Philippine Churches: San Diego Pro-cathedral

The statuesque San Diego Cathedral

October 5, 2010

Silay City, Negros Occidental

This is one of my favorites. It's huge, grand and beautiful. Located in the center of Silay City, this church is named in honor of Didacus of Alcalá, the Franciscan saint more commonly known in the Philippines as San Diego de Alcalá.

The church interior

The 24-hour Negros Escape: Bacolod, Silay, Talisay, Manapla

Negros may not have the mighty mountains of Sagada nor can its beaches be compared to the ones in Palawan but its sugarcane plantation in the countryside is amazing and overwhelming. Even from the aerial view, one can already see the sprawling greens of sugarcanes, and true to what I already know, Negros indeed is a sugarlandia.

Known as the Land of the Sugar Barons, Negros Occidental is a good spot to learn the heritage and lifestyle of its opulent residents during their heydays. We visited some of its heritage houses and mansions, and from the stories of the people we met there, it was like stepping back in time when these landed people were living high and languid. Before the sugar industry crashed in 1980s, we were told about their grand balls, the carriage pulled by mighty horses, and their other excesses in life.