What's to see at Bacolod Central Market

DUYAN. A hammock.

buyo, bunga, dried tobacco leaf and lime.

This is chewed to extract the juice and spitted out.

Dried tobacco leaves

The woman trying out an unlighted cigar.

Assorted native bags in different designs.

Handmade bags made of pandan leaves.

SUNGKA. A popular traditional local board game of calculation over skill which may have been brought by Indonesians when they migrated to the Philippines. Shells, pebbles, or seeds are used as tokens.

http://en.wikipilipinas.org/index.php?title=Sungka

These colorful fans would come handy on a warm day.

Coconut husks used to scrub our wooden floors.

clay stoves

NIGO. Used as a food tray or basket when vending food or vegetables. This is carried on the head with a rolled cheesecloth as cushion.

KALALAW. A winnowing fan. Used to fan out the husks from the rice by raising the 'kalalaw' a little bit up in the air and the rice gets thrown up a bit. Usually done before cooking the rice.

Various ornamental handicrafts.

An assortment of hats made of pandan leaves and others.

This type of hat is called the 'salakot'. Worn by Filipinos in the 1800s. Now, these are mostly use as part of costumes, props or decors.

Welcome to the Dried Fish Section occupying the west sidewalk of the Central Market. There is a connotation that only people from the lowest income class eat dried fish.

Various types of 'balingon uga' using different sizes and types of fish.

This type of fish is called 'tabagak'.

Lucos. Dried squid. Best when deep fried.

sapsap

Danggit. filleted and dried.

Pinakas na gusaw. Filleted gusaw.

Balingon uga using 'gurayan' fish. Cooking procedure is pan fry it in little oil. Best when served with your favorite vinegar. Another cooking suggestion is as a salad. After pan frying it, add them to a bowl of cubed tomatoes and onions with vinegar and salt.

KALKAG. Dried baby shrimps. Suggested cooking procedure is to toast it on a hot pan. Best when peppered over your fried rice.

Dried fish is best served for breakfast. With fried rice and eggs. A truly Filipino breakfast.

Pickled mussels

peanut butter, piaya & kalamay hati

SHRIMP PASTE. Locally known as guinamos or bagoong in Tagalog. This is added to flavor some food recipes. Or it can be eaten as a side dish, when sauteed in lots of garlic and little vinegar. In some variation, pork fat is added.

IBUS. Glutinous rice soaked in coconut milk and wrapped in coconut leaves and cooked in boiling water. Eaten with some sugar preferably muscovado.

Comes in bundes of 5.

A lady vendor heaping the muscovado sugar into a neat mound.

Come and visit Bacolod City, the gateway to Negros Occidental

Discover the rich history and culture of Bacolod and Negros as you step into pre-war era homes and structures that make up the culture of what they are now thru the following tours:



HERITAGE TOUR:

Step into Bacolod's finest family homes built in pre-war era. Get a rustic feel as you visit museums and unique churches in Bacolod and Silay, capped with a Negrense lunch in an old mansion in the North. Watch the sunset radiates its glow in a picturesque old mansion.

Rates: P1600 per pax (group of 9)
(rates subject to change)

Tour includes: Aircon transport, all entrances fees, tour guide services, lunch, plus surprises


CITY TOUR:

Discover the beauty of the themed Bacolod plaza as you breeze thru the wide city streets that lead to the famous pasalubong centers where you can choose an array of the famous piaya, lubid-lubid, dulce gatas, kalamay hati.




















Visit the Pope John Paul II Tower and browse thru the proudly-made Negros products housed in their showroom which has been declared by the Bureau of Domestic Trade Promotions as the No. 1 trade house in the Philippines.


Enjoy the succulent chicken inasal for lunch which you should not miss while in Bacolod!

Rates: P1100 per pax for a group of 9
(rates subject to change)

Tour includes: Aircon transport, all entrances fees, tour guide services, lunch, plus surprises


CULINARY TOUR:

Visit a seafood market and a vegetable market with stops at a kansi (bulalohan) house and a local fruit stand to taste some fruits in season. Observe how a pig is roasted.

Enjoy grilled blue marlin, prawns, scallops and oysters capped with their original tarragon tea at Aboy's.
When visiting Bacolod, you would be tempted to leave your diet program at your home.

Rates: P1450 per pax for a group of 9
(rates subject to change)

Tour includes: Aircon transport, all entrances fees, tour guide services, lunch & dinner, plus surprises

Beautiful Negros!

Beautiful Negros!

Pope John Paul II Monument

A Bacolod businessman initiated to build a monument in honor of Pope John Paul II's visit to Bacolod City on February 20, 1981. An 8-storey monument now stands at the Reclamation Area near SM Bacolod, the city's biggest mall. It was at that spot where the Pope said mass to close to a million people.

The cross on top of the tower was built and designed by Arch. Ramiro "Chick" Garcia, Jr. The Cross is lighted at night which makes it the new landmark of Bacolod City now being the highest structure in city.

Atty Simplicio Palanca had a statue of John Paul II sculpted by Bro. Tagoy Jakosalem, (OAR).

It is the hope of Bishop Navarra to make this tower a Pilgrimage site. He wrote Archbishop Cardinal of Krakow, Poland to send some memorabilia of Pope John Paul II and he replied that he would send some.

The Diocese of Bacolod appeals to all to also share your mementos or souvenirs during the Holy Father’s visit here in 1981. It shall be put in the different floors of the Tower in order to establish Pope John Paul II’s character.

Good Friday Procession

Every religious and faithful always look up to the city of Talisay, 7 kms. away from Bacolod City, when Good Friday comes. Talisay is noted for its 'caros' or 'pasos'. These are hand-drawn carriages, usually preceded by a generator set which provide power for the lights, on which stand the life size statues depicting the tableau of Christ's passion and the characters involved in it. They are well-lighted and adorned by flowers.

Some of the caros are owned by influential families who have made it a family tradition to hand over to their next generation the maintenance of these caros. The life size statues of the women are dressed in beautifully beaded and sequinned robes in fine cloth.

Thousands of devotees participate in the procession with lighted candles in hand. Young and old, people from all classes join together as they express their faith to our Savior, Jesus Christ.

Behind very caro or paso is a group from a church organization and they are assigned to say the Holy Rosary. It is a slow and solemn walk from the church and ends up back in church.

Acolytes getting ready for the town procession

Oracion del Huerto

Jesus de la Columna

Jesus de la Pacencia

San Pedro

Sta. Veronica

Jesus Nazareno

Sorrowful Mother meets Jesus

The Crucifixion

San Juan (St. John)

La Angustia (Pieta)

The lil angels

Sto. Entierro

Some of the faithful

Maria Cleofe

Mary Magdalena

Sta. Martha

Sta. Maria Salome

St. Mary of Bethany

La Dolorosa by the Lizares Family

Maundy Thursday in the Philippines

As a practice only in the Philippines, Catholic faithfuls perform the 'Visita Iglesia' after the Maundy Thursday church service in the afternoon. At the latter part of the service, the Holy Eucharist is transferred to an area at the side of the church and the faithfuls come and worship. Each church would adorn that area based on its theme with candles and flowers. Photos below show some of the churches visited. The practice is one should visit 7 churches to worship on that evening. The vigil is until midnight.

This is the time when families would go together thus strengthening our close family ties. As the saying goes, "The Family that prays together, stays together."

The San Sebastian Cathedral

St. Jude Thaddeus Parish, Brgy. Alijis, Bacolod City

Triumph of the Holy Cross, Brgy. Estefania, Bacolod City

Mary, Queen of Peace Parish (Hua Ming)

Holy Family Chapel, City Heights

St. Joseph the Worker Chapel, Dona Juliana Heights

San Isidro Labrador Parish, Brgy. Tangub