If you are a movie buff, you might have recognized this mansion. It has been used as a setting for several movies, such as the critically acclaimed historical drama Oro, Plata, Mata (1982). It is also one of the main settings of the award-winning Filipino drama Sonata (2013).
This mansion is the Hacienda Santa Rosalia, or Hacienda Rosalia for short. Found in Manapala, Negros Occidental, it has served as an ancestral home mansion of the Gaston Family. It is also where the Church of Cartwheels is located.
This mansion was built in the 1930s and used to be a sugar plantation owned by the Gastons, well-known sugar planters in Negros Occidental. It is surrounded by luscious greeneries such as trees, flowers, shrubs, bushes, palms, and herbs. It feels like a garden set in historic times. Within the area of the mansion, there is a freshwater swimming pool which was used as a hiding place in World War II.
It also has a Victorian fountain in its estate along with a basketball court, a windmill, and a time-worn shoe house, which was previously used as a playground. The Chapel of Cartwheels is also found a few meters away from the mansion, and the chapel itself has a very interesting history. It was built by the wealthy plantation owners at the time for their workers as a way for them to celebrate life and do their worship.
For many, this symbolizes humility and giving importance to the people working for you, as the wealthy built this to reach out to their workers’ needs. The chapel is made with care and love and has withstood the years it has faced just like the mansion itself. Now, the estate has been a mansion and is open to the public as a peaking window to the past.
RATES & OTHER INFORMATION
DAY USE:
- Tour + Lunch Buffet in mansion: P2,000 per person
- Tour + Lunch Buffet in mansion (with own transportation): P1,500 per person
OTHER INFORMATION:
- Corkage fee: N/A
- Contact numbers: 0915 747 4542
- Email address: [email protected]
- Facebook Page: https://www.facebook.com/HaciendaSantaRosalia/
HOW TO GET THERE?
Exact location: Western Nautical Hwy, Manapla, Negros Occidental
BY BUS/VAN: From Bacolod, take a bus or jeepney bound for Cadiz, Sagay, or Escalante. Let the driver know you are heading to Hacienda Santa Rosalia. He will drop you off before the Manapla Proper. Take a tricycle and inform them that you are heading to the estate.
BY CAR: Navigate with Waze or Google Maps and set your destination to “Hacienda Santa Rosalia” in Manapala. Parking space is available.
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