An abandoned mansion in the Philippines

An abandoned mansion in the Philippines

“The Ruins” as the locals call it, is an abandoned mansion located in Talisay City in the Negros Occidental province of the Philippines.

The mansion was the ancestral home of sugar baron Don Mariano Ledesma Lacson, built in the 1900’s in memory of his wife Maria Braga, a Portuguese he met in Macao. In its time, it was the largest residential structure in the area. During the World War II the building was set alight by US forces in a bid to prevent the Japanese using it as their headquarters. The fire burnt for 3 days and when it was put out only the mansion was reduced to ruins.

Starting in 2008, the beautifully preserved mansion opened to the public and is now visited by locals and tourists at any time of the day.