What makes Bacolod City unique - The City of Smiles

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Hey there guys! I am back again for another blog post here on TravelFeed! This time, I'm going to share on what makes Bacolod City unique than the others.

Before moving here to Bacolod City on 1996, my family and I lived on the First Farmers compound in Dos Hermanas, Talisay City since the day I was born. For more than two decades, I lived in Bacolod City with my family. It was dubbed as the "City of Smiles" due to the popular and world-famous event known as Masskara Festival. It was celebrated every October of the year.

It's currently the biggest city in the entire Western Visayas.

Without further ado, here's what makes Bacolod City unique.

1 - San Sebastian Cathedral

The iconic cathedral in Bacolod City is one of the oldest churches today. This is where I attend Sunday mass most of the time. The schedule of their Sunday masses are every hour from 2:30 PM until 8:30 PM. The iconic structure was built in the late 19th century and was reconstructed in 1956. The two iconic church bells were donated by the late Fr. Mauricio Ferrero and Fr. Mariano De Avila in 1885.

The San Sebastian Cathedral is located near the Bacolod City Plaza and La Consolacion College - Main school. The closest malls from the cathedral by foot are SM City Bacolod and 888 Chinatown Square Bacolod.

2 - Bacolod City Public Plaza

Up next on the list is no other than the Bacolod City Plaza. It is one of the famous landmarks and is located in the heart of Bacolod City. After the Spaniards surrendered the Negros Island to the revolutionaries, this is where the plaza was named Plaza Del 6 De Noviembre.

Some places like the iconic San Sebastian Cathedral, SM City Bacolod, Central Market, Terra Plaza Food Court and the old city hall are just near the Bacolod City Public Plaza by foot.

In the plaza, you can see some iconic statues, fountains and locals who are playing chess, etc. At the center of the plaza, it is where public events take place, especially the world-famous Masskara Festival.

3 - The New Government Center

It is currently the newest city hall of Bacolod City. Last 2010, it was inaugurated and replacing the old one at the Araneta-Luzuriaga streets. It was nicknamed by the locals as "NGC" and it cost them around P400 million to build this new and improved city hall of Bacolod.

Before my mom retired, she was working in the New Government Center under the MITCS department. The New Government Center isn't just an ordinary big city hall like the others. In the front area, they have a park with fountain where families and friends can picnic and enjoy themselves.

Around the NGC are various bars, restaurants, BPO companies, coffee shops, etc. I can say that this is a must-visit place for tourists apart from the San Sebastian Cathedral and Bacolod City Public Plaza.

4 - Bacolod City Lagoon

Located in Lacson Street, the Bacolod City Lagoon is one of the best recreational parks in the City of Smiles. As early as 5 AM, citizens start to conduct various recreational activities such as walking, jogging, zumba dancing, skateboarding, martial arts, dance rehearsals and more. They have a kids playground as well.

Since the rehabilitation of the Bacolod City Lagoon, loitering is now prohibited and bikes are not allowed inside. Now I can see that the Bacolod City Lagoon is much more cleaner than before. The nearest landmarks of the lagoon are Provincial Capitol, Seda Hotel, Development Bank of the Philippines and 24-hour fast food chains like Chowking, Dunkin Donuts, McDonald's, Jollibee and KFC Lacson.

I can say that this is a must-visit landmark for local and foreign tourists who are having plans to visit Bacolod City.

5 - The Pope John Paul II Tower

Another landmark that is a must-visit for local and foreign tourist is the Pope John Paul II Tower. It was named after the late and canonized Pope John Paul II who visited Bacolod City on February 20, 1981. One thing that the Bacolodnons remembered about Pope John Paul II is that he held a city-wide Holy Mass at the Bacolod City Public Plaza. There are hundreds of Roman Catholics and Christians who attended this unforgettable event by the late canonized pope.

On February 18, 2010, the iconic Pope John Paul II tower was opened to the public. It was blessed by Edward Joseph Adams, the Grace Archbishop of the country's Apostolic Nuncio. He was assisted by no other than Bishop Vicente Navarra, D.D., and San Sebastian Cathedral's rector Rev. Fr. Felix Pasquin. The tower was successfully built under BREDCO's founder Atty. Simplicio A. Palanca.

The entrance fee of the Pope John Paul II tower is only P20.00. The tower is open until 8:00 P.M.

6 - Negros Museum

One of the must-see places in Bacolod City is no other than the Negros Museum. It was opened in 1996 at the building of Provincial Capitol. However, it was transferred in Gatuslao Street where it is the former city's agricultural building.

Inside of the Negros Museum was some of the most fascinating artworks coming from the local artists. On top of that, you'll get to learn some history about Bacolod City and the Negros Island.

The Negros Museum was just near the Bacolod City Lagoon and Park, Ayala Malls Capitol Central and 888 Chinatown Square where you can just easily reach by foot and no need to ride a jeepney or taxi if you're coming from these nearby areas.

The entrance fee to explore the Negros Museum has three classifications (P20.00 for children and students, P40.00 for senior citizens and P50.00 for general admission). It's pretty much affordable, especially if you want to enter a city museum. They are open from Tuesdays to Sundays, 10:00 AM to 8:00 PM.

7 - May's Organic Garden

Another reason why Bacolod City is so unique is because of May's Organic Garden. Located somewhere in Barangay Pahanocoy, it is also one of the must-see tourist attractions in the City of Smiles. It's just near the Bacolod South General Hospital.

Outside of the May's Organic Garden was an organic restaurant. It's fully-airconditioned and pretty cozy for visitors. They have great choices for you to try like their native coffee, organic piaya and a whole lot more. They usually sell organic foods, and they are indeed healthy for us.

However, the entire garden was the main highlight. The entrance fee to access the garden was P150.00. To summarize, they have an organic garden, swimming pool, boating, horseback riding, viewing of naturally grown animals like the rabbits and pigs, restaurant and coffee shop and pasalubong center.

From the Bacolod City Public Plaza, you can ride a jeepney (Puntataytay) to May's Organic Garden. Just tell the driver that you are going to the May's Organic Garden.

The last time that I visited here was with my best friend. We enjoyed most of the afternoon just for sightseeing purposes. Trust me guys, visiting this place is absolutely worth it.

8 - The Water Garden Forest Park

Last, but not the least, is the Water Garden Forest Park. It's located in Barangay Taculing, and it's one of the best swimming and recreational resorts in Bacolod City. In order to get there, you must ride a Taculing jeepney and tell the driver that you are going to the Water Garden Forest Park.

The entrance fee is P120.00 for adults and P100.00 for ages 3-10. Children below 3 years old are free of charge. The entrance fee covers the use of the swimming pools and the lazy river. If you are planning to spend your overnight here, they have villas that can accommodate up to 6 people each for almost P6,000 a night.

The lazy river might look like a "river-type" pool but it's for boating purposes and not for swimming. Not only that, they have a 2,000 sq. m. swimming pool, mini zoo, shooting fountain, mini and grand gazebo.

My best friend lives in Barangay Taculing, and it's just near his home. Good thing that I've brought my swim attire with me, so I can swim even just for a short while. All I can say is that the Water Garden Forest Park is something you should not miss exploring as a local or foreign tourist.

Final words

At least I have shared to you guys on what makes Bacolod City so unique to local and foreign tourists. If you have any travel plans to Bacolod City in the near future, you might want to check these landmarks and resorts that I've mentioned. Cheers!

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