Being a Rizaleño by birth, I can’t tell you just how much pride I have of my home province. You see, I live in Angono, Rizal; it is actually the third town that you will reach if you are coming from the pasig area. My friends would usually say that I live very far, and I would consistently answer: “hindi ah! 30 minutes away nga lang ako from ortigas”, which is true, actually! You see, Rizal is a very good location because in here, you get to have a laid-back-town-vibes without having to feel much away from the hustle and bustle of the city.
There are many places that you can go to in Rizal. In my hometown, Angono (the Art Capital of the Philippines) for one, has its own attractions that draw tourist very often. But I’ll post about that soon. In this post, I will share with you a place that you can go to if you just want to meditate and clear your mind, without travelling that far:
The Regina Rosarii Institute for Contemplation in Asia in Tanay, Rizal (better known as Regina RICA)
Not far from Angono is Tanay, Rizal. In just about an hour or less (if you have your own car), you can reach this town. You will just pass by the towns of: Binangonan, Cardona, Morong, and Baras..then voila! You’re in Tanay already. So if you’re coming from Ortigas you’ll have about 2 hours to get there.
If you have your own car, you just have to take the manila east road,keep going straight ahead, pass by the towns that I’ve mentioned, and once you get to Tanay, there are many signs that are put up in there so you will definitely not get lost.
Regina RICA is open everyday except Tuesdays. Visiting time is from 8:00 am to 5:00 pm. You have to take note that there is a dress code inside the premises. Girls are not allowed to wear shorts; however,if you still wore shorts, they will provide you with skirts that you can wear on top of your shorts (I knew this because me and my friends were wearing shorts the first time that we went there since it’s summer hehe). Sleeveless clothes are also prohibited for both men and women. Upon arriving you will first be given a short orientation about the place, and then after that, you are free to roam around already.
I was lucky because for the two times that I’ve been here, the place was not too crowded. During holy week, the traffic is just unbelievable! Well, this is because of the fact that Regina RICA has its own set of devotees already. Also, it is also part of many religious pilgrimage in the country, and I believe even in Asia.
So let me now share you the pictures from my two trips combined! Hehe:
( The Mary’s Sacred Trail: this leads to the statue of Mama Mary on top of the hill. There’s only one way up and you cannot go down this path; you would have to go down on the other designated path)
(The view while going to the top)
( Mama Mary!)
This is the huge statue of Mama Mary on top of the hill. There is actually a prayer room inside her mantle; and you have to remove your shoes if you want to go inside.
(This view! Love!)
(My panoramic shot of the place)
After praying inside the mantle, there is a candle offering area where you can buy candles in different colors; each color representing your different intentions. My friend bought all the colors, by the way. Hehe. Now, in the usual Filipino tradition, you have to say a prayer first before you light your candle. You can also sign up your loved ones so that they will be prayed for for the rest of their lives. You would just give a donation, and then list down the names of the people you love in the prayer list.
(The Mangrove trail. Each is sponsored by different people. Amazing right?)
(Our candles!)
(This is the church inside the Regina RICA. They also celebrate the Holy Mass in here. The Regina RICA Mass Schedules:
( from http://reginarica.org )
(The side view of the chapel)
So there you have it! I hope you got to experience Regina RICA in Tanay by just looking through my pictures! I would really suggest that you go here if you have the time in order to nourish your spirituality. It is indeed a beautiful place; and it is very well-maintained not just because it is new, but because you can feel the sincerity of the people who are working thereat.
For more info visit their website:
@thecouchpatatas 
