BACOLOD City – The city government has inaugurated the historical mural “Bacolod @ 80” to mark the 80th charter of the city.
The mural, composed of several frames, is painted on the outer fence of the Bacolod North Cemetery on Burgos Extension Road. It shows the history of Bacolod since its cityhood in 1938 up to the present.
Artists from the National Committee on Visual Arts as well as local artisans were tapped to help in the project.
“It is now one of our treasures in Bacolod,” said Mayor Evelio Leonardia at the inauguration on Nov. 20.
He added that this could also be one of the tourist attractions in the city if maintained and will have the story properly narrated to tourists.
The murals have seven frames. The first shows the theme of the city’s 80th year celebration “Full Speed Ahead,” with some major awards received by the city.
The second depicts the significance of agriculture, especially of sugarcane farming and sugar production, to Bacolod as the capital city of Negros Occidental, while the third features the Cinco de Noviembre revolt of the Negrenses against the Spaniards.
The fourth shows the modernization of sugar milling; the fifth, the signing of the Charter of Bacolod by President Manuel Quezon; the sixth, the dark moments in Negros Occidental; and the seventh frame, the MassKara Festival.
Joining the mayor in the inauguration were Vice Mayor El Cid Familiaran, councilors Ana Marie Palermo and Renecito Novero, City Administrator John Orola, barangay officials, city employees, Boys and Girls Week officials, and the local artists behind the project.
The event was spearheaded by the City Cooperative and Livelihood Development Office (CCLDO) officer-in-charge and project head Brenda Burdeos, whose late husband Rafael Burdeos, conceptualized the project./PN
