Kim's Quest #38: Bacolod New Government Center and Balay ni Tana Dicang

Both are seats of power. Two cities apart. One is from the past, while the other is in the present and possibly in the future.

Different architecture styles showed a different era of power. One is for history while the other is for leisure and business.

Bacolod New Government Center (NGC) is the new seat of power that replaced the old City Hall that's located in Araneta-Luriaga Streets. This relatively new landmark is located in once was a huge sugarcane plantation in Circumferential Road, Brgy. Villamonte, Bacolod, Negros Occidental.

This relatively new Italianate style building was designed by Architect Orlando M. Mateo and became one of the most photographed landmarks of Bacolod. It costed the city Php 400 million to construct, but I think the investment worth it. The so-called White Mansion became a catalyst of investment in the area as it attracted business and trade in the surrounding area. Banks, hotels, restaurants, bars, and new routes have emerged and transformed the area into a new hub where both locals and tourists converge.

I have been to NGC twice and I can say that the best time to visit is during late afternoon to early evening. The NGC grounds became a place for joggers, pet lovers, and families and friends hanging out. The clean and well-maintained environment of NGC makes the people frequent in the area. At the front of the White Mansion is a lagoon with a fountain at the center. Light shows at night are often accompanied by music which made the place so lively.

The photos above were from our second visit. Here are the photos from our first visit:

Balay ni Tana Dicang is a seat of power in the past. This balay museum is located along the intersection of Rizal St. and Enrique Lizares St., Talisay City, Negros Occidental. It is a Spanish-Filipino style architecture which is famously known as "balay na bato" or "house of stone". This is the house and legacy of Doña Enrica Alunan Lizares, a great Negrense matriarch.

The structure was built in 1883 and showed a great example of a well-preserved house from the early onset of sugar industry in the island of Negros. Visiting the ancestral house, even when it was closed when we got there, showed me the grandeur of the lifestyle of prominent families in the past.

There are similar structures and architectures in the cities of Talisay and Silay, Negros Occidental. I already made posts in the past and you can find them here:

Kim Ybañez

_{Welcome to Kim's small corner in Steem. He is a chemical engineer by profession, but a blogger by passion. He is a wanderlust and an adventure seeker. Join his quests as he visits secluded destinations, climbs mountains, tries new and exotic dishes, and explores his country (The Philippines) and the rest of the world even if he's still a poor corporate slave with tons of bills to pay and two siblings to support in college.}

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