02/06/2026
Fun fact: the Cata-al World War II Museum isn’t just a normal museum filled with old displays behind glass. Most of the artifacts inside were actually recovered from the mountains and forests around Valencia itself, especially near Mount Talinis, where some of the last intense battles in Negros during World War II happened in 1945.
The collection started with Porforio Cata-al, a former guerrilla fighter, and later continued by his son Felix, who reportedly began hunting for war relics when he was only around five years old.
Over decades, they uncovered everything from helmets, rifles, grenades, uniforms, coins, and personal letters to parts of Japanese aircraft and even unexploded bombs buried underground for years.
Some visitors say stepping inside feels less like entering a museum and more like walking into a frozen piece of wartime history because almost every item has a direct connection to the battles fought in Valencia itself.
What makes it even crazier is that the museum started as part of the family’s own home before becoming one of the most unique historical spots in Negros Oriental.
