Himamaylan (), officially the City of Himamaylan (; ), is a component city in the province of Negros Occidental, Philippines. According to the , it has a population of people.
Due to its coastal location, it is a rich source of different types of seafood, mainly fish, oysters, mussels and shrimps. The city celebrates the Himaya Festival every April 14âÂÂ25.
During the Spanish and American colonial periods, the townâÂÂs name was commonly spelled as âÂÂGuimamaylanâ or âÂÂGimamaylan.âÂÂ
The name of Himamaylan is derived from âÂÂMamaylan,â one of the pre-colonial names for Negros Island used by Cebuano-speaking Visayans, and likely refers to an early settlement in the area..
In 1795, Himamaylan became the capital of Negros. At that time, the city served as a garrison for occupying Spanish forces. Today, the old Spanish-built fort constructed as a lookout point for frequent Moro raids is one of the historical attractions found in the city.
On March 5, 2001, the Philippine Congress passed Republic Act No. 9028, providing for the conversion of the municipality into a city after a favourable plebiscite, making it the only city in the 5th District of the province.
Himamaylan is located at the centre-most cove on the coastline of Negros Island. Himamaylan has a natural harbour characterised by deep waters favourable to access by marine vessels.
Located in the centre of the island, the city is conducive to operations reaching all parts of the country and the rest of Southeast Asia from a strategic point. Most portions of the city are plains and generally have fertile soil, conducive for agriculture. The city's rivers are or deeper, providing drainage for farmland.
This city is south of Bacolod, the provincial capital, and from Dumaguete.
Himamaylan is politically subdivided into 19 barangays. Each barangay consists of puroks and some have sitios.
The people in the city speak Hiligaynon. Tagalog and English are generally understood.
The city's main sources of livelihood include fishery, sugarcane farming and sugar production, rice farming, mango cultivation and ethanol exports.