Known as the “City of Smiles”, Bacolod City is among the highly urbanized cities in the Philippines. It is the capital of the province of Negros Occidental. It is popular to be a relatively friendly city. It has topped a survey by MoneySense Magazine in 2008 to be “The Best Place To Live In The Philippines”. It has also been declared as the “center of excellence” for information technology and business process management operations by the Department of Science and Technology.
Bacolod City boasts its rich history, great food, spectacular sights, exceptional attractions, and many others. That is why it has attracted many visitors to flock the city and discover what it has to offer.
Top things to do when visiting Bacolod City:
- Be a part of the MassKara Festival celebration – This festival is the most anticipated celebration in Bacolod. The name “MassKara” was derived from the words “mass” meaning “a multitude of people and “Kara” meaning “face”. Thus forming the word “MassKara” which means “a multitude of faces”. This festival is held annually every third week of October. There is a variety of fun activities during the festival like street dancing, parades, pageants, bazaars, food fairs, and many more that would entertain the visitors.
- Enjoy food tripping – Bacolod is popularly known to be the very first to popularize “chicken inasal”. When in Bacolod, never miss the chance to taste their chicken inasal which can be found in many restaurants like the Chicken Haus or the Manokan Country. Aside from chicken inasal, there are other delicious food to feast on like the napoleones, pinasugbo, piaya, and more. They also have a variety of seafoods to choose from.
- Drop by San Sebastian Cathedral and the Bishop’s Palace – For Catholic devotees, this site is a good place to visit. It is located in downtown Bacolod City.
- Experience the cool breeze at Campuestohan Highland Resort – This resort has so much to offer especially to those who love nature. It boasts its state of the art amenities and ambience. It offers an amazing view and a cool weather that resembles the weather in Tagaytay.
- Take fascinating pictures in “The Ruins” – Considered as one of the most fascinating ruins in the world, “The Ruins” is a perfect place for pictorials. It is also known as the “Taj Mahal” of Negros because of its history. It was built as a memory of Don Mariano’s wife, Maria Braga, a symbol of an enduring love and an endless memory. The house was then burned during the World War II, as ordered by the Americans, to prevent the Japanese from using it as a camp.
- Do some hiking and swimming at Mambukal Resort – This place is for the lovers of nature. It has a warm dipping sulfur pool that is believed to have health benefits. A little hiking will lead to the famous seven falls.
- Side trip in Silay City and stroll along the heritage houses – This place is one of the two “Museum Cities” recognized by the National Historical Institute. Over 30 heritage houses are preserved in this area since the Spanish colonial era. Silay is also considered to be the “Seat of Arts, Culture, and Eco-tourism in Western Visayas”.
- Have a picnic at Balaring Mangrove Canopy – Experience walking in the midst of mangroves in the longest bamboo bridge in Western Visayas. Having picnics in one of the canopy’s cottages can be fun too.
- Enjoy walking around the capitol grounds and lagoon – This place used to be the headquarters of the Japanese Imperial Army during the World War II. The statue “Ang Pahimud-os” ( meaning “The Struggle) done by Eduardo Castrillo can also be found in this area. There are also interesting sculptures made by the famous Italian sculptor Francesco Ricardo Monti.
- Design your own mask for the MassKara Festival – Vito Designs Gallery is one of the places to go within the city. Inside the gallery are different kinds of masks used in the famous MassKara festival. Activities like “painting your own mask” can be done in the gallery as well.