About Pontevedra
PROFILE
Distance from Bacolod: 48.5 kilometers
Land Area: 11,250.00 hectares
Classification: 3rd Class
No. of Barangays: 20 Barangays
Population: 48,000 (June 2010)
Language: Hiligaynon/Ilonggo/English is spoken and understood
The Municipality of Pontevedra is located at the middle southwestern part of Negros Occidental along its western shoreline. It is bounded on the north by San Enrique, on the east by La Carlota City and La Castellana, on the south by Hinigaran and on the west by Guimaras Strait. It is 40-43 kilometers away from Bacolod City, the provincial capital and along the national highway as well as the Bacolod-Kabakalan Alternate Highway.
HISTORY
According to historical authorities and scholars of Negros Occidental who conducted research at the Spanish Archives, Pontevedra, which is undoubtedly an Iberian name, was taken from that beautiful place in the Galicia Region of Spain and brought to the province’s shores by the Spanish colonizers who wanted to be reminded of their land of birth and their loved ones left behind. Some of them decided to stay and made it their second home, bringing with them the rich Spanish and European cultures, influence, and most importantly, the Christian religion. By virtue of a Spanish decree, Pontevedra was declared a pueblo in 1856.
Long before the Spaniards came, the place already had some settlements and was called Marayo, an old Ilonggo or Karay-a term for a faraway place, as viewed from the neighboring islands of Guimaras and Panay. It looked like a distant place, indeed, because there were no faster means of transportation other than sailboats.
Those settlers brought with them the skills in fishing, hunting, agriculture and trade, including barter.
However, because of the stronger Spanish influence, the term Marayo was ultimately replaced with Pontevedra, although the river that runs through the town is still called Marayo River, which has its mouth along the famed Guimaras Strait. Pontevedra was created a municipality on January 21, 1901 by virtue of the Philippine Commission Act No. 82, otherwise known as the Municipal Code. At present, it has a population of around 48,000, land area of about 11,000 hectares with 20 barangays, and performs the functional role as “The Food Growth Center of Negros Occidental”.
