Escalante City

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Escalante City is a 5th class city in the province of Negros Occidental, Philippines. According to the 2000 census, it has a population of 79,098 people in 16,160 households. Melecio "Beboy" Yap is the current mayor of the city while then mayor Maymay Barcelona is the current vice-mayor of the city. On 1945, during the Siege of Escalante by the defenders of the Filipino soldiers and guerrillas against the Japanese Imperial forces during World War 2. On September 20, 1985 over fifty people were either killed, wounded or arrested during riots in the Escalante Massacre of 1985.

[edit] Land and climate

Escalante has a total land area of 19,276.303 hectares. It is located on the Northeastern tip of Negros Occidental, facing the island of Cebu. It is 49 kilometers from San Carlos City and 95 kilometers from Bacolod City, the Provincial Capital. It is bounded on the north and west by the City of Sagay, on the south by the town of Toboso and on the east by Tañon Strait.

[edit] Hill lands

Outside the city center of Escalante, there is a separate region of low rolling hills, especially going to its upland barangays towards Mt. Lunay. The hill land section is the remnant of past volcanism and probably, represents either dormant volcanic cinder cones or outliers of a once more extensive volcanic formation. Local residents in the upland barangays of Escalante at the foot of Mt. Lunay testify to period rumblings of a volcano generally believed 'to be dead'. An indicator of the dormant character of Mt. Lunay is the existence to this day of a sulphur spring at its foot. Often, the slopes of these hills as in Barangay Binaguiohan are quite steep. However, the steepness of the slope has not stopped Escalantehanons in cultivation of the hillside.

[edit] Climate

The atmospheric conditions influencing the climate of Escalante as a whole are the same conditions operative in Negros Island. During the summer months (April to December) an air stream is directed from the south. This air current follows a counterclockwise path as it approaches the low-pressure center of the Asian continent, and reaches the Philippines from a southwestern direction called "the southwestern monsson". During the period from November to January, Negros has relatively cool weather as Asiatic continents cools rapidly than the surrounding seas, resulting to high-pressure centers leading to winds being deflected in a clockwise fashion. This period is known as the northeastern monsoon. From March to April is the domination of northeastern wind system. Cool season in Escalante is from December through March. It is also the time when low tides preavail called aya-ay, making beach combing of its shores more pleasurable. The latter part of March through June is when the highest temperatures prevail. But being largely coastal, Escalante enjoys constant flow of refreshing sea breeze.

[edit] Coastal environment

The diversity of plants in the coastal environment of Escalante is one of the richest in Occidental Negros. Its coasts comprise two surviving ecosystems: the mangrove, consisting of trees and shurbs that occupies the landward portion of its coastal areas; the seagrass, or grasslike plants, that thrive on it shalow nearshore area. In a limited coastal zone, remnants of a third ecosystem, coral reef may be found but in residual, degraded form. The marine waters of Escalante are generally warm throughout the year, except for early mornings of the cool months of December, January and February. Salinity of its waters is within reasonable amount, at 28-36 parts per thousand.

[edit] Carmelite mission

In 1958, the Order of Carmelites arrived in Escalante. They came all the way from the Netherlands upon the invitation of the late Bishop Epifanio Surban of the Diocese of Dumaguete. In 1961, Mount Carmel College was established by the Carmelites. The Carmelites implemented the reformation of Vatican II in the following years. The people were taught to be Christocentric. For the poor, the Church became more accessible. Obedient to the spirit of Populorum Progressio, the Carmelites saw through social reforms within its mission field in Escalante. In 1961, the Carmelites opened Mount Carmel College. The college brought profound changes in the socio-cultural, economic and political life of Escalante. Mount Carmel College provided much-needed opportunity for children of poor families in the Municipality to acquire College education, right in the heart of Escalante.

[edit] Barangays

Escalante City is politically subdivided into 21 barangays.

[edit] External links

• Escalante City Official Website
• Philippine Standard Geographic Code
• 2000 Philippine Census Information