History 101
Dumaguete City 1903
When Legaspi assigned encomiendas to his deserving soldiers in Negros, in 1591, the east coast including Dumaguete was administered from Cebu. The center of administration when Negros became a Corregimiento in 1734 was Ilog; as Alcaldia in 1795 the capital was Jimamaylan; and when raised to a Politico Military province in 1856, the capital was Bacolod. But when thirteen priests from the towns of the Oriental coast presented to the Governor General a petition for the division of the island, it was approved and implemented. Complying with a royal decree, Gov. Gen. Valeriano Weyler established Negros Oriental as a separate province on January 1, 1890. While Bacolod remained the capital for Negros Occidental, Dumaguete was chosen the capital for Negros Oriental for the following reasons.
1. It was the most important town on the east side of the island having the most number of people.
2. It had more commercial and agricultural wealth.
3. It had a port where all kinds of ships could call.
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