The feast of Our Lady of Peñafrancia is celebrated on the third Saturday of September in Naga City, Bicol Philippines. All roads and routes will lead to Naga City in Camarines Sur where six million Bicolanos from here and abroad will flock to that progressive city to pay honor to the Virgin of Peñafrancia, miraculous patroness of the Bicol Region. Bicolanos from all walks of life will be in Naga City to meet their relatives and partidarios, share food, drinks, and prayers with them, and most of all, to pay homage and make thanksgiving to the Virgin of Peñafrancia, whom the Bicolanos fondly call Ina. Viva la Virgen, they will shout to high heavens. The feast day is headed by a novena, nine days of prayer, in honor of the Virgin. On the first day, the image of the Virgin, a copy of the Madonna in Peñafrancia, Spain, is brought from its shrine to the Naga Cathedral where the novena is held. On the last day, the image is returned to her shrine following the Naga River route. The colorful evening procession is lit by thousands of candles from followers in boats escorting the image. When the flatboat reaches its destination, the devotees shout "Viva la Virgen" (Long live the Virgin!) and the image is carried back in a procession to the cathedral.
How do I get to Daet?
By Air
The City of Naga is also accessible by air through the Naga City Airport in Pili town.
There are planes going in and out of Camarines Sur under the Philippine Airlines, Asian
Spirit, Cebu Pacific among others. From the airport, one can hail a taxi to Naga City.
Flight time from Manila to Naga City is only 45 minutes.
By Land
Naga City can be reached by buses from Manila. Philtranco Bus terminals have booking offices
at Alibangbang, Cubao, Quezon City and EDSA in Pasay City. Travel time is between 8 to 9
hours from the country’s capital, including stopovers during which the buses refuel and
allow passengers to take their meals in terminals along the way. Philtranco
operate daily going to Naga with departures starting as early as 6:00am and last trips
at 9 in the evening.
