F Sugarcane stories Part 2: Victorias - jeepneyjinggoy

Sugarcane stories Part 2: Victorias


The St. Joseph The Worker Parish aka Church of the Angry Christ, the mural painted by Alfonso Ossorio

The quick trip around Silay was very interesting. Ramon Hofileña, the heir and curator of the Hofileña Heritage House, certainly made it so. No wonder the home turned museum lists as the top entry to the must-visit places in the city. Check out the place and you'll find out why.

Silay was very interesting because of Ramon Hofileña, heir to the family home turned museum, to which he is also the curator

Munching on piaya, a local sweet delicacy, we, the Davao media team and our hosts from the Department of Tourism (DOT) 6, made our way to the second destination-Victorias, with hopes that it would be as interesting as the (Silay) opening salvo to the Western Visayas tour.

Victorias is the sugar capital of the region located 34 kilometers from Bacolod. One of its attractions is the Victorias Milling Corporation, the largest sugar refinery in the country and the largest integrated sugar mill in the world.

Victorias Milling Corporation, the largest sugar refinery in the country

Choo-choo train. Once working, today a display

Within the 7,000-hectare compound is the VMC Golf and Country Club, an 18-hole golf course, and it's more popular point of interest, the St. Joseph The Worker Parish. The church was originally created for the company's personnel but it attracted more people because of "the controversy it got involved in."

The controversial St. Joseph The Worker Parish

St. Joseph The Worker Parish is also known as the Ossorio Chapel, after the abstract expressionist artist, Alfonso Ossorio, who painted the psychedelic-colored murals of the church with the image of the Angry Christ on judgment day as the focal point. Just like any daring and new interpretation of art, religious iconography most especially, the obra became very controversial with the reverent circle. Lips were murmuring not prayers but objections, and eyebrows not souls were rising to the heavens.

The Parish is also known as the Ossorio Chapel, after the abstract expressionist artist, Alfonso Ossorio, who painted the psychedelic-colored murals of the church.

The statues of the saints in this church is Pinoy-fied

To this day, none of the interior and exterior murals have been retouched. The colors are as vibrant as it was on the day the artworks were completed, and this is due to the specially formulated paint used-Carbon carbide ethyl silicate No. 14.

The artworks’ colors are still as vibrant as it was on the day it was created, thanks a specially formulated paint —Carbon carbide ethyl silicate No.14

Mural at the rear exterior of the church, still in its original form 

While most of the exterior walls are covered with painted artwork, the façade sports a different treatment, but as impressive in its creation-murals of mosaic created with recycled colored soda bottles.

The church's facade with Ade Bethune’s mural created chipped soda glass components

The Holy Family in the Nazareth workshop, Ade Bethune’s mural (center of triptych on the Church’s façade)

In creating the artwork, the artist, Ade Bethune, utilized thousands of chipped glass components that gave form to beautiful Filipinized images-Joseph's marriage to Mary, the Holy Family in the Nazareth workshop and the death of Jesus. In the same art treatment, Bethune also interprets the baptism of Jesus on the main wall of the room annexing the church's entrance.

Bethune applies the same technique on the Baptism of Jesus artwork found on the main wall of the room annexing the church’s entrance

In the garden that surrounds the church another artwork calls attention-a sculpture of a sugarcane-toting farmer on a carabao. Created in 1975 by students of Don Bosco Institute under the supervision of Hezekiah Katalbas and Vicente Gonzaga, the sculpture is more than just an artwork depicting the local industry, it also tells time. The sculpture is a sundial.

More than an art piece. The sculpture by the footpath is a sundial

Lunch was a surprise. Never did any of us imagine dining beside pigpens, poultry pens and compost pits, but we did, at Peñalosa Farms.

The house on the organic farm. The Balai-Balai is a dormitory for long-stay “students” of organic and probiotic farming

The topmost level of the structure offers this view of the garden

A chapel on the top level

The farm is owned by Ramon Peñalosa, an advocate of organic and probiotic farming. He shares this practice by offering a one-day introductory seminar and live-in seminars to everyone who is interested in sustainable agripreneurship.

No ordinary plants in the garden. Much of the landscaping components are more than just ornamental plants. (Right photo) Every inch of space is important & utilized—artistically. A sculptural vertical garden. 

Serenity, beauty & function.

The vegetable plots

To the visitors, he gave a brief background of the farm and its practices, and treated us to a tour of the well-planned area that wisely utilizes space and lunch prepared with ingredients from the farm's output-fresh herbs, vegetables, poultry and pork. In this farm, food is more delicious, tender, leaner and sweeter.

Ramon with his guests

Yes, we dined within the proximity of pigs, geese, chickens and compost pits. Surprisingly, there was zero stench, and Mr. Peñalosa pointed out that this is due to the organic feeds that the animals are fed with. The experience was totally new to me, and nice.

Can fried lumpia & okoy get any prettier than this? All organic & edible, a couple of dishes served for lunch


Are there more to see around Victorias? I believe so, but those will be reserved for the next visit to the region. Meanwhile, on to next city, please.

Special thanks to DOT 6 for hosting the Davao Media Familiarization Tour, and to Cebu Pacific (with direct flights to and from Davao City to Bacolod every Tuesday, Thursday, and Saturday).

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CONVERSATION