The Bacolod Public Plaza, officially the Plaza del 6 de Noviembre, named after the day of the Spanish surrender of Negros Island to the Negros revolutionaries, is one of the notable landmarks of Bacolod, the capital of

Negros Occidental Negros Occidental ( hil, Nakatungdang Negros; tl, Kanlurang Negros), officially the Province of Negros Occidental, is a Provinces of the Philippines, province in the Philippines located in the Western Visayas Regions of the Philippines, region. ...

Philippines The Philippines (; fil, Pilipinas, links=no), officially the Republic of the Philippines ( fil, Republika ng Pilipinas, links=no), * bik, Republika kan Filipinas * ceb, Republika sa Pilipinas * cbk, República de Filipinas * hil, Republ ...

. It is located in the heart of the downtown area, near the old city hall and across from the

San Sebastian Cathedral The San Sebastian Cathedral is a late 19th-century church in Bacolod, Negros Occidental in the Philippines. It is the seat of the Roman Catholic Diocese of Bacolod. History A small village inhabited by Malayans called ''Magsungay'' was placed und ...

. The plaza is a

trapezoid A quadrilateral with at least one pair of parallel sides is called a trapezoid () in American and Canadian English. In British and other forms of English, it is called a trapezium (). A trapezoid is necessarily a convex quadrilateral in Eu ...

al park with a belt of trees around the periphery and a

gazebo A gazebo is a pavilion structure, sometimes octagonal or turret-shaped, often built in a park, garden or spacious public area. Some are used on occasions as bandstands. Etymology The etymology given by Oxford Dictionaries is "Mid 18th c ...

at the center. Scattered within the trees are four circular fountains.

History

When Bacolod was declared as the capital of Negros Island in 1846, the Spanish Colonial Government in Negros set to work in creating a public plaza fronting the current Banco de Oro branch, which used to be the "Casa Real" or the official residence of the Spanish governor. However, the plaza was too small to be constituted that Don Jose Vicente Locsin Gonzaga donated a portion of his property to expand the plaza. These two lots continue to be owned by the City Government of Bacolod, while the other half was only added when the extension of Rizal Street towards San Juan Street cut off a portion of the churchyard of San Sebastian Cathedral. Bacolod cathedral2

His Excellency James McCloskey, Bishop of Jaro, which Bacolod previously belonged, in behalf of Monsignor Maurice Foley, the parish priest of Bacolod, granted a perpetual usufruct to the Municipal Government of Bacolod for the management of the property cut off from San Sebastian, on March 22, 1922. The

bandstand A bandstand (sometimes music kiosk) is a circular, semicircular or polygonal structure set in a park, garden, pier, or indoor space, designed to accommodate musical bands performing concerts. A simple construction, it both creates an orname ...

was constructed in 1926 and inaugurated in 1927, as part of the plaza's reorganization to its current form as a place for recreation, political, spiritual and cultural activities. The bandstand is inscribed along the sides of the roof with the names of Western classical music composers

Beethoven Ludwig van Beethoven (baptised 17 December 177026 March 1827) was a German composer and pianist. Beethoven remains one of the most admired composers in the history of Western music; his works rank amongst the most performed of the classic ...

Wagner Wilhelm Richard Wagner ( ; ; 22 May 181313 February 1883) was a German composer, theatre director, polemicist, and conductor who is chiefly known for his operas (or, as some of his mature works were later known, "music dramas"). Unlike most op ...

Haydn Franz Joseph Haydn ( , ; 31 March 173231 May 1809) was an Austrian composer of the Classical period. He was instrumental in the development of chamber music such as the string quartet and piano trio. His contributions to musical form have led ...

, and Mozart.

Festival

The plaza is the heart of the

MassKara Festival The MassKara Festival ( Hiligaynon: ''Pista sang MassKara'', Filipino: ''Pista ng MassKara'') is an annual festival with highlights held every 4th Sunday of October in Bacolod, Philippines. The most recent festival was held last October 30, 2021 ...

celebration. The MassKara Festival is a week-long celebration held each year in Bacolod every third weekend of October nearest October 19, the city's Charter Anniversary. The Bacolod public plaza is the final destination of MassKara street dancing competition which is the highlight of the celebration.''Pres. Arroyo @ Bacolod Public Plaza,
News Today
October 01, 2008 edition BacolodPublicPlaza2

References

{{reflist

External links

MassKara Festival Page of the Bacolod City Official Website
* ttp://www.lakbaypilipinas.com/maskara_festival.html Lakbay Pilipinas: Masskara Festival Plazas in the Philippines Buildings and structures in Bacolod Landmarks in the Philippines Tourist attractions in Bacolod

History

Festival

See also

References

External links