Our 3-night 4-day trip to two Visayan provinces--Negros Occidental and
Iloilo--was packed with sights, shopping, and sustenance. It began early
morning March 28, and one of the few times we were all early or on time
was the 8:20am check-in at PAL's domestic terminal--21 of us scheduled to
leave on the first PAL flight to Bacolod were all present and
accounted for (there were 25 total; our leader, Sony
Ng went ahead, and Celeste Gallardo
and her two daughters followed on the evening flight). ***click
on the photos to see a larger image.
collection of Mara
Montelibano (MVP's March After-8 speaker). The museum, opened
in 1996, introduced us to the history of the province and the sugar
industry. We were very fortunate to have Lilibeth
Cordova LaO, the museum director, show us around.From the museum we walked to the delightful NFEFI Biodiversity
Conservation Center. Aside from being a breeding and
rescue center for endangered and 
endemic species (plants and animals), lectures and camps on
environmental awareness and education are provided to people of all ages.
Among the endemic animals we saw were the Visayan
spotted deer (until the turn of 
the century, deer were abundant; now
only a few hundred remain in the wild and they are one of the two most
endangered species in the world) and a number of Visayan
tarictic hornbills (critically endangered). One of my favorite
residents was a hornbill, actually from the Davao area, that was rescued
from someone trying to smuggle him out of the country; happy to entertain,
he was quite the flirt and had fabulous eyelashes. I left the center
hoping that this project survives the test of time and changes in
governments (both local and national).
Unfortunately (or fortunately for our wallets) the Negros Showroom was under renovation. After refreshments (it was hot so most of us had cold water and ice cream) at Chicken Deli we proceeded to Casa Grande, probably Bacolod's most famous antique store.
Before dinner, most of the group went to the city market and came back with a variety of crafts from the Visayas and Mindanao. That evening we feasted on typical Negrense food at Bar 21, a family restaurant (they have an outlet at MegaMall called Balay 21).
A little after 8am we
boarded the official bus of Silay City and headed north. Ramon
Hofileņa was our very knowledgeable guide and host for the day. First stop was
the Virgen Sang Barangay, inside Santa
Clara subdivision of Bacolod. This wood and capiz shell chapel is
decorated with saints made from intricate shell mosaics. The mural behind
the altar took 100 days and 95,000 pieces of shell to make. Mrs
Leticia Sia Ledesma, a noted shell artisan, supervised the mural,
based on a painting done by a leper, and all the other shell mosaics.
The next scheduled stop (we did a
pot stop at a pottery and a photo stop at the Silay church) was the Bernardino
Jalandoni Ancestral House in Silay. Through the Silay
Heritage Foundation this house, built in 1908, has been converted into a
museum and is an excellent example of how the elite lived during the glory days
of Negros' sugar industry.
After a glimpse into how the area's elite lived, we continued on to Victorias Milling Company (Vicmico). The most outstanding attraction of Vicmico is the striking mural inside the Chapel of Saint Joseph the Worker. It was through the ideas and funds of the Ossorio family (Don Miguel Ossorio founded Vicmico in 1915) that the chapel was built (1948-1950). The interior and exterior artwork add to the charm of the chapel. The mosaics and murals on the outer walls and the wall inside the baptistery were by Ade de Bethune (assisted by Romulo Santa Ana). The sculptural works, by Benjamin Valenciano, portray the saints as Filipinos.
Once
inside, all attention is drawn to Alfonso Ossorio's
mural. It took the internationally acclaimed painter, one of Don Miguel's son,
eight months to finish this masterpiece.
From the chapel we were taken on a tour of the sugar mill where we learned more about the milling process and were treated to a taste of freshly milled sugar. This was followed by lunch at the VMC Golf and Country Club.
After
the meal we headed north to Manapla to see the unique Chapel
of Cartwheels, on the Gaston estate. Patriarch Yves Germaine Gaston, a Frenchman
who married a Filipina, was a pioneer in Negros' sugar industry; between the
chapel and the Gaston Mansion are what remains of Gaston's sugar mill. Though
small, the high ceilings and sliding walls make the tepee-like chapel feel airy and larger.
It was made with local materials, including farm implements. Cartwheels make up
the sliding walls, the windows are stained glass in cartwheels, and a Filipino Christ is crucified on
a cartwheel.
After a bit of a delay (a few members browsed through the Gaston mansion) we headed back to Silay City, had a brief stop at ATON for local delicacies and souvenirs, then a quick tour of Balay Negrense. This museum, the Gaston family's ancestral home, showcases post-Spanish era lifestyle, and local art and culture.
Next we proceeded to the
Hofileņa Ancestral Home, where Ramon lives and has a very
impressive collection of rare antiques and artworks. Ramon graciously welcomed
us into his house, showed us family pictures, and gave us a brief demonstration
of and background on printmaking (an art he specializes in and teaches). The
highlight was a tour of his collection upstairs; we were in awe--there are
incredible pieces by national artists and some unknowns, and a sketch by Jose
Rizal.
The remainder of the tour was food-trippin--we went to El
Ideal Refreshment for tasty guapple pie
(this pie--"apple-pie style"-- is made 
with
a large type of guava that the locals call "guapple"). Next was the
home of the Legaspi sisters for delicious Pastel
de Manga (similar to mini-turnovers; we wiped out their stock) and Piaya
(a Negros specialty). Due to the lack of time we headed back to Bacolod, unable
to visit the Sweet Greens Orchid Farm. We
did however stop just by the entrance marker to Silay City to take photos
of the rows of noodles being dried in the sun.
About half the group had a delicious dinner at Chicken House. We feasted on Chicken Inasal--a Bacolod specialty--and other charcoal broiled dishes. The rest of the group had dinner at A Cup of Art Cafe Gallery, owned by artist Charlie Co. Those who went were treated by the artist to a viewing of his works.
