The province of Negros Occidental has been on our “must-visit” list for some time, so that when a commitment took us to neighboring Iloilo, we planned a side trip to what’s known as the “Sugar Bowl of the Philippines.” 

After about an hour’s ferry ride, we reached Bacolod, Negros Occidental’s capital city. We rested a bit and then proceeded to explore the “City of Smiles” by tricycle and on foot until the scorching summer heat became unbearable.

For lunch we wanted to savor Bacolod’s chicken inasal at the popular Manokan Country, which turned out to be under renovation. We were directed to its temporary site and found stall after stall offering the famed dish. We had no clue how each stall’s inasal differed, if at all, but the enticing aroma of grilled chicken wafted over to where we stood and we decided that choosing a stall was no problem. 

For P120, the inasal was served with rice. The piece of chicken was juicy and big enough to quell our hunger, and for P170, the meal included unlimited rice.

Negros Museum

We visited Negros Museum in the former Provincial Agricultural Building near the kapitolyo. It houses art galleries, the works of local artists, and exhibits promoting the Negrenses’ rich culture and history. We caught Patis Tesoro’s retrospective exhibition titled “A Life of Fashion and Fashion for Life,” which showcased the artistry of the renowned designer and highlighted her contribution to Philippine fashion.

A few meters from the museum, we took a break at the sprawling Capitol Park and Lagoon fronting the Negros Occidental Provincial Capitol building. It’s a favorite hangout of locals and tourists alike.

We were hungry again hours later, so we searched for the best place to eat cansi, a popular Ilonggo/Negrense beef soup dish, often described as a cross between bulalo and sinigang sans the veggies, and soured by the native fruit, batwan.

It took us a while to find Sharyn’s Cansi House. We kept pacing a long avenue where we believed it was located—only to discover that it was on the opposite side of the street! As soon as we entered the modest eatery and even before we could check the menu, the server asked: Cansi? We nodded. She proceeded immediately to the kitchen, soon returning with a big bowl of steaming cansi, two cups of rice, and extra servings of the broth on the side. 

Our tummies were full as the serving was huge, the soup was flavorful and piping hot, and the meat, oh, the meat, was super tender! Namit!

We picked up some items for pasalubong in Bacolod. There were lots to choose from, and we filled our cart with piaya (now with many flavors, including calamansi), barquillos, biscocho (our fave is the garlic variety), bañadas, and some ref magnets to add to our collection.

Heritage houses

Not too far from Bacolod is the city of Silay, known for the preserved heritage houses once owned by its hacienderos. We saw vast sugarcane plantations on both sides of the road on our way to the city.

There are 31 ancestral houses recognized by the then National Historical Institute (NHI, now known as the National Historical Commission of the Philippines), and three transformed into museums and open to the public.

Other ancestral houses remain inhabited by the owning families; a few have been occupied by commercial establishments and are identifiable only by the NHI markers on their exteriors.

Unfortunately, one of the three museums, Balay Negrense, was closed for repair. We only managed to take a few photos and admire its grandeur from the outside. 

Built around 1900, Balay Negrense was the residence of the sugar baron Victor Fernandez Gaston. It is located on Cinco de Noviembre Street, which holds significant importance in Negrense history. 

Cinco de Noviembre marks the date of the successful Negros Revolution against Spanish rule in 1898. A marker and a replica of the drugstore Farmacia Locsin were built on its original site to commemorate the historic event, as this was the place where the Negrenses secretly planned their revolution.

Another notable residence is the Cesar Lacson Locsin Ancestral House, site of the renowned El Ideal bakery that started operations in 1920. We bought El Ideal’s barquillos and angel cookies to snack on as we continued our heritage tour. 

Affluence

The Bernardino Jalandoni Ancestral House is another museum that has preserved much of its original furniture and interior design. The two-story residence attests to the affluence of its owner—large windows, four-poster beds, metal ceilings from Germany, and intricately designed wooden transoms.

The house has proven durable over the years. According to the museum guide, except for the roof, which has required maintenance due to wear and tear, no pest control has ever been conducted there.

Another noteworthy detail is that, despite the house’s large size, the toilet is located outside the main living area—a common feature in mansions of old. Our guide pointed out that having a toilet during that era was a status symbol as plumbing systems were typically only sourced from abroad.

The Hofileña Ancestral House and Museum was built in 1934 by Manuel Severino Hofileña for his wife, Gilda Ledesma Hojilla, a former Miss Silay, and their nine children, who were all into the arts. Each of their photos is prominently displayed on top of the German-made piano in the living room. (One of the Hofileña children is the mother of actor Rey “PJ” Abellana, father of actress Carla Abellana.)

The museum’s extensive collection includes antique furniture, porcelain, books, travel souvenirs, and artworks by Juan Luna, Félix Resurrección Hidalgo, Fernando Amorsolo, Vicente Manansala, and Bencab, to name a few.

These priceless works are why cameras are not allowed on the museum’s second floor, starting when an Amorsolo painting was stolen a year ago. Fortunately, the painting has been recovered, and at the time of our visit, a ceremony to reinstall it in the museum was to take place later in the day.

Two artifacts from the collection particularly amused us: the world’s smallest dolls, the details of which one can only see through a magnifying glass; and the Mariposa chair, named after its butterfly-shaped backrest. The chair may look ordinary, but what adds to its charm is the museum guide’s anecdote of how it was used in the past: The woman being wooed sat on one end, her suitor on the other end, and her parents between them.

Churches

We also visited Catholic churches in the cities. 

Completed in 1882, the San Sebastian Cathedral in Bacolod is the seat of the Diocese of Bacolod. It is conveniently located right across from the Bacolod Public Plaza and was visited by the late Pope John Paul II in 1981. It is one of the designated jubilee pilgrim churches in celebration of this year’s Jubilee Year. We were impressed by the newly refurbished altar, adorned with bright lights and ornate decorations highlighting its patron saint, San Sebastian.

The San Diego Pro-Cathedral in Silay, built in 1925, is another jubilee pilgrim church. Its unique feature is its dome inspired by St. Peter’s Basilica in Rome. It is the only church with such a design in Negros Occidental.

Distinct from these two cathedrals that were built long ago, the St. James the Greater Church in Talisay City is new. It sits in the middle of a sugarcane plantation, and its first Mass was held in 2022.

The church is a replica of the St. James Church in Medjugorje in Bosnia-Herzegovina, which became famous for the Marian apparition in 1981. It is the first replica in Asia and the third in the world, the two others being in Honduras and Malawi.

The Ruins

The most famous landmark of Negros Occidental is likely The Ruins in Talisay. We know little about its history, but thankfully, the video presentation gave us insights into its beginnings.

The Ruins was a mansion built by Mariano Ledesma Lacson in memory of his Portuguese wife, Maria Braga Lacson, who died in 1911 after a fall in the bathroom while she was pregnant with their 11th child. Don Mariano was so devastated that he sought to immortalize Maria in his memory by building a mansion dedicated to her.

But during World War II, Filipino guerrillas set fire to the mansion to prevent the Japanese forces from using it as headquarters. What remained of it is now The Ruins, touted as the Taj Mahal of Negros, a testament to a man’s deep love for his wife. Engraved on the mansion’s pillars are two Ms, the initials of Mariano and Maria. 

But there’s still more to Negros Occidental. We also booked a day trip to Lakawon Island Resort, accessible via a 20-minute boat ride from its jump-off point in Cadiz City. The resort provides an ideal respite from urban living, with its pristine beach and clear waters—exactly what we needed to end our trip. 

We wanted to see more of Negros Occidental but we were sadly short on time. We look forward to exploring more in our next adventure.