The Ruins of Talisay is one of the most photographed spots in Negros Occidental. Located at the middle of a subdivision with sugarcane plantations in Talisay City, Tourists go out of their way just to go here and have some pictures taken. I am no exception to that.
Dubbed as the ‘Taj Mahal of Negros’, the Ruins of Talisay is also listed as one the the 12 Most Fascinating Ruins of the World. I remember that part in the Julia Roberts travel movie ‘Eat, Love, Pray’, where she described about the beauty within ruins (Colosseum in Italy) . This is a perfect example for that line.
For years, I’ve been reading a lot of blog entries and testimonials about The Ruins. Some even claim that it is a haunted place. There’s this image that circulated online where an image of a man in barong is seen and people started debating whether the photo is edited or not.
The mansion was owned by Don Mariano Ledesma Lacson, which he gave to his Portugese wife Maria Braga from Macau. The two met in one of his travels in Hongkong. It was said that the mansion is the biggest during that time and it is pretty evident in the ruined structure that they only used the best materials for the construction of the structure. The family intentionally burned the house sometime in World War II so that the Japanese soldiers won’t use it as their headquarters. We’ll never really know what happened after. I bet Don Mariano and Maria Braga felt really bad that they had to do that. Ang bongga kaya ng mansyon LOL.
The Ruins of Talisay opened its doors to the public in 2008 and since then, the place became a favorite venue for parties, debuts, weddings among others. I would like to shoot a short film there about ruined relationships. Sounds familiar? 😛
Meanwhile, I decided to take pictures using the Pinhole feature of my beloved LX3. I just love that creepy yet pretty feel in the photographs hehe. 😀
We paid Php60 each for the entrance, while students and senior citizens get a discounted price. On my next trip to Negros, I’ll make sure that I have extra SD cards with me so I can record some short clips. It is also perfect for pictorial sessions.
We only stayed for a 30-40 minutes since we’re about to leave and fly back to Manila that afternoon. Thanks Hannah for bringing me here! The next time we visit this place, we need to shoot a short film!
How to Get There -> Sadly, there are no direct public transportations to this magnificent place. However, you hire a taxi or jeepney and just tell the driver to bring you to The Ruins.
im so gld you enjoyed your short trip to my hometown. sa susunod ako naman mag iinvade ng Dagupan!
Yepyep! Sa wakas nakarating na rin ako ng Bacolod hehe dapat matuloy ka na rin sa Dagupan kahit overnight lang din! 😛
the “ghost” is a hoax. it is a photoshopped image. =)
Awts hehe thanks for the clarification, Jayvee 😀
The fee is very cheap, makes the visit worthwhile! Hindi ba kulay dilaw ang Ruins? Sinunog, really. ganda pa rin ha!
I liked the idea of ruined relationship..hehe bitter ko! lol
Hello Mitch! Actually, nagmahal na siya sa lagay na yan 😀 Nung 2008 ata 25 per person ang entrance fee. Worth it pa rin naman since inayos talaga nila yung garden at may tindahan na rin sa loob. 😀 Nakarelate ka sa ruined relationships ah! 😛
I love the hued photos! It’s brings me to some sort of melancholy. I wanna go there, too.
Thanks! You should visit din 😀
Thanks mica! pahingi ng ibang pictures 😀
Sure, dear! Grab lang sa Flickr ko 🙂
great photos of the ruins. it’s one of the reasons why i wanna go to bacolod. i’ve seen so many photographs of the ruins, i can’t bare not to take pictures of it myself. sigh… promise, next year na talaga…
Thank you! Bring your son there i’m sure magugustuhan niya 🙂
di ko pa toh napupuntahan sa Bacolod. hmmm.
Don’t miss it on your next Bacolod trip!
Great shots ah! I like the stairway to heaven photo… 🙂
share ko lang po, here’s what i did to get there, by public transpo…
From Bacolod City, take a jeepney going to Bata, tell the driver to drop you off at Bangga Rose Lawn Farm (fare is 7.00 pesos). From there, take a tricycle going to “The Ruins”, fare is 15.00 pesos.
Thanks for the tip, Mervz!
rose lawn is not a farm. its a cemetery
youll know that a structure is really good because even when it’s already ruined… it’s still grand. this one is just a short walk away from my relatives home in bacolod.
I agree with you. Parang ang sarap mag-moment dito pag sunset kahit na feeling ko may kasabay akong moomoo sa background hehe 😀
Ganito pala effect ng pinhole app, I tried it once using my dslr and a lens cap with a hole and the effect was amazing 🙂
Hehe yup 🙂 it’s my favorite feature of LX3. Napaka-classy ng dating ng photos!
I love the way you’ve edited these photos! There is something almost haunting about them 🙂
Thanks Sam! I used LX3’s Pinhole feature. 🙂
i love the photos! nice one 🙂
Thanks Gelai! 🙂
Ang ganda! Perfect place for photoshoots. This has been on my bucket list for ages. 😀