Sagay City’s history is as quaint and as colorful as its name. From a settlement hewn from the jungle about a century ago, it is today one of the newest progressive and dynamic city in the Phiilippines. Its name was derived from “sigay”, a semi-spherical shell which abounds in the city’s many islets and shores.

Sagay can be easily identified in the map of Negros Occidental because of its ice-cream cone shape sliced from the northern tip of Negros. It is bounded in the north by Asuncion Pass and the Visayan Sea; the municipality of Talisay and Calatrava in the south; cities of Cadiz and Silay in the west and the municipality of Escalante and Toboso in the east.

Sagay was founded in 1860 by Teniente Francisco Rodriguez and Basilio Cordova in the mouth of the river called Arguelles what is known today as Bulanon River. Later, by the order of the spanish governor the town proper was transferred to the Old Sagay known as Pueblo de Magallanes in honor of Fernando Magallanes. In 1906, during the administration of the second President Quintin Katalbas, the name of the town was officially changed to Sagay. After World War II, the seat of government was transferred to what is now considered to be the nerve center of governance, Dalusan.

After the undying dream and long-nurtured aspiration of every Sagaynon to become a city for so long, Cong. Alfredo G. Marañon Jr. was inspired to author House Bill No.6543, “An Act Converting the Municipality of Sagay into a Component City of Negros Occidental,” and Senator Raul Roco with the Senate version for cityhood Senate Bill No. 1191. A month and ten days later, on June 11, 1996, His Excellency President Fidel V. Ramos signed into law RA8192, the charter of the City of Sagay. After a successful referendum on August 10, 1996, Sagaynons from all walks of life, once again reaffirmed their voice, making Sagay, officially Sagay City.

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