When the Spanish explorers landed in Oriental Negros in 1565, they found natives who called the place “Buglas”, named after a kind of tall grass resembling the present-day sugar cane plant. Buglas grass was then abundantly growing in the island.
The Spaniards encountered many black people with black kinky hair among the inhabitants, they called the island Negros. Kabilin, a book on provincial history edited by Merlie Wenceslao and Bobby Villasis, mentions what seemed to be the first known documentary reference to the island of Negros appears in an atlas drawn in 1545 by the renowned Spanish cartographer Alonso de Santa Cruz (c.1490-1567). Santa Cruz’s map bears the legend y de negros, probably derived from reports of the presence of small black people (negritos) on the island. Thus, a score of years before the Legaspi expedition, the Spaniards already knew the island of Negros by this name. At that time, there were two (2) types of forest dwellers, the black natives called Ata or Agta (Negrito) and the Proto-Malay also known as Bukidnon with dark brown skin.
Along the coastline dwelt the natives of Malayan heritage who were engaged in little agricultural activities and barter trading with the Chinese and other Asian merchants who came as early as the thirteenth century. Although no written documents have been found, artifacts and relics belonging to the Sung Dynasty period in the 12th century were excavated in the towns of Bacong, Bayawan (now Bayawan City) and La Libertad in Oriental Negros and Escalante in Negros Occidental. This indicates a flourishing trade and commerce with other neighboring countries such as China, India and the Malayan peninsula.
Ethnicity is defined as an ethnic quality or affiliation resulting from racial or cultural ties.
Of the five (5) cities, Dumaguete has the most number of ethnics with 101,620. Bisaya or Binisaya got the highest number of ethnicity with 78,258 followed by Cebuano with 20,459. Aburlin, Badjao, Sama Dilaut, Bantoanon, Davao-Chavacano, Gubatnon, Ibaloi/ Inibaloi, Ibontoc, Isamal Kanlaw, Iyapplai, Iyiwaks, Kalinga, Yakan were among those with the least number of ethnics. However, NSO doesn’t have any record of minority groups of Batak/Binatak, Dibabawon, Hanunuo, Iraya, Isarog, Isnag, Itawis, Jawa Mapun, Kabihug, Kagayanen, Kamayo, Kapul, Mananwa, Mandaya, Mangyan, Nilulubo, Paranan and Subanen. Canlaon has the least number of ethnicity with 46,537 from among the five (5) cities. Out of the 20 municipalities, Guihulngan has the most number of ethnicity with 84,573 while San Jose got the least with 15,658.
