Romance and Beauty at The Ruins

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The Ruins in Talisay is one of the world's most fascinating ruins

On a rainy Friday afternoon in Talisay, my friends and I found ourselves at The Ruins, one of the 12 Most Fascinating Ruins of the World. It's considered as the Taj Mahal of Negros Occidental due to its beautiful structure and the equally beautiful love story behind its construction.

The four-tiered fountain of The Ruins

The Ruins stands proud and majestic at the center of a sprawling plantation owned by Don Mariano Ledesma Lacson of Negros. The Ruins was constructed around the 1930s and was regarded as the grandest mansion during that time. It was built in honor of Don Mariano's deceased first wife, Maria Brago Lacson.  A testament to Don Mariano's great love for Maria was the use of the finest materials and decors for the mansion. Embossed on certain posts of the mansion were 2 letters, M"  and "M", which stand for "Mariano" and "Maria" and their undying love for each other.

Love immortalized

The mansion served as residence of Don Mariano's family until World War II, when guerilla fighters  burned down the mansion to prevent Japanese soldiers from using it as their headquarters during their attack of the Philippines. It was believed that  Lacson's gardener, who was Japanese, was the one who informed the Japanese Imperial Army about the mansion. The superior materials used to build the mansion made it difficult to reduce the place to ashes, such that it had to be burned several times before it was reduced to its ruined state.

Intricate details offer a glimpse of its stately past 

The Ruins opened its doors to the public only in 2008, and despite its ruined state (or perhaps because of it), it has drawn a lot of local and foreign visitors. Exploring The Ruins is truly fascinating, especially when one visits during the sunset since the sun seems to romance the old structure and gives it a bright orange hue.

Visitor's fee is just PhP 40 (almost $1 dollar) and all fees collected are used to maintain the place and to add more attractions for its guests. Aside from taking photos, visitors of The Ruins can also enjoy sumptuous meals at its cafe or play mini-golf at the garden. It also has a small souvenir shop.  The Ruins is open from 8 a.m. to 8 p.m. Some locals recommend visiting The Ruins during the evening since the wonderful interplay of  lights and shadows on its walls and corners can be quite charming.