Silay City: The greens beyond the heritage houses

Silay City, which is in the Philippines' Western Visayas region, has been dubbed the "Paris of Negros." The place is known for its heritage houses, which are influenced by European architecture. But there's more than these famed houses.

Forty minutes away from Bacolod City, I found myself transported back in time in Silay City's 19th century façade. I began my journey to history at Balay Negrense, one of the 31 heritage houses accredited by the National Historical Institute.

 Photo Credits: Aldwin Dalpatan

Balay Negrense, a century-old two-storey ancestral home of the Gastons, was transformed into a museum and is one of the most visited heritage houses in Silay. There, I met Susan Velez, executive assistant for Tourism, who invited me to join their trip to Barangay Balaring.

At first, I thought Silay was just about its heritage houses but I was wrong. Silay City Mayor Jose Montelibano said that they wanted to develop their eco-tourism sector through the development of the Balaring Coastal Eco-tourism Area and the Patag Mountain Resort.

Mount Patag Photo Credits: Aldwin Dalpatan

"We need to jumpstart a model tour for tour operators, so the rest of the cities will follow," said Montelibano.

After passing by the houses, we found ourselves walking on a 700-meter long bamboo bridge built in the middle of a 50-hectare mangrove forest. The Mangrove Forest Plantation was initiated by a Japanese-led non-government organization IKAW-AKO in 1997 to protect the coastal villages.

 

While walking, I noticed these signages hanging on the trees. Tourism officer Ver Pacete said that students visit the place to plant mangroves. Tourists are also welcome to plant mangroves. The IKAW-AKO foundation encourages people with their motto, "Planting Mangroves for life. It's fun."

After a 15-minute walk, we reached Tom Tower, a nipa hut which gives a breathtaking view of the sea and the mangrove forest.

The breeze in the nipa hut was cool and refreshing. One can reflect and commune with nature. Indeed, Silay wants to be known not just as a haven of culture and the arts but also as an eco-tourism destination.