Bacolod City Tour

San Sebastian Cathedral

The present cathedral of San Sebastian in Bacolod was built from 1876-85. Although the parish of Bacolod was established in 1788 and placed under the secular clergy, Bacolod had no resident priest and so in 1790 was placed under the parish of Bago, then at a later date under Binalbagan. On 11 February 1802, Fr. Eusebio Laurencio became acting parish priest of Bacolod. In September 1806, Fr. Leon Pedro was appointed interim parish priest and the following year became regular parish priest. The parish church at this time was a simple structure of nipa, hardwood and amacan or woven bamboo.

In September 1817, Fr. Julian Gonzaga was appointed parish priest. He encouraged migration to Bacolod and the opening of lands to agriculture and industry. He built a church of wood, nipa, and metal roofing at a site west of the present church. Beginning in 1825, Gonzaga started gathering coral stone from Guimaras to build a stone church, spending most of his annual stipend of 900 pesos to pay for the stones. Gonzaga was unable to fulfill his dream as he died in 1836.

In 1871, administration of Bacolod was turned over to the Augustinian Recollects. Fray Mauricio Ferrero, first Recollect parish priest of Bacolod and successor to the secular priest, Fr. Mariano Avila, commenced building in 1876. The corner stone was laid on 27 April. Ferrero was not just architect of the church and parish residence, he was also employed by government in designing and constructing a jail. In exchange for his services, Gov. Ramon Pastor assigned prison labor to the construction of the church. The church was dedicated on 19 January 1882; however, its twin bell towers of wood and metal were not finished until 1885. That same year Jose Ruiz de Luzurriaga donated a clock for the right tower, the choir loft was completed, and a Schmidt and Zeigler Remscheid pipe organ was installed.

In 1932, Bacolod was raised to the status of a diocese with a jurisdiction comprising the island of Negros, after being under the Cebu diocese until 1860 and Jaro from that year. The church became a cathedral and the convento became the bishop's house.

The church was church renovated in 1969. Its deteriorated bell towers, deemed a public hazard, were replaced by cement structures under the supervision of the cathedral rector, Fr. Antonio Santes. That same year, the pipe organ was removed, so was the silver altar and the ceiling paintings by Don Isidro Maria Lago, a painter in the Royal court.

The adjacent convento was begun on 21 May 1891 and completed in May 1894. Bricks from Silay and coral stones left over from the church's construction were used. The convento had a hardwood floor and a roof of metal sheets. The convento, now the bishop's house, was partially damaged by a fire in 1985, which also damaged the diocesan archives housed in the Chancery office.

Heritage features:

The coral stone church, now covered with a thin layer of cement, is classical in temper. The slender bell towers flanking the façade give an eastern European look to the church. The entrance to the church is through a portico composed of three arches of equal dimensions. Flanking the main door is a statue of the church builder Fr. Ferrero. The church interior is simple and chaste, its pleasing appearance comes about because of the pleasing modulation of arches and pillars rather than ornamentation. This feeling is accentuated by the unadorned gray faux vault, minus the figures painted by Lago.

In the church yard is a bell donated by Fr. Julian Gonzaga which was removed from belfry in 1976 during the centennial celebration of the church.

The convento beside the church, is a typical bahay na bato. Its reconstruction after the 1985 fire restored the wooden upper story of the structure.

Plaza

The wide plaza in front of the church traces to Spanish colonial times. A kiosk at the center, emblazoned with names of great European composers marks the spot where on Christmas day, 1898, Gen. Aniceto Lacson proclaimed the "Republic of Negros" and swore in the mayors of all the towns. The kiosk was used as bandstand where music was played every weekend to the delight of promenaders.

At the corner of Gonzaga and Araneta Sts., at the site presently occupied by Philippine Commercial and Industrial Bank and Plaza Mart, was the government center of Spanish times. Here stood the headquarters of the guardia civil and the town hall. A creek separated this section from the plaza and a bridge was built to connect Araneta St. to Gonzaga and the plaza.

The casa real or governor's residence was planned under Gov. Emilio Saravia in 1856, a year after he assumed office, however, by 1860, the public works department had done nothing. The completion of the casa real was done by the district engineer in 1863. In 1886, the residence was renovated.

Alarmed by an prison uprising in Himamaylan, where prisoners took charge of the fort where the prison was located, the civil government decided to build a new prison for Bacolod, half a kilometer north of the casa real. Employed in the task of design and supervision was Fr. Ferrero, the builder of the Bacolod church. Construction commenced in 1889 and a year later the structure was completed.

Three blocks north of the cathedral, bound by Gatuslao and Lacson Streets is the provincial capitol complex. This consists of the capitol building and an artificial lagoon in a spacious park, in front of it. The capitol was built from 1924-35, following the Beaux Art style favored by the city planner Daniel Burnham, who came to the Philippines early in the century upon the invitation of William Cameron Forbes, appointed as governor general in 1904. Burnham recommended William Parsons as consulting architect for the Philippine government. Parson arrived in 1905 and organized the architectural office of the Bureau of Public works in which were employed American and Filipino architects, including Tomas Bautista Mapua, Juan Nakpil, Juan de Guzman Arellano. The Bureau favored the Neoclassic style for government buildings setting a pattern for many provincial capitols.

Heritage features: The Bacolod Provincial is planned as an E. The central section is marked by a three story colonnade crowned by Corinthian capitals. From this central portion wings run parallel and come to a stop at wings built perpendicular to the central structure. Entrance to the capitol is through wide stairs equal in length to the colonnade. Three entrances lead to the central lobby. Directly in front twin staircases in tropical hardwood lead to the main session hall of the building on the second floor. Long corridors to either side of the lobby lead to the wings flanked by office spaces.

From the second floor secluded and narrow flights of stairs lead to an upper gallery (corresponding to the attic in the Neoclassical design) from which visitors could watch the proceedings of the provincial council.

Sculptures decorating the capitol and the adjacent lagoon are attributed to Guillermo Tolentino, national artist for sculpture.

In 1993, a new capitol was built at an adjacent lot. The governor's office was transferred to the new building and the central part of the capitol given to the judiciary. Since the construction of a new hall of justice, the central portion of the capitol has been transformed into the Negros Museum.

This a lifestyle museum focusing on life in Negros.

Located on the north wing of the first floor is the Jose Garcia Montelibano Toy and Folk Arts Museum. Containing about 2,000 toys and folk crafts collected by Mrs. Montelibano all over the world, the Toy and folk craft museum is the only one of its kind in the Philippines. Many of the toys are in mint state and are arranged anthropologically, from basic toys to the most complex, involving mechanized parts. Each section tells a story.

Opposite the Toy Museum is the governor's hall containing portraits of all the governors of Negros. Flanking this hall is a library and activities area for children. And at the end of the hall is the museum shop.

The main gallery is on the second floor. The main and permanent display shows a reconstructed batil, a wooden sailing vessel used for passengers and cargo at the turn of the century. The batil contains artifacts and reproductions of the type of goods that were exchanged between Negros and the nearby islands and foreign lands. Surrounding the batil are displays highlighting sugar production and the role of the ordinary plantation worker, sugar production, the Chinese in Negros, the Church, the scientific aspects of sugar production, the lifestyle of the Negrense plantation owner, the folksongs and tales of the island, the environment or banwa which remains as an enduring context of the Negrense life style.

Smaller galleries flank the main hall: the Cinco de Noviembre exhibit highlights the struggle for independence from Spain, the Sports Hall of Fame, and a gallery for changing exhibits. The attic above the main hall has been opened as the Phinma Gallery for temporary and traveling exhibits.

Mailing Address: Negros Museum, former Provincial Capitol Building, Negros Occ., Philippines 6100. Tel/ Fax: (034) 433-4764.

In the suburb of Bacolod, Talisay, stands the Claparols' residence, amidst vast sugarcane fields. It is one of the few hacienda residences built early in the century. Now used by a group of contemplative monks, the house is well known for its exquisite woodwork, especially the elegant staircase that leads to a landing and the living room, the scene for many elegant parties. The house is somewhat neglected.

Permission to see the house can be secured from the monks or coordinated through the Negros Museum.

Bacolod Extras

Santa Clara Church, located in the upper crust Sta. Clara Subdivision, is noted for its use of seashells in its mosaics, done by 60 workers in 100 days and supervised by Leticia Ledesma. The natural colors of shells have been preserved and fastiduously arranged to carefully model the features of the Birhen sa Barangay, a devotion to the Virgin Mary which traces its roots to Negros.

Negros Showroom. A drastic drop in the price of sugar in the world market in the 1980s spurred the growth of other industries in Negros. Wanting to provide employment to many jobless laborers, Negros entrepreneurs turned to the manufacture of crafts and clothing, much of which is exported. The Negros Showroom, located along Lacson St. and near the provincial capitol is a place to find not only food delicacies typical of Negros and but the fine handicrafts made in the suburbs of Bacolod or in neighboring towns. These handicrafts are exported abroad, some pieces are available in the Showroom.

De la Salle University, run by the Brothers of the Christian School, is one of Bacolod's leading educational institutions. The school runs a bookstore where publications on Negros can be found.