Sunday is much fulfilling day when I decided to go to Tanay,
Rizal to meet one of my friends, a travel blogger -Ann. We met at the jeep terminal in the market and
from there we planned our itinerary for the day. We went to Sampaloc, Tanay. I’m not familiar with the place so I let Ann
decide where to go.
There’s a jeepney terminal for Sampaloc route and the fare
is 28 pesos per person. Our first stop is Regina Rica Pilgrimage. The jump off point is at the small terminal
in Sampaloc where you can ride a tricycle for 20 pesos per person going to
the pilgrimage site.
From the gate is a walking distance going to the shrine. You can get a sneak preview of the shrine the
moment you enter the gate as it can be viewed along way to the pilgrimage.
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| The trail to the iconic Shrine of Mama Mary |
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| At the trail are some of the molding works of footsteps |
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| The view of the chapel |
Regina RICA stands for Rosarii Institute for Contemplation
in Asia. This has quickly become a
popular pilgrimage site in Tanay since it was established in 2009. For those
spiritual seekers, it is a beautiful place to start to experience the divinity
of God. It is basically a place for
prayers, meditation and pilgrimage.
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| You can see some horses at the hill |
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| The 71-foot iconic image |
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| Some devotees and tourists going up to the shrine |
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| The candle stand |
Everyone is welcome and there is no entrance fee and since this is a
sacred place, certain rules are being obeyed. Silence should always be observed
at all times and respect by maintaining cleanliness in the area. A dress code should be observed and any
person should comply by not wearing any revealing upper garments and any
shorts. If a person did not know about
the dress codes, they have stores inside the place that you can buy.
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| Pahuwayan sa Rica Columbary and Ossuary |
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| One of the images at Pahuwayan |
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| At the foothill of the iconic image |
Regina RICA is a hill and the center piece is the 71-foot iconic
statue of our Blessed Virgin Mary and child Jesus. There are some Ilonggo words used as a guide
for visitors like SULOD, in English means entrance or inside. Well I can speak the native dialect Ilonggo
that’s why I can understand some of these words. SULOD is an entrance to the shrine. Inside the statue is also a SULOD sanctuary
of universal love and devotion.
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| Beneath this huge tree is Ann |
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| It's me |
On a hill is a chapel, the Pahuwayan Columbary and Ossuary,
and some facilities like restaurant, candle stands, meditational garden,
organic gardens flower gardens and a lot more that you can go as you walk along
the hill.
PAHUWAYAN means a resting place. Pahuwayan sa RICA Columbary and Ossuary is a
burial niches where urns and bones are stored in this place. It is nestled in the mountainside and at the
end of the outer path is a passageway leading to the viewing deck where you can
take the sight of waterfalls.
While we were still in the hill, the weather changed rapidly
from sunny to cloudy, until a short rain fell. Although Ann had an umbrella, we
were quite sprinkled by the rain but it did not stop us from taking some
pictures.
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| Ann at the well |
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| Pasilungan means shelter |
We stayed over two hours in the sanctuary and decided to
leave as we instructed the tricycle driver from the gate of the pilgrimage to
take us to Sierra Madre Hotel and Resort in Tanay with its cool breeze and refreshing
view of the mountains.
