Naga, 443km
(275mi) from Manila, is one of the oldest Spanish settlements
in The Country . In 1578 Legazpi sent his grandson Capt. Juan
de Salcedo to conquer the southern part of Luzonas. One of the
conquered areas contained a fine stand of trees, named Naga (the
local name for narra), which was at first designated the City
of Nueva Caceres and later Naga. From 1578 to 1583, the region
was extensively evangelized and Naga ultimately became the seat
of diocese of the whole Bicol region at the beginning of the 17th
century.
On September
17, 1898, resistance to the Spaniards began in Naga and spread
throughout the region. It was headed by Felix Plaza and Elias
Angeles. On September 19, 1898, the Spanish colonizers surrendered.
In WW II, Naga City was occupied by the Japanese December 14,
1941 without a struggle. A resistance group formed later was able
to seize the province from the Japanese for two days in May 1942.
Naga City was liberated by US forces April 26, 1945. It became
a chartered city June 18, 1948
Today Naga
City is a busy commercial place with 27 barangays. It serves as
a major trading, education and culture center as well as the transportation
hub for the region noted for farming and fishing. Naga, sometimes
called the "Heart of Bikol," is without many of the natural tourist
sites as volcanos and beaches which attract visitors to Legazpi
City but it compensates for this by having friendly people. Visitors
who are interested in religious culture may visit several churches
in Naga, such as the Metropolitan Cathedral, the Penafrancia Shrine,
and the Basilica.
The major
annual event in Naga is the Penafrancia festival in the third
week in September. At the beginning of this festival the Our Lady
of Penafrancia image is transferred from the Penafrancia Shrine
to the cathedral in a procession known as 'Traslacion'. During
the fiesta the patroness is returned to the shrine in a fluvial
procession. This festival attracts many visitors, and hotels are
usually fully booked. Some hotels charge higher rates for festival
time.
Although
Naga suffers under the same kind of economic difficulties which
trouble the region, it was spared severe damage when typhoon Sisang
swept through the southern part of Bicol.
Accommodation
Crown Hotel (19) - Angeles St, Tel 25-84
rm 112-504 (tb,hw,tel)
rest, good quality, good location
Aristocrat
Hotel (31) - Angeles St, Tel 52-30
rm 60-450; wide variety of rms
rest, disco, conf halls, very busy place
Shakey's Pizza on ground floor
Moraville
Apartelle (28) - Dinaga St
Tel 35-84; rm 75-240; nicely furnished,
tb rms w/ bath tubs; video P 25/2 hrs
Rodson
Palace Hotel (13) - Burgos St
Tel 52-44; rm 45-380; rest, disco
Lindez
Hotel (14) - Burgos St, Tel 24-14
rm 45-240; suite 210; rest, disco
Fiesta
Hotel (35) - Pandian St, near public market, Tel 27-60; rm
45-375; tb in rms w/out windows only; rest, bar, disco
Jim's
Apartelle (21) - Panganiban Drive
Tel 27-12; rm 55-140; nice simple place
Midtown
Travelers Pension (12)
3l Gen Luna St, Tel 24-74
rm 85-160 (tb); small, simple
Naga City
Guest House (10) - Burgos St
Tel 25-03; rm 50-150
basic, most rms have no windows, short time rates, no security
Elegant
Park Pension House (37)
Biak-na-Bato St, Tabuco
Restaurants
Hong Kong
Tea House (22)
Angeles cor Panganiban Sts
Shakey's Pizza Parlor (31) - Angeles St
Oyster Restaurant (32)
New Chinese Restaurant (30) - Gen Luna St
Cosmos Restaurant (34) - Pandian St
Graceland Fast Food (11)
Burgos cor Gen Luna Sts
Food Mart Fast Food (15) - Burgos St
Sightseeing
Plaza
de Quince Martires (9) - in the city center; the park was
built in honor of 15 martyrs who gave their lives for Philippine
independence.
Plaza
Rizal (25) - in the city center; the larger park which includes
a large outdoor stage (17), a Chess Center (18), and a basketball
court. On the fringe of the park are many food vendors at night.
University
of Nueva Caceres (23) - inside the campus is a very small,
simple museum of Bicol artifacts; entr free
Naga Metropolitan
Cathedral (3) - Jacob St
Archbishop
Palace (4) - Jacob St
San Francisco
Church (20) - Penafrancia St
Shopping
Robertson's
Department Store (24)
Gen. Luna St
Naga City
Public Market (38)
btw Gen Luna and Igualdo Sts; a large complex which is still very
active in spite of a fire in October, 1987, which destroyed part
of it.
Miscellaneous
Phil Nat'l Bank (16) - Gen Luna St
Post Office (5) - Penafrancia St
Public Library (26) - Angeles cor
Panganiban Sts
University Ateneo de Naga (1)
Colegio de Sta. Isabel (2)
Transportation
PAL shuttle bus (7) - Jacob St
Philtranco Bus Terminal (6) - Penafrancia St
Manila-Legazpi-Samar-Leyte-Mindanao line
daily 14 buses to Manila btw 8:00 and 19:00 (travel time approximately
10 hours)
Pick up for Sarkies buses (27) - Angeles St Mini Bus Terminals
operation between 5:00 and 17:00
(8) - Arana St; to Daet
(39,40) - Pandian cor Angeles Sts
to Daet, Sipicot, Pili, Iriga, Legazpi and Tabaco
Jeepneys to Carolina (29)
Igualdo cor Abella Sts
Train Station (36) - an evening passenger train leaves Naga City
daily for Manila, but the trip is slow. (about 12 hrs.)
