History

Also known as Manlambus according to the old stories, it is a visayan term meaning “ to strike with a club” because of its coastal waters were teeming with fishes that catching them could be done simply by clubbing. Escalante City was first inhabited by Negritos or Aetas that are living in the mountains because they were push back by the Malayans that occupied the plain part of the city.

The city was not really rich with the pre-hispanic history but the archeological findings that were found in 1975 shows that the city was also inhabited by some traders such as Chinese traders who could have brought the jars, stone wares, and celadon pieces during the Ages of Contacts and Trade with the East (11th and 12th centuries A.D.). According to the 2000 census, the city of Escalante was considered as a 5th class city in the province of Negros Occidental. The city has a population of 79, 098 people in 16,610 households. One of the events that put Escalante on the map when a riot took place in September 20, 1985 that killed over fifty people; the event was later called “Escalante Massacre”. The most bloody massacre that ever recorded in the history of Negros.

Escalante City was 95 kilometers away from the province capital, Bacolod City. The city was located on the Northeastern tip of Negros Occidental, facing the big island of Cebu City. It is also 49 kilometers from San Carlos City and 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 Tanon Strait. The signing of City Charter in February 28, 2001 and its subsequent ratification on March 31, 2001 solidified to make Escalante as one of the cities of Negros Occidental.