The Cathedral of San Carlos and Sipaway Island, Negros Occidental

Just before the outbreak of Covid-19, my last trip outside Manila took me to Bacolod to attend the sacerdotal ordination of a student in Canon Law at the University of Santo Tomas, where I teach. Having previously explored Bacolod, I decided to venture eastward across the island of Negros to visit San Carlos City, where I had not yet captured a photo of their Cathedral.

            Just across San Carlos City lies the island of Sipaway, which I decided to explore spending a night in one of its resorts. Sipaway consists of only two Barangays: Ermita and San Juan. The main transportation around the seven-kilometer-long island is by tricycle. Luckily, the roads are already cemented. In Barangay San Juan, a new mission station with a newly built church stands. The beaches of Sipaway are not adorned with powdery white sand but rather a shade of ivory. With shallow waters the sea is best suited for swimming during high tides.

 

San Carlos Borromeo Cathedral Parish
San Carlos City, Negros Occidental

 

Sipaway Island, San Carlos City

The century-old Balete tree of Sipaway. 

Mary Star of the Sea Mission Station
 Barangay San Juan, Sipaway Island