Dumaguete, city, southeastern Negros island, Philippines. Situated on the Bohol (Mindanao) Sea at the southern entrance to the Tanon Strait, it is the second leading port in the central Visayas (after Cebu City), serving both interisland and overseas vessels. Despite its commercial and administrative functions, the city is probably best known nationally as an educational centre. Silliman University, an American Presbyterian missionary school with a well-known liberal arts college, was founded there in 1901. Its presence has resulted in a considerable degree of Americanization. This university and the Foundation College (1949) attract students from various sectors of the archipelago, particularly the southern island of Mindanao. Dumaguete is also noted for its pottery, matting, and basketry industries, and it has regular air service. Inc. city, 1948. Pop. (2000) 102,265; (2010) 120,883.