BEN THERE DONE THAT

The late Napa matriarch immortalized in this mural art. 

Assorted mix of antique and native Filipino decor are displayed in this built-in niche that act as partition and feature wall. 

Locally-made droplights by Natural Carpet Industries Camalig float as you enter the restaurant. 

The second floor can house private gatherings and reception of up to 50-60 guests. 

Sinigang ala Socorro

This is it, Pansit!!!

Viva Prita!!!!! 

Crispy Pork for the win!!! 

Local panghimagas Cakes!!!

More Pansit, this time with a twist! Now with Kamote and Malunggay variants. 

Boodle fight anyone????

Now that’s a view!!! 

Barkadas and families can opt to dine and lounge on any of the available floating cabanas on the lake. Experience the Bicolano lifestyle of eating and laidback lounging on these locally-made and export quality amenities. 

Mus, magkaun kita!  Dine with nature and discover the beauty and splendor of Bicolano cooking while marveling at the magnificent view of Sumlang lake and Mt. Mayon. Make sure to drop-by and visit Socorro’s whenever you’re in Camalig, Albay.

xo Ben Francis

Interior Design and Styling: Ben Nasayao

Photos: NB Media

SOCORRO’S LAKESIDE RESTAURANT AND GRILL

Brgy. Sumlang, Camalig, Albay 

Murals and graphics by local artists Yvette Ducut and Harley Regalado. 

Communal dining areas that also serve as meeting and discussion tables among staff and the patient’s family members and companions. 

These green ottoman pods provide extra seating in the waiting lounge. 

More cozy nooks to create a sense of home amidst the dialysis center. 

Lazy Boy lounge chairs keep the patients comfortable during their sessions in the center. Photo from J. Hernandez Dialysis Center FB Page. 

“We don't just provide physical remedies and your usual mainstream medicine; we also create a light and happy environment to give you quality of life.” 

Here’s a photo of the J. Hernandez staff showing how a smile can definitely help in fostering the healing process. Good job guys! True to the company adage of “Our family caring for yours.”

Here I am with the president of the company Ms. Frennie Hernandez; a true trailblazer with a heart of gold. 

If you’re looking for excellent renal care and you happen to be in the area, do consider Jesus Hernandez Dialysis Center in Naga City. Quality service set in a very loving and comforting space await you at JHDC. You don’t have to worry anything since the JHDC family is dedicated in caring for yours.

xo Ben Francis

Interior Design and Styling: Ben Nasayao

Photos: NB Media

JESUS HERNANDEZ DIALYSIS CENTER

No.10 Princeton Street, City Heights Subdivision, Concepcion Pequeña, Naga City, Bicol

0917 843 8936

Start your day with a hearty brunch at La Comida Linda, a family-ran restaurant tucked in the hushed streets of Luna and Bonifacio. Established in 2016, La Comida Linda serves a fusion of well-loved recipes and a diverse lineup of comfort food. Dive into a smorgasbord of a menu which includes the staple Filipino cuisine ranging from Bicol, Dagupan (Dagupeño) and Ilocano. They also serve Italian and Mexican. Of their impressive lineup, bestsellers include Crispy Pata Kare-Kare, All-meat Pizza and Spaghetti Bolognese. As for deserts their Halo-Halo, Pili Caramel and Chocolate Fudge cakes are popular choices. Recently, they are venturing into baking where their croissants, coffee buns and ensaymadas are gaining a strong following. Single origin coffee and an assortment of beverages are also served here.

As you enter this revamped ancestral house, a Modern Filipino Industrial showcase greets you; a pleasant surprise considering the understated feel of the town. A product of passion and a desire to preserve the house’s glee, La Comida Linda is the perfect place to have a lengthy discourse while sampling delightfully made dishes under the shade of the summer sun.

Continue exploring Gubat by getting to know its waves. Just a short ride from La Comida Linda is Lola Sayong Eco-Surf Camp. Be one with nature and breathe in the fresh ocean breeze as palms sway and surfers ride the tides at Lola Sayong. Lounge around the camp and get cozy on its hammocks while reading a book and enjoying some snacks from Granny’s Hearty Grub; Lola Sayong’s kitchenette. They also serve hearty meals which include Sea-sig, Deviled Fish and Blue Craze; crabs in surprisingly crazy sauce.

With a minimal entrance fee that covers the maintenance of the camp, one can spend the rest of the day chilling by the beach or in the camp’s bungalows. Commune with locals and experience the waves with well-trained instructors. Rent surfboards or avail of the surfing lessons which start at P350 per hour.

Up for more adventures? Rent a motorbike or book a motorbike tour from Lola Sayong and explore the rest of Gubat or the nearby towns of Barcelona and Bulusan. If you got more time to spare, they can even arrange an island hopping tour.

End the day by relaxing on the beachfront, savoring the unspoiled beauty and serenity of Gubat. Stay the night and book one of Lola Sayong’s cottages which range from P800 to P1450. Built from bamboo, cottages come with beds, fresh linens and access to electricity. This bi-level hut can accommodate 4 to 8 guests. Its lower level can be used as a sitting area or an additional spot for hanging hammocks. Communal bathrooms are available as well as cooking and dishwashing facilities.

As more and more cities get facelifted into looking like shiny glass metropolitans, it is nice to come back to pristine places like Gubat. Serene and detached from life’s stressors, this place takes hold of the simple things that make one truly happy and contented. With good food and nature’s best, there is comfort in Gubat’s caress.    

xo Ben Francis

LA COMIDA LINDA

Luna Cor. Bonifacio St., Gubat Sorsogon

0927.167.2574/ 0918.373.0177

[email protected]

 LOLA SAYONG ECO-SURF CAMP

Brgy. Buenavista, Gubat, Sorsogon

0905.242.1693/ 0999.406.1497

1. Learn about Camalig’s past. Discovered in 1569 and founded as a parish and a town in 1579, Camalig’s rich history dates back from the time Capt. Luis Enriquez de Guzman; a Spanish official, reached the town in search for food supplies. He arrived at an already progressive community where inhabitants stored their farm products in grass roofed huts called Kinamalig, hence the town’s name. Spaniards referred to it as Camarin, which later became the name of the neighboring provinces in Bicol.

2. Take me to Church! Camalig’s iconic St. John the Baptist church is one of the most impressive structures in the province. Made from volcanic rocks and local materials, it was recently declared by the National Museum of the Philippines as one of the Significant Structures of the Philippines under the category of Important Cultural Property last December 2016. The remains of Anacleto Solano, Albay’s first governor are also buried within the church walls.

Photo by Greg Consulta

3. Take a gander at Camalig’s beautiful ancestral homes. Located at the town’s Poblacion, these Spanish colonial houses serve as time capsules of the past. 

Photo courtesy of Apo Gonzales

4. Visit its natural wonders. Camalig sits on a sprawling land mass composed of hilled terrains, caves and lakes.

A little like Bohol’s Chocolate hills, Camalig’s Quitinday Green hills captivates you with its rhythmic undulations. Best part of being here is the undivided view of Mayon amidst the green hills formation. Perf during sunrise and sunsets.

Quitinday video courtesy of Senecaz Aguilar

Quituinan Hill is a perfect place for a quick respite. Atop the hill, one can do atv and horseback riding. It also makes a good campsite where one can marvel at the stars. You can also get a glimpse of Albay and its gulf while you are in Quituinan.

Quituinan and Solong caves videos courtesy of GMA News

Camalig also has Solong caves and Japanese tunnels which you can trek with the help of guides from the town’s Tourism office. 

You’ve read about this in your Sibika at Kultura books. It’s now time for you to finally see all the stalagmite and stalactite formations in Hoyop-Hoyopan cave.

Hoyop-hoyopan video courtesy of GMA News

Unlike Hoyop-Hoyopan, Calabidongan Cave is more strenuous. Get ready to do some spelunking in order to discover this Cave of Bats. Calabidong is the Bicol translation for bats.

Photo courtesy of In Bicol

Take a breather at Sumlang Lake while you lounge around the ingeniously made furniture pieces aboard the floating bamboo rafts. Catch Mayon Volcano again in its full glory while coasting in Sumlang Lake during sunset.  

Photo courtesy of Joel Noora

Sumlang Video courtesy of WeWanderPH

5. Shop for handicrafts and native products at Natural Carpet Industries and other pasaslubong stores lined up along the highway. Abaca bags and slippers are best sellers along with locally made homeware and niceties.

Photo courtesy of Felipe Napa

6. Sample some Baligang. Baligang or Jambolan Plum is a fruit with a distinct purple to black color. An excellent source of Vitamin C, locals chew Baligang as nga-nga whose flesh is sour but turns sweet when ripe.  

7. Cultivate the mind. Look for Raffi Banzuela’s books and learn about Camalig and other Bikolano tales. Titles include Camalig: Istorya Historya Memorya, Durungan: Mga Rawit Dawit and Albay Viejo.

Photo courtesy of Raffi Banzuela

8. Go on a hot date. Visit a sili farm and be like Bert Gonzales. Camalig’s pride, Gonzales can eat 350 pieces of sili in three minutes making him Guinness book of World records’ Sili King. If you get a little overwhelmed by the labuyo, you can simply hang with the Sili King and take inspiration from his arts and illustrations.

9. Eat’s special. A trip to Camalig is not complete without sampling its famous delicacy, Pinangat. Made from taro leaves (gabi), coconut milk, meat or fish, ginger and chili, Pinangat puts Camalig in the central map of Albay’s culinary spectacle. Its rich creamy texture and tasty flavor profile is the result of age old technique combined with fresh ingredients and the best gabi leaves that are said to be found only in Camalig. Apart from Pinangat, Camalig’s Inulokan, Pili Nuts and Marcasotes, a classic sweet bread loaf specialty, are definite must-tries.

10. Party with the locals. Camalig celebrates its Pinangat Festival during the month of June, culminating on the 24th which is St. John the Baptist’s feast day. Celebrate the town’s local delicacy and colorful culture through countless events and festivities prepared by the local government. 

If you do decide to explore this town of mine, it will take you 12 hours of land travel from Manila or a mere 45-minute plane ride via Legazpi airport to get here. So what are you waiting for? Pack that weekender bag and come visit Camalig! Holler back and I’ll accompany you in this countryside tour! 

Header Photo showing Mayon and Quitinday Hills by Discover Camalig FB Page