Silay City had been known in the past as the "Paris of Negros" and the "cultural and intellectual hub of Negros" due to the residents' love for knowledge and works of art, and its collection of heritage mansions built during the height of the Philippine sugar industry's success, of which Negros was the center. Most notable among these houses is Balay Negrense, the mansion of the son of the first Negrense sugar baron, Yves Leopold Germain Gaston.
It was during the administration of Mayor Romulo Golez when Silay became a Chartered City on June 12, 1957 by virtue of House Bill No. 6069 sponsored by Congressman Carlos Hilado and Jose Puey. Silay City is composed of fourteen barangays each headed by a Barangay Captain under the Barrio Charter Republic Act No. 3590. On May 15, 1985 a referendum was held creating two more barangays, namely Barangays Patag and Bagtic.
On June 7, 2003, Silay City became the first local government unit in the Republic of the Philippines to hold a referendum through a People's Initiative approving the 2003 annual executive budget.
Today, Silay City is listed by the Department of Tourism as one of its top 25 tourist destinations in the Philippines. It is considered the seat of arts, culture and ecotourism in Western Visayas.
Hawaiian Philippine Company, the remaining sugar
central after the closure of AIDSISA Sugar Mill, is a major contributor
to the City’s economy.
source : Silay City Government website