'Halad kay Kang-Laon' : 1st Mt. Kanlaon National Park Festival held by La Carlota

All roads led to Sitio Guintubdan, Brgy, Ara-al, La Carlota City on August 11 for the first Mt. Kanlaon National Park Festival as "Halad kay Kang-Laon" (Offerings to Kang-Laon). Its theme was "Pag-amlig sa Dungang Manggad para sa Kaayuhan sang Katawhan" (To Protect the Natural Resources for the Good of the People).

The City Tourism of La Carlota had initiated to celebrate this festival to give honor and respect to Haring Laon or Kang Laon as the great protector and provider of the natives who lived long time ago in the said volcano. And also this is to boost tourism industry in the said place which the neighboring towns and cities could benefit too.

According to local history or local legend, Kanlaon or Canlaon is an ancient name of a Visayan god. It is idolized by the natives as their highest Ruler. The natives did highly esteemed by worshiping him as "One who is the Ruler of Time".

The volcano is where the said Ruler stayed wherein native priests and priestesses visited and did some rituals and some offerings of their good harvest as tokens of their gratefulness and respect. Some other versions of this legend had been handed by the natives to one generation to the other.

Revisiting Talisay 'Ruins' after 6 years

A second look to the noted "Taj Mahal of Negros Occidental" - the Ruins in Talisay. The oldest ruins in Negros Occidental. It has been recognized as the highest art form of a magnificent architectural design based on "structural strength and stability, lasting function and flexible use, and beauty in its distinctive details"

The new set of "ruiners" excluding the tricycle driver, Almon, my son-in-law and me visited for the first time the "fascinating ruins of the world. These eager and curious "ruiners" were composed of my wife, Rebecca, our smart granddaughter, Sophie; Carissa, my daughter-in-law and her siblings: Zarah, Mae An, Eron, and her nephew, Elyan.

My wife and me

It was six years ago that I paid a visit to this "Ruins. It was a half-day morning tour to the ruins of mansion of  Italianate architecture of the sugar baron, Don Mariano Ledesma Lacson (1865-1948) in Talisay City on December 11, 2011.

The group was composed of  the newly wed couple, Ricalyn Camporazo (blogger's granddaughter) and Glenn Salas,; Nidabel with her daughter Ara, Marzon Oceña, Bebing (blogger's nephew), Gingging (blogger's 2nd eldest daughter), and Grace Nicor, a friend. As first timer visitors, they curiously inspected the historical remnants of the building which was considered as the Taj Mahal of the Philippines in Negros Occidental. They were all amazed of the engineering features of the ruins.

Mural Paintings Single Out La Carlota City in Tourism

image by Mike Gonzales/Wikipedia

The small city of La Carlota in Negros Island Region has a lot of beautiful places and natural spots to attract tourist all over the country and even the world. Recently the city observed the 3rd week of September as the tourism week with series of activities which may include the following a quiz for the elementary and secondary public and private schools, mural painting contest, immortal inspired (pictures), and "costumize" corner chair making,

New to this activity is mural painting contest. Sixteen talented artists of the city participated in the 2-day painting tilt. The participating contestants used the acrylic paint as their medium materials for painting. They used the perimeter fence of the Pax Academy, a private school serves as their canvas for the painting.

Since this contest is first ever that ever introduced as one of the contests in the observance of City Tourism Week, the tourism office hopes that by next year competition would be participated in by the talented boys and girls of the 23 elementary schools and 5 high schools.

Revisiting Century-old Hinigaran Bells

by Gil Camporazo

Local Philippine history history unfolds as I  revisited the century-old bells in St. Mary Magdalene Church in Hinigaran, Negros Occidental on Christmas Day, December 25 when I was invited to attend the christening of 13-month old Czian Brylle A. Tuala, the youngest son of my teacher in the said Church.

Hinigaran Bell 1867

I could imagine how the Hinigaranon (local resident of Hinigaran) especially those who have survived today or their posterity the importance and the value those five bells which are no longer in used. They're now hanged in concrete frame placed outside the convent at the left side of the church. It's purposely placed there on a "tower" for tourist attraction and public viewing as to recollect the remote past history of the said bells and how they served the church for more than a century in the Spanish era.

Drumbeating with Kids

by Gil Camporazo

My new school assignment, Balabag Elementary School annually is participating in Pasalamat Festival of La Carlota City, a week-long thanksgiving occasion for a bounty harvest of the city. There are a lot of merry-making activities and competition. One of the highlights of the said festivity is a rhythm contest of the official samba beat created by the late City Mayor Luis "Nonoy" Jalandoni.

This rhythm contest is categorized into two, the adult and the kid. The adult is representing their own barangay, while the kid is representing their school and our pupils are one of them. They call themselves as Tribu Mahogany.

Memorable Tour To 'The Ruins' Before 2011 Ends!

The "ruiners" from La Carlota City led by by this blogger, Gil Camporazo paid a half-day morning tour to the ruins of mansion of Italianate architecture of the sugar baron, Don Mariano Ledesma Lacson (1865-1948) in Talisay City today, December 31, 2011 before the year ends.

Ricalyn Camporazo (blogger's granddaughter) and Glenn Salas, the newly wed couple; Nidabel with her daughter Ara, Marzon Oceña, Bebing (blogger's nephew), Gingging (blogger's 2nd eldest daughter), and Grace Nicor eagerly, curiously, ocularly inspected the historical remnant of the building which was considered as the Taj Mahal of the Philippines in Negros Occidental.

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The mansion was built in 1911 after the death of Don Mariano's wife, Maria Braga, Portuguese from Macau as his loving memory of their enduring love affair.

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In 1942, during the World Ward II, the guerilla fighters burned the mansion. The fire gutted the said mansion, that lasted for 3 days. Now what had left was the architectural structure of the building as a reminder of Don Mariano's glorious past of his love for his beloved wife, Maria.


It was told that the USAFFE (United States Armed Forces in the Far East), then guerilla fighters in the Philippines, that burnt the mansion to prevent the Japanese forces from utilizing it as their headquarters. It took days of inferno to bring down the roof and the two-inch wooden floors. As of this writing, the 903-square-meter structure still stands tall amidst sugar plantation and amazes both local and foreign tourists. for her magnificent view especially at sunset and nighttime when all lights are on...