Victorias

This article is about the city in the Philippines. For the singular, see Victoria (disambiguation). For other uses, see Victorias (disambiguation).

Victorias, officially the City of Victorias (Hiligaynon: Dakbanwa sang Victorias; Filipino: Lungsod ng Victorias), is a component city in the province of Negros Occidental, Philippines. According to the 2020 census, it has a population of 90,101 people.^[5]

Victorias
Component city
City of Victorias
City hall
Flag Seal
Nickname(s):  "The Sugarlandia of Negros" "The Sweet and Green City of Negros"
Map of Negros Occidental with Victorias highlighted
OpenStreetMap
Victorias Location within the Philippines
Coordinates: 10°54′N 123°05′E
Country	Philippines
Region	Negros Island Region
Province	Negros Occidental
District	3rd district
Founded	October 2, 1906
Cityhood	March 21, 1998
Named after	Nuestra Señora de las Victorias (Our Lady of Victory)
Barangays	26 (see Barangays)
Government  [1]
• Type	Sangguniang Panlungsod
• Mayor	Abelardo D. Bantug III (NPC)
• Vice Mayor	Francis Frederick D. Palanca (NPC)
• Representative	Javier Miguel L. Benitez (PFP)
• City Council	Members Warlito T. Undar Deilen Tornea-Hofileña Jerry L. Jover Dexter L. Senido Dino Jose Maria O. Acuña Lou Richard V. Cuaycong Hermie B. Millan Vincent Marie A. Roa Joji Adorio-Larraga Juvy A. Pepello Trisha Mae C. Majan ◌ ◌ ex officio SK chairman
• Electorate	60,576 voters (2025)
Area [2]
• Total	133.92 km2 (51.71 sq mi)
Elevation	166 m (545 ft)
Highest elevation	1,568 m (5,144 ft)
Lowest elevation	0 m (0 ft)
Population  (2024 census)[3]
• Total	90,290
• Density	670/km2 (1,700/sq mi)
• Households	22,268
Economy
• Income class	4th city income class
• Poverty incidence	16.56 % (2021)[4]
• Revenue	₱ 1,011 million (2022)
• Assets	₱ 3,320 million (2022)
• Expenditure	₱ 748.7 million (2022)
• Liabilities	₱ 1,561 million (2022)
Service provider
• Electricity	Northern Negros Electric Cooperative (NONECO)
Time zone	UTC+8 (PST)
ZIP code	6119
PSGC	064531000
IDD : area code	+63 (0)34
Native languages	Hiligaynon Tagalog
Website	www.victoriascity.gov.ph

Victorias is notable for the St. Joseph the Worker Chapel, which was declared as an Important Cultural Property of the Philippines^[6] in December 2015.

It is also the site of Victorias Milling Company, the world's largest integrated sugar mill,^[7] sitting on a 7,000 hectares (17,000 acres) compound that makes it the Philippine's largest sugar refinery.

Geography

Victorias is 34 kilometres (21 mi) from Bacolod. It serves as the access point to the Northern Negros Natural Park, popular among hikers visiting Mount Mandalagan and Mount Silay.

Barangays

Victorias is politically subdivided into 26 barangays. Each barangay consists of puroks and some have sitios.

• Barangay I (Poblacion)
• Barangay II (Quezon; Pob.)
• Barangay III (Poblacion)
• Barangay IV (Poblacion)
• Barangay V (Poblacion)
• Barangay VI (Estrella Village/Salvacion; Pob.)
• Barangay VI-A (Boulevard/Villa Miranda/Sitio Cubay/Pasil)
• Barangay VII (Poblacion)
• Barangay VIII (Old Simboryo)
• Barangay IX (Daan Banwa)
• Barangay X (Estado)
• Barangay XI (Gawahon)
• Barangay XII (Dacumon)
• Barangay XIII (Gloryville)
• Barangay XIV (Sayding)
• Barangay XV West Caticlan
• Barangay XV-A East Caticlan
• Barangay XVI (Millsite)
• Barangay XVI-A (New Barrio)
• Barangay XVII (Garden)
• Barangay XVIII (Palma)
• Barangay XVIII-A (Golf)
• Barangay XIX (Bacayan)
• Barangay XIX-A (Canetown Subdivision)
• Barangay XX (Cuaycong)
• Barangay XXI (Relocation)

Climate

Climate data for Victorias
Month	Jan	Feb	Mar	Apr	May	Jun	Jul	Aug	Sep	Oct	Nov	Dec	Year
Mean daily maximum °C (°F)	28 (82)	29 (84)	30 (86)	32 (90)	32 (90)	31 (88)	30 (86)	29 (84)	29 (84)	29 (84)	29 (84)	28 (82)	30 (85)
Mean daily minimum °C (°F)	23 (73)	23 (73)	23 (73)	24 (75)	25 (77)	25 (77)	25 (77)	24 (75)	24 (75)	24 (75)	24 (75)	23 (73)	24 (75)
Average precipitation mm (inches)	57 (2.2)	37 (1.5)	41 (1.6)	42 (1.7)	98 (3.9)	155 (6.1)	187 (7.4)	162 (6.4)	179 (7.0)	188 (7.4)	114 (4.5)	78 (3.1)	1,338 (52.8)
Average rainy days	12.0	7.7	9.2	10.2	19.5	24.6	26.9	25.1	25.5	25.2	18.0	13.0	216.9
Source: Meteoblue[8]

Demographics

Population census of Victorias

Year	Pop.	±% p.a.
1903	8,372	—
1918	7,557	−0.68%
1939	19,547	+4.63%
1948	27,858	+4.02%
1960	34,290	+1.75%
1970	48,829	+3.59%
1975	53,994	+2.04%
1980	55,959	+0.72%
1990	69,892	+2.25%
1995	78,283	+2.15%
2000	81,743	+0.93%
2007	88,149	+1.05%
2010	88,299	+0.06%
2015	87,933	−0.08%
2020	90,101	+0.51%
2024	90,290	+0.05%
Source: Philippine Statistics Authority[9][10][11][12][13]

Language

The people in the city speak Hiligaynon. Tagalog and English are also generally understood.

Economy

Victorias City main highway.

Victorias Milling Co. plant

Poverty incidence of Victorias

10 20 30 40 50 60 70 80 2000 72.15 2003 18.58 2006 18.40 2009 19.18 2012 15.60 2015 17.37 2018 12.86 2021 16.56 Source: Philippine Statistics Authority[14][15][16][17][18][19][20][21]

Religion

Notable religions include:

• Roman Catholicism
• Philippine Independent Church
• United Pentecostal Church International
• Baptist Bible Fellowship International
• Seventh-day Adventist Church
• The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints in the Philippines
• Iglesia ni Cristo
• Jehovah's Witnesses
• Apostolic Pentecostalism
• Evangelical Protestantism
• IKTHUS

Iglesia Filipina Independiente (IFI) Mission Church of St. Andrew the Apostle in Brgy. Daan Banwa.

Churches

Notable churches include:

• St. Joseph the Worker Chapel, also known as the Angry Christ Church
• The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints Victorias City
• IFI Mission Church of St. Andrew the Apostle
• Our Lady of Victory Parish Church
• Iglesia Ni Cristo - Locale Congregation of Victorias City

St. Joseph the Worker Chapel

St. Joseph the Worker Chapel.

Within the Victorias Milling Company's complex is the St. Joseph the Worker Chapel, a masterpiece considered the first example of modern sacral architecture in the Philippines^[22] and raised to the status of Important Cultural Property by the National Museum of the Philippines in 2015. The chapel was designed by the famous Czech Architect Antonín Raymond.^[6]

Its mural of the Angry Christ was painted by international artist Alfonso Ossorio.^[6] The mural has been featured in various publications such as Life Magazine. Its fierce, vivid colors gave the church its most known name, the "Angry Christ Church".^[6]

Festivals

The city celebrates the annual Kadalag-an Festival, a charter anniversary held on March 21, and the annual Malihaw Festival on April 26.

The city also celebrates the Kalamayan Festival every December. The word "Kalamayan" depicts what Victorias is known for, its “kalamay” or refined sugar and its sugar industry, the Victorias Milling Company.

Barangay Festivals

• Barangay I – Pasalamat Festival • Barangay II – Ratsada Festival • Barangay III • Barangay IV • Barangay V • Barangay VI • Barangay VI-A – Baybayanon Festival • Barangay VII – Ati-Atihan Festival • Barangay VIII – Simboryo Festival • Barangay IX • Barangay X • Barangay XI • Barangay XII • Barangay XIII – Hilinugyaw Festival • Barangay XIV – San Juan Festival

• Barangay XV • Barangay XV-A • Barangay XVI • Barangay XVI-A • Barangay XVII • Barangay XVIII • Barangay XVIII-A – May Flower Festival • Barangay XIX • Barangay XIX-A • Barangay XX – Kasadyahan Festival • Barangay XXI

Sports

The city will co-host the inaugural edition of the FIFA Futsal Women's World Cup along with Pasig in late 2025.^[23]

Notable personalities

• Noven Belleza - first champion of Tawag ng Tanghalan; born in Victorias^[24]
• Alfonso A. Ossorio - Filipino-American abstract expressionist artist; though born in Manila in 1916 to a Negros Occidental family, his Angry Christ Mural is connected to Victorias^[6]
• Albee Benitez - politician, business magnate^[25]

Education

Notable educational institutions include:

• Central Philippines State University – Victorias City Campus
• Don Bosco Technical Institute, Victorias
• La Salle College–Victorias
• Negros Occidental National Science High School
• Colegio de Santa Ana de Victorias^[26]
• Victorias National High School
• Abelardo D.L. Bantug, Sr. National High School (Hacienda Amanda, Barangay VIII)
• Victorias City Farm School (Hacienda Cuaycong, Barangay XX)
• Barangay Estado National High School (Estado, Barangay X)
• Gawahon Integrated School (Barangay XI)
• Victorias Elementary School
• Villa Victorias Elementary School
• Laura Vicuña Women Development and Training Center (Hacienda Malihao, Barangay XX)
• Jack & Jill School/Castleson High