NEGROS OCCIDENTAL | Bacolod Capitol Park & Lagoon

Wednesday, March 02, 2011

Mornings at the Capitol

The morning has just risen and fifteen minutes of walking from Bacolod’s San Sebastian Cathedral brought me to Negros Occidental’s Capitol. Nestled between the sea and the city’s main thoroughfare, the neo-classical Capitol building sits majestically in the middle of a park complete with avenues lined with lush trees and a huge lagoon filled with fishes. 

Morning exercisers dancing to the beat at the CapitolThe Capitol Park or more popularly known as The Lagoon was bristling with morning activities as the city slowly woke up. From far off, I can already hear the sound of lively music blaring from the park that morning exercisers were dancing to. The lagoon was also filled with joggers making rounds along its periphery.


Three notable sculptures can be found along the square. The Paghimud-os monument by Eduardo S. Castrillo, guarding the entrance along Lacson Street; and the two golden larger-than-life water buffalo statues, one with a man and the other a woman found on the two sides of the Lagoon. The former was done by either Negrense sculptor Felix Garzon or Guillermo Tolentino (there seems to be a contention between those two) and the latter by Italian artist Francesco Riccardo Monti, the same sculptor who did the works on the now defunct Metropolitan Manila Theater and University of the Philippines.

I can almost compare it to Baguio City’s Burnham Park sans the boats floating around the lagoon. The Capitol Park is a nice place to hang out, especially during the mornings. Grab a take-out from the fast-food houses across the street, pick your shaded bench and munch your Bacolod morning away.

The man with buffalo sculpture on the left side of the lagoon. Woman with buffalo sculpture on the right side of the lagoon. The lagoon at the Capitol Park Paghimud-os monument by Eduardo S. Castrillo

 

Negros Occidental Capitol Park & Lagoon
Address: Between 5th and 8th Street Corner Lacson Street
Bacolod City, Negros Occidental



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13 comments

  1. lakwatsera de primeraMarch 2, 2011 at 3:39 PM

    looks like a nice place to jog in the morning or read a book in the afternoon while waiting for the sunset :)

    ReplyDelete
  2. LestatMarch 2, 2011 at 6:05 PM

    wow, no wasted time a, congrats :>

    ReplyDelete
  3. Con Tour Blog | A Philippine Photo-Travel-BlogMarch 2, 2011 at 9:50 PM

    bago na yatang gawa ang buffalo dito pre ah? Mahal cguro yan. I loved to go back to BAcolod, someday.:-).

    ReplyDelete
  4. Christian | Lakad PilipinasMarch 4, 2011 at 7:58 PM

    Claire
    Yup definitely, perfect tambayan =)

    Lestat
    Thanks hehe

    Con Tour Blog
    I'm not sure kung bagong gawa sya, pero last year yan na rin yung nakita namin. Book ka Cebu Pacific sale, lagi di nauubos tickets to Bacolod =)

    ReplyDelete
  5. retovadoSeptember 5, 2011 at 3:56 PM

    the carabaos i think were made 30-50s i think... if you'll see the hair style of the lady with the carabao, it's the same as those in the 1930s...

    ReplyDelete
  6. AnonymousAugust 22, 2012 at 12:00 AM

    The male carabao with the man/farmer pulling it on the south end of the Provincial Lagoon was NOT done by Monti (who did the female carabao with the woman)...this was accomplished by Negrense artist/sculptor FELIX GARZON of Mambucal, Murcia who studied fine arts at the University of the Philippines..
    (Edwin Gatia)

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. janeerasssMay 30, 2016 at 7:12 PM

      May I know if you have personal knowledge of Felix Garzon? Wikipedia and other sources actually records Guillermo Tolentino.

      Delete
    2. Lakad PilipinasJune 29, 2016 at 2:06 PM

      Alright, until proven otherwise, I'm posting both their names above. :)

      Delete
  7. Christian | LAKAD PilipinasAugust 27, 2012 at 10:57 PM

    Retovado
    Thanks for the info :)

    Edwin Gatia
    Thanks! Corrected the article :)

    ReplyDelete
  8. epephany garzonSeptember 3, 2017 at 11:04 PM

    Felix Garzon is our grandfather,if you want to know about him you can visit us our hometown in murcia negros occidental

    ReplyDelete
  9. JNJune 3, 2018 at 2:27 AM

    Looking forward to visit Bacolod in July, I'm tracing my musical /artistic roots from the Garzon side - my grandfather in the maternal side was a sculptor, painter and my great grandfather who was carrying me around on the plaza when I was a little was a prolific violinist - I dabble with music as well as a classical crossover singer and an a beginner cellist

    ReplyDelete
  10. mary magdaleneJune 29, 2018 at 2:25 PM

    Hello! We must create a Felix Garzon Gallery in Bacolod City. He is my mom’s uncle. My mom, Remedios Garzon Aggari, who is 91 years old now, speaks highly of him. He would give my mom ideas on how to design a float to represent their nursing school while she was studying nursing in Bacolod. I actually have two paintings of Jose Rizal by him under my care. I really think they belong to the country. I also have a statue of Jesus Christ which he sculpted while staying with. us in Mandalutong. Our family moved to the US in 1971, but my mom left prior to that. There was a reason his name was not placed there but I need to hear the story from my mom again. If anyone is interested and want to contact me, email me at deguzmanmagdalena@gmail.com.

    ReplyDelete
  11. UnknownAugust 14, 2019 at 10:08 PM

    can anybody share the picture of felix garzon, linggo ng wika requires his picture for his contributions on sculpture and proud to be negrense

    ReplyDelete

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