[3] In the early days of Spanish exploration, some Spaniards came upon a swampy land and docked their boats at the vicinity of the two small islets that guarded the village.

During those years, people in Negros Island are depicted as having a life of content for they tended to produce only enough goods to meet their daily needs.

According to Bais historian, Penn Tulabing Larena, a wide array of difficulties barred the development of the sugar industry in the Oriental part of the island.

The pioneer sugar traders and adventurers include José Rodrigo Camilo Rubio and Diego García-Baena - both from Cádiz, Agustín de Sandes from Mexico, Aniceto Villanueva from Spain and Vicente-Anunciación Te (who later adopted the surname Teves, from Amoy Province, China).

After hearing about the fertility of the flatland of Bais, these individuals carved away the virgin forests of the eastern side of the island.

This industry reached its peak in the 1930s bringing affluence to the Negrenses and enabling them to build stately homes and to acquire properties all over the province.

Nearby is the Casa Grande, an equally old residential compound surrounded by tall acacia trees, which was built for the use of the employees of the Azucarera.

This river also has a big influence on the city's geography, as it deposits sediments in the former mangrove areas during the (formerly annual) flood season.

In the late 1970s, under the Genaro Goñi administration, a river control system stretching from the city center toward the low-lying areas was established in order to lessen flooding during the rainy season.

Poverty incidence of Bais Source: Philippine Statistics Authority[12][13][14][15][16][17][18][19] Sugar is the major commercial crop in the city.

About 36% of the city's agricultural land is planted in sugarcane, yielding 1.16 million gross kilograms annually for the domestic and foreign markets.

An annual fiesta is held each year on September 10 in honor of the city's patron saint San Nicolás de Tolentino, a celebration inherited from the Spanish era.

On this occasion, most of the residents prepare food for anyone who visits - a tradition practiced not only in Bais but also in most towns and cities in the Philippines.

The government of Bais operates ecotourism activities in the city, highlighted by whale and dolphin watching and nature treks.