Located on the southern coast of Negros Island, Bayawan City is around 100 kilometers west of the capital city of Dumaguete. It is bounded on the north by Negros Occidental Province and the town of Mabinay, on the east by the cities of Bais and Tanjay and the towns of Santa Catalina and Pamplona, on the south by Sulu Sea, and on the west by the town of Basay. Its land area of 699 square kilometers, almost as large as Metro Manila, makes it the largest local government unit in Negros Oriental.

Bayawan City Hall

In terms of population, Bayawan City is the second largest in the province after Dumaguete. It celebrates the Tawo-Tawo Festival from the local term for scarecrow as a form of thanksgiving for a bountiful harvest of rice.

Except for the city center that occupies around 15 square kilometers, most of the city is considered as rural which are mostly devoted to agriculture. Primary products include rice, corn, coconut, rootcrops and vegetables, livestock and poultry. Fishing is the primary occupation of those living near the seashore. Currently, an attempt to develop a biofuel industry started with the planting of jathropa in some parts of the city.

Bayawan City is famous for its local delicacy called Bayebaye which is made of glutinous rice cooked with shredded coconut and sugar. This product is now being promoted under the One Town One Product (OTOP) scheme of the government.

The city of Bayawan has an enormous potential for economic development. It has a vast tracts of land area suitable for agriculture. It has also some forested land from which wood and other raw materials can be sourced. Fronting Sulu sea, it has untapped marine resources. Its tourism potential is largely undevelop. Together with nearby towns of Santa Catalina and Basay towns, Bayawan has a ready market of more than 200 thousand people. Electric power is readily available from nearby Palinpinon geothermal field in Valencia town. It has rivers ready to be tapped to generate electricity and provide water for irrigation.

1. Bugtong bato - a favorite destination for trekkers
2. Bayawan Boulevard - good for strolling on the sidewalk and for viewing the sunset in the afternoon
3. Bawad Watershed Park
4. Niludhan, Mantapi, Lourdes, and Palasanon Falls
5. Mag-aso Spring
6. Bayawan Beach

Bayawan Beach - good for surfing

Another view of Bayawan Beach

City hall photo credit to http://animegems2008.blogspot.com/
beach 1 photo credit to surigaoislands.com
beach 2 photo credit to panoramio.com