Expresso!

When you’re in Baguio, one of the famous landmarks you can visit is the Diplomat Hotel. The Dominican Hill Retreat House, now commonly known as the Diplomat Hotel, is an abandoned structure atop Dominican Hill, Baguio, Philippines. It was built in 1911 by the Dominican Order in a 17-hectare property and served as their retreat house and a seminary in Baguio. The construction of the building was started by Fr. Roque Ruaño, O.P., a Spanish priest-civil engineer who is also responsible for the construction and design of UST Main Building. The design is based on the Spanish Dominican baroque architecture. On May 1915, the building was transformed into a school named Colegio del Santissimo Rosario. However, due to insufficient enrollees, the building was reverted to original use.

During World War II, the building played a big part and served as a sanctuary of refugees fleeing from the Japanese army. Sadly, Japanese troops bombed the hill that caused many death and damage to the building. Then they turned the place into their headquarters where the “Kenpeitai” (Japanese secret police) did barbaric acts such as torturing, raping and decapitating priests and nuns. After the war, the building underwent restoration. The late Antonio Agapito "Tony" Agpaoa, a Baguio-based entrepreneur and faith healer famous for psychic surgery managed its restoration. Together with the Diplomat Hotels, Inc., he remodeled and transformed the building into a hotel. The death of Agpaoa in 1987 (due to heart attack) brought the hotel’s operation to an end and later, to its abandonment. The Luzon earthquake happened in 1990 also made a big damage to the structure.

How did the horror stories start? From urban legends to viral creepy videos and stories spreading over the internet, all of these made a big impact on how the place got its “haunted” reputation. The place was also featured on famous local TV programs such as Magandang Gabi Bayan and Kapuso Mo, Jessica Soho, making it more interesting to visit to the minds of curious ones. Presently, the Housing and Urban Development Coordinating Council of Baguio City took the ownership of DIPLOMAT HOTEL since 2005. It is now called Baguio Dominican Heritage Hill and Nature Park. Aside from being a tourist spot, it also serves as venue for many events such as film making and pre-nuptials photoshoots. In 2013, it was declared as National Historical Site by the NHCP.

I happened to see the famous Diplomat Hotel during the Panagbenga Festival Joiner’s tour I joined last February 2018. And I must say that it was a bit creepy touring around the hotel. However, I did enjoy my stay there because of the cool weather and the overlooking view of Baguio City from the top of the hotel. During my visit, most of the people I saw touring around the hotel have cameras and cellphones on their hands hoping they could capture images of ghosts and other entities (which I find a bit odd and courageous at the same time). Thank God I had no spooky experience nor ghost encounter while I was there!

How to get there:

                From Manila, there are Bus Lines (Victory and Genesis) located in Cubao that will bring you to Baguio City. It will take you 3 to 5 hours travel time to reach Baguio City. From there, you can choose to take a private car or take public modes of transportation to get you to Diplomat Hotel.

There’s a Jeepney terminal near the Burnham Park that will take you to the Diplomat Hotel. Just tell the driver to drop you off at the Hotel or to the road nearest to the hotel. You can also take a cab/taxi which is more convenient.

Travel note:

                If you’re off on a spooky adventure, it’s best to go here during Halloween where horror stories and paranormal activities are everywhere. Just bring some flashlights with you if you’ve decided to go here during nighttime because available lights are not enough to suffice every dark corners of the building. Make sure to bring enough courage and some of your friends or family for some support (‘cause we never know what might happen!). Also bring your jacket/coat with you; you never know what the cold weather might bring to you.

                By the way, there’s a café beside the hotel if you’re hungry or thirsty.

One of the many landmarks and must visit places in Negros Occidental is The Ruins. Did you know that there’s more to it than just being a heritage mansion?

    Dubbed as the “Taj Mahal of Negros”, The Ruins was made by the wealth sugar baron Don Mariano Ledesma Lacson in memory of his wife, the same reason why the famous Taj Mahal of India was built. We all learned in our history and geography classes how and why the famous Taj Mahal was built. The ivory-white marble mausoleum that can be found in Agra, India is a testimony of an undying love one can offer. The Mughal emperor Shah Jahan commissioned its construction in 1631 to house the remains of his third and favorite wife Mumtaz Mahal.

                The Ruins, on the other hand was built in early 1900’s by Don Mariano Ledesma Lacson in loving memory of his wife Maria Braga. It is located in Talisay, Negros Occidental. The Italianate architecture mansion served as the ancestral home of the family of Don Mariano and his wife. They were blessed with 10 children, two of whom became government officials. They are Victoria, Rafael, Mercedes, Natividad, Sofia, Felipe, Consolacion, Angelina, Ramon and Eduardo.

                During the Spanish colonial era, Don Mariano was an attractive young bachelor who loves to travel. He owned a 440-hectare plantation in Talisay City, Negros Occidental. In one of his travels in Hong kong, he met Maria Braga, a beautiful Portuguese lady from Macau. He courted her and eventually married her. They started their own family in Talisay City. Unfortunately, a tragic event happened during Maria’s pregnancy with her 11^th child. She slipped in the bathroom and started to bleed. During these days, it would take 2 days to travel with horse-drawn carriage from the town of Talisay to Silay, where a doctor lived. It took them 4 days waiting for the doctor and by the time the doctor arrived, Maria and her baby already passed away.  This tragic moment made Don Mariano brokenhearted and depressed. Building this mansion near his ancestral house was his way of moving on.

                The mansion was the largest residential ever built at the time. With the help and support of his father-in-law, the construction of the mansion was made possible. The house was filled with finest furniture, chinaware, and decorative items brought by Maria’s father who was a captain of a ship that sailed across Europe and Asia. The mansion was burned down by the guerillas during the WW II to prevent its use as military office by the invading Japanese forces. What was left was the skeletal frame of the mansion. The couple’s initials, M and M can also be seen on the mansion’s posts. 

                Presently, the mansion is popularly known as The Ruins. It became available to the public last 2008 under the ownership of Don Mariano’s great grandson, Mr. Raymund Javellana. The Ruins is open to the public from 8:30 am to 9:00 pm daily. Inside The Ruins, you can see semi-fine dining restaurant offering Mediterranean cuisines, a mini-bar and a live band performing relaxing music. There are also camping and picnic grounds, bath houses, fountain, garden and pavilion outside. Souvenir shop and food stalls that sell famous Negros delicacies such as Piaya and Napoleones are just outside the structure. The Ruins may also be used for special events such as weddings, family reunions, etc.

How to get there:

                The best way to get to this landmark is by plane. From Manila, you can reach this landmark through the Bacolod-Silay Airport. From the airport, you can take shuttle, bus, cab/taxi to reach this place. From Manila, boat/ferry rides are also available to get you to Bacolod.

                When you’re in the city proper, you can choose to ride the cab (which is more convenient) or public utility vehicles (jeepney and tricycle) to bring you to this landmark. Take a jeepney (Bata-Libertad) and drop at the tricycle terminal near the Pepsi cola plant. The tricycle would take you to The Ruins. It will take you around 15 to 20 minutes of travel from the capital city while 10 to 15 minutes awfrom the Airport.  

Travel notes:

The best time to visit the Ruins is during Sunrise and Sunset. The sun will surely showcase the enchanting beauty of the structure. It would also be great if you visit the structure at nighttime where synthetic lights will highlight its beauty. Live music serenading the visitors makes the night at The Ruins more romantic and lovely.  

To many, the ideal month to go to this place would be October, where the popular Masskara Festival is being celebrated. For the Festival spectators and tourists, this place serves as the perfect side-trip destination. But for those who like to enjoy the serene beauty of the place, the best month to go to The Ruins would be November to early December where you can feel the cold Amihan Season minus the flock of tourists.

Masskara Festival is one of the many colorful and entertaining festivals Philippines has. It is an annual event held every month of October with highlights every fourth Sunday of the month in Bacolod City, Negros Occidental. For this year, the festival highlights will conclude on October 28 based on the ordinance authored by Councilor Em L. Ang, setting the fourth Sunday of October as the permanent schedule of the Masskara Festival highlights. Concerts, parties, pageants, street dances, food fest and a lot of activities are being held throughout this month-long celebration.

The first celebration of the festival began in 1980 during a period of crisis. Two major events occurred during this period. First is the significant drop in sugar production due to the introduction of sugar substitutes like high fructose corn syrup in the United States. Bacolod City is the sugar’s capital of the country and served as the major exporter of sugar products. Second is the luxury liner MV Don Juan tragedy. Shipping line Negros Navigation MV Don Juan collided with an oil tanker which caused the vessel to sink. It happened on the 22nd of April, 1980, where more than 700 people from the city lost their lives which included the family members of some prominent families as well. In the midst of these tragic events, the late city Mayor Jose “Digoy” Montalvo together with civic groups and the local people decided to hold this one of a kind festival to boost and uplift the morale of every Negrense that was once lost. This was the beginning of “Festival of Smiles” or commonly known nowadays as the Masskara Festival.

How to go to Bacolod, Negros Occidental:

                There are 3 ways to get to Bacolod City: by land, by air and by sea.

By air:

You can go to Bacolod City directly from Manila, Angeles, Butuan, Cagayan de oro, Cebu, Davao and Puerto Princesa. Bacolod-Silay International Airport is the main airport. It is located 15 kilometers northeast of Bacolod. From Manila, it would take an hour and 30 minutes to reach Bacolod if you decided to go by plane.

By land:

                Once you reached Bacolod City, travelling around the city is possible through the help of local modes of transportation. Jeepney is the primary mode of transportation. Pedicabs, Tricycles, Taxis, Van and Bus (Ceres Liner) are some of your options to get you around the city and nearby destinations.

By sea:

                If you’re coming from Iloilo City and you decided to go to Bacolod, you can reach Bacolod through the help of Oceanjet and Supercat 2GO ferry lines. Travelling is approximately an hour of ferry ride. 2GO travel route from port of Manila to Bacolod will take you 18 to 23 hours of ferry ride.

                Roro is also available from Iloilo, Cebu and other nearby provinces. This will take you 3 to 6 hours depending on the land travel you will take.

Best way to enjoy Bacolod:

                You can still enjoy the beauty of Bacolod and other destinations Negros Occidental offers even if Masskara Festival is already over. Here are some of the must see, must experience and must visit when you are in Negros Occidental:

1   Taste Authentic Chicken Inasal at Manokan Country.

2  Reflect at San Sebastian Cathedral.

3  Learn the Sugarcane Production.

4  Enjoy sunset at The Ruins.

5   Enjoy sightseeing at Campuestohan Highlands Resort.

6  Relax at Mambukal Resort.

7  Experience one of-a-kind getaway at Lakawon Island.

8  Pasalubong treats from Merzi and BongBong’s.