Cagsawa – A Beautiful Ruins
Jessica Imperial

Cagsawa Ruins has remained to be a top tourist attraction in Albay. , It is the remnants of the Cagsawa Church constructed in 1724 that was destroyed during the devastating 1814 eruption of Mayon Volcano. The place is considered to be the most photographed destination in the Philippines over the past years.

Located in located in Barangay Busay in Daraga, Cagsawa Ruins Park has been recognized by the International Tourism Bourse, a top travel trade show based in Berlin, as one of Asia’s destinations to visit. Presently, an increasing number of tourists visit Cagsawa for its all-terrain-vehicle (ATV) tours, which allow them to trail down Mayon’s lava front.

In 2012, the province of Albay and Daraga municipal government launched the Cagsawa Festival, an addition to the province’s celebrated festivals. It showcases various entertainments and activities such as sports and outdoor events, cultural presentations of plays and dances, and cultural presentations. In connection with this festival, the Pintura Cagsawa was launched to provide a place for artists to show their body painting works, making the festival the only one to showcase and explore body art.

The Cagsawa Festival is one of the most unique festivals celebrated as it pays tribute to the indomitable resilience of Albayanos surviving this far, from over 200 years ago when the volcano erupted violently. According to Albay Governor Joey Salceda, the residents know that they live in the shadow of the amazing yet perilous Mt. Mayon every day.

More recently, the National Museum of the Philippines (NMP) declared Cagsawa Ruins a National Cultural Treasure and the plan to construct a P50-million modern museum branch inside the is underway.

The postcard-perfect Cagsawa Ruins has been visited by some 350,000 foreign and local tourists annually and the number is expected to boom in the coming years.

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