Negros Occidental
Negros keeps its faith in coral stone and in procession. In Silay and Talisay the old families still bring out their pasos on Good Friday. In Victorias a sugar mill keeps a modern chapel. In Talisay, every First Friday, devotees have an image of San Vicente Ferrer pressed to the body, a devotion called the palapak. Whether you come to pray or simply to look, go quietly, dress modestly, and let the bells set the pace.
The stay is at Bukaw, by the Malogo River in Silay.
Drive times on this page are approximate, from Silay City proper, not measured from our gate.
Last checked 27 October 2026.
The loop below is one way to spend the day. Other days from the house are in Day Trips.
Church
Open
The present church was built in 1925–1927 to a design by the Italian architect Lucio Bernasconi, mostly paid for by Don José R. Ledesma. The parish dates to 1776. The Diocese of Bacolod declared it a pro-cathedral on 25 December 1994. On Good Friday the old sugar families bring out their pasos.
The Good Friday procession is the one to see. The feast day is 13 November. Dress modestly.
Mass times are not listed here. Check with the parish.
Church
Open
The cornerstone was laid on 27 April 1876, and the church was inaugurated on 20 January 1882 under Fr. Mauricio Ferrero, the first Recollect parish priest, with prison labor lent by the governor. It is coral stone from Guimaras. The parish goes back to the late 1700s. The sources do not agree on the year. It is the seat of the diocese created in 1932–33. The Lenten pasos here are mostly silver.
The feast of San Sebastian is 20 January. Dress modestly, and be quiet during Mass.
Mass times are not listed here. Check with the parish.
Church
Open
Also the Diocesan Shrine of San Vicente Ferrer. Fr. Fernando Cuenca was its first curate from about 1850. Some sources say 1851. The present church was begun in 1936 by Fr. Luis Álvarez, finished by Fr. Santiago Vilda, and blessed on 9 September 1939. Century-old pasos of the Diaz and Lacson families, shorter than most, come out on Good Friday. Every First Friday, devotees line up for the palapak.
The parish feast of San Nicolás de Tolentino is 10 September, during Minulu-an. The feast of San Vicente Ferrer is 5 April.
Mass times are not listed here. Check with the parish.
Victorias, Manapla, Sagay, Bago, Valladolid and La Carlota. The drives are longer, and they are still estimates from Silay.
Church
Open. Access depends on the mill.
Built in 1948–1950 by the Ossorio family for the Victorias Milling Company community. The architect was Antonin Raymond. Alfonso Ossorio's mural, begun in 1949 and unveiled in 1950, hangs above the altar. The National Museum declared the chapel an Important Cultural Property in 2015. It stands inside the mill compound. The photograph here is the church from outside.
Access is through the Victorias mill gate. Bring an ID and register there. There are no fixed visiting hours. Call ahead if you can: (034) 488-7900.
Church
Check before you go
A small chapel built from the wheels of old sugar carts, under a roof like a farmer's hat. It's a prayer made from the tools of the harvest.
Hours, the fee, and how a visit is arranged are not confirmed here.
Shrine
Open
A diocesan shrine of San Vicente Ferrer, in the Diocese of San Carlos. It was a Recollect mission by 1898, and the present church is of the 1930s. Palapak here follows the First Friday Mass and is often done to keep a panaad, a vow. Some pilgrims also walk to the altar on their knees. That is a separate custom.
The fiesta, Panaad kay San Vicente, is around 1 May. The liturgical feast of San Vicente Ferrer is 5 April.
Church
Open
Visited from 24 June 1575 by the Augustinian Fr. Gerónimo Marín, out of Binalbagan. The parish dates to 1822, and the Recollects arrived in 1882. Brick walls and a fortress-like façade. The church witnessed the proclamation of the Negros revolution on 5 November 1898.
The feast of San Juan Bautista is 24 June.
Mass times are not listed here. Check with the parish.
Church
Open
A Recollect parish from 1852. The stone church was begun in 1877 by Fr. Carlos Úbeda. People here say its Guadalupe image saved the town from floods.
Sources differ on whether the church was finished before the 1898 revolution. The marker gives 1877.
Mass times are not listed here. Check with the parish.
Church
Open
The parish was separated from San Enrique on 4 December 1876. Fr. Andrés Torres began the church in 1877. It was blessed on 23 January 1936. An NHCP marker was installed on 12 December 2001. The Diocese of Bacolod named it a Pilgrim Church for the 2025 Jubilee. It is the southernmost stop on this loop.
Mass times are not listed here. Check with the parish.
Seven churches, as a sketch for Holy Thursday or for any quiet day. The clock times are a plan, not a promise. The drives are approximate from Silay City proper, not measured from our gate.
Then come back for the river.
During Holy Week, roads near the big churches close for processions, so start earlier and leave more time.
Visita Iglesia, the Good Friday processions, the palapak and the other devotions are in the next section, with the sources.
Most of these parishes were organized or rebuilt by the Augustinian Recollects. The Recollects took charge of Negros in 1848 and founded 56 parishes and missions in fifty years. The 1898 revolution halted many building projects, and several churches were finished only in the 1920s and 1930s.
History
The parish was created in 1776 by Bishop Rubio de Arévalo of Cebu. The first recorded priest was Fr. Ignacio de Molinas. Diocesan priests ran it until the Recollects took over in 1881. An earlier stone church, begun in 1841 under Fr. Eusebio Locsin, was never finished. Its ruins stand behind the church. The present building, 1925–1927, was designed by the Italian architect Lucio Bernasconi and mostly paid for by Don José R. Ledesma, with gifts from parishioners. It is a Latin cross, with a dome about 40 meters high, a Romanesque façade arch, and Renaissance towers and dome. The tower clock is from 1938. Bishop Camilo Gregorio declared it a pro-cathedral of the Diocese of Bacolod on 25 December 1994. The feast of San Diego de Alcalá is 13 November.
History
Sources differ on the founding. Published years include 1755, 1765, 1802 and 1818, so this page says the parish goes back to the late 1700s. Diocesan priests served it until Fr. Mauricio Ferrero, OAR, arrived in 1871. He was the first Recollect parish priest, not the first priest. The cornerstone was laid on 27 April 1876. The church was inaugurated on 20 January 1882 under Ferrero, with prison labor lent by the governor. Isidro María Lago of Iloilo painted the interior. The twin towers were begun in 1885. The stone is coral from Guimaras, and the hardwood is from Palawan. An NHCP marker was installed in 1952. Sources differ on when it became a cathedral. A papal bull of 15 July 1932, the year 1933, and a 23 June 1922 date on the 1952 marker do not agree. This page says it is the seat of the diocese created in 1932–33. The feast of San Sebastián is 20 January.
History
The parish dates to 1849 or 1850. Fr. Fernando Cuenca, OAR, was its first curate until he died in 1902, and he chose San Nicolás de Tolentino as patron. Sources differ on his arrival: the first days of January 1850, or parish priest from 1851. He began a second church, which Fr. Miguel García finished in the 1920s. The present church was begun in 1936 by Fr. Luis Álvarez, paused for lack of about 80,000 pesos, finished by Fr. Santiago Vilda, and blessed on 9 September 1939 by Apostolic Delegate Guglielmo Piani. Romanillos calls the style neoclassical. It is also the Diocesan Shrine of San Vicente Ferrer, the secondary patron, and the home of the palapak. The parish feast is 10 September. The feast of San Vicente Ferrer is 5 April.
History
The Ossorio family built the chapel in 1948–1950 for the Victorias Milling Company community. Antonin Raymond was the architect. Alfonso Ossorio's mural, about 60 square meters, was begun in 1949 and unveiled in 1950. Ade de Bethune made the mosaics, of broken bottles and china, and local artisans including Benjamin Valenciano and Arcadio Anore made images. The saints are dressed as Filipinos. The Salesians have been here since the 1960s, and it has been a parish since 1979. The National Museum declared it an Important Cultural Property in 2015. The dedication is to St. Joseph the Worker. A parish fiesta date is not confirmed here.
History
Sources differ on the founding. This page follows the account of a Recollect mission by 1898, when Frs. Antonio Hernández and Aquiles Alfaro were there and the place was renamed Vito, and a church of the 1930s. It is a diocesan shrine of the Diocese of San Carlos. The fiesta, Panaad kay San Vicente, is around 1 May. The liturgical feast is 5 April.
History
Augustinian Fr. Gerónimo Marín visited from Binalbagan beginning 24 June 1575. He was an Augustinian, not a Recollect. The Recollects came to Negros only in 1848, and to this parish in 1882. The parish itself dates to 1822. The walls are brick, and the façade is described as squarish and fortress-like. The church witnessed the proclamation of the Negros revolution on 5 November 1898. The feast of San Juan Bautista is 24 June.
History
A Recollect parish from 1852. The first priest, Fray Celestino Romero of Quiapo, laid out the town, which dates to 1860. Fr. Carlos Úbeda, OAR, began the stone church in 1877, the year on the church marker. Sources differ on whether it was finished before the 1898 revolution. After 1898 it was held by Aglipayans, then by Mill Hill missionaries from 1909 to 1917.
History
The town dates to 1869. The parish was separated from San Enrique on 4 December 1876. Fr. Andrés Torres, parish priest in 1877–1888 and 1891–1898, began the church in 1877. The 1898 revolution stopped the work, and Aglipayans held it. It was roofed in 1925 under Fr. Leandro Nieto, finished by Fr. Santiago Vilda, and blessed on 23 January 1936. An NHCP Level II marker was installed on 12 December 2001. It was a Pilgrim Church of the Diocese of Bacolod for the 2025 Jubilee. The feast is 24 January.
History
Augustinians opened the first missions in Negros at Binalbagan and Ilog in the 1570s. Ilog passed to the Jesuits in 1630, and Binalbagan to the Recollects in 1626. Neither old church survives as it was built.
History
A town from 1894, and probably the oldest San Vicente devotion in the province. American soldiers razed the church. It was rebuilt from 1920 under Fr. Juan Lavaca, burned in 1949, repaired, and handed to the Columbans in 1950. Palapak is held here only on the 5 April feast.
Sources
The old churches are a devotion and a heritage trail at once. Holy Week moves every year. This page does not publish a calendar for it until a parish does. Mass times are not listed. Ask the parish.
First Friday
San Nicolas de Tolentino is also the Diocesan Shrine of San Vicente Ferrer. Every First Friday, after Mass, devotees line up and a server presses a small image of San Vicente Ferrer on the head, then on the part of the body they point to, while they pray for healing or for a petition. Some kiss the image. Some bring the clothes of a sick relative to be touched instead. The biggest crowd comes on the first First Friday of the year. The name is palapak, also written patapak, from the Hiligaynon word lapak, to step on. It is not walking on the knees. The feast of San Vicente Ferrer, the secondary patron, is 5 April. The parish feast of San Nicolás is 10 September. In La Castellana the same devotion is held only on 5 April.
Expect long lines, especially in January. Dress modestly, wait your turn, and don't photograph people being touched without asking. Watching quietly is welcome. Confirm the Mass time with the parish.
Sagay
At Vito Church some pilgrims walk to the altar on their knees. That custom is separate from the palapak, in which the image is pressed to the body. Palapak at Vito follows the First Friday Mass and is often done to keep a panaad, a vow.
Vito, around 1 May
A four-day fiesta around 1 May. In 2023 it was about 25 years old. The days include Masses, a novena reading called the pabasa, a procession and a fluvial parade. The pagpauli recalls the image's return to Molocaboc Island.
Holy Thursday
On Holy Thursday, Catholics visit seven churches and pray two Stations of the Cross in each. The provincial and national tourism offices promote the old churches for it. One way to drive the seven stops from Silay is the loop above.
Holy Week
Silay's pro-cathedral processes 16 pasos at about 6 pm, many of them owned by old sugar families. Bacolod's Santo Entierro procession had about 30 pasos and an estimated 150,000 people in 2019. Those pasos are mostly silver-clad, and clans such as the Gonzagas own them. Talisay keeps century-old pasos, shorter than most, of the Diaz and Lacson families.
Good Friday
Negros calls its sinakulo-style Good Friday play the taltal. Talisay, through the Talisay Taltal Organization, and San Sebastian Cathedral stage a road scene through town. Talisay repeats it in the evening. Sources differ on the word. One account says it means taking Christ's body down from the cross. Another glosses it as the crucifixion. This page publishes it as the Good Friday Passion play.
Through the year
In Valladolid, people believe Our Lady of Guadalupe saved the town from floods, and the town's harvest thanksgiving honors her. La Carlota's Our Lady of Peace was a Pilgrim Church of the Diocese of Bacolod for the 2025 Jubilee. Talisay keeps a Wednesday novena to Our Lady of Perpetual Help.
January
Here the Santo Niño fiestas are civic festivals as much as parish feasts. Sinulog is in Kabankalan, and Dinagsa is in Cadiz.
Talisay and Vito
First Friday pilgrims travel to Vito and to Talisay from across Negros. For the 2025 Jubilee, the Diocese of Bacolod named pilgrim churches, among them La Carlota.
Sources
On Holy Thursday, Catholics visit seven churches and pray two Stations of the Cross in each.
Yes. Access is through the Victorias mill gate, inside the Victorias Milling Company compound. Register at the gate. Entry is free, and donations are welcome.
At Vito, palapak (also written patapak) is a devotion in which a server presses an image of San Vicente Ferrer on the head and on the part of the body that needs healing, often to keep a panaad, a vow. Walking to the altar on the knees is a separate custom. The same pressing of the image is done every First Friday at San Nicolas de Tolentino in Talisay.
Silay's pro-cathedral processes 16 pasos at about 6 pm, many of them owned by old sugar families. Bacolod's Santo Entierro procession had about 30 pasos and an estimated 150,000 people in 2019. Those pasos are mostly silver-clad. Talisay keeps century-old pasos, shorter than most, of the Diaz and Lacson families.
San Sebastian in Bacolod is 20 January. The Vito fiesta in Sagay, Panaad kay San Vicente, is around 1 May, and the liturgical feast of San Vicente Ferrer is 5 April. San Nicolas in Talisay is 10 September, and San Diego in Silay is 13 November.
The river after
Go out for the morning. Come back while the light is still on the water. River time and the river does not rush are the two essays we mean by that.
Flying in? We can meet you at Bacolod–Silay Airport with a van. Pickup is an extra charge. Write to us and we will arrange it.