⌛ The Majestic Mountains of Bicol

The Bicol Region has some natural structures that the Bicolanos (locals of Bicol) can be proud of. These natural structures are the different mountains surrounding Bicol. They say that its mountains shaped Bicol Region. Bicol is the fifth political region of the Philippines.

Mt. Isarog, Mt. Asog, and Mt. Mayon stood side by side along Bicol's skyline. Mt. Isarog and Mt. Asog are in Camarines Sur and Mt. Mayon with its perfect-coned beauty is in Albay. Three proud queens standing tall against each other with Mt. Mayon as the most beautiful of them all.

The other mountains in Bicol are Mt. Bulusan found in Sorsogon and Mt. Labo in Camarines Norte. Due to these mountains the rugged landscape of Bicol has come to be known as Tierra de Ybalon.

All of these mountains are volcanoes with Mt. Mayon and Mt. Bulusan as the most active ones. Geothermal plants are built at the foot of these two mountains. These plants are suppliers of Luzon's great energy requirements.

According to Philippine history, the inhabitants of the Bicol Region are the descendants of the mountain-dwelling Agta or Aeta, and the lowland dwelling Malayan and Dumagat. Bicol's ethnic composition has changed due to Chinese and Spaniards traders. The Spanish friars built the famous shrine of Our Lady of Peñafrancia near Mt. Isarog's foot. Their purpose is to entice the mountain-dwellers or Aeta to go down slope and to accommodate the cimarrones, Aeta's pagan outlaws.

Each year during September barefoot and rowdy men carry the Virgin Mary's statue on their shoulders to celebrate the regional celebration of the Peñafrancia in the Bicol Region. This celebrates the culture of the rowdy mountain-dwellers of Bicol.

Mt. Isarog is known as the most treasured and fragile center of biological diversity in the Philippines. This is the site of the Mt. Isarog National Park. Mountain trekkers, hikers, and scientists of both foreign and local make this mountain a favorite ecological ground.

The Bicol Region seems to have been isolated from the rest of the Luzon Island in the Philippines by the mountains surrounding it. In the 1890s, to get to Naga City, you will have to sail for one month from Mauban, Quezon. Rail services were available as early as 1887 but it only reached up to Dagupan. The rail services were only able to reach the Bicol Region in 1938. A road transport that traverses the mountains has become operational in the Bicol Region in 1971 thanks to the Philippine-Japan Friendship (Maharlika) Highway.

The mountains of Bicol help the Bicolanos develop their character. Because of this relative isolation, through time, the Bicolanos became a resilient, self-reliant, and patient people.

The mountains of Bicol stand majestically along the sky's horizon. These mountains may be classified as volcanoes but they offer livelihood to the Bicolanos. The mountains of Bicol have shaped and are symbols the people's character that will last through time.