Balay Negrense

Tores-na-tores kami sa Bacolod. Our second stop after Punong is the Balay Negrense, the ancestral house of Don Victor Fernandez Gaston. It’s now a showcase of what was once the grand 19th-century residence of a wealthy sugar baron and his family.

I love that Bacolod preserves the old Spanish mansions as part of their heritage.

The Gaston’s linealogy. Victor Fernandez Gaston and Filomena Makiling had 12 children. The kids of course were half-French and Filipino. Kaya maraming mestizo and mestiza in Bacolod.
This is fantastic, they are able to track down every great great great great great great grand parents in their lineage. Kami wala nyan. Using this map, Dimple was able to trace her suitor in high school surnamed Gaston. Uyyy.

One stairs for ladies, the other side is for men.

To the left– women, to the right—men.

Visitors are encouraged to stand behind the dresses and place their arms in front to pretend that they are the ones wearing the dresses. I also have pictures taken posing like that using Dimple’s camera. I haven’t seen the photos. I am sure I look ridiculous, awkwardly standing trying to put my head forward. It’s neither cute nor funny. I doubt very much if I look like a donya in that photo. Baka mukha akong muchacha.

Some of the items are not original to the house and do not belong to the original owners of the mansion like this beautiful gown.
This intricate dress was donated to Balay Negrense Foundation by Socorro Mirasol Penalosa. She wore this gown during the Queen of Queens Pageant coronation night in 1971 where she was crowned the winner.

The mansion has a large second floor living room called parlor. Ngayong panahon ang alam lang ng karamihang tao na parlor eh yung kung saan magpa-mani pedi at kulot.

There are six bedrooms on the second floor and six more on the ground floor. But there is only one toilet in the whole house.

This elegant canopy bed with wood carvings was made-to-order from a well-known Chinese craftsman during those days.

My favorite piece of furniture around the house— the dining table.

Original cupboard

Original kitchen appliances. There was no freezer yet so the rich baron ordered ice from Spain for shipment to Bacolod.

A picture of Susan Magalona, the sister of actor Pancho Magalona, hangs on the second floor. She is not a descendant of Victor Gaston but since this is a Balay Negrense, her photo was donated to add to the museum’s collection.

Susan was married to Charlie Ledesma, a marriage arranged by their parents against her will. After seven years, although she and her husband were in good terms, Susan started living separately from her husband. She then requested for her marriage to be annulled with the consent of Charlie. During those days, the church would only agree to grant an annulment or declare the marriage null and void if the marriage was not consummated. Tests were made to prove that Susan Magalona was still a virgin despite marrying and living with her husband of seven years.

Susan Magalona later married Federico Elizalde. Carlos Ledesma married Conchita Arenas.

A souvenir shop now occupies the garage

This bicycle once belonged to one of the baron’s sons.

Garage

Kunwari ako tiga-bukas ng garahe nung araw.

OMB reader Cecile Ledesma joined us after our Balay Negrense tour. She lives just 10 – 15 minutes away. She told me everything in Bacolod is near. She had lots of amusing stories about the families who lived in the Spanish mansions in the area.