The Balay Negrense was originally the ancestral house of Victor F. Gaston, a son of Yves Leopold Germain Gaston and Prudencia Fernandez. Built in 1897,[2] the structure housed Victor Gaston and his twelve children from 1901 until his death in 1927. Left unused by the family, the structure was abandoned in the mid-1970s and fell into disrepair until a group of concerned Negrenses formed what would later become the Negros Cultural Foundation and managed to acquire the house from the heirs of Gaston through a donation. With donations from prominent individuals and later the Department of Tourism, the structure was repaired and furnished with period furniture and fixtures. The museum was officially inaugurated on October 6, 1990.
This museum/ancestral house is in the same city as with the airport so this is the nearest tourist spot that you can visit from the Silay-Bacolod Airport. T'was our last day in Bacolod and we had an early flight the next day so we opted to visit Balay Negrense before leaving.
You will see the house's original furniture and decorations inside, but we're not allowed to touch any of the antique items on display. The reception area at the ground floor is spacious and airy.
We came there around 4:30 pm, almost near closing time. Entrance fee is PHP50.
Music is an integral part in the lives of Silaynon (natives of Silay). They say most houses there have pianos. The city is known to have produced several Sopranos like Conchita Gaston, granddaughter of Victor Gaston.
Once you get to the second floor, you will immediately see a wide window with the view of Silay and the San Diego Cathedral Church.
This table shows the genealogy of the Gaston Family from Yves and Filomena down to the current descendants.
We went inside the Museum Gift shop to buy souvenirs.
They also sell artworks of Silay artists there.
We bought refrigerator magnets and key chains, as we usually do when we visit a new place.
It's our tradition.
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Note:
Balay Negrense is open from Tuesdays to Sundays.
Closed on Mondays, and also on holidays.
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