Maria Marauder: Discovering Bacolod

Shame on me. Really. I’ve been living here in Bacolod for almost six years now but I don’t have an inkling on how to get around the city. Nor what scenic spots to recommend. My Korean students often ask me about how to go to some place here or there, but I tell them to ask their other teachers about it. I don’t want to make any lame excuses for my lack of interest in the tourism aspect of this city. Sorry, but I’m more of a mallrat, not a nature-tripping kind of gal. And oh, how it backfired.

Last January, my family and friends from Manila and the US visited me here in Bacolod. Knowing so little of the city where my hubby was born in, I panicked. How would I tour them around, when I am practically an alien here in the first place? Good thing one of my high school batchmates, Mariliz Borbon-Tumonong, was there to save the day. She is a native of Bacolod, so she knows the City of Smiles like the back of her hand. If it hadn’t been for her, I would have toured them around SM, Robinsons, and Gaisano Mall for all three days! Kudos to her for the fun and memorable trip of our visitors. Hey, even I enjoyed this tour myself immensely. Moral of the story: Hwag maging dayuhan sa sariling bayan. Seriously, can I take you to the malls instead?

Day1: The New Government Center. My visitors were impressed with the structure, especially my cousin Clara, who came from the States. They all said it looked like they’re in D.C. Say what? I guess I never appreciated its beauty until some people from outside complimented on it.

Jump for joy! I wonder why they are so happy?

The John Paul II Tower. This is a tribute to Pope John Paul II’s historic visit to the city on February 20, 1981 by philanthropist Atty. Simplicio Palanca.

Funny, but this picture of theirs had a mysterious image appear with them. Look closely at the upper left side of the picture. Can you bilibit? Nanay kopoooo!!!

It’s a mortal sin to go to Bacolod and not eat their famous chicken inasal. So we had dinner at Manokan Country. It was rumoured that Aida’s was the best, so there we went for dinner.

Day2: We were scheduled to go to Mambukal Resort, but when we reached the place, it was raining heavily. We decided to reroute and go to Balay Negrense in Silay City instead. It is an old house turned into a museum, built in 1897 by a sugar baron named Victor F. Gaston. It showcases the lifestyle of a wealthy Negrense family of twelve children in the early 19^th century.

The house was a bit creepy, but our group was so animated (and yes, crazy) that we didn’t mind the atmosphere of the place. We even imagined ourselves in a teleserye. And overacted, we did!

Of course, Bacolod cuisine experience is not complete if you don’t go to 21 Restaurant to eat batchoy.

Day3: At last, the sun permitted us to go to Mambukal! We didn’t really plan to go swimming there, but to go hiking to the (gulp!) 7th falls. Sometimes, old people want to test themselves on how far their bodies could permit them. At our age, pwede pa pala (Mga ambisyosa!!!)

On our way back to the city, we saw some sakadas harvesting sugar cane, so we pretended to be one ourselves. Ang hirap pala magtrabaho sa init ng araw!!!

The sakadas putting their harvest in a truck

The last stop was The Ruins. It was what was left of an old mansion which was burned in the World War II by the guerrilla fighters to prevent the Japanese from using it as their headquarters. According to old tales, it took days of inferno to bring down the roof and the two-inch wooden floors. Now, only the structure has remained, but what a sight it still is.