List of people from Negros Occidental

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

Kuh Ledesma

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: Pinoy Big Brother: Celebrity Edition

Christian Vasquez

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

Gerry Peñalosa

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

Donnie Nietes

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 karate–do 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

Margaret Nales Wilson

Beauty queens

Aurora Pijuan — Miss International 1970
Vickie Rushton — Lin-ay sang Negros 2009, Mutya ng Pilipinas 2011 , Pinoy Big Brother: All In 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

Jose Miguel Arroyo

Jose Yulo

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

Aniceto Lacson

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

Charlene Gonzales

Lea Salonga

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

References

^ "Joel Torre". IMDb.com. Retrieved 2016-07-24.
^ Ramon Magsaysay Award Foundation. "Ramon Magsaysay Award Foundation". Rmaf.org.ph. Retrieved 2016-07-24.
^ Galunan Jr., Gerome (2008-04-10). "Fernandez to grace Monico Cup 19-U". Sun.Star Bacolod. Archived from the original on 2008-06-12. Retrieved 2008-06-08.
^ Padua, Reinir (2011-05-01). "Cop, barangay watchman killed by gunmen on motorbikes | Metro, News, The Philippine Star". Philstar.com. Retrieved 2016-07-24.
^ NOKAF Officers, Sunstar Archived 2005-03-13 at the Wayback Machine, 07-07-2004 edition
^ "Pacete: Silaynons who made Silay". SunStar. 9 June 2015.
^ http://www.nhi.gov.ph/downloads/fihgov0077.pdf ^{[dead link]}
^ "Archived copy". www.senate.gov.ph. Archived from the original on 17 August 2003. Retrieved 14 January 2022.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: archived copy as title (link)
^ "Bacolod-born scientist one of Time Magazine's most influential people"
^ "The 2013 Time 100"

[1] "Joel Torre". IMDb.com. Retrieved 2016-07-24.

[2] Ramon Magsaysay Award Foundation. "Ramon Magsaysay Award Foundation". Rmaf.org.ph. Retrieved 2016-07-24.

[3] Galunan Jr., Gerome (2008-04-10). "Fernandez to grace Monico Cup 19-U". Sun.Star Bacolod. Archived from the original on 2008-06-12. Retrieved 2008-06-08.

[philstar.com-4] Padua, Reinir (2011-05-01). "Cop, barangay watchman killed by gunmen on motorbikes | Metro, News, The Philippine Star". Philstar.com. Retrieved 2016-07-24.

[5] NOKAF Officers, Sunstar Archived 2005-03-13 at the Wayback Machine, 07-07-2004 edition

[6] "Pacete: Silaynons who made Silay". SunStar. 9 June 2015.

[7] ttp://www.nhi.gov.ph/downloads/fihgov0077.pdf ^{[dead link]}

[8] "Archived copy". www.senate.gov.ph. Archived from the original on 17 August 2003. Retrieved 14 January 2022.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: archived copy as title (link)

[9] "Bacolod-born scientist one of Time Magazine's most influential people"

[10] "The 2013 Time 100"

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