Murcia, officially the Municipality of Murcia, is a 1st class municipality in the province of Negros Occidental, Philippines. According to the 2020 census, it has a population of 88,868 people. It is 17 km east of Bacolod.

History

Murcia was founded by an Augustinian Recollect priest named Fr. Miguel Alvarez in 1860. During World War II, the municipal hall of the town was used as a garrison by the invading Japanese. Due to resistance from Filipino guerillas, the Japanese withdrew from the municipality on April 21, 1945.

Geography

Barangays

Murcia is politically subdivided into 23 barangays. Each barangay consists of puroks and some have sitios.

Climate

Demographics

Economy

Tourism

The Mambukal Resort in Barangay Minoyan, Murcia, Negros Occidental has bats as tourist attraction. There resort has 3 species of bats – the Philippine Flying Fox (Philippine Giant Fruit Bat), the Philippine bare-backed fruit bat, and the Little Golden-mantled Flying Fox, which is already endangered. They produce a nitrogen-rich organic fertilizer called guano. Bats are included in the list of animals protected by Republic Act 9147 (Wildlife Resources Conservation and Protection Act). The provincial government-owned Mambukal Resort inaugurated its "Butterfly Garden," in December 2007. Live predators of butterflies like tarantula, wild geckos, scorpions, millipedes and centipedes were displayed. Aside from the Mambukal Mountain Resort, Murcia is also famous for its Pandanon River Resort situated in the Murcia-Don Salvador Benedicto municipality border. A golf and country club is situated in Barangay Blumentritt.

Notable personalities

Twin cities