City of smiles

CEBU, Philippines - The sugar capital of the Philippines, the colonial churches and the ancestral homes, world-class golf courses and home-crafted products, the popular chicken  “inasal” and delicious  “kakanins” for  “pasalubongs,” street dancing that is the Festival of the MassKara – that’s what Bacolod and its neighboring cities and towns is all about… and more.

Over a recent weekend getaway, we visited Bacolod City to experience the annual celebration of the  MassKara Festival. However, we soon discovered – to our delightful surprise – a lot  more within the  periphery of the city than just the festival alone.

For starters, the sceneries are varied. Here are some of the interesting and educational  sites we won’t forget in the days to come.     

The Ruins. The magnificent mansion in Talisay City was built in the early 1900’s by sugar baron Don Mariano Ledesma Lacson. It was home to his first wife Maria Braga, a Portuguese from Macau and their children. 

The mansion considered the largest structure at that time was of Italianate architecture complete with neo-Romanesque columns. It was furnished with the finest furniture and fixtures down to the    imported crystals and chinaware all brought by Maria Braga’s father,  who was the captain of a ship that sailed across Europe and Asia.   

During the early part of World War II, the United States Armed Forces in the Far East (USAFFE) guerillas in the Philippines, with the permission of the owners, burnt the palatial home  to prevent the Japanese forces from utilizing it as their headquarters. It took three days to bring down the property. Today it has been declared one of the twelve most fascinating  Ruins of the World.

San Sebastian Cathedral.  Father Julian  Gonzaga from Barcelona, Spain built the original church in 1825, made of wood with  galvanized iron roof. Construction of its present form began on April 1876 under the stewardship  of Fr. Mauricio Ferrero. In 1885,  the addition of the    two towers commenced. Ironically, in 1969, the City Engineer’s Office declared the bell towers a  public hazard, ordering    the removal of the bells from the belfry and structures were subsequently demolished. Soon after, the  Cathedral rector, Fr. Antonio Santes, raised funds to rebuild the towers in their present form.

St. Joseph the Worker Parish Church. It was  built by the sugar baron Miguel Ossorio  to serve the spiritual needs of the employees of Victorias Milling Company and their families. His son, Alfonso, painted  Christ’s image fronting the main altar,  which job took two years to finish. The chapel became internationally renowned through a Life Magazine article which dubbed it as the “Church of the Angry Christ” because of the mural’s sharp lines and Christ’s depiction as a frowning God.

Balay Ni Tana Dicang.  Completed  in1880, it served as the  home of  Don Efigenio Lizares and Doña Enrica Alunan. After her husband died, Doña Enrica took over raising her brood, managed the hacienda and served as “kapitana,” thus her being called Tana Dicang. It authentically resonates the lifestyle of a century ago and beautifully preserves the charm and decorum that is a Talisaynon heritage to be proud of. 

Ancestral Home of Lourdes  Gaston.  Situated  in Hacienda Rosalia, it  is the ancestral house of the descendants of the first Frenchman to settle in Negros – Yves Leopold Germaine Gaston. It is of early American colonial architecture.

The Chapel of Cartwheels.  Within the Gaston farm and walking distance from the main house, this place of worship, shaped like a  “salakot”  is made up  of farm implements such as cartwheels, plows, mortar and pestle and makes use of margaha sand and broken pieces of glass of different colors. It is such a work of Filipino ingenuity.

Jose Corteza Locsin Ancestral House. Because of its cultural, architectural and historical significance, it is one of the recognized and declared heritage houses of the Philippines by the National Historical Commission of the Philippines.

Hofileña Ancestral House.  It  is the repository of the private art collection of Ramon Hofileña, one of the living direct descendants of Manuel Severino Hofileña. The exhibit includes the work of our national hero Dr. Jose P. Rizal, and a number of top artists in the country, like Juan Luna, Hidalgo, H. R. Ocampo, Manansala, Joya, etc.  It is the first inhabited house in Silay to be declared a national historical landmark.

Jalandoni Ancestral House.  Completed in 1908, it is the house of Don Bernardino Jalandoni and his wife Ysabel Ledesma. The foundation of the house is original and the hardwood used originated from Mindoro. The transoms which are inspired by French design allow for ventilation.

Balay Negrense. This imposing structure built in 1897 was the home of a French businessman Yves Leopold Germaine Gaston who married a Batangueña. By all accounts he is credited to be the pioneer behind the introduction of the sugar industry in the province. It is thought to be one of the biggest colonial homes in Negros, hence the name aptly represents the province’s rich heritage.

Peñalosa Farms.  Driven agripreneur Ramon Dayrit Peñalosa Jr. practices with great success an integrated natural farming business. His matchless applied  technology seeks to promote natural farming system. He developed a unique swine cultural management practice that includes a no-bath method and low cost housing with floors made from natural compost ingredients.   

MassKara Festival.  Celebrated in the month of October, it  is a vestige of the sugar industry crisis of the 1980s. It was an attempt to raise the morale of a people beleaguered by dismal income. The motif  is the mask – happy facades to cover up their worried miens and to remind them that there is more to life than today’s  problems. The festival  gives rise to the use of giant smiling masks in varied colors and brilliance that the dancers wear as they stomp around the major streets of the city.  The festivities likewise  commemorate the Foundation Day of Bacolod City.

Memorable sights and activities of Negros Occidental. Whether you are a history enthusiast, lover of nature or  food aficionado there will always be something for everyone in the City of Smiles and its environs.

My sincere thanks to lawyer Helen Catalbas, Department of Tourism director for Region VI, historian and  tour  guide  Raymond Alunan of the Provincial Tourism Office, and Ray Tabafunda of the DOT Region VI, for making our stay in the Bacolod City a most enjoyable one.