BY DOMINIQUE GABRIEL G. BAÑAGA
BACOLOD City – Negros Occidental is one of the 10 wealthiest provinces in the Philippines at sixth place, according to the recent Commission on Audit (COA) annual financial report.
The COA report released on Dec. 22 showed that Negros Occidental was the sixth richest province in the country in 2020 with total assets of P17.170 billion.
Negros Occidental occupies the northwestern half of the large island of Negros, and borders Negros Oriental, which comprises the southeastern half.
Known as the “Sugarbowl of the Philippines”, Negros Occidental produces more than half the nation’s sugar output.
Negros Occidental comprises 19 municipalities and 13 cities, further subdivided into 662 barangays. It has the most chartered cities among all the provinces in the Philippines. Although Bacolod serves as the capital, it is governed independently from the province as a highly urbanized city.
The sugar industry is the lifeblood of the economy of Negros Occidental. There are 15 sugar centrals located throughout the lowland areas the north and west of the island, stretching from northwest along the coasts of the Visayan Sea and Guimaras Strait.
Cebu province got the top spot of COA’s annual financial report, registering an increase of P9.1 billion in total assets in 2020.
Meanwhile, Batangas, Rizal, Davao de Oro, Bukidnon, and Iloilo’s rankings were unchanged from 2019.
Negros Occidental climbed two notches to sixth place, while Surigao Del Norte fell two spots to eighth place.
Isabela made it to the top 10, pushing Leyte, which ranked eighth in 2019, out of this year’s list./PN
