Beautiful places are usually hidden gems. They will make you go on a treasure hunt before you can find them. The Magic Park is the newest attraction at the Provincial Capitol. It is located at the GSO Annex, Capitol Complex, Cadlan, Pili, Camarines Sur. To be guided on how to find it, it is near the ITC Building.

The Magic Park is just a small park with aesthetically pleasing view when the lights are on. May the lights bring us joy, uplift our spirits and keep the magic and hope alive this holiday season amid these hard times.

This is also very Instagrammable. If you are looking for the next place to keep up your with your Instagram gaming or something creative and aesthetic to upload, you can head out at the Magic Park.

Witnessing families enjoying the moment here is very heart-warming. I guess, this is why it is called Magic Park. Moments here can be quite magical.

Look at these cute couple. Sana all. This place is kinda romantic probably because of the lights. Talagang mapapa-sana all ka na lang sa mga couple dun. Also a good place for a date if there are only few people vivisiting.

Libre po ang CR dito. Hahaha would you dare pag no choice na talaga? Pero seriously this is a creative way to recycle toilet. Hahahha ang galling!

Who will be your sandbox to catch you when you fall and your swing to lift you up? #StartUp

Start-up inspired. The story of the girl on swing and the sandbox. Although I am more of an In Jae than a Dal Mi. This is me swinging in the new normal. #StartUp

I really love being under the lights.  

Although, tourism and other leisure travel is still strictly prohibited because of the pandemic, I am also hesitant in posting this one. I know this could encourage people in visiting the place and would probably cause an influx of people there. As a blogger, I also bare the weight of responsibility in my posts which is why I also consider the safety of my followers/readers.

Gainza is the smallest municipality and least populous in Camarines Sur. Although a small municipality with vast agricultural lands, there also some interesting things that can be found here. I have been there a lot of times because of fieldwork so I finally decided to write a blog about it because I finally have the necessary materials.   

Plaza of Gainza

This is the monument of Bishop Francisco Gainza whom this municipality is named after. His plaza is said to be and probably the smallest plaza in the country.  

Municipal Hall

This is the municipal hall of Gainza and the center of governance in the municipality. This is where the mayor, vice mayor and the board members work with different local government agencies/ offices to bring public service to their constituents.   

Tulong Hinulid

The Tulong Hinulid is one of the reasons why people also visit this municipality especially during Holy Week for pilgrimage. The Tulong Hinulid are three images (Trio of Dead Christ) which is housed in a small chapel in Cagbunga, Gainza.

According to stories, the Tulong Hinulid were discovered in the same spot along a river in different periods of flooding in Gainza. Each of the images varied in length and have different tortured expressions with bloody cuts in their faces.

Every Maundy Thursday, the ritual bathing of Tulong Hinulid has become a tradition that has drawn devotees from neighboring towns. At 2pm, after the members of PPC (Parish Pastoral Coucil) prayed around the Tulong Hinulid, they would dab the statues’ bodies with cotton dipped from water that would then be used to treat ailments.  

I was able to visit this last year while doing our fieldwork for tourism. The Tulong HInulid falls under pilgrimage and faith tourism.

Hanging Bridge

I have been longing to go here. I have seen this bridge posted on social media and I really thought of visiting it someday because it is an old hanging bridge but still going strong. It is located in Sampaloc, Gainza.

I planned to go here this year for my birthday (March 21, 2020) after our reading session with kids as part of Bicol Book Lovers Circle advocacy. However, the recent growing cases of COVID-19 in our country forced Luzon into an enhanced community quarantine which means less travel, close borders and stay at home to prevent the spread of the pandemic. We already postponed our event in Gainza prior the enhanced community quarantine because mass gatherings are also prohibited by then.

I never thought though that I will have the opportunity to be there just not on the day I planned. Although, there is a risk going out at this time of the pandemic, I still agreed to report  for work. As a media practioner working in the government, I am also a silent frontliner whose task is to document what is happening and to show that the provincial government is doing its best in aiding everyone in the province while enhanced community quarantine is implemented. I was assigned to help and document the food distribution in Gainza so I guess I am still meant to be there and still with a mission to help the community at a time like this.  

The hanging bridge is like a metaphor for every frontliner taking risks and whose life is on line right now. May we all stay safe and healthy. We all want to stay at home but some of us just can’t because they have a duty to fulfill. I will be back here when all of this is over. Probably with better photos of my signature talikod post.  

Here's another vlog I was able to edit today. 😳 I realized that I have a lot of materials in Siruma espeially at Angelica Paradise Beach Resort. Hahaha I remember being there once for fieldwork and the other for an excursion.