List of people from Negros Occidental explained

Below is a list of notable people who were born in Negros Occidental, or those who lived there for an extended period.

Arts, culture and media

Architecture

• Leandro Locsin — National artist for architecture

Film

• Peque Gallaga — multi-awarded filmmaker
• Ronnie Lazaro — a Gawad Urian Award-winning Filipino film and television actor, producer and casting and art director
• Susan Roces — award-winning actress, nicknamed Queen of Philippine Movies, widow of Fernando Poe Jr., adoptive mother of Grace Poe
• Joel Torre — actor, director and film producer^[1]
• Reiven Bulado — 2004 MMFF best supporting actor, ramp model, and entrepreneur
• Bernard Bonnin — actor
• Pancho Magalona — award-winning actor
• Erik Matti — director, screenwriter, producer
• Rosemarie Sonora — actress
• Charles Gemora — Hollywood makeup-artist, special effects pioneer and actor
• Rey "PJ" Abellana — film and TV actor
• Carla Abellana — film and TV actress

Literature

• Adelina Gurrea — journalist, poet and playwright in Spanish
• Elsa Martinez Coscolluela — award-winning poet, short-story writer, and playwright
• Gilbert Luis R. Centina III — prize-winning poet and author
• Alex Lacson — writer, lawyer and philanthropist

Music

• Bobby Enriquez — jazz pianist
• Kuh Ledesma — popular jazz and pop singer. Known as the Pop Diva of the Philippines
• Noven Belleza — It's Showtime Tawag ng Tanghalan grand winner

Publishing

• Raul Locsin — editor, publisher and founder of BusinessWorld Ramon Magsaysay Award recipient^[2]
• Teodoro Locsín Sr. — editor of the Philippines Free Press

Television

• Allan K. — singer, comedian, actor and TV host
• Alvin Elchico — TV/radio host, former provincial correspondent for MagTV na Amiga
• Rio Diaz — former beauty queen, TV host and actress
• Romy Pastrana — comedian and Goin' Bulilit member under the name Dagul. Uncle of Joey Pastrana
• Elizabeth Ramsey — comedian, singer and actress
• Christian Vasquez — actor, model for Pond's and a former housemate of ABS-CBN's Pinoy Big Brother:

Theater

• Eduardo Varela Sicangco — scene designer and illustrator for Broadway, opera and film

Visual arts

• Alfredo Alcala — comic book artist for DC and Marvel Comics
• Alfonso A. Ossorio — abstract expressionist artist

Athletes

Basketball

• Francis Arnaiz — Former basketball player in the Philippine Basketball Association for Toyota Super Corollas and Barangay Ginebra Kings
• Nonoy Baclao — Professional basketball player who plays for the Talk 'N Text Tropang Texters in the Philippine Basketball Association. He also played for the Philippine Patriots in the ASEAN Basketball League and as a collegiate player for the Ateneo Blue Eagles in the UAAP
• Noli Locsin — Retired basketball player who spent most of his career for the Ginebra San Miguel franchise in the Philippine Basketball Association
• Jeffrei Chan — Professional basketball player who plays for the Rain or Shine Elasto Painters in the Philippine Basketball Association and member of Gilas Pilipinas in the 2014 FIBA World Cup
  • Rudy Distrito — Retired Professional Basketball player in the Philippine Basketball Association Boyet Fernandez — Current head coach of the NLEX Road Warriors in the PBA D-League and San Beda Red Lions in the NCAA. Former head coach of the now defunct Sta. Lucia Realtors in the PBA and UP Fighting Maroons in the UAAP
• Reynel Hugnatan — Professional basketball player who plays for the Meralco Bolts in the Philippine Basketball Association
• LA Revilla — Professional basketball player for Mahindra Enforcer in the Philippine Basketball Association
• James Yap — Professional basketball player who plays for the San Mig Super Coffee Mixers in the Philippine Basketball Association and a former member of the Philippines national basketball team
• Mark Yee — Professional basketball player who plays for the GlobalPort Batang Pier in the Philippine Basketball Association^[3]

Bowls

• Sonia Bruce — International lawn bowler, bronze medalist at the 2016 World Bowls Championship
• Ainie Knight — International lawn and indoor bowler, bronze medalist at the 2012 World Bowls Championship

Boxing

• Rolando Bohol — Former IBF world flyweight champion
• Leopoldo Cantancio — Retired boxer who competed at two Summer Olympic Games. He also won a bronze medal in the 1990 Asian Games
• Godfrey Castro — 2007 SEA Games silver medalist and 2006 Asian Games bronze medalist (flyweight)
• Francisco Guilledo — More commonly known as Pancho Villa, First Filipino World Champion boxer, World flyweight champion and IBHOF International Boxing Hall of Fame and WBHOF World Boxing Hall of Fame Inductee
• Small Montana (Benjamin Gan) — Won the Flyweight Championship of the World (as recognized by New York state)
• Eleuterio Zapanta — World bantamweight champion in 1940 and World flyweight champion in 1941
• Dodie Boy Peñalosa — Two Division World Champion and former IBF champion in the light flyweight and flyweight classes
• Gerry Peñalosa — Two Division World Champion and former holder of the WBC super flyweight and the WBO bantamweight titles
• Sonny Boy Jaro — Former The Ring and WBC Flyweight World Champion
• Eric Jamili — Retired professional boxer and former WBO minimumweight Champion.
• Mark Jason Melligen — Professional boxer
• Donnie Nietes — Three Division World Champion and former WBO Minimumweight World Champion, former WBO & The Ring Light Flyweight Champion and former IBF Flyweight Champion
• Elias Recaido — Competed in the 1996 Summer Olympics. He won a bronze medal at the 1990 Asian Games
• Merlito Sabillo — Former holder of the WBO Minimumweight world title
• Leopoldo Serantes — 1988 Seoul Olympics bronze medalist
• Genesis Servania — Professional Boxer
• Joan Tipon — 2006 Doha Asian Games gold medalist (bantamweight)
• Mansueto Velasco, Jr. — 1996 Summer Olympic Games Silver Medalist
• Roel Velasco — 1992 Summer Olympics Bronze Medalist
• Ben Villaflor — WBA world junior lightweight (now called super featherweight) champion during the 1970s
• Young Tommy — Retired professional boxer
• Rogen Ladon — Competed at the 2016 Summer Olympics in the Men's light flyweight division

Chess

• Alekhine Nouri — youngest FIDE Master at age 7

Football

• Manuel Amechazurra — The first Filipino footballer to play in the European football circuit, he was called El Capitán and played as a defender, from 1905 to 1915 for FC Barcelona^[4]
• Arsenio Lacson - Former member of the Philippines national football team and participated in tournaments such as the 1934 Far Eastern Championship Games
  • • • • • Florentino Broce — Former member and coach for the Philippines national football team Dave Fegidero — Former member of the Philippines national football team Norman Fegidero — Former member and coach for the Philippines national football team Troy Fegidero - Former member of the Philippines national football team Ali Go — Former member of the Philippines national football team and the Philippines national futsal team Tating Pasilan — Former member of the Philippines national football team and the Philippines national futsal team. He also played for the Green Archers United in the defunct United Football League
• Robert Cañedo — Professional footballer for JPV Marikina in the Philippines Football League and former member of the Philippines national football team
• Alesa Dolino - Defender for the Philippines women's national football team. She also plays for OutKast F.C. in the PFF Women's League
• Eduard Sacapaño — Professional footballer who plays as a goalkeeper for Ceres-Negros F.C. in the Philippines Football League and a former member of the Philippines national football team
• Camelo Tacusalme - Professional footballer who plays as a defender for JPV Marikina in the Philippines Football League
• Joshua Beloya — Professional football player who plays as a striker for Ilocos United in the Philippines Football League. Former member of the Philippines national U-23 football team and the Philippines national beach soccer team

Golf

• Juvic Pagunsan —professional golfer, Asian Tour Order of Merit champion

Martial arts

• Monsour del Rosario — taekwondo champion who has also starred in several Filipino and international action films. He won bronze in the 1985 World Taekwondo Championships
• Randy Mengullo — initiated the Jack and Jill School karate program,^[5] a Sandan Blackbelt in who garnered medals in many karatedo championships and athletic meet of different schools and karate organizations in the Philippines
• Ernesto Presas — martial artist, founder of Filipino martial arts system Kombatan
• Remy Presas — Father of Modern Arnis
• Remy P. Presas — arnisador, martial artist

Pool

• Ramil Gallego — professional pool player

Softball

• Queeny Sabobo — softball player, gold medalist at the 2015 Southeast Asian Games

Swimming

• Carlo Piccio — Olympic swimmer

Volleyball

• Fille Cainglet–Cayetano — Volleyball player for both the Meralco Power Spikers of the Shakey's V-League (SVL) and the Petron Blaze Spikers of the Philippine Super Liga
• Melissa Gohing - Team captain and libero of the Pocari Sweat Lady Warriors in the Premier Volleyball League

Beauty queens

• Aurora Pijuan — Miss International 1970
• Vickie Rushton — Lin-ay sang Negros 2009, Mutya ng Pilipinas 2011, Housemate
• Sandra Seifert — Miss Philippines Earth 2009, International Fashion Model
• Margaret Nales Wilson — Binibining Pilipinas-World 2007, TV personality and actress
• Gwendolyne Fourniol — Miss World Philippines 2022

Business

• J. Amado Araneta - Businessman, Owner and builder of the Araneta Coliseum and Araneta City
• Jorge L. Araneta - CEO and Chairman of the Araneta Group, ranked as the 47th richest person in the Philippines by Forbes Magazine on 2021
• Soledad Oppen Cojuangco - Billionaire, widow of Danding Cojuangco, ranked as the 17th richest person in the Philippines by Forbes Magazine on 2023
• Oscar Hilado - Former Chairman of Phinma, ranked as the 33rd richest person in the Philippines by Forbes Magazine on 2007
• Tan Yu —Billionaire Philanthropist, was ranked the richest man in the Philippines

Government service and diplomacy

International organization

• Rafael M. Salas — former United Nations Under-Secretary General, Executive Director UNFPA, Executive Secretary to Ferdinand Marcos
• Jorge B. Vargas — Member, World Scout Committee, de facto Head of the Philippine Government during World War II, Executive Secretary to Manuel Quezon
• Teodoro Locsin Jr. — Permanent Representative of the Philippines to the United Nations, former Congressional Representative, and journalist

National government

• Rafael Alunan — Former Secretary of Agriculture of Manuel Quezon and Jose P. Laurel
• Daniel Lacson Jr. — Former Governor of Negros Occidental Chairman of Philippine National Bank cabinet secretary for countryside development Fidel v Ramos and Chairman GSIS
• Dennis Mapa Politician
• Mercedes Alvarez — Deputy Speaker of The House of Representatives of the Philippines
• Jose Miguel Arroyo — Former First Gentleman of the Philippines
• Iggy Arroyo — Representative 5th District of Negros Occidental, brother in law of former Philippine President Gloria Arroyo
• Francisco Chavez — Former Solicitor General of the Philippines
• Neri Colmenares — Former Party-list Congressman for Bayan Muna
• Raul M. Gonzalez — Former Secretary of Justice (Philippines)
• Rowena Guanzon — Commissioner Commission on Elections (Philippines)
• Emilio Hilado — Former Associate Justice of the Supreme Court of the Philippines during World War II^[6]
• Oscar R. Ledesma — former Senator^[7]
• Jose Locsin — former Senator and Secretary of Health
• Enrique B. Magalona — former Senator, grandfather of the late Francis Magalona
• Alfredo Montelibano, Sr. — politician and industrialist, served as Mayor of Bacolod governor of Negros Occidental, and Philippine Secretary of National Defense and Interior
• Gil Montilla — Speaker of the National Assembly
• Ruperto Montinola — former Senator^[8]
• Enrique Ona — former Secretary of Health (Philippines)
• Monico Puentevella — politician, former Representative Lone District of Bacolod, former Commissioner of Philippine Sports Commission and former Mayor of Bacolod
• Rolando Ramos Dizon — Former chairman of the Commission on Higher Education. La Sallian Brother
• Judy Taguiwalo — Secretary of the Department of Social Welfare and Development
• Haydee Yorac — former Chairman of the Commission on Elections (Philippines)
• Jose Yulo — former Speaker of the House of Representatives of the Philippines, former Secretary of Justice under Manuel Quezon, Chief Justice of the Supreme Court of the Philippines during World War II, Former Secretary of Labor, and served as Secretary of Justice again under Ferdinand Marcos.

Local government

• Ramon Bagatsing — longest serving Mayor of Manila (1971–1986), Manila Congressman (1957–1971) and Plaza Miranda bombing survivor
• Guia Gomez — Mayor of San Juan City, known for relationship with former Philippine President Joseph Estrada, with whom she has a son, Senator JV Ejercito
• Arsenio Lacson - Broadcaster, first elected Mayor of Manila. former Manila Congressman
• Evelio Leonardia — Mayor of Bacolod and former Congressional Representative
• Alfredo G. Marañon, Jr. — Governor of Negros Occidental and former Congressional Representative
• Jose Maria Zubiri Jr. — Former Governor of Bukidnon, Former Representative of Third District of Bukidnon

Historical figures

• Juan Araneta — Led the Negros Revolution
• Aniceto Lacson — Led the Negros Revolution
• Antonio Ledesma Jayme — Revolutionary
• Papa Isio — Revolutionary
• Yves Leopold Germain Gaston — Sugar Baron

Military service

• Mary Grace Baloyo — Philippine Medal of Valor Recipient, the nation's highest military honor, First Lieutenant Philippine Air Force

Religion

• Niall O'Brien — Irish Columban missionary priest, writer of the Hiligaynon language bible
• Antonio Fortich — Former Bishop of Bacolod, political activist and Ramon Magsaysay Award recipient
  • Vicente Salgado y Garrucho — Former Bishop of the Roman Catholic Diocese of Romblon Jesus Y Varela — Bishop Emeritus of the Roman Catholic Diocese of Sorsogon, former president, Philippine Federation of Catholic Broadcasters

Scientists and innovators

• Raul Fabella, National Scientist of the Philippines for Economics
• Angel Alcala, National Scientist of the Philippines for Biological science
• Gavino Trono, National Scientist of the Philippines for Marine Biology
• Oscar H. Ibarra — theoretical computer scientist, known for his works on automata theory, formal language, and Computational complexity theory
• Katherine Luzuriaga — Immunologist, developed a functioning cure for HIV infected infants. Included in the Time 100 list of the most influential people in the world for 2013^{[9] [10]}

Others

• Jose Vasquez Aguilar — Ramon Magsaysay Award recipient
• Rose Lacson-Porteous — Australian-Filipino socialite
• Tony Meloto — Philanthropist, founder of Gawad Kalinga
• Carl and Clarence Aguirre — Former conjoined twins
• Captain Felix Corteza Gaston, Philippine Airlines pilot at the center of historical early hijacking

Notable people with roots from Negros Occidental

• Mikey Arroyo — son of former Philippine President Gloria Arroyo, member Philippine House of Representatives
• Diosdado Macapagal Arroyo — also known as Dato Arroyo — son of former President Gloria Macapagal Arroyo, member Philippine House of Representatives
• Elijah Canlas - Award Winning Actor on Film and Television
• Ginger Conejero — Former Miss Philippines Earth runner-up and a TV entertainment reporter and host for ABS-CBN
• Sheryl Cruz — Actress on film and television
• Joe Devance — Basketball player who currently plays for the San Mig Coffee Mixers in the Philippine Basketball Association
• Chuckie Dreyfus — Actor on film and television
• Joseph Victor Ejercito — Son of former Phil President Joseph Estrada, member Philippine House of Representatives
• Charlene Gonzales — Television and film personality and former beauty queen
• Mark Hartmann — Professional footballer who plays as a striker for Malaysian club Sarawak FA and member of the Philippines national football team
• Matthew Hartmann — Professional footballer who plays as a midfielder for Global Cebu F.C. in the Philippines Football League and former member of the Philippines national football team
• Ryan Hall - Professional footballer who plays as a midfielder for Meralco Manila in the Philippines Football League
• Martin Steuble — Member of the Philippines national football team and a professional football player for the Ceres-Negros F.C. in the Philippines Football League. His mother is from Bacolod
• Jaya — Soul Diva and Asia's Queen of Soul
• Angel Locsin — Actress and commercial model
• Elmo Magalona — Actor and singer
• Francis Magalona — Former actor, TV host, master rapper and also VJ on Channel V Philippines and MTV Philippines
• Frank Magalona — Actor and rapper
• Maxene Magalona — Actress in film and television
• Saab Magalona — Actress, singer, photographer and blogger
• Raimund Marasigan — Pinoy rock musician and icon
• Liza Araneta Marcos - Lawyer, First Lady of the Philippines
• Sandro Marcos - Member of the Philippine House of Representatives
• Tomas Osmeña — Member of the Philippine House of Representatives, Mayor of Cebu City
• Sergio Osmeña III — Senator
• Hiro Peralta — Actor
• AJ Perez — Former film and television actor
• Sue Ramirez - ABS-CBN young artist. Her mother is from Sipalay
• Mar Roxas — Secretary of Transportation and communication, former Trade Secretary, Senator and Vice-Presidential candidate, President of the Liberal Party (Philippines)
• Lea Salonga — Tony and Laurence Olivier award-winning actress and singer
• Migz Zubiri — Senator

Notes and References

1. Web site: Joel Torre. IMDb.com. 2016-07-24.
2. Web site: Ramon Magsaysay Award Foundation . Ramon Magsaysay Award Foundation . Rmaf.org.ph . 2016-07-24.
3. News: Galunan Jr. . Gerome . Fernandez to grace Monico Cup 19-U . Sun.Star Bacolod . 2008-04-10 . 2008-06-08 . dead . https://web.archive.org/web/20080612232421/http://www.sunstar.com.ph/static/bac/2008/04/10/sports/fernandez.to.grace.monico.cup.19.u.html . 2008-06-12 .
4. Web site: Padua . Reinir . Cop, barangay watchman killed by gunmen on motorbikes | Metro, News, The Philippine Star . Philstar.com . 2011-05-01 . 2016-07-24.
5. NOKAF Officers, Sunstar, 07-07-2004 edition
6. Web site: Pacete: Silaynons who made Silay. . 9 June 2015.
7. http://www.nhi.gov.ph/downloads/fihgov0077.pdf
8. Web site: Archived copy . www.senate.gov.ph . 14 January 2022 . https://web.archive.org/web/20030817122913/http://www.senate.gov.ph/senators/former_senators/ruperto_montinola.htm . 17 August 2003 . dead.
9. http://www.gmanetwork.com/news/story/317901/news/pinoyabroad/bacolod-born-scientist-one-of-time-magazine-s-most-influential-people "Bacolod-born scientist one of Time Magazine's most influential people"
10. http://time100.time.com/2013/04/18/time-100/slide/hannah-gay-katherine-luzuriaga-and-deborah-persaud/ "The 2013 Time 100"