Valencia (Negros Oriental) 5.69

', officially the ', is a of the Philippines in the province of,. According to the, it has a population of people.It is located west of Dumaguete City, the most populated city and capital of the province. The municipality was voted as "the greenest and cleanest" town of Negros Oriental in 2007.Our Lady of the Abandoned is the patroness of Valencia, and her feast day is celebrated annually every October 12 with the town fiesta. The fiesta is an official non-working holiday for the town.GeographyValencia occupies an area of, 35% of which are classified as plains. The town is 65% mountainous, with elevation averaging from 200to above sea level, with the top of Mount Talinis at an elevation of along the municipal southern boundary. The climate in the municipality is relatively cool, especially at higher elevations.The region is also the most critical watershed area of Negros Oriental, providing abundant drinking water to Valencia and its neighboring municipalities.BarangaysThe town is politically subdivided into 24 barangays.HistoryValencia was originally named Ermita, which means "a secluded place", due to its being a refuge from marauding Muslim pirates. In 1856 it was renamed to Nueva Valencia by Spanish colonizers, in honor of its parish priest Fr. Matias Villamayor from Valencia, Spain.In 1920 it was renamed Luzuriaga (also spelled Luzurriaga) in honour of Don Carlos Luzuriaga, a delegate from Negros island to the Philippine Legislature who promised town officials he would work hard to help improve the town. The town was renamed Valencia in 1948, by virtue of Republic Act No. 252.