With its rugged mountain interior, unspoiled beaches, underwater coral gardens and urban grooves, Negros has the most to offer. It’s not often, anywhere in the world, that you come across a destination where it is possible to immerse yourself food trips, and important historical buildings all in one great day – but you can in Negros Occidental.
Upon arrival at the airport or before going home or just visiting Negros Island, you might want to spend a day or half to be amazed by the ancestral houses preserved in the city. These ancestral houses echo the power wielded by the political families in the 1900s when the sugar industry ushered in an age of prosperity,making Silay a political, intellectual and cultural hub.
Over the thirty ancestral houses, only three were open to the public.
Balay Negrense – a museum that showcases the lifestyle of a sugar baron during the late 19th century. It was built in 1897 as a home to Victor F. Gaston , one of the pioneers of sugarcane cultivation in the province.
Hofilena Heritage House – the first ancestral house in Silay to open its doors to the public. According to Silay City’s official website, “It is the first house in the area, still inhabited, to be installed by the NHCP with a historical marker as ‘national treasure for the present and future generations’. It’s also the first house in Silay, still inhabited to be declared by the National Commission for Culture and the Arts (NCCA) as a museum.”
WHERE TO EAT????
*EL IDEAL*
Inside an old Silay building, serves Filipino/international cuisine (try the lumpiang ubod) as well as offering baked goods like piaya, meringue and barquillos. You can also find the famous Guapple Pie, made of guavas, the local version of apple pie. Perfect for pasalubong!
*BARANGAY BALARING*
Have a seafood feast in Balaring, a small village along the coastline of Silay. There are restaurants by the sea where you can have a seafood meal. My family’s favorite is MELKENS, a native restaurant made of bamboo. Be there before dusk to catch Silay’s beautiful sunset while having a sumptuous seafood dinner!
*CAFE 1925*
Dine at Cafe 1925, a cute little cafe in the middle of the city. It is where you can have an afternoon coffee break or a delicious dinner after the Heritage Tour. The cafe is located near the ancestral houses.
*ANN CO*
It is a delicacies store wherein cakes and breads are made. Try the best selling FROZEN BRAZOS!
*THE MANSION*
And you might want to visit San Diego Pro- Cathedral, the only pro-cathedral outside Metro Manila. It has a dome that resembles the St. Peter Basilica.
Ride a public tricycle to Balaring for your seafood feast.
by: Jessborn Lacsao
I Scream 