Portrayal of Bicol
Camarines Sur is one of the six provinces comprising the Bicol Region. She lies in the center of the Bicol Peninsula bounded by the province of Albay and Ragay Gulf on the south; Camarines Norte, San Miguel Bay and the Pacific Ocean on the north; Lagonoy Gulf on the east; and the province of Quezon and Ragay Gulf on the west.
The people
The population is a conglomeration of Bicolanos, Visayans and Ilocanos. The dominant dialect is Bicolano. Migrant dialects have also been brought in.
Cultural communities belgonging to the Agta-Tabangnon and Cimaron tribes can be found on the eastern part of the province.
Tourist attractions:
The provencial boundary with Camarines Norte lies within the 52 sq kilometers Bicol Forest National Park, Libmanan, a 19 hectar national park, inludes Cuapnitan Caves, 19 limestone caves that house thousands of bats.
Naga City is in the shadow of Mt. Isarog. Naga Cathedral, built in 1843, is one of the largest churches in the country, it contains a black Nazarene statue. Our Lady of Peñafrancia has two shirnes, the old and the new. The orginal, known as ermita, is an attractive, simple church. the modern one, a short distance across the river, was completed in 1982.
The Peñafrancia Festival is held in Naga in September. It features a novena or nine days of devotions at the Naga Cathedral. The actual feastday starts with a penitential procession at dawn and morning boat races on the river. At around noon, the Virgin´s image is carried aboard a gaily decorated casco or barge for a fluvial procession.
Pili, the capital 15 km southeast of Naga, is known for Boncao Hill, the last Japanese stronghold in the Bicol region.
Iriga is in the shadow of Mt. Iriga. The Tinagba Festival is held here every February 11 as a harvest offering festival to Our Lady of Lourdes. Farmers parade in carabao-drwan carts filled with the best local produce, while Agtas come down from the mountains to dance.
The town of Nabua holds the Boa-Boahan Festival every May 2. This reenactment of the 13th century pagan rite of offering chains of coconut embroys called boa to their deities is meant to ensure a prosperous year.
The town of Bombon, a few kilometers north of Naga, is noted for its leaning tower.
The Ladrillo church of Quipayo in Calabana, further north of Naga, is a unique brick church constructed in 1616. There is a museum behind the altar displaying rare artifacts.
The town of Milaor, 3,5 kilometer south of Naga, has a church with an octagonal stone belfry and an antique wooden confessional.
Bula and Baao towns farther south both have 18th century churches.
Lake Buhi, 16 km from Iriga, is known for tabios or its local name sinarapan, the world´s smallest fish at three to four millimeters long. A spoonful contains a thousand of them. The famous dish made from it is called "Thousand Fish Omelett".
Getting there and away:
By Land...
Camarines Sur is accessible from Manila via the scenic Pan-Philippine Highway. Air-conditioned coaches plying the Manila to Naga route leave the Araneta Center at thirty-minute intervals starting at about 4 pm thru 9:30 pm daily. For tourists coming from the Ermita Center, another set of air-conditioned buses can take you through the same route to Naga. For the weary business traveler, arrive in tip-top shape, sleep through the whole length of the ten-hour trip and for the starving passenger, dine in style, your choices are enormous - a piping hot porridge, the delectable Filipino chicken adobo, or the more cosmopolitan sandwiches. Which way you want it, the buses stop at designated restaurants that serve these kinds of food.
By Air...
Camarines Sur can also be reached by plane through the Pili Airport. For the Philippine Airlines and Asian Spirit traveler, eager to reach Camarines Sur faster, there is no other way to go but fly.
Mayon Volcano of Albay
Like other volcanoes located around the rim of the Pacific Ocean, Mayon is a part of the "Pacific Ring of Fire". It is renowned as the "Perfect Cone" volcano because of its almost perfectly conical shape.
Peñafrancia Festival of Naga City
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