Set on lovely manicured grounds surrounded by sugar plantations, the RUINS is an early-20th-century Italianate mansion originally built by a local sugar magnate in honour of his deceased wife. During WWII, US soldiers set it on fire to prevent the advancing Japanese army from occupying it. Three days later, after the fire subsided, only a haunting skeletal concrete frame remained. If you visit at sunset, its neoclassical columns and stately carved arches make fantastic photographic backdrops.
There is an outdoor cafe and an Italian restaurant adjacent. Located 7km north of Bacolod, it's a 10-minute taxi from the airport (P250) or downtown (P200). Otherwise catch a 'Bata' jeepney from Lacson St and ask to be dropped off nearby; it’s then a P15 tricycle ride.
