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Things To Do in Bacolod

Things To Do in Bacolod

Apart from the Lacson tourism strip food trip, there are other things you can do while in Bacolod.


The Ruins - This is actually my second time to visit this place. It was a bit crowded this time around since I went on a Sunday. May crowd or wala, maganda pa rin siya. :)


Jojo Vito Designs Gallery

Jojo Vito is a designer based in Bacolod and specializes in designing furnitures, decors, housewares, other novelty items and masks. There are a lot of Filipino artisans in Bacolod but Jojo Vito is one of the most successful in the industry of mask making. He has been the official mask maker for the Masskara Queen of Bacolod City. ;)


Jojo Vito


Jojo takes pride of having the largest collections of locally designed masks which eventually led to him reselling them as a souvenir for tourists like me. ;) I even got to take home two of his masks and Jojo even gave me discounts. Thanks again!

If you're into old houses then you should definitely check out the city of Silay which is a few more kilometers away from The Ruins. Silay is famous for the 25 ancestral homes which were built in the 1900's and is very well preserved up to this moment. Sadly I missed this part of the trip due to very limited time. But here are some photos from fellow travel bloggers:


Victor Fernandez Gaston Ancestral House or now known as Balay Negrense Museum.
Photo from IvanLakwatsero.com


Maria Golez Ancestral House which now houses RCBC.
Photo from JourneyingJames.com


Every time I travel, I try to drop by churches or chapels. You know, to say a prayer or two. :)
This is the San Sebastian Cathedral Diocese of Bacolod.


San Sebastian was originally built in 1825 and was made of wood but the construction of the stone church started in 1876 and was completed by 1882.

As expected, the interiors of the church were simple but very beautiful and very well maintained. This is also the first time I attended a mass in Ilonggo. Obviously I don't speak Hiligaynon but I managed to finish the mass despite the language barrier. Hehe. Siyempre nag thank you ako kay Lord for always giving me the opportunity to travel, see the world and experience different cultures. ;)

 
After the mass, I walked around Rizal and Gatuslao streets to just watch the locals and of course have merienda. In fairness, I did not step foot inside SM Bacolod. I'm so proud of myself. Hehe.

This solo trip in Bacolod is definitely one for the books. Daghang salamat Bacolod! Balik po ako sa 2015! ;)
MassKara Festival 2014

MassKara Festival 2014

My fascination with masks started back in 2008 during a trip to Puerto Princesa's Ka Lui restaurant. To those who haven't tried Ka Lui, here's a photo of the restaurant by Triptoeing.com.


Ka Lui is obviously one of those restaurants that support local art. His collection is amazing! ;)

So when I was given a chance to visit Bacolod last 2013 with 2GO, I promised to come back. For this trip though, I flew in from Iloilo because roundtrip tickets were wayyyyy cheaper compared to flying direct to Bacolod. To estimate the total cost, I probably spent around Php4,550 inclusive of land and sea travel to Bacolod. And of course you've seen my review of the Sugarland Hotel. They were all booked back in July but of course you can get cheaper rates if you book earlier than that.


MassKara Festival is held every 3rd weekend of October.

Here's a brief history why it is called MassKara Festival: The festival first began in 1980 during a period of crisis where sugar cane (as its primary agricultural crop), and the price of sugar was at an all-time low due to the introduction of sugar substitutes like high fructose, etc. It was also a time of tragedy when inter-island vessel MV Don Juan carrying many Negrenses, including those belonging to prominent families in Bacolod City, collided with the tanker Tacloban City and sank.

An estimated 700 lives were lost in the tragedy. In the midst of these tragic events, the city's artists, local government and civic groups decided to hold a festival of smiles, because the city at that time was also known as the City of Smiles. They reasoned that a festival was also a good opportunity to pull the residents out of the pervasive gloomy atmosphere. The initial festival was therefore, a declaration by the people of the city that no matter how tough and bad the times were, Bacolod City is going to pull through, survive, and in the end, triumph.


Apart from the non-stop parties (this is the holi powder party photo grabbed from MassKara Bacolod FB page), Negrenses also look forward to the street dance competition which is the highlight of the festival.


The street dance competition is divided into two categories; the school division and barangays. Competition is held at the Paglaum Sports Complex where entrance is free for general audience.
Photo grabbed from MassKara Bacolod FB page.


After their performance inside the complex, the dancers take a break rest (walang biro, mahirap sumayaw na may bitbit na mabibigat na maskara) before hitting the streets for the parade.
Photo grabbed from MassKara Bacolod FB page.




In fairness, you can't help but smile talaga whenever you see the MassKara dancers. Very full of energy sila! ;) It is definitely one of the best festivals I've ever attended, overflowing ng good food and good vibes. I love Bacolod and for sure babalik-balikan ko ang lugar na yan. ;) 
Lacson Tourism Strip Food Trip

Lacson Tourism Strip Food Trip


MassKara Festival is one of the biggest festivals in the Philippines.

The main event of the MassKara Festival in Bacolod is celebrated usually on the third week of October. Actually I flew in from Iloilo and took the ferry boat going to Bacolod. It was a bit tiring because I obviously took the long way. So upon arrival in Bacolod, kain na agad! :)


This is the view along Lacson Street. The crowd gets bigger past midnight. But believe it or not I did not go to Bacolod to party. How am I supposed to party when I'm by myself once more? Hehe. So kakain na lang ako di ba? :p

First Stop: Pepe's Grill - Located at the 2nd Floor of Piazza Sorrento at the corner of 13th Lacson Street. This small but posh restaurant is a block away fom L'Fisher Hotel and serves the best beef salpicao in town according to friends of my brother who are based in Bacolod. I can't exactly tell if it's the best beef salpicao but it tasted good and the beef was soft and juicy na almost melt in your mouth levels na ang feeling. Price wasn't so bad either but I felt that the serving was too small for my hungry tummy. Hehe. It was worth a try though so check it out if you're in Bacolod. ;)

 
 
Apart from the salad and pasta dish, another favorite would be their pesto crusted chicken breast dish. Their pesto-aioli sauce is homemade and they serve it with grilled vegetables and your choice of sidings.

Second Stop: Chicken House Bacolod - Bacolod is known as sugar capital of the Philippines. But apart from sugar, marami ding chicken inasal (barbecue) dito. Sabi nila the best chicken inasal can be found at Manokan Country. But then I'm alone kasi and I wasn't in the mood to go around so I just went to the nearest inasal restaurant which is Chicken House Bacolod.


I got a stick of paa (leg and thigh) and petso (breast) with no rice. Pinapak ko lang siya and masarap nga. Lalo na with toyo (soy sauce) and calamansi? Yum!

Third Stop: 21 Restaurant - A friend recommended me to come here and try their version of the batchoy. The place was always packed during lunch and dinner time but I didn't have to wait that long since (again) I'm alone so mabilis lang mag produce ng table at chair for me. Hehe.

 
Naubusan ako ng batchoy during my first visit so I just ordered fried isul (chicken ass, yes pwet! LOL) and spareribs. Masarap naman siya. But I was badly craving for batchoy that time, lalo na nung biglang umulan.


The very next day I was back in 21 for lunch and I finally ordered their best selling batchoy. Ako lang ba or mas masarap ang batchoy sa Iloilo? Parang nabitin ako sa mga laman-loob at bone marrow. Kulang din siguro sa alat. Anyway, sulit naman ang order coz less than a hundred pesos lang per bowl of batchoy. ;)

Fourth Stop: Tiffany's Confections - Sorry if I'm not including Calea in this post, time to give chance to others naman. My good friend Kevin of Bespoke Man has been bugging me to visit his sister's not-so-hidden cake shop along 8th St. named Tiffany's Confections.


I am not a huge fan of cakes or pastries so I decided to play safe by ordering their best seller mango cheesecake and paired it with a glass of iced coffee. In fairness, it was really good. Yung mango, sweet. I hate ordering mango desserts tapos maasim yung mango. The cheesecake naman tastes good too, tamang sweetness lang. I wanted to bring home a box sana but then mahihirapan ako mag handcarry all the way to Iloilo airport so next time na lang.

Fifth Stop: Lord Byron's Backribs - Eto na talaga, this is it. Save the best for last. This restaurant is nowhere near Lacson St. but still worth a visit when in Bacolod. I went to the original Lord Byron's Backribs near Luxur Place along Magsaysay Ave. which is 10-15 mins away from the Sugarland Hotel. They had another branch daw at a place called homesite but nag close na siya so this is their only branch in Bacolod for now. :)


This photo doesn't give justice to the backribs meal I ordered that costs ₱150.00 with my favorite soda (pepsi). This is by far the best backribs I've ever had in my life. No kidding. It was so good I was willing to order a dozen backribs to bring back home. ANG SARAP. Period. Gusto ko na ulit lumipad pa-Bacolod. Haha.

Nagutom ka ba? Don't worry ako rin. Haha.
Sugarland Hotel

Sugarland Hotel



Going to Bacolod anytime soon? Check out Sugarland Hotel which is at the southern part of Bacolod City. The hotel is approximately 30-45 mins. from Bacolod-Silay Airport, 15 mins. from Bredco Port Terminal and 10-15 mins. away from the famous Lacson tourism strip by cab. :)


I got a standard room that costs ₱1,975 per night (via Asiatravel) that's inclusive of buffet breakfast for two. Take note that the rate I paid for was booked a month before the MassKara Festival.


I like their beds, orthopedic. And hindi masikip, very comfortable nung tulog ko. ;)


The room is very spacious but is definitely showing signs of wear and tear. Time to maybe do another renovation? But at least it's clean. And walang amoy. :)

 
The bathroom is very spacious too but like I said, mukhang naluma na. They need to replace towels, medyo hindi na siya maputi. Hehe.


Their TVs are cable-ready plus there's provided water in the fridge. :)


As for the breakfast, simple lang. May steamed and garlic rice. For the soup minsan arroz caldo minsan noodles. Everyday iba iba ang ulam which is good 'coz nakakaumay naman if 3 days straight paulit ulit breakfast. LOL.


That's my usual breakfast spot, alone but happy. I didn't get to try the pool though, parang ang awkward mag swimming na may nag b-breakfast sa tabi mo. Haha.

I like the location of this hotel because it's very quiet. If you're a party animal and coming to Bacolod for the MassKara Festival then I suggest you book in advanced for a hotel along Lacson St. like L'Fisher Chalet.

But if I may suggest, I hope the hotel provides shuttle service to Lacson in the near future. Kahit 2-3 roundtrips per day lang. That was the most hassle part for me, going to Lacson and back to my hotel. But it's all goooooood, at least I got to discover other parts of the city. ;)
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