Every October, a lively fiesta of street dancing, colorful costumes and wide-smiling masks attracts tourists from all over the world to the city of Bacolod, the capital city of Negros Occidental, Philippines. This event is the famous Masskara Festival, granting Bacolod the nickname “City of Smiles” because of the grand smiles featured by the masks of the festival dancers. If you ever find yourself in Bacolod, whether joining in the revelries of the Masskara season or simply sightseeing during any other month, there are various tourist attractions in the city you cannot afford to miss. Make sure you check off these 5 destinations off your itinerary before ending your Bacolod excursion.

1. Provincial Park and Lagoon
Situated in front of the city’s grand Provincial Capitol Building, this popular park is home to many interesting massive sculptures and is also a favorite jogging area of the local residents. The park features a rectangular lagoon in its middle area, with a lot of surrounding benches and open grass to lounge on and spend a sunny day or breezy night in.

2. Fountain of Justice
Located in front of the old Bacolod City Hall, this spot marks the place where the Spanish soldiers and colonizers of the late 19th century formally surrendered to the early Filipino people. It was where the Spanish Governor of Negros at that time, Col. Isidro Castro, signed a formal surrender to the local forces of Gen. Aniceto Lacson, giving the place rich historic value.

3. Pope John Paul II Tower
Sited at the Bacolod Reclamation Area, this 7-storey tower stands as a monument signifying the historic visit of Pope John Paul II to Bacolod on February 20, 1981. The tower is set on the exact spot where the Pope celebrated the Eucharist in front of a gathering of almost a million people on the historic date.

4. San Sebastian Cathedral
Constructed in 1876 through the initiative of the Recollect friar Fr. Mauricio Ferrero, the San Sebastian Cathedral is one of the oldest religious establishments in the province. Its interior is roomy and well-suited to the climate, and its stone exterior is rustic, with vintage architecture, belfries and statues.

5. Dizon-Ramos Museum
This is the ancestral home of the Dizon-Ramos clan, a privileged family that lived in the city during the mid-1950s. The house was converted to a museum in 2007, and currently it houses artworks by famous artists, personal collections of the clan members including an interesting doll collection, pictorial reproductions, and Masskara collections.