[3] It is also tagged as the “Home of Historical and Natural Treasures”, owing to its contribution to the history of the province of Negros Occidental and country, and its scenery and flora and fauna making it an eco-tourism destination.

[5] The community was named after a large tree called “bágo” (Gnetum gnemon) under which a native prince Mapagic died according to the writings of a Spanish historian, Diego de Povedano.

Around the 17th and 18th centuries, settlers from Molo, Iloilo formed a little village at the mouth of Bago River, presently a rich source of sand and gravel.

The village grew into a large settlement prompting its elders to pass a petition for its conversion into a town or pueblo, which was granted in 1800.

[6] Bago city was already a Barangay state mentioned in the epic of Maragtas as a Constituent Barangay of the Kedatuan of Madja-as and it was settled during and after the victory against Chola-occupied Srivijaya, after the sack of Odtojan; where the compromised Rajahs and Sultans who accepted higher positions by corrupt means were carted off to become slaves, Maharlika, and Alipin to serve the Datus of the Philippines along with the native Ati recruits and Malays who accompanied the siege and reconquest as well as evacuation of Odtojan, where the victorious army and navy returned to the Kedatuan with their war booty.

The "encomendero", since then, administered to the spiritual and socio-economic needs of the natives in the settlements until June 1578; however, a year before that, this community was placed under the evangelical visitations of Fr.

Father Marín, upon his arrival in the community, celebrated the feast of St. John the Baptist, who would later be accepted as the patron saint of the place.

History only records 1575 as the year when Bago was founded so that the exact month and day can only be deduced from such traditional practices of the Spaniards.

In later years, the descendants of these settlers petitioned the Spanish authorities to declare their village a "pueblo" or town and to name it "Bago".

Among the petitioners were Manuel Sitchon, Gregorio Varela, Paulino Torres, Jacinto Araneta, Clemente Celis, Mariano Gonzaga and Fernando Villanueva, whose forebears hailed from the town of Molo, lloilo.

This social condition finally led to a great revolt on November 5, 1898, when on this day, General Juan Anacleto Araneta rallied his people in the struggle for freedom.

When the Japanese forces invaded the Philippines, the civil government of Bago (called Buenos Aires during this time) was dissolved.

When the joint American and Filipino forces including recognized guerrillas liberated the town on March 29, 1945, it was completely destroyed but rehabilitation work was immediately started.

Based on NSO 2000 census, urban barangays include Abuanan, Atipuluan, Caridad, Balingasag, Don Jorge Araneta, Ma-ao, Poblacion and Taloc.