Silay - Travel to the Past

My wife has been asking me to visit Vigan ilocos Sur in order to see the old heritage houses there and those beautiful places in Ilocos. I told her it’s really far, and that maybe I could bring her to Silay City instead of Vigan.

I remember when we were having our hospital duty at Silay General Hospital during my college nursing days at Colegio de San Agustin – Bacolod, we had to wake up early because Manong will leave at 6 am. He was our driver for almost three years of hospital duties for both morning and night duties where we had to attend almost more than 10 birth deliveries a night back then.

Of these moments, what I will never forget was when we were having our last duty in Silay. Manong toured us for free in all of those old houses in Silay. He served as our tourist guide. This houses were densely concentrated and you can easily walk from one to the other. Some remain in private hands with the people living there quite literally living in the past. These may be closed to the public, but there are many that are open and a stroll around the city will bring you face to face with history.

Worthy of note was the home of rich and famous people before like Victor Gaston, son of a French sugar baron who settled in the Philippines. Bernardino Jalandoni who built a museum in 1908, Vicente Conlu Montelibano’s house, Maria Ledesma Golez’ house which has been converted to the Silay branch of RCBC bank, while the Angel Araneta Ledesma house, also known as the “Green House”, is currently used as the Silay culture and tourism offices. and Kapitan Mariano Montelibano Lacson’s house.

I also remember Manong brought us to the known haunted house in Silay. I don’t if it’s true though. Neverthless, I wish I could bring my family also in Silay someday.