Regina RICA

Philippines always have different attractions to offer and for those who wants a solemn, quiet and a peaceful place to contemplate. I present to you, the Regina Rica.  This place is located at Sitio Aguho Sampaloc Tanay Rizal, and it is a very great place if you are looking for peace and also for prayers. RICA is not a name of the statue, It is an acronym for Rosarii Institute for Contemplation in Asia. One of its main attraction is the giant statue of the Virgin Mary on the top of the hill. (Entrance is Free).  It also the main destination of Pilgrimage for Catholics. 

Before going to the center of attraction. The visitors are welcomed by the two statues of  St. Dominic and St. Catherine of Sienna. Those statues stands (placed) on both sides of  the entrance gate.

As you enter the place you will feel the breeze of fresh air and feel the presence of silence, you will really find it a very peaceful place. 

Once inside you'll be asked to go to what they called the "Pasilungan" where you will need to log your basic information and also to be informed about the rules and regulations inside the place. "Pasilungan" is an ilonggo (a Filipino dialect) word that means "shelter" and it is a place for the visitors to eat and buy some souvenirs . The "Pasilungan" offers only vegetarian foods on weekends and Short Order Pancit is available on weekdays . It also offers some organic vegetables which are planted and harvested in the site's garden. The place promotes healthy living, physically,mentally and spiritually.

When you are done at the Pasilungan they will give you a so called Power Message and amazingly those message is really motivating and somehow will relate and may somehow tell an answer about your problem. I got one Power message and It says  " Time flows. We can't keep it nor preserve it. It is a gift: your PRESENT! How do you TREASURE,INVEST,MANAGE,ENJOY time? Move on don't doubt.

That power message hit  me with a strong arrow in my heart and made me realize something (Personal). For a moment it gives me a peace of mind and made me enjoy the rest of the day. 

Regina Rica has some Duyan  and Kubo located near the Kakahuyan (kakahuyan is an ilonggo word means "The Woods" or "Forest"). The Kakahuyan has hundreds of mahogany trees planted. Some says to create an illusion of infinity and it connects to the eternity of life. You may also notice that some names are written on a piece of paper tied on the mahogany tree. It is because the mahogany seedlings are for sale (Php 500.00) and the gardeners will going to take care of your tree. It is believed that when your tree grows strong and healthy It means that your family will also have a strong bond and may conquer all the trials in life together. Also going to the Kakahuyan  you will see a hanging bridge.

Going to the top of the hill where the giant statue of Mary is standing beautifully and strong, you will need to walk through what they call the S-trail. The S-Trail is the only way to reach the top (if you follow the rules) and the steps are about 308-309. It is a long walk and hopefully as you walk through the s-trail you might wanna contemplate about something and find peace for yourself, for this place is for that kind of activity and as you reach the top, there you can say all of your prayers. 

After walking through the s-trail, you will end up seeing the beauty of the giant statue of Mother Mary at the top of the hill. The statue is about 71ft high and 17ft is the length of its mantle and it possesses a story about its measurement, 7+1= 8 and 1+7 = 8 and 8 means the birthday of Mother Mary.

Underneath the mantle of the statue are 16 angels and one angel is inside the mantle with  a total of 17 angels. (1+7=8 you know already what it means) The angels have an interesting story. The nun says that Mother Mary adopted 16 angels first at the same time and all the angels have known each other and played all the time, that is why if you will look at the faces of the angels underneath the mantle, they are all smiling and looks like they were really happy. But there is this 17th angel, that angel was the last angel adopted by Mother Mary, that angel is located inside the mantle of Mother Mary and it is not smiling like the others and it appears to be shy. The 17th angel was covering it face with its wings.

Inside the mantle was a so called "SULOD" (an ilonggo word) it is actually an acronym for Sanctuary of Universal Love and Devotion, it means "enter". You may notice that all of the words used are in the Ilonggo dialect, because the founder of Regina RICA are Ilonggos (It's their Native tongue).

There is also a maze behind the statue. It is a circle like maze and the finish is at the center. A silent prayer is necessary while walking in the maze, of course this is the place for prayer although some visitor find this maze as a game. I walk inside the maze about more or less than 15mins until I get to the center. The center has a small tree and i feel something at the center, it is very relaxing that I just wanna stay there for a while.

Regina RICA is place of fresh air beautiful landscapes,interesting stories and a place for Contemplation and Prayers. Visiting here is a time for peace and silent and a time to have a talk with God. This 13.5 hectares of property is open for all visitors who wanna visit. Enjoy! and See for yourself!

This end my blog about Regina RICA.

Hope you have enjoyed your stay. Thank You! and GodBless us all.