Across the still farmland and picturesque hillside is a city often referred to as the “Paris of Negros” mainly because of its legendary collection of impeccably preserved heritage houses.In fact, 30 of these houses have been declared a historical landmark, making Silay the province with the most number of ancestral houses next only to Vigan. Dotted right at the northwest coast of Negros Island, Silay offers untouched forests along with a dreamy imagery that makes it harder for anyone to leave the place.
GOING TO NEGROS
Contents
1 GOING TO NEGROS
2 A SPRINKLE OF NATURE TRAIL
3 ENERGY AND ENVIRONMENTAL SUSTAINABILITY
4 FOOD TRIP
5 LOCAL FINDS
6 BOARD AND LODGING
7 GETTING AROUND
First stop is Bacolod City. Its moniker the “City of Smiles” represents the generally sunny disposition of its locals, who appear to be accommodating and approachable at any given time. In fact, it is by asking directions from a random i stranger that we were able to find our way to the Provincial Capital of Negros Occidental, designed by the celebrated architectjuan Arellano. Its grand structure is certainly a splendid sight to see. No wonder, it is considered one of the most monumental provincial capitols which was declared a national historical landmark in 2004.
Afterwards, we headed straight to the provincial park smacked right at the center of Bacolod City, Capitol Park and Lagoon. When you see a sculpture of a carabao being pulled by a woman and (at the northern end of the lagoon) a carabao pulled by a man, you know you’re at the right place. I must say that it is a bit ofa busy place amidst the tranquil environment with people engaging in different activities such as jogging, aerobics, martial arts and even some who are preoccupied feeding the tilapia in the lagoon.
We also went to the San Sebastian Cathedral Church near the city hall and right across the Bacolod Public Plaza. The daunting facade of the cathedral has that nostalgic feel reminiscent ofa long forgotten era. Off to the next destination we headed to Talisay City, home to the mystifyingly enthralling mansion Called “The Ruins.” The mansion, though skeletal in frame, still exudes such a romantic appeal that makes anyone who sees it intrigued and slightly haunted.
This place has become a favorite backdrop for tourists who want to add a little bit of drama to their pictures. The Ruins is open to the public from 8:30 am to 8 pm everyday. It may also be used as a venue for special events like weddings, family reunions, etc. Camping and picnic grounds, bath houses and a pavilion are also offered.
And of course this whole experience is not going to be complete without visiting the City of Silay.
A SPRINKLE OF NATURE TRAIL
We went to Bgy. Balaring to visit a mangrove forest that is being preserved and reforested through the help of the local government. It was definitely a different adventure for us because it was just not a close encounter with nature but a greater opportunity to help preserve it. In this community, we learned that the existence of the mangroves creates a breeding ground for clam shells and crabs—the same seafoods the locals sell in the market.
Arriving at 10:30 am, we were briefed about the project at the local town hall fronting a basketball court. Then we made our way to the site through rows of houses and alleys that make up part of the : local community. After a short 10-minute walk, and together with a group of students who joined us in this adventure, we arrived at an area where the mangrove trees were already visible. The mangroves were already 3 years old and about 10-12ft in height. To get to the actual site, we crossed a footbridge made of bamboo, a makeshift are that serves as the marker indicating you have already reached the mangrove site.
Along the way, you’ll meet some of the locals who are resident caretakers of the area. The footbridge actually extends to various parts of the mangrove forest - the only way to get to the actual site where we were supposed to plant. We were advised to put on socks instead of slippers or sandals for the activity. This is to protect our feet and to be more comfortable walking through the mudsand. lt’s better to put on two socks and make sure that they extend up to your knees because while their mudsand is soft and for most part gets only ankle deep, there are some parts in the area that can Sink YOU up to your knees.
We went to the end of the footbridge and made our descent into the muddy and sandy trail. Walking through it was a bit ofa challenge because the mud was sticky, and the terrain uneven but after 15-20 minutes ofwalking and sliding, we finally reached the exact location. By this time, the sun was already scorching hot so its advisable to put on sunblock before you proceed with the activity as there is no shade available in the area. We were each given mangrove plants about 2-3 months old (each cost Php 5).
Before planting them and to make sure that they are well—embedded in the mud, the locals who were with us had to make some holes in the sand through the use ofbamboos. After planting 10 mangroves, we decided to go back to the campsite and enjoy the lunch prepared by the locals. Indeed, the visit proved to be a unique and inspiring experience.
ENERGY AND ENVIRONMENTAL SUSTAINABILITY
The progressive city of San Carlos in Negros Occidental is the home of the first ethanol power plant in the Philippines and Southeast Asia, the San Carlos Bioenergy Inc. bioethanol plant. This DBP- funded facility, located at the San Carlos Agro-lndustrial Economic Zone, produces bioethanol processed from sugar cane and other agricultural feedstock. The plant produces an estimated 40 million liters of fuel grade bioethanol, or about 10 percent of the country's requirements as specified by the Biofuels Law of 2006. The plant also produces eight megawatts of electricity tapped to surrounding areas of San Carlos City.
FOOD TRIP
The dining experience in Negros is simply delightful. A lot of restaurants offer the local fare like Aboy’s where you can have a truly filling meal with their specialties like sinugbang liempo, panga, tuna, blue marlin and gindara. If you fancy lechon, try Akasya Grill at 17th Lacson St. in Bacolod City. Bob’s is also one of the most popular restaurants in Bacolod — they serve mostly American dishes but they also have local favorites like pancit, adobo and kare—kare. When dining at Bob’s, don’t miss their chicken sate, baby back ribs and daing na bangus. For authentic chicken inasal, try dining at Manukan Country which is open 24 hours.
LOCAL FINDS
Sweet treats are the common pasalubong finds in the City of Smi1eg_ Bring home some boxes of Napoleones, a unique, square-shaped puff pastry filled with custard cream and topped with crispy sugar glaze. Each pack costs around Php 230. Barquillos or hollow cylinder of crisp rolled cookies, sometimes filled with polvoron powder can be bought from local shops at Php 20 per pack. Another delightful treat worth bringing home are mango tartlets, Php 175 per pack.
BOARD AND LODGING
Pension Bacolod, Star Plus Pension, Bascon Hotel and Days Inn are some of the best options for budget conscious travelers. There are also mid—range accommodations to choose from — Bacolod Executive Inn, Circle Inn and Sugarland Hotel to name a few, for a price range ofPhp 1,200 — Php 3,000 per night. For high—end accommodations, try Casino Filipino Hotel, Sylvia Manor and L’Fisher Hotel. Getting to this sweet escape also provided me and my friends the opportunity to experience sea travel, via RORO (for some, it was their first time). While we had to rely on some of our creativity (we played the popular game Pinoy Henyo on the ferry) and the wonders of Play Station Portable to while 3Way the time while at sea, it also provided us with more bonding moments and spectacular views of the islands that we came across.
GETTING AROUND
Negros Occidental is part of the Western Nautical Highway where the jump—off point to the first RORO ferry ride is in Batangas City. From there, the sea travel takes roughly 2 hours before getting to the port of Calapan in Oriental Mindoro. From Calapan, we spent another 3 hours of land travel to Roxas City where we boarded another RORO to get to Caticlan, Aklan. Two of my friends decided to stay in Boracay for two days and just met up with us in Bacolod. From Aklan, we had to ride a bus to Iloilo City and to Dumangas Port where we boarded the final RORO leg to get to Bacolod. In Negros Occidental, the usual modes of transportation used are jeepneys and buses.
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