NAGA City, 377 km. south of Manila, is the seat of Catholicism in the region, being the home of Our Lady of Peñafrancia, the Bicol Patroness, whose feast in September the Vatican declared a regional fiesta, the only one in the country.

        A compact small chartered city with all the historical landmarks just within a one-kilometer radius from the business central district, this city has actually little to offer to tourists until the provincial government of Camarines Sur made a bold step of building in 2005 the Camsur Watersports Complex (CWC) in the neighboring town of Pili, Camarines Sur.

        With the CWC already a major tourist drawer in the region, Naga City has become a take-off point to reach other tourist destinations in the province, like the world-famous Caramoan, the site of television reality show “Survivor.”

        Tourist arrivals here are largely attributed to the marketing of the city as a convention venue and study tour site for its so-called good governance practices and innovations which earned Naga City Mayor Jesse Robredo the 2000 Ramon Magsaysay Award for public service and 151 awards for its local government unit. Educational tours are added up to tourist arrivals.

        Restaurants abound here and dominate the landscape at the business central district and when dusk falls over the city, sidewalk food stalls sprout like mushrooms which give the impression that people here love to eat.

        One could ride public utility jeepneys and tricycles with a minimum fare of P7 to reach destinations within the city limits. From the central business district, ride a tricycle to Dayangdang to try a light breakfast of kinalas (a kind of noodle-soup indigenous here), eaten plain or with hot sauce, depending on one’s taste, for just P30. If not, breakfast is available for P60-P100 in restaurants that are conveniently in every nook at the central business district where the nearest landmark is just a walking distance.

        Take another tricycle ride to the Museo del Seminario Conciliar de Naga to view Pre-Hispanic potteries and porcelain and 18th century church artifacts, if one chooses to take breakfast in kinalas stalls in Dayangdang. Fabie Arejola, the museum curator, would say that the collections are rare pieces because they were uniquely Bicol. The museum hours run from 9:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. and it’s for free.

        The museum, the only one of its kind in the city, is located at the Metropolitan Naga Cathedral compound inside the Holy Rosary Minor Seminary built in 1875 which was once a vocation house of the clergy. It had been declared national historical landmark by the National Historical Institute on January 29, 1988. Its architecture is undoubtedly colonial comprising of arches, bricks and tiles.

        Spend another P7 to ride a jeepney to San Felipe and visit another colonial structure, the Peñafrancia Shrine which was built in 1750 and the original home of the image of the Bicol Patroness. From here, walk or take a tricycle going to Peñafrancia Basilica Minore to appreciate the serene landscape and glass-stained work.

        To go back to the central business district, take a padyak ride costing P5 to the corner of Magsaysay Avenue, the burgeoning new commercial strip here, and then ride a public utility jeepney to Naga City Public Market. Hunt for bargains at the novelty shops at the ground floor, from key chains costing P10 to abaca slippers at P50 a pair. Pili nut products can be bought for P50-P60 for 200-gram foil pack.

        Discover the nooks and crannies of the city from the public market by walking down to Plaza Rizal, Plaza Quezon and Plaza Quince Martires where restaurants cluster around them. These plazas are small islands of spaces where one can just sit and observe the city pace and its people.

        Take lunch at a restaurant of your choice. For Filipino and Bicol specialties, Geewan provides different choices from laing, pinangat to kare-kare at prices that range from P95-P150. American dining experience on combo package is available at Bigg’s, in front of Plaza Quince Martires, from P100-P120. Several other fastfood restaurants like Jollibee, McDonalds and Greenwich are also clustered here.

        A visit to the CWC at the capitol complex in Pili, Camarines Sur provides a different experience watching wakeboarding and water skiing. From the central business district, ride a tricycle or public utility jeepney to the central bus terminal. Fare, P7. Ride a bus going to Legazpi City or Partido area and stop at the capitol complex in the village of Cadlan. Fare, P12. To reach the CWC, ride a padyak, tricycle or single motorcycle at P10. Also visit the Eco Village inside the capitol complex and explore the man-made cave, hanging bridge and domed aviary. Retrace the way out of the capitol complex and spend the same amount for fare going back to Naga City and disembark at the central bus terminal.

        A stone’s throw from the central bus terminal is the SM Mall where movie-house entrance cost P100 even as the movies at the downtown Naga City cost P75 only. With a budget of P500 in a day, one can already enjoy the essence of Naga City which the city government here dubbed a “maogmang lugar (happy place)”. For extra bucks, the nightlife in this city is relatively alive at the commercial strip of Magsaysay Avenue where live music and dining are offered in different joints until 2:00 a.m.