La Carlota, Negros Occidental
La Carlota, officially the City of La Carlota, (Hiligaynon: Dakbanwa sang La Carlota; Cebuano: Dakbayan sa La Carlota; Filipino: Lungsod ng La Carlota), is a 4th class component city in the province of Negros Occidental, Philippines. According to the 2020 census, it has a population of 66,664 people. making it the least populous city in the province.
La Carlota | |
|---|---|
| City of La Carlota | |
Our Lady of Peace Roman Catholic Church | |
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Flag Seal | |
| Nickname(s): Drumbeating City of Beauty and Dance | |
| Motto: Let's Go La Carlota! | |
| Anthem: Let's Go La Carlota! | |
Map of Negros Occidental with La Carlota highlighted | |
OpenStreetMap | |
La Carlota Location within the Philippines | |
| Coordinates: 10°25′N 122°55′E | |
| Country | Philippines |
| Region | Western Visayas |
| Province | Negros Occidental |
| District | 4th district |
| Founded | October 15, 1869 |
| Cityhood | June 19, 1965 |
| Barangays | 14 (see Barangays) |
| Government | |
| • Type | Sangguniang Panlungsod |
| • Mayor | Rex R. Jalandoon |
| • Vice Mayor | David T. Baga, Jr. |
| • Representative | Juliet Marie D. Ferrer |
| • City Council | Members |
| • Electorate | 45,065 voters (2022) |
| Area | |
| • Total | 137.29 km2 (53.01 sq mi) |
| Elevation | 77 m (253 ft) |
| Highest elevation | 1,641 m (5,384 ft) |
| Lowest elevation | 0 m (0 ft) |
| Population (2020 census) | |
| • Total | 66,664 |
| • Density | 490/km2 (1,300/sq mi) |
| • Households | 16,508 |
| Demonym(s) | La Carloteño Mangkasanon |
| Economy | |
| • Income class | 4th city income class |
| • Poverty incidence | 12.36 |
| • Revenue | ₱ 689.4 million (2020) |
| • Assets | ₱ 1,777 million (2020) |
| • Expenditure | ₱ 576.8 million (2020) |
| • Liabilities | ₱ 656.8 million (2020) |
| Service provider | |
| • Electricity | Negros Occidental Electric Cooperative (NOCECO) |
| Time zone | UTC+8 (PST) |
| ZIP code | 6130 |
| PSGC | |
| IDD : area code | +63 (0)34 |
| Native languages | Hiligaynon Tagalog |
| Website | lacarlotacity |
Until two years after its foundation in 1871, it was known as Simancas, a barrio under the jurisdiction of the neighboring town of San Enrique, which was led by a Spaniard who was married to a woman named Carlota. Legend has it that she was well-loved by the natives for her social works so that they named their settlement after her when it was created as a municipality near the end of the Spanish colonial era in the Philippines. In line with the Spanish practice of adding an article before a proper noun, “La Carlota” became its official name. On June 19, 1965, by virtue of Republic Act No. 4585, La Carlota was granted a city charter, becoming one of the two landlocked cities in Negros Island, the other being neighbouring Canlaon in Negros Oriental.
In 2011, the Department of the Interior and Local Government (DILG) awarded the city with a "seal of good housekeeping" for its efforts in advancing accountability and transparency in local governance. In the same year, it was also named as one of the top-performing local government units in the Philippines, ranking eighth in the component cities category. On December 29, 2011, the city was nominated for excellence in local governance, an honor given by the provincial government under its Pagpasidungog Awards .