Victor Fernandez Gaston Ancestral House

An artistically crafted museum in Silay City, Negros Occidental, showcasing the Negrense sugar baron lifestyle of the 19th Century, is popularly known as the Balay Negrense Museum. It is the first museum in the Negros Occidental province and is one of the most visited heritage houses in Silay City.

Formerly, the house was an ancestral property owned by Victor F. Gaston. Prudencia Fernandez and Yves Leopold German parented Gaston.

Sugar cultivation was started by the eldest Gaston after he married Prudencia Fernandez from Calatagan, Batangas. He began experimenting with sugarcane production on his farm and later relocated to Negros.

The history that surrounds Balay Negrense Museum

The building was built in 1897. Victor Gaston inhabited the place and was survived by his twelve children until 1901. Gaston and his parents stayed there until his demise in 1927. After they abandoned the structure in the mid-1970s, the mansion fell into disrepair.

The local Negrense group then took up the project of repairing and restoring the heritage building, later recognized as the Negros Cultural Foundation.

Negros Cultural Foundation acquired the house from Gaston’s heirs using funds raised through donations from prominent townspeople, along with a fair amount of financial assistance from the Department of Tourism.

The money helped them repair the structure and renovate and re-furnish it in a museum style, with fixtures and period furniture. On October 6, 1990, the heritage building was officially inaugurated as a museum.

The front of the house has a nice garden and a water fountain. The house is structured like a “house of stone” that incessantly reflects colonization in the Philippines. The basement, however, is constructed of brick rather than stone.

The foundation pillars of the building were made from trunks of local hardwood, the balayong tree. The tree wood also forms the floorboards of the building—galvanized iron coats the wood for the upper story instead of tile.

The building has a four-meter-high ceiling, large windows, and ventanillas for easy ventilation and air circulation.

Smaller windows at the foot of the larger ones have easy-to-open sliding panels for more ventilation. The first story is a meter high, leaving only a crawlspace; however, with proper ventilation, dampness is prevented.

Things to watch out for at the museum

• The house is full of exhibits and architectural artifacts.
• There are many antique utensils on display in the kitchen.
• An open-air pantaw leads to the stairs from the lower floor. However, the servants have access to the work areas and living rooms through the stairs from the pantaw.
• The Balay Negrense is not only about a family; it also tells the town’s story through its lifestyle, culture, and traditions. It reminisces about those days gone by.

Entrance Fee

The museum currently has an entrance fee of Php50.00. Balay Negrense is located on Cinco de Noviembre St. in Silay City, Negros Occidental.

How to get there

Silay City is just a 30- to 45-minute Bus or Jeepney ride from Bacolod City. Take a Silay City-bound jeepney and get off at El Ideal Bakery. From El Ideal, Balay Negrense is just three blocks away.

* Photos courtesy of Gael of Pinaysolobackpacker.com

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