The church of Cagsawa was originally built in 1587 during the Hispanic occupation of the Philippines. It was burned down by Dutch pirates in 1636 and was rebuilt in 1724 by the Franciscan friars but was destroyed again during the eruption of Mayon Volcano along with the town of Cagsawa in February 1, 1814.
The ruins are part of the Cagsawa Park which is maintained by the municipal government of Daraga and the National Museum of the Philippines that is one of the most popular tourist destinations in the area. It was even recognized by the International Tourism Bourse (ITB) which is one of the world’s top travel trade shows based in Berlin, as one of the places to visit in Asia.
The belfry has an approximate distance of 11 km. away from the volcano which gives a picturesque background setting for tourists.
How to Get There:
1. Ride a bus bound to Legazpi City (Philtranco, Superlines, DLTB & Cagsawa).
2. Take a jeepney going to Guinobatan/Ligao City/Oas/Polangui. Tell the driver to drop you off to Cagsawa Ruins. From the highway, it's a 500 meter walk.
It's such a nice and beautiful place. I've visited it twice (2008 & 2011) and I'm looking forward to visit it again when I have the chance to go back to the Philippines.
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