The Balay Negrense in Silay is the ancestral house of Victor Fernandez Gaston.  I hope to visit this place after the pandemic.  Meantime, I will learn about it through the website of the Negros Season of Culture.

Today I learned from an online event invitation that a website will be launched in the Philippines on Thursday, November 5, 2020, with the intent of showcasing the rich heritage and culture of the Visayan island of Negros.

The Negros Season of Culture (NSC) is a project of the Angelica Berrie Foundation that is currently on Facebook and Instagram.  On Thursday however, it will launch a website which will conveniently allow people worldwide to access stories, information and videos about the unique culture of Negros, also known as the Sugar Bowl of the Philippines.

The website will have five editorial categories—heritage homes, handicrafts, food, cultural experience and people.

The Mariano Ramos Ancestral House is one of the stately homes in the island of Negros.


I have not been to Negros yet though I have been to the Philippines many times.  I hope to visit Negros when this plague is over for two reasons.

First, Negros plays a big role in sugar production.  In the 19th century, we the British fielded a consul in the area mainly because of the sugar industry.  An Englishman by the name of Nicholas Loney was stationed in the neighboring island of Panay, in the city of Iloilo, overseeing the trade of sugar between Negros and the west.

Second is my fascination with what I saw when I watched the movie, "Everyday I Love You" with Liza Soberano.  The city of Silay in Negros is strewn with beautiful ancestral homes.

I would like to see all these.  But while the plague is on, I am happy to know about the Negros Season of Culture's efforts to bring Negrense culture to the world.

Kansi is a favorite Negrense dish which is relished by locals.

As I have learned from the President of the Angelica Berrie Foundation, Baba Torre, there are many hidden gems in Negros Occidental that her group hoped to bring to life through the Negros Season of Culture.

“We are living in an extraordinary time, in the midst of a global pandemic, in a moment of radical disruption,” said Baba Torre.

“Our messaging is focused on the future. We want to inspire hope and tap into the creative spirit that has always been part of who we are as Negrenses. We conceived of threading stories of creativity into one regional narrative, creating a platform for local, national and global audiences to discover what makes Negros special, ”  Torre said.

Educational activities about Negros history and culture once done in the Negros Museum can soon be accessed through the Negros Season of Culture website.

The launch on Thursday at 11AM GMT will be hosted by multi-awarded Negrense actor Joel Torre, will be streamed through Facebook Live.  That will be 8 p.m. on Nov. 5, Philippine Standard Time, the day Negros Occidental celebrates its annual Cinco de Noviembre feast to commemorate the day Negrenses revolted against Spanish colonizers and won in 1898.

Do join the launch of the Negros Season of Culture through the Facebook Live event on the Negros Season of Culture Facebook Page.