Cathedral of St. Gregory the Great (Legaspi City, Albay)

Also called the Albay Cathedral, the first church was buried in 1754 and destroyed during the February 1, 1814 eruption of Mayon Volcano. The present cathedral, located near Penaranda Park, was built in 1834 mainly through the generosity of Pedro Romero.  During World War II, the church was damaged by American bombers and its reconstruction continued until 1951.

The Cathedral of St. Gregory the Great

The Cathedral of St. Gregory the Great

That same year, when the Episcopal Seat of the Diocese of Legaspi was established, the church was elevated to become a cathedral. Its nominal patron is Our Lady Mother of Salvation while its secondary patron is Pope St. Gregory the Great. In 2001, during the golden jubilee of the church, a gate with monolithic pillars and arch was constructed.

The simple Romanesque-style facade

The simple Romanesque-style facade

The church’s simple Romanesque-style façade has a semicircular arched main entrance with a projecting portico, both flanked by niches with statues of St. Raphael and St. Peter, and superpositioned coupled columns on pedestals supporting a triangular pediment. At the ends are single superpositioned columns with a pinnacle on top. The pediment and second level are separated by an entablature.

The centrally located square bell tower

The centrally located square bell tower

The second level has a centrally located rose window flanked by rectangular windows.  Above the pediment is a centrally located square bell tower.  The side entrances have semicircular arched entrances flanked by superpositioned fluted columns.  Above the entrances are statued niches.

Side entrances with a statued niche above it

A side entrance. A niche with the statue of St. Lorenzo Ruiz is above it

Cathedral of St. Gregory the Great: Mons. F. Reyes St., Old Albay District, Legazpi City, 4500, Albay. Tel (052) 820 4603.

City Mayor’s Office: City Hall, National Highway, Legaspi City, 4500, Albay. Tel.: (052) 820-1400.

City Tourism Office: Legaspi City, 4500, Albay. Tel: (052) 480-2698 and (052) 820-1843. Website: www.legaspi.gov.ph.

How to Get There: Legaspi City is located 556 kms. southeast of Manila.

Church of Our Lady of Mt. Carmel (Malilipot, Albay)

Church of Our Lady of Mt. Carmel

Church of Our Lady of Mt. Carmel

The town’s church was first built in 1789 by Fr. Simeon Vasquez. The present church was started in 1851 and completed in 1877.The church grounds have a good view of Mayon Volcano.

The Baroque-style, 2-level facade

The Baroque-style, 2-level facade

AUTHOR’S NOTES:

Its 2-level Baroque façade has a semicircular, recessed arched main entrance, in varying widths, flanked, on each side, by 3 pilasters (the center one taller and wider than the other two), all mounted on pedestals. These, in turn, are flanked by semicircular arched windows.

A trio of columns

A trio of columns

The main entrance

The main entrance with recessed arches in varying widths

The second level has a semicircular arched niche with a statue of Our Lady of Mt. Carmel (below which is stamped the year “1877”) flanked, on both sides, by a pilaster and a semicircular arched window.  All throughout the façade are decorative scrollwork while the statued niche has a fleur de lis keystone.  The triangular pediment has a centrally located oculus.

Niche with statue of Our Lady of Mt. Carmel

Niche with statue of Our Lady of Mt. Carmel

Detail of decorative scrollwork

Detail of decorative scrollwork

The whole façade is flanked by two 4-storey, hexagonal bell towers topped by domes. The two levels are separated by an entablature with a frieze of decorative, alternating diamond and floral patterns which continues around the bell towers.

The modern church interior

The modern church interior

The bell tower with Mt. Mayon on its left

The bell tower with Mt. Mayon on its left

Our Lady of Mt. Carmel Church: Poblacion, 4510 Malilipot, Albay.  Tel: (052) 325 8965 and 558-2379.

Mayor’s Office: Municipal Hall, Poblacion, 4510 Malilipot, Albay. Tel.: (052) 820-7950

Church of St. Joachim and St. Anne (Malinao, Albay)

The Church of St. Joachim and St. Anne was built by Franciscan Fr. Francisco de Sta. Ana in 1619, destroyed by lahar triggered by a typhoon during the 1766 Mayon Volcano eruption and later rebuilt.

Church of St. Joachim and St. Anne

Church of St. Joachim and St. Anne

Author’s notes:

This church’s simple Romanesque façade has semicircular arch main entrance (above which is a rose window) flanked by rectangular windows and superpositioned coupled columns on pedestals that extend to the second level.  At the ends of the facade are single superpositioned columns topped by pinnacles. On the church’s right is the four-storey bell tower.

The church facade

The church facade

The bell tower

The 4-storey bell tower

Its triangular pediment above the second level features a remarkable relief sculpture of St. Anne holding baby Mary, riding a cow and chasing off pirates.  St. Anne is credited with saving Malinao from a pirate attack.

Bas relief at the triangular pediment

Bas relief at the triangular pediment

The church's modern interior

The church’s modern interior

Mayor’s Office: Municipal Hall, Poblacion, 4512 Malinao, Albay. Tel.: (052) 488-4550

How to Get There: Malinao is located 545 kms. from Manila, 5 kms. from Tabaco City and 32 kms. northeast of Legaspi City.

Church of St. Lawrence the Martyr (Tiwi, Albay)

Church of St. Lawrence the Martyr

Church of St. Lawrence the Martyr

Tiwi’s present church, built in 1829, replaced the town’s original church which was built in 1776,  by Franciscan Fr. Pedro de Brosas at the mouth of a site called Tuytoy (“bridge”) Swamps.  The church was burned by Moro pirates and later abandoned due to its vulnerability to typhoon-induced tidal waves.

The centrally located, square bell tower and triangular pediment

The centrally located, square bell tower and triangular pediment

AUTHOR’S NOTES:

The church’s dark, simple but charming façade is dominated by a centrally located, square bell tower, and it’s gently protruding, semicircular arched main entrance, flanked by coupled columns, is topped by a triangular pediment with a centrally located oculus.

Superpositioned coupled columns with pinnacles

Superpositioned coupled columns with pinnacles

Flanking the main entrance are two statued niches and another set of coupled columns capped by pointed pinnacles.  The first level is separated from the triangular pediment by an entablature.

The modern church interior

The modern church interior

Church of St. Lawrence the Martyr: San Lorenzo St., Sitio Basag, Brgy. Tigbi, 4513 Tiwi, Albay.  Tel: (052) 488 5107. Feast of St. Lawrence the Martyr: August 10.

Mayor’s Office: Municipal Hall, Poblacion, 4513 Tiwi, Albay.  Tel.: (052) 435-4866.

Sinimbahan Ruins (Tiwi, Albay)

Along the road opposite the town’s market, our media group made a stopover at the Sinimbahan Ruins, the roofless remains of Tiwi town’s original church which was built, in 1776,  by Franciscan Fr. Pedro de Brosas at the mouth of a site called Tuytoy (“bridge”) Swamps   The church was burned by Moro pirates in 1846 and later abandoned due to its vulnerability to typhoon-induced tidal waves.

Sinimbahan Ruins

Sinimbahan Ruins

AUTHOR’S NOTES:

All that remains of this single-nave church are the crumbling volcanic stone walls, and the buttresses that support it, and the equally sorry-looking bell tower on the church’s left. The walls are heavily overgrown with foliage and enveloped by roots of banyan (locally called balete) trees which cling to the cracks and crevices of the walls, making the ruins look charming but, actually slowly destroying it.

A child lounging by a church window

A child lounging by a church window

Three remaining church buttresses

Three remaining church buttresses

The interior walls once had a glass-encased, embedded niche which contained human bones but the glass and the bones have long disappeared. The niche seems to have been used as a grilling oven.  Other walls, probably that of the adjoining convent, now form part of a pottery factory.

Remains of the bell tower

Remains of the bell tower

An attempt has been made to reuse it as a chapel, evidenced by the presence of a lava boulder altar and an image of the Blessed Virgin hanging on the wall but, probably when there are no services being held (or probably abandoned altogether), the interior is used for other purposes.

The lava rock altar

The lava rock altar

During our visit, a tricycle and an owner-type jeep were parked inside and a badminton net and a basketball backboard were also installed for recreation.  There were no church pews or other furniture save for two loungers beside the shade-giving walls.

A balete tree slowly making the walls crumble

A balete tree slowly making the walls crumble

The niche that once contained human bones

The niche that once contained human bones

The ruins is listed as a “tourist attraction” in the town but, from the looks of it, neglect, indifference and the corrosive effects of rain and wind will finish what tidal waves failed to totally destroy.  I truly hope that plans for its restoration, similar to that done to the Bancurro Ruins in Naujan (Oriental Mindoro), are in the works.

Part of the church walls used by the pottery factory

Part of the church walls used by the pottery factory

A jeep and tricycle parked inside

A jeep and tricycle parked inside

Sinimbahan Ruins: Brgy. Baybay, 4513 Tiwi, Albay

Mayor’s Office: Municipal Hall, Poblacion, 4513 Tiwi, Albay.  Tel.: (052) 435-4866.

Corangon Island (Tiwi, Albay)

Kurangon Island

Corangon Island

From the brown sand beach at Brgy. Baybay in Tiwi, our media group boarded 2 motorized outrigger boats to the tiny coral island of Corangon (from the local word meaning “coral”).  Babes, Boyet, Leony, Star, Oliver, Ms. Norma Caayao (our Tiwi lady guide and photographer) and I boarded one boat while Rommel, Nestor and Mr. Andrew Zuniga (DOT Region 5) boarded the other.

Brown sand beach at Brgy. Baybay

Brown sand beach at Brgy. Baybay

As it was low tide, the islet was somehow visible from the shore. Our less than a kilometer boat ride to Corangon took just 15 mins. and we made landfall by 11 AM. Rommel and Nestor, not wanting to get their camera equipment and feet wet, just photographed the island from the relative safety of their boat.

Making landfall on the island

Making landfall on the island

This unassuming, half-hectare islet lacks features that typically make a seascape picturesque as it is devoid of any vegetation or rock formations, being mainly composed of crushed corals and beige-colored sand. The swirling and pounding action of waves and sea currents have caused the coral rubble to surface above the sea line and evolve into this island.

The author with postcard-pretty Mt. Mayon in the background

The author with postcard-pretty Mt. Mayon in the background

However, Corangon is not as boring as it seems as it is probably the only islet in Albay province where the stratovolcanic Magayon trio, the province’s three most beautiful mountains — the 2,463 m. high Mt. Mayon, the 1,450 m. high Mt. Malinao and the 1,328 m. high Mt. Marasaga — are fully visible. Its quiet charm reminded me of White Island in Camiguin where the postcard-pretty, 1,332 m. high Mt. Hibok-Hibok and the 580 m, high Mt. Vulcan Daan, both also stratovolcanoes, can be seen.

Cloud-sheathed Mt. Malinao

Cloud-sheathed Mt. Malinao

Corangon Island  is also a haven for tourists who want to see a different, picture-perfect view of the famous and stunning Mayon Volcano – from the sea.  The island is also accessible from Malinao via a 30-minute boat ride. Fishermen also offer chartered rides to the islet at an affordable price.  A dive site, Corangon Island is one of the top 5 dive sites in the Bicol Region.

Our media group with Mt. Masaraga and Mt. Malinao in the background

Our media group with Mt. Masaraga and Mt. Malinao in the background

Corangon Island, home to different marine species and beautiful corals, is a declared municipal marine sanctuary (the 4.4 sq. km. Corangon Shoal Fish Sanctuary and Marine Reserve) and, as such, anyone who wants to visit it needs to first ask permission from the Municipality’s Agriculture Office (MAO).

Shadow over Kurangon

Shadow over Corangon

The office administrator will ask about the purpose of the visit, then ask visitors to log in. A good idea would be to bring a letter of request, addressed to Ms. Leonila V. Coralde, the head of the MAO, indicating the purpose of your trip.

The crushed coral of Kurangon Island

The crushed coral of Corangon Island

Municipal Agriculturist Office (MAO): 4513 Tiwi, Albay.  Tel (052) 435-0432.

Mayor’s Office: Municipal Hall, Poblacion, 4513 Tiwi, Albay.  Tel.: (052) 435-4866.

Cathedral of St. John the Baptist (Tabaco City, Albay)

First built by Franciscan Fr. Pedro de Alcareso in 1616, the present structure, built by secular clergy, was completed in a period of 16 years (1864-1879).  The stately Baroque-style church was declared as a National Landmark on August 1, 1973 by virtue of Presidential Decree No. 260 and amended by Presidential Decree No. 1505 on June 11, 1978.

Cathedral of St. John the Baptist

Cathedral of St. John the Baptist

The church was also one of the only two declared sites in Bicol Region that were categorized by the National Museum of the Philippines as a National Cultural Treasure of the country. Its marker was unveiled on June 22, 2012.

4-storey bell tower

4-storey bell tower

Column pinnacle

Column pinnacle

The church, built with dark volcanic soil and stones found in the area, has an unusual floor plan with inexplicable compartments and walls with stones bearing mason marks, rarely seen in the Philippines.  The beautiful bell tower, embedded with Rococo designs, has rocaille elements and a beautiful and unique tower clock.

The cathedral interior

The cathedral interior

City Mayor’s Office: Poblacion, Tabaco City 4511, Albay. Tel.: (052) 487-5200

How to Get There: Tabaco City is located 558 kms. from Manila and 21 kms. (a 45-minute drive) northeast of Legaspi City.

Sumlang Lake (Camalig, Albay)

After our visit to the Natural Carpet Industries Factory, Brgy. Sumlang Chairman Felipe Noe M. Mapa, Jr. invited us to visit scenic and tourist-friendly Sumlang Lake, Camalig’s newest tourist attraction. To get there, Euden, Lito, Star, Oliver, Ida, Babes, and I rode on an SUV while Nestor, Rommel, George and Alex road on a red pickup as we negotiated the short distance, along a narrow dirt road, to get to the lake.

Sumlang Lake with the partly cloud-shrouded Mt. Mayon in the background

Sumlang Lake with the partly cloud-shrouded Mt. Mayon in the background

Upon arrival, we all sat on bamboo benches under shady coconut trees overlooking the lake, partaking of a merienda of  pinangat sandwiches, langka (jackfruit) and fresh buco.  While dining, we all enjoyed the majestic view of the partly cloud-shrouded perfect cone of Mt. Mayon and observed children flying their kites along the lakeshore.

Boarding our nicely furnished bamboo rafts

Boarding our nicely furnished bamboo rafts

Later, Felipe invited us to go cruising on the lake on board bamboo rafts. Accompanied by boatmen using long poles to move the raft, Mr. Jockey Serrano (of the Albay Provincial Tourism Cultural Affairs Office), Boyet, Ida, Babes, Lito and I boarded the bigger raft while Rommel rode solo on the smaller raft, seated on a woven wicker canopy chair.  The others decided to stay behind.

The smaller bamboo raft with Rommel on board

The smaller bamboo raft with Rommel on board

Crusing the lake on a bamboo raft (photo: Rommel Natanauan)

Cruising the lake on a bamboo raft (photo: Rommel Natanauan)

The raft ride on the placid lake was an experience by itself. On the raft, Jockey, Babes, Lito and I were comfortably seated on rattan armchairs and sofas with soft, white cushions and woven wicker canopies to partly shield us from the heat of the sun. Ida and Boyet tried out the day bed with rattan roofed canopy. A driftwood center table completed the rustic furnishings which are all products of Bicolano creativity and ingenuity.

The pensive Ida enjoying the rustic scenery

The pensive Ida enjoying the rustic scenery

Thus comfortably seated, we enjoyed the rural scenery of coconut, banana and fruit tree plantations; rice fields; water lilies; swimming ducks; grazing cows and occasional, roosting cattle egrets; all with postcard-pretty Mayon Volcano as a backdrop.  The lake is also an ideal spot for fishing as carp, tilapia and dalag (mudfish) abound. 

Lotus flowers

Lotus flowers

Sumlang Lake: Brgy. Sumlag, Camalig, 4502, Albay

Mayor’s Office: Municipal Hall, Poblacion, Camalig, 4502, Albay. Tel.: (052) 484-1965.

Municipal Tourism, Culture and Arts Office: Camalig Tourism  and Pasalubong Center, Brgy. 2, Camalig, Albay.  Mobile number: (0927) 621-3315.  E-mail: camalig_tourism@yahoo.com.

Provincial Tourism and Cultural Affairs Office (PTCAO): Albay Tourism Bldg., Albay Astrodome Complex, Capt. F. Aquende Drive, 4500 Legaspi City, Albay.  Tel: (052) 481-0250 and (052) 742-0242. E-mail: albaytourism@yahoo.com and albaytourism@gmail.com.

The Ancestral Houses of Camalig (Albay)

Gonzales Ancestral House

Gonzales Ancestral House

After lunch at Rayben’s Place Restobar & Grill, we decided to burn some calories by doing a walking tour of some of Camalig’s Spanish and American-era ancestral houses.  All were within walking distance from the municipal hall.

Camalig Municipal Hall

Camalig Municipal Hall

Most of these bahay na bato (stone houses) typically have persiana (sliding wooden louver storm windows); ventanillas (openings with wooden balusters called barandillas) below the windows; and bandejado (decorative panels).

Capiz shell sliding windows (Melba Moyo House)

Capiz shell sliding windows (Melba Moyo House)

Media agua (awning), supported by wooden or ornate iron braces, wraps around over windows which use concha (checkerboard capiz shell panels) for its espejo (wrap around transom).

Persiana louvers (Gonzales Ancestral House)

Persiana louvers (Gonzales Ancestral House)

Eave calado and persiana louvers (Don Sixto Nuyda House)

Eave calado and persiana louvers (Don Sixto Nuyda House)

Their interiors have high ceilings; calado (wooden fretwork) on the upper walls; antique furniture and wide wooden floor planks.

Don Sixto Nuyda House - interior

Don Sixto Nuyda House – interior

The Nolasco House, built in the early 19th century, was owned by Diego Nolasco, a former town mayor.  The house was once used as the town’s temporary municipal hall.  Ruins of the old house, believed to be the municipal hall and judicial building, can be seen at the rear of the existing structure.

Nolasco Ancestral House

Nolasco Ancestral House

The Jaime Moyo Ancestral House, originally owned by Heron Moyo (brother of Teodoro Moyo whose descendants own the Melba Moyo House), is presently owned by Heron’s son, Jaime.  During World War II, it was once occupied by Japanese Gen. Tomoyuki Yamashita.

Jaime Moyo House

Jaime Moyo House

The Gonzales Ancestral House, presently owned by Ms. Ninibeth Gonzales, was built in 1920 and is one of the best-preserved ancestral houses in the town.  Its media agua is supported by ornate iron braces.

Ventanilla with barandillas (Gonzales Ancestral House))

Ventanilla with barandillas (Gonzales Ancestral House))

Ornate iron braces (Gonzales Ancestral House)

Ornate iron braces (Gonzales Ancestral House)

The Anson Ancestral House was originally owned by Toribia Iglesia Moya, sister of former capitan municipal (1877-1878) Doroteo Iglesia Moya and mother of Anacleto Moya Solano, last capitan municipal (1897-1900) and first presidente municipal (1901-1902) during the American era.

Anson's Ancestral House

Anson Ancestral House

It was later bought by the Ansons and transferred to the Valencianos in 1920 and returned to the Ansons in 1980.  It is distinguished by its outdoor main staircase leading to the living room and azotea.  During the Spanish era, it was used as quarters for the guardia civil.

Stairrway leading to living room

Outdoor stairway leading to living room (Anson Ancestral House)

The Melba Moyo House, built in 1932, was first owned by Barbara Nieves Moyo who late bequeathed it to her son Teodoro Moyo.  After Teodoro’s death, the house was manage by his wife Melba Grageda Moyo.  During World War II, high-ranking Japanese officials lived here.

Melba Moyo House

Melba Moyo House

One house we did get to enter, with the permission of the owner, was the Don Sixto Nuyda House, built in Geometric style of architecture in the 19th century by the previously mentioned capitan municipal Doroteo Iglesia Moya.

Don Sixto Nuyda House

Don Sixto Nuyda House

The Nuydas are affiliated with the Moyas through nephew Marcos Obligacion who took a Nuyda wife. Justino Napay Nuyda, a Bicolano zarzuela (a lyric-dramatic entertainment genre of Spanish origin) writer and the first Albay Second District congressman (1935-1941), once resided here.

Diamond-patterned concha windows (Don Sixto Nuyda House)

Diamond-patterned concha windows (Don Sixto Nuyda House)

We entered the house  via a uniquely designed stone porch that corresponds to the gillian of traditional Filipino pile houses.  Inside is an exemplary showcase of diamond-patterned concha.  It was damaged during the 2006 typhoon Reming which left 66 people dead in Albay.  The ground floor has been boarded up.

Don Sixto Nuyda House - Interior

Don Sixto Nuyda House – Interior

Mayor’s Office: Municipal Hall, Poblacion, Camalig, 4502, Albay. Tel.: (052) 484-1965

Municipal Tourism, Culture and Arts Office: Camalig Tourism  and Pasalubong Center, Brgy. 2, Camalig, Albay.  Mobile number: (0927) 621-3315.  E-mail: camalig_tourism@yahoo.com.

Provincial Tourism and Cultural Affairs Office (PTCAO): Albay Tourism Bldg., Albay Astrodome Complex, Capt. F. Aquende Drive, 4500 Legaspi City, Albay.  Tel: (052) 481-0250 and (052) 742-0242. E-mail: albaytourism@yahoo.com and albaytourism@gmail.com.

Hoyop-Hoyopan Caves (Camalig, Albay)

Hoyop-Hoyopan Cave (photo Rommel Natanauan)

Hoyop-Hoyopan Cave (photo Rommel Natanauan)

After our short stopover at the Cathedral of St. John the Baptist in Tabaco City proper, we proceeded on our way, via a 28.3-km./28-min. drive along the Ligao –Tabaco Rd., to Camalig and a further 8 kms. (a 20-min.) drive south to Hoyop-Hoyopan Caves where we were to do some amateur spelunking. The cave is privately owned and maintained by the Soriano, Nieva and Nuylan families.  Here, we were met by Mr. Garner N. Abril, our local cave guide who was well versed in the cave’s history and its trail.

One of the cave entrances

One of the cave entrances

This natural, 3-level, tunnel-like limestone cave, one of the most popular and easily accessible caves in Albay, covers an approximate area of 31.4 sq. m. of land. Located 16 kms. from the Cagsawa Ruins, the cave’s name is derived from the Bicol word meaning “eternal whispering breeze” or “blow-blow” because of the sound of wind whistling through the main entrance.  Upon entering, we instantly felt a blow of cold air.

Mr. Garner N. Abril, our local cave guide

Mr. Garner N. Abril, our local cave guide

Our tour, done in a group, went through the subterranean path and eventually ended at the other part of the mountain.  We traversed a staircase that provided easy access to the other levels of the cave.   Strategically placed light bulb along pathways allowed us to fully appreciate the rock formations inside the cave.

Cave stalactites

Cave stalactites

In 1972, 2,000-year old bones in burial jars, beadwork and potsherds, dating from 200 B.C. to 900 A.D. and attributed to Calanay complex, were excavated here.  The artifacts are now housed at the National Museum in Manila, while some are displayed at nearby Camalig Church. The late Franciscan Fr. Cantius Kobak, OFM, an archaeologist, classified the cave as old as 3000 B.C to 4000 B.C.

Media team posing beside a cave pool

Media team posing beside a cave pool

During the Japanese occupation in World War II, Hoyop-Hoyopan Cave served as a guerilla and refugee camp of the Hukbo ng Bayan Laban sa Hapon (Hukbalahap) and as a hospital and orphanage. According to stories from the townsfolk, it took three years before the enemies discovered the camp.  During the Martial law era, when curfew was strictly imposed, this cave served as a safe haven for party goers and, when a destructive typhoon strikes in the area, as a refuge and shelter.

The Dance Hall

The Dance Hall

The cave has wonderful formations of stalagmites and stalactites and numerous entrances and exits varying from two to 10 m. in diameter. Many of the different stalactite formations resemble a chicken drumstick,a statue of the Blessed Virgin, a hanging snake, a hand formation, a sexy lady with long hair, a hanging man, a statue of Moses and a crocodile tail.  In order to reach the different chambers, these narrow passageways tested our skill in squeezing, scrambling, crawling, and kneeling to get through to a mini-pond (some sections of the cave have puddles of water) and the “dance hall” (a wide open-space with a round concrete platform installed in the middle ).   One of the cave’s openings is a grand window, through which travelers can enjoy a splendid view of Mayon Volcano.

Mano po

Mano po

After we exited the cave, we bought some crystals, mounted on key chains, pendants or necklaces, and some native products (hats, etc.) available for sale at a stall.  I bought a crystal  necklace and key chain as well as one in its raw form (prices, depending on the size of the crystal stone, ranges from PhP50- 500).

Jollibee Chicken Joy Drumstick

Jollibee Chicken Joy drumstick?

Hoyop-Hoyopan Cave: Brgy. Cotmon, Camalig, Albay. Admission: PhP200 for two to three persons, while the parking fee is P25 is also charged. A local tour guide, , can be hired for PhP100 to PhP200 (inclusive of 1 lamp). An additional PhP300 is charged if you want to turn on the lights inside the cave. Public transportation to the cave is also available.

Mayor’s Office: Municipal Hall, Poblacion, Camalig, 4502, Albay. Tel.: (052) 484-1965

Municipal Tourism, Culture and Arts Office: Camalig Tourism  and Pasalubong Center, Brgy. 2, Camalig, Albay.  Mobile number: (0927) 621-3315.  E-mail: camalig_tourism@yahoo.com.

Provincial Tourism and Cultural Affairs Office (PTCAO): Albay Tourism Bldg., Albay Astrodome Complex, Capt. F. Aquende Drive, 4500 Legaspi City, Albay.  Tel: (052) 481-0250 and (052) 742-0242. E-mail: albaytourism@yahoo.com and albaytourism@gmail.com.