Negros is generally considered as the “sugarland” or “sugarbowl” of the country because much of the sugarcane production in the country comes from Negros. Vast areas of haciendas have been established way back during Spanish occupation. The sugar industry made many of the hacienderos very wealthy and the province in general. Hence there are 12 component cities and 1 independent or highly urbanized city, Bacolod City which is also the capital of the province. The city definitely has a lot to offer for those who are citygoers especially for those who are fond of shopping. However, I would rather visit other sites. It’s nice to see their government offices, plaza, and museums and embark on culture and heritage journey.
Since Negros is surrounded by water, the only way to get there from other provinces is thru airplane or ferry. From Iloilo, there are several fast crafts daily that depart either from Iloilo City or Dumangas, Iloilo (Oceanjet, Weesam, Fastcat, Supercat, 2Go, etc.) and takes just over an hour to get to Bacolod so it is quite easy to go back home in the afternoon.
The two cities nearby, Silay and Talisay are sometimes mistakenly considered by many people as Bacolod City although they are distinct yet they are also within the metropolitan area. The new International Airport is actually located in Silay City. Silay used to be the home of the rich and famous, among the most well known during their time was National Artist for architecture Leandro Locsin and international singer Conchita Gaston. There are 30 heritage houses in Silay, one of which became the first museum in the Negros, now known as the Balay Negrense. It was the ancestral house of Victor Gaston but it was abandoned by his heirs for a long time that it was later acquired and managed by the Negros Cultural Foundation which restored the house and has since been part of historical/cultural tourism destination in Negros.
Another ancestral house in the midst of an hacienda in Talisay City (not so far from Bacolod City) got the attention of tourists when it was opened to the public by the descendants of the previous owner. What is now called “the Ruins” used to be the family mansion of Don Mariano Ledesma Lacson. He built the Italian style mansion to honor his wife, Maria Braga. According to the guide “It was a tragic love story because Maria Braga died when she was pregnant with their 11th child.” The Ruins was the outcome when “the mansion was bombed by US forces and later set on fire by Filipino guerrillas to prevent the Japanese from using it during world war II.” Despite what happened, however, it has withstood all adversities just like the love of Don Mariano that remained even after his wife had died. Hence, the mansion is likened to the Taj mahal that’s why people visit the place not only because of the architecture but also because of the beautiful though tragic story of love that still fascinates guests to this day.
Images: Other Journeys 