Talisay’s The Ruins (because love)
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| A well with a bell; (c) Arnel Vergara |
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| The Backyard; (c) Maritess Dolor |
When I searched for it online though back
in Manila I decided to write a whole blog about it. The Ruins was actually
finished, it used be a two-story mansion built by then a Don Mariano Ledesma
Lacson (I think Lacsons really have a history of prominent powerful families)
who married a Portuguese named Maria Braga, they met in Hong Kong where Don
Mariano was touring (traveler huh?). The mansion was built in memory of Maria
Braga after her death when she was about to deliver their 11th child and
home to him and his unmarried children, he and Maria had 10 children, the 11th
also died with the mother. Don Mariano himself moved to a cottage nearby when
he remarried years later.
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| View from the Fron Yard; (c) Joel Catipay |
It was built enlisting the ideas of Maria Braga's
father who was a captain of a ship that sailed across the globe so the house
had the finest furniture and items from around the globe, mostly European
during that time. It was built in the middle of a sugar cane plantation so they
really won’t run out of space regardless of how many ponds and gardens they
make. The front yard also has a vintage, rustic, four-tiered water fountain with a small pond
below it, the view is so much better around sunset as what I've seen from other's photos. Its Pillars
also bear the two letter Ms which stands for Mariano and Maria, sweet.
The mansion however had to meet its blazing end
when Don Mariano himself agreed with the American's to burn it down to avoid
the Japanese from making it their headquarters during the World War II.
Because of the materials used in building the
mansion the Pillars and the staircase remained even after three days of flame,
or maybe they had love poured into the construction that not even fire can
destroy it? But really, it was built with A-grade concrete materials that made
it withstand the fire (construction was supervised by one of the Don’s son).
Still, I knew it was love that made sure it stays (wink).
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| Let us feel like we own it or a moment. |
If you want to visit this place the best time to
do it is around sunset because the finishing used for the building was mixed
with egg yolk and it glows when hit by the sunset rays giving it a cinematic
glow reminding us that true love really does stand the test of time. J
Here’s how to get there (I found this online as
well as we hired a van), if you’re lucky you might meet the tour guide Roger
(who they said tell The Ruins history with a twist), I wonder where he was when
we were there.
From the Airport:
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Ride a van going to Silay proper, (I personally saw the vans there just in
front of the airport, just right before your eyes when you exit the arrival
area)
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From Silay proper, take a mini bus to take you to Bata.
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From the Bata terminal you can ride a tricycle to take you to the ruins.
From Bacolod City:
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Ride a Jeep bound to Bata-Libertad.
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Ask the driver to drop you off the Pepsi Plant or tell him you are going to
The Ruins and drop you on the street that leads you there.
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On the street there is a sign that says “This Way to The Ruins”, and you
will find tricycles that can take you there.
Here are the travel blogs where I got my info from
if you want to check it out.
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