Don Salvador Benedicto, officially the Municipality of Don Salvador Benedicto (Hiligaynon: Banwa sang Don Salvador Benedicto; Tagalog: Bayan ng Don Salvador Benedicto) or simply Salvador Benedicto and abbreviated as DSB, is a 4th class municipality in the province of Negros Occidental, Philippines. According to the 2020 census, it has a population of 26,922 people.^[3]

Quick Facts Salvador Benedicto, Country ...

Don Salvador Benedicto Salvador Benedicto
Municipality
Municipality of Don Salvador Benedicto
DSB Pinewood Forest
Flag Seal
Nickname:  Summer Capital of Negros Occidental
Map of Negros Occidental with Don Salvador Benedicto highlighted
OpenStreetMap
Don Salvador Benedicto Location within the Philippines
Coordinates: 10°33′02″N 123°14′11″E
Country	Philippines
Region	Western Visayas
Province	Negros Occidental
District	1st district
Founded	February 9, 1983
Named for	Vice Governor Salvador V. Benedicto
Barangays	7 (see Barangays)
Government  [1]
• Type	Sangguniang Bayan
• Mayor	Laurence Marxlen J. dela Cruz
• Vice Mayor	Nehemiah Joe J. dela Cruz
• Representative	Gerardo P. Valmayor Jr.
• Municipal Council	Members Ricky A. Rebatado Rogelio R. Asin Roger M. Apellido Sr. Jobert B. Hijastro Vicente B. Bacordo Sr. Herman G. Badera Jr. Ronnie H. Toreno Stephen Wyndell A. Pedrosa
• Electorate	18,632 voters (2022)
Area [2]
• Total	170.50 km2 (65.83 sq mi)
Elevation	715 m (2,346 ft)
Highest elevation	1,535 m (5,036 ft)
Lowest elevation	260 m (850 ft)
Population  (2020 census)[3]
• Total	26,922
• Density	160/km2 (410/sq mi)
• Households	6,390
Economy
• Income class	4th municipal income class
• Poverty incidence	32.40 % (2018)[4]
• Revenue	₱ 123.2 million (2020)
• Assets	₱ 317.2 million (2020)
• Expenditure	₱ 118.3 million (2020)
• Liabilities	₱ 120 million (2020)
Service provider
• Electricity	Central Negros Electric Cooperative (CENECO)
Time zone	UTC+8 (PST)
ZIP code	6117
PSGC	0604532000
IDD : area code	+63 (0)34
Native languages	Hiligaynon Tagalog Cebuano

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The municipality is a post-colonial provincial hill station, designated the Summer Capital of Negros Occidental, and is a popular tourist site.^[5]

The idea for the creation of the municipality originated from Nehemias “Nene” de la Cruz, a political dissident who was imprisoned during the Martial law era. While in prison, he began dreaming of creating a town out of the “cradle of insurgency/rebellion”, and after his release, gained the support of his friend Mike Coronel, who was also the provincial commander of the Philippine Constabulary in Negros Occidental, in establishing the upcoming municipality based in Barangay Igmaya-an, which was then part of Murcia, in 1976. Located at the center of the mountains of northern Negros Occidental, Don Salvador Benedicto was chartered in 1983 through Batas Pambansa Bilang 336 by then President Ferdinand Marcos. It consolidated all the remote barangays of San Carlos City and the towns of Calatrava and Murcia.^[6] which were apparently neglected due to inaccessibility.^{[citation needed]}

The town is named after the former Vice Governor Salvador Valois Benedicto (March 31, 1889–November 28, 1956) who played an important role in the setting up of a Revolutionary Government in Negros Island particularly in Barangay Igmaya-an, when the country was occupied by the Japanese during World War II.^[6] He was also the main guerrilla coordinator in both Negros Oriental and Negros Occidental during the said war. Salvador Benedicto is a relative of Roberto Benedicto, a crony of Marcos.^{[citation needed]}

• DSB Tourism Marker
• Overlooking view at DSB

Don Salvador Benedicto is 47 kilometres (29 mi) east of Bacolod, via Negros Occidental Eco-Tourism Highway (N69).

Major languages are Hiligaynon, followed by Cebuano with English and Filipino being used as second languages.

Poverty Incidence of Don Salvador Benedicto

Graphs are unavailable due to technical issues. There is more info on Phabricator and on MediaWiki.org.

Source: Philippine Statistics Authority^{[12][13]
[14][15][16][17][18]}

Although a small town, the town of Don Salvador Benedicto has seen a rise in its municipal economy thanks to tourism and local agriculture. Due to its high altitude like Baguio, the town can support crops that grow in temperate areas, making it ideal for a multitude of farming businesses. Tourism is on the rise for the town especially when travellers head out into the heart of the province. Also located in the municipality are the Choco Hills, similar to Bohol's Chocolate Hills, with shared boundary of Barangay Prosperidad, San Carlos City.^[19]

• Mambukal, a township hill station in Negros Occidental.
• Baguio, first hill station and Summer Capital of the Philippines.