It is the capital, principal seaport, and largest city of the province. According to the 2010 census, it has a population of 120,883 people. History tells that the city is nicknamed "The City of Gentle People" because it was coined by Dr. Jose Rizal when he first came to the island with many villagers offering him kindness through foods and shelter. Dumaguete is referred to as a university town be
cause of the presence of four universities and a number of other colleges where students of the province converge to enroll for tertiary education. The city is also a popular educational destination for students of surrounding provinces and cities in Visayas and Mindanao. The city is best known for Silliman University, the country's first Protestant university and the first American university in Asia operating since early 1900's. The city's student population is estimated at 30,000. The city attracts a considerable number of foreign tourists, particularly Europeans, because of easy ferry access from Cebu City, the availability of beach resorts and dive sites, and the attraction of dolphin and whale watching in nearby Bais City. The power source of the city comes from the geothermal power plant in Palinpinon, Valencia. The city has redundant fiber optic lines and is a focal point for telecommunications. It is the landing point for fiber optic cables linking it to Manila, the capital of the Philippines, the cities south of Luzon, as well as to other major cities in southern Philippines.
