THE BICOL REGION

Bicol Region, as Region V is more popularly known, is situated at the southernmost tip of the Luzon landmass. It is straddled between 11
- 30' to 14 - 20' North latitude and 122 - 20' to 124 - 30' East longitude. Bicol is inhabited by hospitable, smiling and fun-loving people.
The province of Albay, which is strategically located in the center of the region, is home to the world famous Mount Mayon with its
perfect cone shape. Legazpi City, also in Albay and is called the Gateway City of Bicol, is the regional center.On the northernmost part
of the region is the province ofCamarines Norte whose capital, Daet, holds the distinction of being the town to erect the first monument
of the country's national hero, Jose Rizal. Naga City in the province of Camarines Sur is host to Colegio de Sta. Isabel, the first known
normal school for girls in the Orient. The province ofCatanduanes boasts of white beaches and Resorts is an island paradise in the
Pacific. The province ofMasbate, which lies exactly at the center of the Philippine archipelago, is known for its mining and cattle
industry while Sorsogon, the province known for its historic and panoramic places, shelters the world's largest fish - the whale shark
locally known as Butanding.
BICOL'S literary world is entering a renaissance period as new book and other works emerge due to growing writers' interest and
access to publishing houses.
Contrary to the popular notion that Bikol lit is dead, our literary world has been breathing all throughout, said Jason Chancoco,
author and recipient of national and local literary citations.
The revival is a flashback to the golden age of Bikol literature before World War II when Naga City's printing press published
periodicals with literary pieces in Bicol and the community theater staged the comedia in town plazas, according to Vic Nierva, a 2007
National Book awardee.
That era was documented in Bikols of the Philippines, a Bicol literary history Book written by Lilia Realubit, another National
Book awardee, Gawad Balagtas conferee, and retired literature professor of the University of the Philippines .
Today, Chancoco said that in Naga alone, 16 publications, periodicals and websites are carrying Bicol writings and literary pieces.
These include the Bikol Reporter, Bicol Mail, Bangraw, Burak, Ani, Hingowa, The Pillars, Pegasus , T-Bloc, Dalityapi Unpoemed, A
critical Survey of Philippine Literature, Muse and Apprentice.
ALBAY
Albay is a province of the Philippines located in the Bicol Region in southeastern Luzon island. The capital of the province is Legazpi
City, which is located in the southern foothill of Mayon Volcano, the symbol most associated with the province. This near perfectlyshaped active volcano forms a scenic backdrop to the city of Legazpi and is visible throughout the municipalities and cities of Albay
including the surrounding provinces.
Traditional Bicol Cuisine
Quite distinct from the local cuisine found in other parts of the country, Bicol is famous for its spicy, coconut cream-based dishes. Local
folks here even eat raw "sili" (peppers) dipped in salt to go with their rice. By itself, it is a meal. Just watch them pop the "sili" into their
mouths without touching their lips and following it up with rice scooped with their hands.
CAMARINES SUR
Camarines Sur is a province of the Philippines located in the Bicol Region in Luzon. Its capital is Pili and the province borders
Camarines Norte and Quezon to the north, and Albay to the south. To the east lies the island province of Catanduanes across Maqueda
Channel.
Camarines Sur is the largest among the six provinces in the Bicol Region both in terms of population and land area. Its territory
encompasses two cities: Naga City, the lone chartered city, is the province's and the region's most progressive city, also commercial,
financial, and cultural center, while Iriga City, a component city, is the center of the Rinconada area and Rinkonada Language. Lake
Buhi is where the smallest commercially harvested fish can be found, the Sinarapan or tabyos (Mistichthys luzonensis).
Like many parts of the Philippines, Camarines Sur also boasts of stretches of beautiful and largely unexplored coastlines which mean
miles and miles of beaches, coves and staggering rock formations, the most famous of which is the Caramoan Peninsula National Park.
Caramoan Peninsula captured international attention when several editions of the reality series Survivor were filmed in the areaSurvivor France, Bulgaria, Israel and Serbia filmed in the islands of Caramoan Peninsula.
CAMARINES NORTE
About 7-8 hours by bus southeast of Metro Manila, the province of Camarines Norte often serves as one of the main gateways to the
Bicol Region. And most often, to most travelers, it often just serves as that another mere stopover to the other destinations in the
region. For most of Bicol which is just about getting used to the idea of tourism, Camarines Norte tends to get overlooked by travelers to
the recently popular wakeboarding in Pili and island hopping in the Survivor islands of Camarines Sur, the perfect cone volcano of

Mayon in Albay and the whale sharks of Sorsogon. Of course never mind that the wet and wild Pacific frontier province of Catanduanes
is also home to one of the most famous international surf breaks called the Majestics.
Being the provincial center, most of the provinces hub of commercial, political, religious and educational activity is in the town of Daet.
Whilst it is true that it seemed like the town was swarming with tricycles, it still did maintain that provincial and charming feel that we
had experienced the night before when we arrived. The people were generally friendly and warm. The first Jose Rizal monument that
was ever built was built in Daet which stands at the corner of Magallanes and Justo Lukban streets which faces the Daet Municipal Hall.
CATANDUANES
Catanduanes (Filipino:Katandwanes) is an island province of the Philippines located in the Bicol Region in Luzon. Its capital
is Virac and the province lies to the east of Camarines Sur across Maqueda Channel. As of 2007, the population of the province is
232,757 people.
Catanduanes, is a hispanized term derived from the word tandu, a native beetle and the samdong tree, which were both found in
abundance throughout the island. Common reference to "katanduan" or "kasamdongan", meaning a place where the tandu or the
samdong tree thrives in abundance, led to the coining of the word Catanduanes.
FOLK FESTIVAL
The Pantomina is purely a native dance popular on occasions of importance. It is a dance interpretation (pantomine) of a rooster courting
a hen. Pantomina dance is mostly practced in rural areas.
SORSOGON
Sorsogon is a province of the Philippines located in the Bicol Region. It is the southernmost province in Luzon and is subdivided into
fourteen municipalities (towns) and one city. Its capital is Sorsogo City (formerly the towns of Sorsogon is at the tip of Bicol Peninsula
and faces the island of Samar to the Southeast across the San Bernardino Strait and Ticao Island to the southwest. Sorsoguenos is how
the people of Sorsogon call themselves.

Sorsogon Island Philippines

"Bicol's Whaleshark Paradise"
Sorsogon is situated at the southernmost tip of Luzon. As a part of the gateway to the Visayas and Mindanao, the province is a melting
pot of cultures and influences. From its earliest days as a trading post frequented by Chinese and Malay merchants, Sorsogon has
evolved into a center of trade and commerce in the Bicol Region.
Sorsogon offers the visitor a wide variety of diversions from scuba diving to snorkeling, sport fishing, swimming, boating, island
hopping, mountain climbing, biking, hiking, spelunking, or just simply touching base with nature. The tourist, too, can revel in
Sorsogons pageantry and celebration during its numerous festivals and fiestas, and experience its rich cultural heritage.
MASBATE
Masbate is an island province of the Philippines located in the Bicol Region. Its capital is Masbate City and consists of three major
islands: Masbate, Ticao and Burias.
The islands of Masbate were formed out of volcanic rocks over one hundred million years before man made his appearance in the
tropical regions of the earth. Humans then made tools of stone, bone, and wood. Some of these very early stone stools and bones have
been found in Masbate. Village settling grew from the development of farming, pottery flourished, stone tools were improved, and the
early Masbate farmers made axes of polished stones.