Sister cities of Bacolod

Bacolod /ˌbɒˈkoʊləd/ (Hiligaynon language: Dakbanwa sang Bacolod, Tagalog: Lungsod ng Bacolod) is a city in the Philippines. It is the capital of the province of Negros Occidental. Having a total of 511,820 inhabitants as of 2010, it is the most populous city in Western Visayas and the 17th most populous city of the Philippines. It is part of the Bacolod Metropolitan Area, which also includes the cities of Silay and Talisay. It is notable for its MassKara Festival held during the 3rd week of October. Known for being a relatively friendly city, it bears the nickname "City of Smiles". In 2008, Bacolod ranked number 1 in a survey by MoneySense Magazine as the "Best Place to Live in the Philippines". The city has also been declared by the Department of Science and Technology as a "center of excellence" for information technology and business process management operations.