. By 1896, it had become a leading sugar-producing area because of the Horno Economico (sugar mill) built in 1846 by a Frenchman who became a permanent resident of Silay, Yves Leopold Germain Gaston.

Negros Revolution
With the outbreak of the Revolution of 1896 came a division between the sugarcane planters of Silay and the clergy. Some planters and clergy supported the rebels while others were against the revolution. On November 5, 1898, at about 2:00 in the afternoon, residents of Silay gathered in the street corner now known as Cinco de Noviembre Street and from there they proceeded to the Spanish garrison near the Catholic Church. The encounter was bloodless. The Spanish civil guard commander, Lt. Maximiano Correa, refused to surrender. After negotiations with the revolutionaries mediated by Juan Viaplana, a local Spaniard, the Spanish garrison did surrender. A Philippine flag was raised for the first time at the Silay plaza later that afternoon. Aniceto Lacson became president after the signing of the terms of surrender. Timoteo Unson and the group of Silay residents then marched south to join forces with some residents of Talisay for an attack on Bacolod, the capital.

World War II
On the slopes of Mt. Silay lies Patag, the site of Imperial Japan's last stand in Negros during World War II. In 1945, U.S. military forces landed in the island. The occupying forces of the Nagano Detachment of the Imperial Japanese Army retreated to Silay and proceeded up Mt. Silay to Patag. There, they established a defensive position. Military forces of the Philippine Commonwealth and soldiers of the U.S. 40th Infantry Division proceeded up the slopes of Mt. Silay with help from Filipino soldiers of the 7th, 72nd and 75th Infantry Division of the Philippine Commonwealth Army and Negrense guerrilla fighters and defeated the Japanese defenders. Today, the site is marked by a monument dedicated to the efforts which led to the liberation of the island of Negros.

Cityhood
On June 12, 1957, Silay was converted into a city, by virtue of Republic Act 1621.

Culture
Silay City had been known in the past as the "Paris of Negros" and the "cultural and intellectual hub of Negros" due to the residents' love for knowledge and works of art, and its collection of heritage mansions built during the height of the Philippine sugar industry's success, of which Negros was the very center. Most notable among these houses is Balay Negrense, the mansion of the son of the first Negrense sugar baron, Yves Leopold Germain Gaston and the Hofileña Ancestral House built by Manuel Severino Hofileña for his wife, former Miss Silay Gilda Ledesma Hojilla.

Silay became a chartered city on June 12, 1957, by virtue of Republic Act 1621.

On June 7, 2003, Silay City became the first local government unit in the Republic of the Philippines to hold a referendum through a People's Initiative approving the 2003 annual executive budget.

Today, Silay City is listed by the Department of Tourism as one of its 25 tourist destinations in the Philippines. It is considered the seat of arts, culture and ecotourism in the Negros Island Region.

Hugyaw Kansilay Festival
Every 12th day of June, the city celebrates their annual festival called Hugyaw Kansilay Festival. The theme is derived from the story of Kansilay, which is also the origin of the city's name. The festival reflects the growth of Silay; from a lowly pueblo to a city that can hold its own among the country's best. The city's festival dance depicts the setting, characters, plot, sub-plots, conflict, climax and the story of the Legend of Kansilay.

Geography
Silay City is 14 km from Bacolod.

Barangays
Silay is politically subdivided into 16 barangays. Each barangay consists of puroks and some have sitios.

 * Barangay I (Poblacion) (Urban Division)
 * Barangay II (Poblacion) (Urban Division)
 * Barangay III (cinco de Noviembre) (Poblacion) (Urban Division)
 * Barangay IV (Poblacion) (Urban Division)
 * Barangay V (Poblacion) (Urban Division)
 * Barangay VI (Poblacion) (Hawaiian) (Rural Division)
 * Eustaquio Lopez (Rural Division)
 * Guimbala-on (Rural Division)
 * Guinhalaran (Urban Division)
 * Kapitan Ramon (Rural Division)
 * Lantad (Rural Division)
 * Mambulac (Urban Division)
 * Rizal (Urban Division)
 * Bagtic (Rural Division)
 * Patag (Rural Division)
 * Balaring (Rural Division)

Negros Occidental Convention Center
Eugenio Jose Lacson led the groundbreaking of the 2-story multipurpose PHP1.03 billion Negros Occidental Convention Center in Silay. It was Mayor Albee Benitez who initiated the project near the Bacolod-Silay Airport. His brother 3rd District Rep. Jose Francisco Benitez certified the center as green building for conferences, cultural events, and social gatherings.

Airports

The Bacolod–Silay International Airport, serves the whole Metro Bacolod area and surrounding places. The P4.37-billion airport is capable of handling all-weather and night-landing operations. Its 2,000-meter (6,600 ft.) long and 45-meter (148 ft.) wide primary runway, and 678-meter by 23-meter taxiways can accommodate Airbus A320 family-size aircraft, and the Boeing 737, while the apron can hold five aircraft at any one time. The runway runs in a direction of 03°/21°. Provisions for a 500 m expansion of the present runway in order to accommodate even larger airplanes like the Airbus A330, Airbus A340 and Boeing 747 are now in place. The airport is expected to be the primary entrance by air to Negros Island Region.

Silay is 50 minutes by air from Manila, 30 minutes by air from Cebu, 1 hour by air from Cagayan de Oro and 37.2 minutes by air from General Santos. Commercial airlines operating in the Bacolod–Silay International Airport are Philippine Airlines, Cebu Pacific Air, PAL Express, and Philippines AirAsia.

Education
In Silay City, there are 31 schools that are officially listed by the city's Department of Education.

Elementary

 * Silay South Elementary School
 * Silay North Elementary School
 * Governor Emilio Gaston Memorial Elementary School
 * Barangay Mambulac Elementary School
 * Guinhalaran Integrated School
 * Balaring Elementary School
 * Don Estaquio Hofileña Memorial School
 * Villa Miranda Elementary School
 * Estaquio Lopez Elementary School
 * Don Homero Hilado Tanpinco Elementary School
 * Patag Elementary School
 * Silay SPED Center (Elementary)
 * Salvacion Elementary School
 * Emiliano Lizares Elementary School
 * Hinicayan Elementary School
 * Hawaiian-Philippine Company Elementary School
 * Santo Rosario Elementary School
 * La Purisima Concepcion Elementary School

High schools

 * Doña Montserrat Lopez Memorial High School
 * Barangay E Lopez National High School
 * Barangay Guimbalaon National High School
 * Don Felix T. Lacson Memorial National High School
 * Doña Montserrat Lopez Memorial High School HPCO Extension
 * Doña Montserrat Lopez Memorial High School Patag Extension
 * Doña Montserrat Lopez Memorial High School Santo Rosario Extension
 * Don Albino and Doña Dolores Jison Integrated School
 * Lantawan Integrated School
 * Don Serafin L. Golez Memorial Integrated School
 * Napilas Integrated School
 * Sibato Integrated School
 * Violeta Integrated School
 * Silay SPED Center
 * Guinhalaran Integrated School

Private schools

 * St. Theresita's Academy
 * Silay Institute
 * Cinco De Noviembre Learning Center
 * Faith Christian Academy-Silay Incorporated
 * St. Francis of Assisi of Silay Foundation Inc.
 * San Diego Study Center
 * Silay Hope Baptist Academy
 * L'ecole Silay

Sister cities
Silay City has been twinned with the following cities:

Local

 * 🇵🇭 Mandaluyong, Metro Manila
 * 🇵🇭 Manila, Metro Manila
 * 🇵🇭 Santa Rosa, Laguna

International

 * 🇫🇷 Marseille of Provence-Alpes-Côte d'Azur, France
 * 🇯🇵 Amagi of Kagoshima Prefecture, Japan

Notable residents

 * Juan Sebastián Elcano
 * Yves Leopold Germain Gaston
 * Leandro Locsin
 * Jose Locsin
 * Teodoro Locsin Jr.
 * Rose Lacson-Porteous
 * Sander Severino

title: Silay


text:
Sipalay

Sipalay, officially the City of Sipalay (Dakbanwa/Syudad sang Sipalay; Lungsod ng Sipalay; Dakbayan sa Sipalay), is a 4th class component city in the province of Negros Occidental, Philippines. According to the 2020 census, it has a population of 72,448 people. It is the top tourist destination in the province of Negros Occidental.

History
Sipalay history can be traced back to the undated time of early settlements of the native Tumandok who discovered the lowland plains very fertile, arable and fully vegetated by trees. The areas was well dissected by river tributaries, which accounted for the fertility of the lowland.

During the Spanish era, the area was further discovered and developed by sailing adventurers from the neighboring island of Panay, being the group who resented the Kintos System enacted by the ruling Spaniards by then.

Growth and development flourished as Chinese merchants came to barter their wares with staple food, particularly rice, which was commonly called by the settlers as paray and by the Chinese, due to the difficulty of pronouncing r, as palay which was the word to have been popularly associated with the place. Thus the area came to be known as Sipalay.

At the advent of the American regime, Sipalay was a full pledge barrio of the Municipality of Cauayan. In the early 1920s the political structure was already in place.

During the World War II, Sipalay was made an emergency town and after the war. On November 20, 1948, then President Elpidio Quirino signed Executive Order No. 185 proclaiming Sipalay as a town. The official inauguration of the town was on December 20, 1948.

Cityhood
The conversion of Sipalay into a component city of the Province of Negros Occidental followed in 2001 after the ratification of Republic Act No. 9027.

Geography
Sipalay's distance from Bacolod is 170 km and 171 km from Dumaguete, the capital of Negros Oriental. Public utility vehicles plying the southern Negros route pass by this city. Those coming from Negros Oriental can either exit through Kabankalan City via Mabinay or through Dumaguete via Hinoba-an.

Barangays
Sipalay City is politically subdivided into 17 barangays. Each barangay consists of puroks and some have sitios.

 * Barangay 1 (Poblacion)
 * Barangay 2 (Poblacion)
 * Barangay 3 (Poblacion)
 * Barangay 4 (Poblacion)
 * Barangay 5 (Poblacion)
 * Cabadiangan
 * Camindangan
 * Canturay
 * Cartagena
 * Cayhagan
 * Gil Montilla
 * Mambaroto
 * Manlucahoc
 * Maricalum
 * Nabulao
 * Nauhang
 * San Jose

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

Transportation
Airline company Air Juan offers services from Cebu, Iloilo and Puerto Princesa via the Sipalay Airport.

Tourism
The city is known for its tourist destinations. An example of it is the now-defunct Maricalum Mining Corporation which happens to be one of the largest mining companies in the country. It now has a park dedicated for viewing the whole mine from atop.

It also boasts beautiful pristine beaches being a seaside city. Widely dubbed as the uncommercialized New Boracay of Negros, foreign and local tourists flock its beaches the whole year round not only for swimming but for diving as well.

title: Sipalay


text:
Talisay, Negros Occidental

Talisay, officially the City of Talisay (Dakbanwa sang Talisay; Dakbayan sa Talisay; Lungsod ng Talisay), is a fourth class component city in the province of Negros Occidental, Philippines. According to the 2020 census, it has a population of 108,909 people.

It is part of the metropolitan area called Metro Bacolod, which includes its neighbors, Silay to the north and Bacolod to the south. It has a total land area of 20118 ha.

Talisay is often confused with another Visayas city also named Talisay, which is a component city in the neighboring province of Cebu.

Cityhood
On February 11, 1998, by virtue of Republic Act No. 8489, Talisay was finally elevated into a city through the efforts of its local officials led by Mayor Amelo Lizares.

In 2024, Talisay received a Php250K Philippines' Department of Interior and Local Government  to fund a program it had created for local coconut farmers.

Geography
Talisay City is 7 km north of Bacolod, facing the Bacolod–Silay Access Road in the east.

Barangays
Talisay City is politically subdivided into 27 barangays. Each barangay consists of puroks and some have sitios.
 * Bubog
 * Cabatangan
 * Zone 4-A (Poblacion)
 * Zone 4 (Poblacion)
 * Concepcion
 * Dos Hermanas
 * Efigenio Lizares
 * Zone 7 (Poblacion)
 * Zone 14-B (Poblacion)
 * Zone 12-A (Poblacion)
 * Zone 10 (Poblacion)
 * Zone 5 (Poblacion)
 * Zone 16 (Poblacion)
 * Matab-ang
 * Zone 9 (Poblacion)
 * Zone 6 (Poblacion)
 * Zone 14 (Poblacion)
 * San Fernando
 * Zone 15 (Poblacion)
 * Zone 14-A (Poblacion)
 * Zone 11 (Poblacion)o
 * Zone 8 (Poblacion)
 * Zone 12 (Poblacion)
 * Zone 1 (Poblacion)
 * Zone 2 (Poblacion)
 * Zone 3 (Poblacion)
 * Katilingban

Business process outsourcing
In 2016, business process outsourcing (BPO) company iQor opened its call/contact center in Talisay, making it the first BPO company in the city.

Education
Talisay is also known for its two major tertiary institutions: The Technological University of the Philippines – Visayas and Carlos Hilado Memorial State University, Main Campus. Talisay also has two private schools that offer K-12 Education which are the: Colegio San Nicolas de Tolentino-Recoletos and Notre Dame of Talisay City.

title: Talisay, Negros Occidental


text:
Toboso, Negros Occidental

Toboso, officially the Municipality of Toboso (Lungsod sa Toboso; Banwa sang Toboso; Bayan ng Toboso), is a 3rd class municipality in the province of Negros Occidental, Philippines. According to the 2020 census, it has a population of 43,445 people.

Toboso is 114 km from Bacolod and 198 km from Dumaguete, the capital of Negros Oriental.

History
The site of what would become Toboso dated back to the precolonial period. The center of the original settlement was first known as Sag-ahan, an archaic word which means in the Cebuano language "to take out or catch fish by the hands" because fish were abundant in the coast and rivers, and eventually lent its name to the contemporary barangay Sagahan.

Upon Spanish colonization, the community was named Toboso in honor of a similar settlement in Spain, El Toboso, famous for appearing in the novel Don Quixote by the Spanish writer Miguel de Cervantes, as the town in which the fictional character Dulcinea del Toboso lives. Toboso was then a barrio of Municipality of Escalante. Like many other settlements on the eastern coast of Negros, the community of Toboso had expanded with the coming of immigrants from the island of Cebu and developed extensively in fishing, agriculture and commerce.

During early period of American colonization of the Philippines, more impetus was dedicated to a sugarcane mill called the Central Azucarera del Danao at Labilabi, 6 kilometers from Toboso. The development of the sugar industry was started and gave livelihood to members of the community of Toboso.

After Philippine Independence, Toboso continued to thrive as a part of Escalante until Executive Order No. 141 was signed by president Elpidio Quirino "Organizing Certain Barrios of the Municipality of Escalante, Province of Negros Occidental, into an Independent Municipality Under the Name "Toboso". The chartering executive order states: Starting from the month of Salamanca River, upstream following the course of this river to its intersection with Tinobaga Creek; thence following the course of this creek to B.B.M. No. 6; thence running in a straight line to B.B.M. No. 5; thence following the course of the Aglolomot Creek until it intersects latitude 10° 45′; thence in a straight east-to-west line which coincides with latitude 10° 45′ to its intersection with the present Escalante-Sagay boundary line; thence southwestward following the said Escalante-Sagay boundary line to the point where it intersects the present Escalante-Calatrava boundary line; thence southeastward following the Escalante-Calatrava boundary line, then the Escalante-San Carlos boundary line as shown in the boundary and index map of Escalante cadastre, B.L. case No. 2, surveyed July, 1917, to October, 1918, by survey party No. 19 of the Bureau of Lands, passing through M.B.M. No. 2, to M.B.M. No. 1, on the shore of Tañon Strait.

The organization herein made shall take effect on July 1, 1948.

Geography
The municipality of Toboso is located on the northeastern side of the province of Negros Occidental and is facing the island of Cebu. It is bounded on the southwest by the municipality of Calatrava; northwest by the city of Sagay; north by the city of Escalante and east by Tañon Strait. The shoreline runs along the Tañon Strait from Calatrava boundary to the Escalante boundary facing east.

Barangays
Toboso is politically subdivided into 9 barangays. Each barangay consists of puroks and some have sitios.
 * Bandilla
 * Bug-ang
 * General Luna
 * Magticol
 * Poblacion
 * Salamanca
 * San Isidro
 * San Jose
 * Tabun-ac

Language
The inhabitants speak Cebuano (95.34%), followed by Hiligaynon (4.27%). Tagalog and English are widely used in schools, businesses, and government offices.

Economy
Throughout the years, economic progress in Toboso has been sluggish due to the limited number of business establishments. It is commonly tagged as "one of the municipalities with high number of poverty incidence in Negros Occidental". Since its municipality recognition on July 1, 1948, the town struggled to be at par with its neighboring cities like Escalante, Sagay, San Carlos and the town of Calatrava.

Economy primarily depends on sugarcane production, the plantations of which constitute largest land use, 4,746 hectares and produced 237,300 metric tons of sugarcane on 2019. Coconut production harvested 4,100 metric tons on the same year. Corn, livestock raising, poultry, game fowl and fishing are also major contributors to local economy. Inhabitants often find work in neighboring provinces (engage in shipbuilding). Others work as Overseas Filipino Workers, others engage in handicraft business. Some choose food preparations and forming of local, small businesses.

Tourism
The Mainit Hot Springs are located in the area of the Barangay San Isidro, twelve kilometers from the town center. Kampanoy Cave, located on the territory of Barangay General Luna, has a spacious interior which resembles a dome cathedral, next to the coast and is inhabited by Edible-nest swiftlet (Aerodramus fuciphagus) which in recent years has been damaged because of phosphate mining. Trangkalan Cave is located in Brgy. Magticol, until recently it was used for native folk religious acts. The magnificent 250 meter high cascades of the Dalisun Waterfalls are located near Sitio Vergara, Brgy. Bug-ang. Offshore Toboso is the 200-acre/80 hectare Kevin's Reef, a 10-minute boat ride away.

Notable personalities

 * Ambrocio Dogomeo, barangay councilor of Bandilla who received the 1995 Sajid Bulig Award from the Department of the Interior and Local Government (DILG) for his heroism in helping residents evacuate to an elementary school building during Typhoon Pepang.

title: Toboso, Negros Occidental


text:
Valladolid, Negros Occidental

Valladolid, officially the Municipality of Valladolid, is a 4th class municipality in the province of Negros Occidental, Philippines. According to the 2020 census, it has a population of 39,996 people.

Known as the "Fruit Basket of Negros Occidental," the municipality celebrates its fiesta every 28 February.

History
The place was first called “Inabuyan” until the Spanish leaders arrived and one of them named the place after his native town Valladolid in Spain. During the Spanish era, Valladolid was considered one of the most prosperous towns of Negros Occidental. The size of the convent and church built by the Recollect Missionaries in 1851 were proofs of this status considering that the church authorities were powerful in running the affairs of the government.

Valladolid was established in 1860. The influx of settlers from the neighboring islands of Guimaras, Panay and Cebu prompted the then Governor Saravia to create an additional town which is now Pulupandan. The settlers made this town a landing area in coming to Negros, brought about by the introduction of sugar which resulted in the economic growth and prosperity of the island. The town is known as the Rice Granary of Negros Occidental with 90 percent of its arable land planted to palay. It produce more than half a million cavans of rice every year. It also produces vegetables, fruits and the diwal (Pholas orientalis) also known as the angel wings clam, a seasonal delicacy.

The Aetas were the original inhabitants of Valladolid. They were ultimately forced to move to the uplands when the early settlers and colonizers came to stay. Significant events in the province during the early founding years as well as major upheavals during and after the revolutionary period brought profound changes in the municipality.

By and large, Valladolid has its place in the historical set-up of the province of Negros Occidental socially, spiritually, economically and politically. It is also the bulwark of Filipinistas Aglipayan in Negros. This dominant sect caused the defeat of the fiery Manuel L. Quezon in the hands of the Aglipayans in the presidential election of 1935 during the Commonwealth era.

Pasundayag Festival is a thanksgiving and celebration of good harvest. It is a farmers festival in honor of the town's patroness, Nuestra Señora de Guadalupe featuring street dancing competition, arena festival dance showdown and merry making.

In 1957, Sitio Paloma was converted into a barrio.

Geography
Valladolid is located on the south-western coast of the Province of Negros Occidental. It is 29 km south of Bacolod.

Valladolid is bounded on the north by the town of Pulupandan, on the south by the municipality of San Enrique, on the west by the Guimaras Strait, and on the east by the city of La Carlota. The global location of Municipality of Valladolid is 10 degrees, 27 minutes 54 seconds - north and 122 degrees 49 minutes 33.6 seconds - east with Our Lady of Guadalupe Church as the benchmark.

Valladolid has two pronounced seasons, wet and dry. The rainy season starts from May to January of the following year with heavy rains occurring during the months of August and September. Dry season starts from the month of February until the last week of April.

Barangays
Valladolid is geographically subdivided into 16 barangays. Each barangay consists of puroks and some have sitios.

• Alijis

• Ayungon

• Bagumbayan

• Batuan

• Bayabas

• Central Tabao

• Doldol

• Guintorilan

• Lacaron

• Mabini

• Pacol

• Palaka

• Paloma

• Poblacion

• Sagua Banua

• Tabao Proper

Religion

 * Philippine Independent Church – majority of the population of the town are followers of the Aglipayan faith.
 * Roman Catholic Church – second largest religious denomination of the town.

Major industries

 * Hog raising
 * Furniture
 * Fishery
 * Poultry
 * Rice production
 * Sugar production

Major products

 * Hablon (garments)
 * Angel Wing Clams
 * Mango from Guimaras

Primary Level
Public
 * Alijis Elementary school
 * Ayungon Elementary School
 * Batuan Elementary School
 * Emilio Infante Elementary School
 * Ma. Palacios Presbitero Elementary School
 * Pacol Elementary School
 * Tabao Elementary School
 * Valladolid Elementary School

Private
 * Bethel Baptist Church Kindergarten School
 * Faith Christian School
 * Maranatha Christian Academy
 * Negros New Life In Jesus Christian Academy
 * Our Lady of Guadalupe Kinder School

Secondary Level
Public
 * Tabao National High School
 * Tabao National High School - Lacaron Extension
 * Valladolid National High School
 * Valladolid National High School - Ayungon Extension

Private
 * Francisco Infante Memorial High School Inc.

Power
Power supply provided by NOCECO with frequent and unpredictable brownouts.

Water supply
Clean and safe water supply provided by Valladolid Water District.

Tourism

 * Our Lady of Guadalupe Church: Our Lady of Guadalupe Church was founded in 1851 by the Recollect Missionaries and reputed to be the biggest in the province. The size of the church and convent is a living proof that Valladolid stood among the island's most progressive pueblos during the Spanish era.
 * Balay Dolid (Valladolid Community Museum): Balay Dolid (Valladolid Community Museum) is one of the ancestral houses in town owned by the Ykalina family. The Valladolid Community Museum features the rich cultural heritage of the town.
 * Sunset Boulevard: It is a perfect place to watch the beautiful sunset along the Guimaras Strait. A good venue to commune with nature as the water laps along the seawall.
 * Century-old Acacia Haven: 32 Acacia trees surround the public plaza and provide shade to all passers. It was planted by Ykalina, the first town official.
 * Relic of an 18th Century Graveyard: This resting place was solely intended for the Ilustrados or the rich member of the community during that time. The area is about 3 hectares surrounded by coral reef stones giving the place a classic effect.
 * Fruit Stand by the Highway: Situated at the highway of Barangay Poblacion, Purok Ilang-ilang, travelers pass by this area displaying mangoes, watermelon, fruit jams and other exotic delicacies.
 * Highway Food Park: Located along the highway between Barangay Palaka and Crossing Pacol, this food park is composed of stalls serving breakfast, lunch and dinner. Menu varies from meat, vegetables to fresh seafood.
 * Tabao Fish Terminal Food Court: Tabao Fish Terminal Food Court at Barangay Central Tabao Fish Terminal opens at 11:00 p.m. to 5:00 a.m. Offers grilled fish, tinola and kinilaw. Also serves coffee with native “Ibus or Suman”.
 * Tabao Weavers Association (TWA) Display Center: At Barangay Central Tabao offers hand woven products ideal for souvenir.

title: Valladolid, Negros Occidental


text: Category:248 deaths

title: Category:248 deaths


text:
Victorias

Victorias, officially the City of Victorias (Dakbanwa sang Victorias; Lungsod ng Victorias), is a 4th class component city in the province of Negros Occidental, Philippines. According to the 2020 census, it has a population of 90,101 people.

Victorias is notable for the St. Joseph the Worker Chapel, which was declared as an Important Cultural Property of the Philippines in December 2015.

It is also the site of Victorias Milling Company, the world's largest integrated sugar mill, sitting on a 7000 ha compound that makes it the Philippine's largest sugar refinery.

Victorias City also serves as the access point to the Northern Negros Natural Park, popular among hikers visiting Mount Mandalagan and Mount Silay.

Victorias City is 34 km from Bacolod.

Barangays
Victorias City is politically subdivided into 26 barangays. Each barangay consists of puroks and some have sitios.

 * Barangay I (Poblacion)
 * Barangay II (Quezon; Pob.)
 * Barangay III (Poblacion)
 * Barangay IV (Poblacion)
 * Barangay V (Poblacion)
 * Barangay VI (Estrella Village/Salvacion; Pob.)
 * Barangay VI-A (Boulevard/Villa Miranda/Sitio Cubay/Pasil)
 * Barangay VII (Poblacion)
 * Barangay VIII (Old Simboryo)
 * Barangay IX (Daan Banwa)
 * Barangay X (Estado)
 * Barangay XI (Gawahon)
 * Barangay XII (Dacumon)
 * Barangay XIII (Gloryville)
 * Barangay XIV (Sayding)
 * Barangay XV West Caticlan
 * Barangay XV-A East Caticlan
 * Barangay XVI (Millsite)
 * Barangay XVI-A (New Barrio)
 * Barangay XVII (Garden)
 * Barangay XVIII (Palma)
 * Barangay XVIII-A (Golf)
 * Barangay XIX (Bacayan)
 * Barangay XIX-A (Canetown Subdivision)
 * Barangay XX (Cuaycong)
 * Barangay XXI (Relocation)

Demographics
The people in the city speak the Hiligaynon language (often called Ilonggo). Filipino and English are generally understood.

Religion
Notable religions include:
 * Roman Catholicism
 * Philippine Independent Church
 * United Pentecostal Church International
 * Baptist Bible Fellowship International
 * Seventh-day Adventist Church
 * The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints in the Philippines
 * Iglesia ni Cristo
 * Jehovah's Witnesses
 * Apostolic Pentecostalism
 * Evangelical Protestantism
 * IKTHUS

Churches
Notable churches include:
 * St. Joseph the Worker Chapel, also known as the Angry Christ Church
 * The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints Victorias City
 * IFI Mission Church of St. Andrew the Apostle
 * Our Lady of Victory Parish

St. Joseph the Worker Chapel
Within the Victorias Milling Company's complex is the St. Joseph the Worker Chapel, a masterpiece considered the first example of modern sacral architecture in the Philippines and raised to the status of Important Cultural Property by the National Museum of the Philippines in 2015. The chapel was designed by the famous Czech Architect Antonín Raymond.

Its mural of the Angry Christ was painted by international artist Alfonso Ossorio. The mural has been featured in various publications such as Life Magazine. Its fierce, vivid colors gave the church its most known name, the "Angry Christ Church".

Festivals
The city celebrates the annual Kadalag-an Festival, a charter anniversary held on March 21, and the annual Malihaw Festival on April 26.

The city also celebrates the Kalamayan Festival every December. The word "Kalamayan" depicts what Victorias is known for, its “kalamay” or refined sugar and its sugar industry, the Victorias Milling Company.

Barangay Festival

• Barangay I - Pasalamat Festival

• Barangay II - Ratsada Festival

• Barangay III

• Barangay IV

• Barangay V

• Barangay VI

• Barangay VI-A - Baybayanon Festival

• Barangay VII - Ati-Atihan Festival

• Barangay VIII - Simboryo Festival

• Barangay IX

• Barangay X

• Barangay XI

• Barangay XII

• Barangay XIII - Hilinugyaw Festival

• Barangay XIV - San Juan Festival • Barangay XV

• Barangay XV-A

• Barangay XVI

• Barangay XVI-A

• Barangay XVII

• Barangay XVIII

• Barangay XVIII-A - May Flower Festival

• Barangay XIX

• Barangay XIX-A

• Barangay XX - Kasadyahan Festival

• Barangay XXI

Notable personalities

 * Noven Belleza - first champion of Tawag ng Tanghalan; born in Victorias
 * Alfonso A. Ossorio - Filipino-American abstract expressionist artist; though born in Manila in 1916 to a Negros Occidental family, his Angry Christ Mural is connected to Victorias City
 * Albee Benitez - politician, business magnate

Education
Notable educational institutions include:
 * Central Philippines State University – Victorias City Campus
 * Don Bosco Technical Institute, Victorias
 * La Salle College–Victorias
 * Negros Occidental National Science High School
 * Colegio de Santa Ana de Victorias
 * Victorias National High School
 * Abelardo D.L. Bantug, Sr. National High School (Hda. Amanda, Barangay VIII, Victorias City)
 * Victorias City Farm School (Hda. Cuaycong, Barangay XX, Victorias City
 * Barangay Estado National High School (Estado, Barangay X, Victorias City)
 * Gawahon Integrated School (Barangay XI, Victorias City)
 * Victorias Elementary School
 * Villa Victorias Elementary School
 * Laura Vicuña Women Development & Training Center (Hda.Malihao, Barangay XX, Victorias City)
 * Jack & Jill School/Castleson High

title: Victorias


text:
User talk:Mst~enwiki

Welcome!

Hello,, and welcome to Wikipedia! Thank you for your contributions. I hope you like the place and decide to stay. Here are a few good links for newcomers: I hope you enjoy editing here and being a Wikipedian! Please sign your name on talk pages using four tildes (~~); this will automatically produce your name and the date. If you need help, check out Where to ask a question, ask me on my talk page, or place  on your talk page and someone will show up shortly to answer your questions. Again, welcome! Flcelloguy 15:46, 15 Jun 2005 (UTC)
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Bach cantatas
My mistake on removing the secular cantatas. For some reason, I got it stuck in my head that the list of cantatas by Johann Sebastian Bach was intended to include the sacred cantatas only. Microtonal 18:01, 13 July 2005 (UTC)

Gottfried Silbermann
Thank you for informing about moving the article of de:Gottfried Silbermann. I corrected the link to the article in ja.wiki. Thank you. --QBay 15:10, 22 January 2006 (UTC)

Nomination for deletion of Template:Cleanup-german
Template:Cleanup-german has been nominated for deletion. You are invited to comment on the discussion at the template's entry on the Templates for discussion page. Thank you. RDBury (talk) 19:25, 13 June 2010 (UTC)

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title: User talk:Mst~enwiki


text:
User:Somalism

Bogga somaalida waddanka somalia somalis on the net

--Somalism 15:46, 15 Jun 2005 (UTC) somalism.com

title: User:Somalism


text:
Matalan

Matalan Retail Ltd. is a British fashion and homeware retailer based in Knowsley, Merseyside. It was established by John Hargreaves in 1985, and is still owned by the Hargreaves family. , the company employed over 13,000, and had 230 stores in the United Kingdom, together with franchise stores in the Middle East.

History
John Hargreaves opened the first Matalan store in 1985 at Bamber Bridge, near Preston, Lancashire. There were fifty stores by 1995, and in 1997, the company moved its headquarters from Preston to Skelmersdale, also in Lancashire. The company was floated on the London Stock Exchange in 1998, but taken private again by the Hargreaves family in October 2006.

During 2009, John Hargreaves sought to sell off Matalan, but by February 2010, had failed to find buyers willing to meet the £1.5 billion price. Jason Hargreaves was appointed managing director in July 2013. The headquarters moved to a purpose built site at Knowsley, Merseyside in 2014. The company won approval for this scheme in October 2012.

Controversy
Matalan was among the companies that sourced clothes from the Rana Plaza factory in Bangladesh which collapsed, killing 1,134 in April 2013. In July 2014, they were the focus of a campaign by 38 Degrees and Labour Behind the Label, for failing to contribute to the official compensation fund coordinated by the ILO. This was in contrast to some of their main competitors, such as Primark who contributed $9 million.

After pressure, they announced that they would contribute an undisclosed amount. It was later revealed that they had paid £60,000 into the fund, which labour rights campaigns challenged as being an insufficient amount compared with other retailers.

Structure
Matalan Retail Limited is a wholly owned subsidiary of Missouri Topco Limited, a holding company which is based in Guernsey, and is controlled by the Hargreaves family.

In the Middle East, the Matalan brand is franchised to BTC Fashion General Trading, based in Qatar. BTC have stores in Bahrain, Jordan, Oman, Qatar, Saudi Arabia, Egypt and the United Arab Emirates.

There is also at least one store in Georgia (at the City Mall, Tbilisi).

Management
In June 2020, Matalan confirmed that they would name a new chairman and a new chief commercial officer less than a month after John Mills stated he would step down from the board. Steve Johnson succeeded Mills as the next chairperson of the value retailer, while James Brown moved into the completely new Chief Commercial Officer position at the company.

In March 2023, it was announced that former Co-op Food CEO, Jo Whitfield, would be joining Matalan as chief executive. Whitfield served in various executive roles at Matalan between 2002 and 2008.

title: Matalan


text:
User talk:LarsMouritzen

Welcome!

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Rødgrød med fløde
I'm afraid that your English doesn't appear to be good enough to judge nuance, and your edits introduced many errors, large and small, as well as making the article PoV and unencyclopædic. Please discuss major changes of the Talk page. --Mel Etitis ( Μελ Ετητης ) 17:20, 11 August 2005 (UTC)

title: User talk:LarsMouritzen


text:
Infant communion

Infant communion refers to the practice of giving the Eucharist, often in the form of consecrated wine mingled with consecrated bread, to young children. This practice is standard throughout Eastern Christianity, where communion is given at the Divine Liturgy to all baptized and chrismated church members regardless of age. Infant communion is less common in most of Western Christianity.

Theology
Support for infant communion is drawn from several gospel verses, including Matthew 19:14 and Mark 10:14. Among the Church Fathers, Cyprian, Augustine, and Leo the Great explicitly favored infant communion.

History
In the Early Church, everyone who attended the Liturgy of the Faithful was expected to receive communion; catechumens and penitents were not present for the consecration. The Early Church permitted and encouraged parents to present their children to receive communion. The Apostolic Constitutions (4th century) instruct that children are to receive communion after the various orders of clergy and consecrated laity and before the general congregation.

With no practical difficulties or theological qualms with giving communion to young children, this practice continues in the Eastern Orthodox Church to this day.

Catholicism
The practice of allowing young children to receive communion has fallen into disfavor in the Latin-Rite of the Catholic Church. Latin-Rite Catholics generally refrain from infant communion and instead have a special ceremony when the child receives his or her First Communion, usually around the age of seven or eight years old. This is in accordance with the Code of Canon Law (followed in the Roman Rite), which states: "The administration of the Most Holy Eucharist to children requires that they have sufficient knowledge and careful preparation so that they understand the mystery of Christ according to their capacity and are able to receive the body of Christ with faith and devotion."

The reason given for the non-necessity of infant communion was articulated by the Council of Trent: "The same holy council teaches that little children who have not attained the use of reason are not by any necessity bound to the sacramental communion of the Eucharist; for having been regenerated by the laver of baptism and thereby incorporated with Christ, they cannot at that age lose the grace of the sons of God already acquired. Antiquity is not therefore to be condemned, however, if in some places it at one time observed that custom. For just as those most holy Fathers had acceptable ground for what they did under the circumstances, so it is certainly to be accepted without controversy that they regarded it as not necessary to salvation."

Thus, the Council declared: "If anyone says that communion of the Eucharist is necessary for little children before they have attained the years of discretion, let him be anathema."

Formerly, the Eastern Churches in full communion with the Roman Pope were generally required to conform to Western Church practice, in violation of the far more ancient practice of the Eastern Churches. However, the Second Vatican Council's decree Orientalium Ecclesiarum, although not specifically addressing infant communion, states that the Council "confirms and approves the ancient discipline of the sacraments existing in the Oriental Churches, as also the ritual practices connected with their celebration and administration and ardently desires that this should be re-established if circumstances warrant it" (Section 12).

This has led some of these Churches to restore the ancient practice of permitting infant communion.

The Code of Canons of the Eastern Churches (followed by the Eastern Catholic Churches) permits infant communion:

Eastern Orthodoxy
In the Orthodox Church, any person of any age receives communion as soon as possible after baptism and chrismation, usually at the next Divine Liturgy. Young children are not usually required to fast or go to confession before communion until they are old enough to be aware of their sins, usually eight to nine years old.

In the Orthodox practice, the consecrated bread and wine are placed together in the chalice, and the priest administers communion with a small spoon. Infants typically receive a small amount of consecrated Blood of Christ (wine), which mingles with the Body (bread) of Christ; older children receive the consecrated Body of Christ (bread) as well. There is no theological (or epistemological) reason for withholding the bread from infants; it is merely the practical concern of not giving solid food to those not ready for it.

Lutheranism
Infant communion is not the norm in the Lutheran Church. At most churches in the ELCA (as well as nearly 25% in the LCMS ), First Communion instruction is provided to baptized children generally between the ages of 6–8 and, after a relatively short period of catechetical instruction, the children are admitted to partake of the Eucharist. In some LCMS churches, however, the person must have receive Confirmation before receiving the Eucharist. As a whole, the ELCA teaches that the gift of communion is given at baptism; it is just that some more conservative churches choose to keep a tradition that children should be more aware of what communion means before they partake. Young children can receive holy communion in the ELCA and some European Lutheran bodies along with those who haven't received the catechetical instruction (or Confirmation) may be brought to the communion distribution by their parents to be blessed by the pastor.

The Evangelical Catholic Church, a now defunct denomination whose theology was partially based on Lutheranism (although also with some influence from Catholicism and Eastern Orthodoxy), differed from most Lutherans in embracing the practice of infant communion.

Martin Luther's Table Talk recorded his thoughts on the subject: "It was asked, did the Hussites well in administering the sacrament to young children, on the allegation that the graces of God apply equally to all human creatures? Dr. Luther replied: they were undoubtedly wrong, since young children need not the communion for their salvation; but still the innovation could not be regarded as a sin of the Hussites, since St Cyprian, long ago, set them the example."

Anglicanism
Practice varies widely throughout the Anglican Communion and among those Anglican churches that are not affiliated with the Anglican Communion. Open communion is practiced in some churches. The Church of England at the moment requires that people be "ready and desirous" of confirmation before receiving communion. However, there have been experiments with communion before confirmation in some of its dioceses. The Church of England also allows baptised regular communicants from other Trinitarian churches to receive communion when visiting a CofE church. This permission would seem, therefore, to extend to infants in the practice of receiving in their own churches; but in many of the world's Anglican churches the invitation so extended includes a specific reference to "adult" visitors.

Other denominations
Many Mainline Protestants practice open communion, in which the bread and wine/juice is offered to the people without discrimination of age or denominational status. In these churches, while the very young often commune, it is unusual for infants to receive the Eucharist.

Denominations which practice closed communion generally deny the Eucharist to those not members of their congregation or denomination, regardless of age.

In churches where membership is often not permitted until the teenage years (for example, the Amish), infant communion is very rare.

In recent years, the Eastern practice of paedocommunion has gained considerable attention in the West, including among some conservative Protestants.

Notable conservative Protestants in favor of the practice are Peter Leithart, Robert S. Rayburn, R. C. Sproul, Jr., Douglas Wilson, Rousas John Rushdoony, James B. Jordan, Gary North, and Steve Wilkins.

The Federation of Reformed Churches practices paedocommunion in all its churches as do some congregations within the Communion of Reformed Evangelical Churches. The Christian Reformed Church and the Reformed Episcopal Church, a conservative Anglican denomination, also are tolerant of the practice, and many conservative Presbyterians favor paedocommunion as well. In the Presbyterian Church in America, doctrinal acceptance of paedocommunion is tolerated though the practice itself is not allowed.

title: Infant communion


text:
Vulture fund

A vulture fund is a hedge fund, private-equity fund or distressed debt fund, that invests in debt considered to be very weak or in default, known as distressed securities. Investors in the fund profit by buying debt at a discounted price on a secondary market and then using numerous methods to subsequently sell the debt for a larger amount than the purchasing price. Debtors include companies, countries, and individuals.

Vulture funds have had success in bringing attachment and recovery actions against sovereign debtor governments, usually settling with them before realizing the attachments in forced sales. Settlements typically are made at a discount in hard or local currency or in the form of new debt issuance. In some instances, such as those involving Peru and Argentina, such a seizure blocked payments to other creditors of the sovereign obligor.

History
Sovereign debt collection was rare until the 1950s when sovereign immunity of government issuers started to become restricted by contract terms. This trend developed from the long history of sovereign defaulting on commercial creditors with impunity. Accordingly, sovereign debt collection actions began in the 1950s. One example was the freezing of Brazil's gold reserves held by the Federal Reserve.

Investment in sovereign debt with the intent to recover was also restricted due to the laws of champerty and maintenance and by the fact that most sovereign debt was syndicated. Under the doctrine of champerty, it was illegal in England and the United States to purchase a debt with the sole intent of litigating it. The distinction was made that if the debt was purchased to effect a recovery or facilitate investment, the doctrine was not a bar. Most jurisdictions have now eliminated the doctrine as archaic.

Similarly, sovereign debt owed to commercial creditors in the late 1980s was principally held by bank syndicates. This was the result of the petrodollar crisis of the 1970s when oil earnings were recycled into bank loans. The syndication of debt among banks made recovery impractical, as a fund intending to litigate had to buy out the entire syndicate of holders or risk having the proceeds of litigation attached pursuant to sharing clauses in the loan agreements.

As the 1980s progressed, debt rescheduling efforts in Latin America created many new and easily traded instruments such as Brady bonds that brought new players into the market, including banks and hedge funds. The original creditors then wrote down their positions and sold the debt into the secondary market, which is a market consisting of banks and investment funds focused on buying at discounts to achieve above market returns on their investment.

In this process, much debt was repurchased and converted into local currency by the sovereign country issuers in official debt conversion programs designed to attract investment, and in severely indebted countries through World Bank funded buy-backs. The result is that the old syndicates were broken up and many unreconstructed syndicate "tails" were available for purchase at discounts exceeding 80% of the principal face value. That pricing encouraged funds to invest in recovery actions, which would not otherwise make financial sense due to their length and cost.

Corporation law and theory of finance
Businesses that need more capital than their founders can raise by personal contacts are enabled by this legal method of attracting investors to buy a portion of the business. Owners would invest capital and obtain common stock or equity in exchange for invested cash or other property like machines, factories, warehouses, patents or other interests. Then the owners would raise additional capital by borrowing from lenders in capital markets by selling bonds. In corporation law, the owners of these bonds come first in line for repayment so that if there is not sufficient funds to repay the bondholders, the stockholders get wiped out. The bondholders step into the shoes of the former shareholders. The shareholders own nothing because they, the owners, could not fully repay all the contractual promises, or loans. So like a bank (the mortgagee) that has lent money to a home buyer (the mortgagor) takes possession of the security (the home) when mortgage payments are not made (i.e. foreclosure), the bondholders of a corporation take possession of the business from the former owners (the shareholders) when the corporation falls into bankruptcy. Thus, when shareholders cannot repay bondholders, in principle, bondholders become the new shareholders. In practice, however, it is more complicated.

In the financial markets, the bonds of troubled public companies trade in a manner similar to common stock of solvent companies.

Term "vulture fund"
The term "vulture fund" is a metaphor which is used to compare these particular hedge funds to the behaviour of vultures (scavengers) “scavenging” on debtors in financial distress by purchasing the now-cheap credit on a secondary market to make a large monetary gain, in many cases leaving the debtor in a worse state. The term is often used to criticize the fund for strategically profiting from debtors that are in financial distress, and thus is frequently considered derogatory. However financiers dealing with vulture funds argue that "their lawsuits force accountability for national borrowing, without which credit markets would shrivel, and that their pursuit of unpaid commercial debt uncovers public corruption." A related term is "vulture investing", where certain stocks in near bankrupt companies are purchased upon anticipation of asset divestiture or successful reorganization.

The term has gained wide acceptance from governments, newspapers, academics and international organizations such as the World Bank, Group of 77, Organisation of American States and Council on Foreign Relations, among others.

Legislation
In 2009, bipartisan legislation in the US Congress was introduced aimed to prevent vulture funds from profiting on defaulted sovereign debt by capping the amount of profit that a secondary creditor can win through litigation based on those debts. The Stop VULTURE Funds Act was introduced, but not passed, in the United States. A non-profit financial reform organization, Jubilee USA Network, supported the legislation citing the impact that vulture funds have on poor countries. Similar legislation was passed in the United Kingdom, Belgium, Jersey, the Isle of Man, Australia. The States of Guernsey debated legislation in 2012.

Financial institutions
The International Monetary Fund and World Bank noted that vulture funds endanger the gains made by debt relief to poorest countries. "The Bank has already delivered more than $40 billion in debt relief to 30 of these countries...thanks to this, countries like Ghana can provide micro-credit to farmers, build classrooms for their children, and fund water and sanitation projects for the poor," wrote World Bank Vice President Danny Leipziger in 2007. "Yet the activities of vulture funds threaten to undermine such efforts... the strategies adopted by vulture funds divert much needed debt relief away from the poorest countries on earth and into the bank accounts of the wealthy."

Governmental and non-governmental organisations
The conduct of the vulture funds blocking payments to other creditors to Argentina was denounced by the Organisation of American States, with the exception of the United States and Canada. The G77+China also criticised the funds and stated: "Some recent examples of the actions by vulture funds before international courts show their highly speculative nature. These funds pose a danger for all the future process of debt swaps, for developing countries and for developed nations as well".

The US-based Council on Foreign Relations questioned the US Supreme Court for rejecting Argentina's appeal in its legal dispute with the so-called vulture funds. The organization claimed that such actions make it "more difficult for countries to free themselves from the burden of over-indebtedness" and are " very bad for international capital markets", as well as being a huge blow to national sovereignty. The organization described Thomas Griesa's ruling against Argentina in favour of vulture funds as "punishing the innocent" and "turning the natural order of debt on its head".

United Kingdom
In 2002, the British Chancellor (and later Prime Minister) Gordon Brown told the United Nations that when vulture funds purchase debt at a reduced price, and make a profit from suing the debtor country to recover the full amount owed, the outcome is "morally outrageous". The Debt Relief (Developing Countries) Act passed in 2010 removed the ability of vulture funds to use UK courts to enforce contested debts.

United Nations
On 9 September 2014, the United Nations General Assembly voted to support a new bankruptcy process for sovereign nations, which would promote debt restructuring by excluding so-called "vulture funds" from the process. The vote was 124–11 in favor, with 41 abstentions. The United States voted against the measure.

Ireland
In October 2016, the Irish State closed tax loopholes that U.S. distressed debt funds (labeled "vulture funds" in the Irish media), advised by IFSC tax-law firms (e.g. Matheson), had exploited to avoid Irish taxes (capital gain, withholding tax and VAT/duty)   on over €80 billion of Irish distressed assets. The affair caused a national scandal in Ireland, and led to public backlash against the activities of US distressed debt funds,  and particularly when it was discovered that they had used children's charities controlled by Irish tax-law firms to mask their Section 110 SPV tax vehicles.

The Irish State did not prosecute the "vulture funds" for tax avoidance, and in February 2018 the Central Bank of Ireland created a new structure the L-QIAIF, which does not file public accounts, which was how the scandal was uncovered, into which the "vulture funds" transferred over €55 billion of assets (one-quarter of Irish 2018 GNI*). On 28 December 2018, the Irish Taoiseach, Leo Varadkar, praised the activity of "vulture funds" in Ireland to the Irish Times newspaper.

title: Vulture fund


text:
Franco-Belgian comics publishing houses

Belgium and France have a long tradition in comics and comic books (bandes dessinées) with some shared history in comics and publishing houses.

History
The first important publishers of bandes dessinées started producing comics magazines and books in the 1930s and 1940s, especially in Belgium, with Casterman, Dargaud, Dupuis and Le Lombard as the most famous ones.

From the 1970s and the "adult" turn of the comics, new publishing houses rose, especially in France, like Les Humanoïdes Associés, Glénat and Delcourt.

In the 1990s, several new small independent publishers emerged, such as l'Association, Amok, and Fréon. While some of these new publishers gained popular success and succeeded in creating a new look in their comics, others kept a more intransigent approach. In recent decades, many independent publishers have been restructured. While keeping their brand names, most of them have been bought, included or gathered in larger conglomerates, such as Média-Participations.

Selected Franco-Belgian publishers

 * 12 bis
 * Actes Sud
 * Albin-Michel
 * Ankama
 * L'Association
 * Bamboo Édition
 * Carabas (comics)
 * Casterman
 * Dargaud
 * Delcourt
 * Le Dernier Cri
 * Dupuis
 * Ego comme X
 * Fluide Glacial
 * Frémok and its predecessors Amok and Fréon
 * Futuropolis
 * Glénat
 * Les Humanoïdes Associés
 * Éditions Joker
 * Le Lombard
 * Lug
 * Mosquito
 * Les Requins-Marteaux
 * Semic
 * Soleil
 * Standaard Uitgeverij
 * Vents d'Ouest

title: Franco-Belgian comics publishing houses


text:
Gertrude of Poland

Gertrude-Olisava (c. 1025 – 4 January 1108), was a Polish princess and the grand princess consort of Kiev by marriage to Iziaslav I. She was the daughter of Mieszko II Lambert and Richeza of Lotharingia, and the great-granddaughter of Otto II, Holy Roman Emperor.

Early life
The exact time and place of Gertude's birth is unknown, with most sources placing it around 1025. It is estimated she stayed in Poland until 1036, then left for Germany with her mother, returning when Casimir I the Restorer, Gertrude's brother established himself as Duke of Poland.

In her early life, she received a thorough education, first, in Poland, then presumably in one of the Abbeys located in the province of Cologne.

Grand princess consort
In 1043, Gertrude married Iziaslav I of Kiev, a son of Yaroslav the Wise.

She had two sons, Yaropolk Iziaslavich and Mstislav, and a daughter, Eupraxia, who later married the Prince of Kraków, Mieszko Bolesławowic of the Piast dynasty. Often acknowledged as her son, Sviatopolk II of Kiev may have been a son of Iziaslav and a concubine.

On 15 September 1068, Iziaslav suffered a defeat and both she and her husband were expelled from Kiev and settled in Poland. It was then that Gertrude inherited a medieval illuminated manuscript, known as the Egbert Psalter or Trier Psalter, which had been created in the late 10th century for archbishop Egbert of Trier. She included her prayer book as part of the codex. In the prayer book she prays six times for Yaropolk, unicus filius meus (translated as either "my favourite son" or "my only son").

On 2 May 1069, Bolesław II the Generous, Gertrude's nephew, helped Iziaslav regain control of Kiev. Though on 22 March 1073, the princely couple with their children had to flee to Poland again. This time Bolesław had sided with the Ruthenian opposition, and forced the family to leave for Germany. However, he himself was forced by the pope to reconcile with the couple, which was to be a condition for granting him the royal crown. On 25 December 1076, Gertrude and her husband took part in the coronation of Bolesław in Gniezno.

On 15 July 1077, the couple settled, once again, in Kiev.

Later life
After her husband's death in 1078, Gertrude stayed at the court of the youngest son of Yaropolk, the prince of Turov and Volhynia. In 1084, she became a hostage of Vladimir II Monomakh, who had captured Lutsk, where she had taken refuge, abandoned by her son.

She died on 4 January 1108. The place of her burial is unknown.

title: Gertrude of Poland


text:
User talk:Somalism

Hello and welcome to Wikipedia! Hope you like it here, and stick around.

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Good luck!

Meelar (talk) 15:48, Jun 15, 2005 (UTC)

title: User talk:Somalism


text: User talk:69.164.75.165

title: User talk:69.164.75.165