When Gods Descend upon the Ruins of Talisay

Almost midway from Silay City to Bacolod, is a secret kept for over 50 years. In a clearing in the middle of a wide sugarcane plantation stands the old mansion of the sugar baron Don Mariano Ledesma Lacson. It was abandoned after the American forces during WW2 burned it down so that Japanese Imperial army could not camp in it. It was a secret well-kept and was restored and opened to the public only last year (one of the gods must have whispered to the local officials to share this to the visitors of the town).




Built by the sugar baron for his unmarried children and his wife, Maria Braga, who was a Portuguese from the Macau peninsula, the Ruins is inspired by Italianate and Romanesque architecture which was then the fashion in Europe at that period.



The mansion remained grandiose and majestic despite the ravages of war and the inferno due to the oversized steel bars and the good quality of concrete that was used in the construction.



Portraits of the clan patriarch and matriarch are hung on the mansion walls as courtesy and respect for their ownership of this majestic structure.



The side portal opens out to a courtyard, or fountain. One can just imagine the 'royal family' of Talisay entertaining their guests in the wide, open lawn.



The best time to come and enjoy the beauty of the Ruins is before nightfall as the setting sun casts a dramatic reflection against its walls. It is as if the skies opened up and the gods descended on the Ruins.

How to get here:



From Bacolod-Silay Airport, you may take the mini-buses that ply the route going to Bacolod and get off at Bata, where a sign gives instructions to the Ruins. You will find tricycles near a residential area and they are ready, waiting and able to take you there. Half of the way is unpaved and bumpy, you'd think you are in the Rialto but be patient cause the breathtaking beauty that await you is worth the bumpy ride.

Entrance to the Ruins is P50.00. You may also want to give monetary gratuity to the guides around the Ruins who are so hospitable and gracious.

Silay City: Vigan of the South and Paris of Negros

While enjoying my breakfast of adobong baboy and hot beef soup in Mam and Sir Diner located along the high way in Silay City, I noticed that most of the people around me were mestizas and mestizos so the curiouser I got about the history, not only of Silay but also of Negros Occidental.

Silay City is also known as the Paris of Negros because of the well-preserved old haciendas, about 30 of them, that provide a glimpse of life back when it was the leading sugar-producer in the country, examples of these are the Balay Negrense and the Bernardino-Ysabel Jalandoni Home which have been turned into museums for guests to appreciate the history and the culture of the town especially during when hacienderos were the leading figures of society.



The Balay Negrense boasts of memorabilia and architectural features dating back 1897 when it was built by Victor F. Gaston, son of Yves Leopold Germain Gaston, a Frenchman who married a Batanguena and later on relocated to Negros. Balay Negrense was officially inaugurated as museum by the Department of Tourism in 1990.




If you want to see a real Stradivarius violin, that world-renowned and rare brand of this stringed instrument, then you should visit the Bernardino-Jalandoni Museum. A glass-encased of probably the only one of its kind in the Philippines is one of the major collection of this museum which houses the furniture and century-old memorabilia of the Ysabel Jalandoni and Bernardino clan.



Touring inside the ancestral homes of the "royal families" of Silay, enriched my knowledge of the history of this town which was declared museum city next to Vigan of Ilocos. It also made me appreciate the legacy of the old-families and thankful for keeping and opening their homes so that the coming generations will be able to vicariously experience the golden days of the hacienderos.

How to get here:

By Air:

Cebu Pacific Air and Philippine Airlines have scheduled flights to Bacolod City, but actually, it should be Silay City (considering that the airport is in Silay). You may check flight schedules at:

http://www.cebupacificair.com/
http://www.philippineairlines.com/home/home.jsp

By Ship:

http://www.superferry.com.ph/

photo from: heritageconservation

Can't Stop Smiling in the City of Smiles: Bacolod City

Bacolod is the City of Smiles and a place that I would always associate with sugarcane (I did see oceans of them) and the famous Maskarra festival. Incidentally, it is the Maskarra month so the city is probably experiencing a shortage in hotel rooms now (it was a good thing for us to have come before visitors started arriving to witness the annual festivity). Thanks to Cebu Pacific's travel promo, coming to Bacolod became really, really affordable for just the sum of P600. (Enough reason to smile, indeed)



One look at the newly-opened Bacolod-Silay International Airport, which is just over 30 minutes away from Bacolod City, and you'd be smiling again. A sprawling structure of modernity, this airport is already something that each Negrense ought to be proud of. Arrivals and departures were easy as "napoleones" pies.



One of the never to miss experiences is the chicken inasal at Manukan Country. It is inasal at its best, native chicken without the tons of seasoning in chicken that we would see in chicken inasal served in Manila. (More articles on Bacolod and Silay coming up)

Villa Escudero: A Cultural Experience

Villa Escudero is located along the boundary of Batangas and Quezon, a good two hour drive to the south west part of Metro Manila. A visit here is to experience the cultural heritage of the Philippines.



Every square inch of the former coconut plantation is a depiction of the Philippines' rural setting: from these lifesize statues that dot the wide grounds where one can imagine the simple life of 'ol ...



...to the waterfalls that bring back memories of some Sundays of family picnics along riverbanks and white-sand beaches...



...and to the picnic menu of rice, inihaw na baboy (pork), manok (chicken), isda (fish, e.g. tilapia), kalderetang baka, kare-kare and native condiments of kamatis (tomatoes) and bagoong, (yum...) served in banana leaf. For a more authentic feel, visitors can eat by their hands, utensils are provided if they prefer otherwise.



The vast plantation area is best explored by these carabao-drawn carts, the traditional mode of transportation in farms.



While visitors are taken around the the plantation, they can listen to music less and less heard nowadays, the kundiman, (and from different local languages at that)as they are serenaded by the melodious voices of plantation workers, who are garbed in traditional outfits: the baro and saya, for the ladies and the kamisa for men.



On a warm day, visitors can go rafting in the 30-ft. deep Labasin lake to take in cool and fresh air. This is advisable after the picnic to burn some calories.



A must-see during the day tour is the cultural show held every day at 2:00. It is a whole hour of dance and songs from selected regions of the country and each presentation showcases the history and culture of that particular location in the country.



Topping the day tour is the visit to the AERA museum where the religious statues, pottery and archeologic finds of the Escudero family are preserved and stored. The museum is a replica of San Agustin Church in Intramuros.



For overnight stays, lakeside cottages are available and evening entertainment is also provided for the guests.



The only touch of modernity would be the pool constructed for the little ones and for those who want to swim completely after being wet in the falls.

If you want to be transported back to the period when people can take their sweet time enjoying and smelling the flowers, then you come to Villa Escudero. It's a total package of entertainment, sight-seeing and fun for the family. It's educational too.




Lest I forget, grab a kilo of this divine fruit. YOu wont miss them as they are sold in stalls along the highway. It's called rambutan. It has hard hair-like covering, that keeps the white, juicy and sweet portion a delecteable secret.




Ask for the "tuklapin" variety as you'd enjoy it to the max. Keep the seeds, according to Ernie Baron, the former walking encyclopedia, it has therapeutic benefits. This is just one of the hard to resist fruit for me. Go dig in!!!

The Tricycle: Endemically Pinoy

Some people consider this a nuisance because of the noise they create. You can hear them coming towards you from a few blocks away, which can be good news if you are waiting for one, but bad news if you are trying to read a book or watch a really good movie. The tricycle is the most common form of transportation in small towns and inside subdivisions and villages. It is the common motorcycle, not the big bikes of the Harley-Davidson type, but the typical two-passenger motorcycle where a side-car is attached. The simplest type can accomodate only 3 people, while in other areas, the sidecars can accomodate 7 because some drivers make contortionists out of their passengers, especially the long-limbed foreigner.

Fruit in Season: Santol (Sandor Fruit)

The very thought of eating santol makes my mouth water, not because it is tasty in the classic way, or the ideal way that people describe tasty, but because its taste can range from really sour, to just sour and to sweet, depending on which part of the fruit you are eating, also. To eat santol, the skin should be pared of thinly to uncover a thick pinkish pulp that becomes purple when exposed. Even if it is soaked in water, after sometime, that area beneath the thin skin covering still turns purple.



Some people love to eat this part of the fruit (but no thanks, I cant bear its acidity) now, here is the interesting part. After eating all that pulp, you will see 5 big seeds. No matter how you try to resist to not swallow the big santol seeds, your resistance will crumble as the seeds are the sweetest and most delicious part of the santol. I just cant help but swallow them. I remember being warned by the old folks that the seeds should not be swallowed otherwise a santol plant will grow in your stomach. So I thought who would swallow this big seeds anyway, but, try it and you'll see what I mean.

WOW Showcases Northern Mindanao in Pasundayag at the CLAMSHELL 1 in Intramuros from May 27 to June 14, 2009

Northern Mindanao, which is composed of the provinces of Misamis Occidental, Misamis Oriental, Camiguin and Bukidnon as well as the cities of Iligan, Cagayan de Oro and Gingoog is currently the region being featured in Clamshell 1, in Intramuros. Having spent the first 17 years of my life in Mindanao, I consider it my home. I am proud of the abundant resources, breathtaking naturescapes, laid-back culture and the simplicity of life that make Mindanao deserving to be called the Land of Promise. Here are snapshots from the exhibit.

Indigenous groups and their activities



A beadmaker from the Umayam tribe of Bukidnon. She was intently and quietly making headwear and other accessories from beads so I decided not to interrupt her, would have wanted to engage in a short chitchat with her, but still there was the language problem.



Umayam kids in traditional and colorful garments make cute models too.




A member of the Talaandig group gladly posed with us, after performing a native dance for the visitors.



A life-size figure of a Higaonon which inhabit the land surrounding Gingoog, Camiguin, Cagayan de Oro and Misamis.


Products:



Bags made of buri. Buri is a palm plant with fan-shaped leaves that grow up to 20 -40 meters. It is made into baskets, bags and other novelty items.



Shirts and textile products with batik design. Batik is very expensive in the cities but they are considerable cheaper where they are produced.



Household items made from rattan plant. Rattan is another palm plant that grows in profusion in this area of Mindanao.



Ladies accessories made by the locals and of genuine materials.



Baskets which are used by the indigenous groups as they make their living. According to one of the basket-maker, it is also used as an accessory for their traditional dances.

Food Items



They call this the "binaki" a delicacy made from ground yellow corn, mixed with coconut milk, wrapped in corn husk and steamed. Best eaten with chocolate drink.



Food products made from banana, peanuts and pineapple which are grown in large plantations in Bukidnon.


The exhibit is from May 27-June 14, 2009 only, so please come and support this endeavor of the WOW and the DOT and you will see the Best of Northen Mindanao and appreciate the natural beauty and resourcefulness of the people.