A Day in Negros Occidental

After weeks of juggling work and personal issues, I spent a day in Negros Occidental. With no plan in mind, I just wandered around Bacolod and its neighboring cities. Luckily, my parents knew someone who was kind enough to take their troubled daughter around. Our first stop was Victorias to go to St. Joseph the Worker Parish Church or

See the all-seeing eye?

"Church of the Angry Christ". The Church got its nick name from the mosaic on the altar of the church. It features Christ with his arms outstretched, looking angry. I was amused at the colors and the Masonic symbols that come along with the mural of Christ (see the all-seeing eye?).

We said our prayers and drove to Talisay City to see the famous "Ruins", one of the most-photographed tourist spots in Negros. Initially, we weren't allowed to go in as the whole place was rented out for a wedding bit after promising that we won't take long, the caretakers let us in. The ruins was once a magnificent mansion of Don Mariano Ledesma Lacson, built in honor of his wife, Maria Braga. Sadly, it was destroyed during World War II. It was burnt to the ground so that the Japanese forces could not use it as their headquarters. What remained after the fire was the concrete structure that now attracts hundreds of tourists. Wandering around the grounds made me imagine how grand it must be during its glory days, with Don Mariano and Maria's children on the grounds, enjoying a quiet night.

Still beautiful.

We headed back to Bacolod City to have lunch. I got to taste the famous Bacolod Inasal in Manokan Country and had desserts in Calea. Their cakes were so good I considered bringing some to Cebu but realized that the day's still long and the icing would melt under the heat. With full stomachs, we headed to Silay City, the "Vigan in Visayas" to see the old houses and museums. Just like Vigan, Silay is considered a "Museum City" where old houses and buildings were kept preserved.

Inside Bernandino-Jalondoni
Museum

Our first stop was the Bernandino - Jalondoni Museum. We didn't know we were already in front of the museum until we asked around as it blended in with the many old buildings that were turned into modern day establishments. After paying our entrance fee of 20 Php, the caretaker gave us a tour of the museum. The two-storey house was once the residence of Don Bernardino and Doña Ysabel Jalandoni. The rooms were very well taken care of and the furniture were reminiscent of our old furnishings when my grandparents were still alive. I sort of connected to the framed poster of Jesus and the framed photographs of beauty queens as my aunt used to have those on her wall back at home. We asked the caretaker if there were other worldly beings in the museum. She just smiled and said yes.

Our next stop was the Balay Negrense, the 

Child's play. Inside Balay Negrense

ancestral house of Victor F. Gaston. Although the lower storey is not really made of stones, it is still considered a "bahay na bato". I paid my 50 Php entrance fee and went inside the house. There were no tourists at that time so I had the house to myself. :) I went to the second floor and it felt eerie, with the afternoon wind blowing through the large windows of a child's room ( I assumed it's a child's room 'cause it had a  crib and toys). I wandered a bit more until I heard a sound of something that fell the moment I stepped into the room. Seeing the dolls on the rocking chair and their lifeless eyes, I quickly went down, said thank you to the caretaker and continued to walk the streets of Silay. There were several ancestral houses there but they were all gated so I just admired the architecture, took a few photos from afar and walked on. I passed by the Cinco de Noviembre Memorial which commemorates the Negros Revolution against Spanish rule. After reading the memorial marker, I hailed a cab and headed for the airport to catch my flight back to Cebu.  

Cinco de Noviembre. The cannon is an authentic Spanish colonial-era cannon donated by Claudio G. Akol, Jr.

The trip was short but it was enough to make me forget about the things that I have to face this Monday. Ha!

Casa Gorordo

What was once the residence of Juan Isidro de Gorordo is what is now
Casa Gorordo, a museum that showcases how a typical residence during the Spanish occupation looks like. The house was built in the mid-19th century by Alejandro Reynes Y Rosales. Bought by Gorordo in 1863, the house was home to four generations of the Gorordo family. Acquired in 1980 by the Ramon Aboitiz Foundation in 1980, the house was restored and opened as a public museum. Casa Gorordo has been declared a national historical landmark by virtue of National Historical Board Resolution no. 4 dated September 24, 1991.

Evaluation

When one enters the museum, one cannot help but be awed and mesmerized by its serenity and peacefulness. The landscape outside was well-maintained and it felt like a small park with the green grass. Entrance fees to the museum would vary, depending on whether you are a local or a foreigner. Locals are charged 40 Php for adults, 15 for college students and 10 for high school and elementary students. Foreigners are charged 70 Php for adults, 50 Php for adults with a DOT-accredited tour guide and 25 Php for students and children. It is located near colon which makes it quite accessible by public transportation although if taken by jeepney, one might need to walk a few feet.

The reception isn’t that great, they seem to be more concerned that we pay the entrance fee before we can even take a peek inside. Inside, they were more open to answer our questions.

The appeal of the museum was exceptional. The house is well preserved that even upon entering the first room, it felt like you stepped into a different dimension, one that brought you back to the time of Padre Damaso and step into the shoes of Maria Clara or Don Crisostomo Ibarra. It was exciting and scary at the same time. The rooms were ornamented as if someone still lives there, very authentic. You can recreate and imagine what they would have done in each room. Although there’s not much space for a big crowd to walk together; it was very easy to walk through the entire house as the rooms were lined on one side of the house.The Casa Gorordo is relevant to history because the museum allows you to see the day-to-day lives of the middle class in the Spanish era. The museum serves as a reminder of how reserved the women were and of how influential the friars were, as evidenced by the prayer room. The museum reminds us of how our ancestors used to lived and make us relive the culture of the Filipinos.