The Peñaranda Park (also called Freedom Park) in the Old Albay District of Legazpi City is a plaza dedicated to the first Governor of Albay, Jose Ma. Peñaranda who served from 1834-1840. Followng the traditional style of Spanish-type plazas, the Pearanda Park is surrounded by administrative and religious institutions, most notably the Albay Capitol, the Legazpi City Hall, and the St. Gregory the Great Cathedral. It is also a stone’s throw away from educational institutions such as the Divine World College of Legazpi as well as convention facilities such as the Albay Astrodome.

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The park is home to the historic Liberty Bell, a gift from the United States of America commemorating the liberation of the city from the clutches of Japanese oppression at the end of the Second World War. There is also a monument dedicated to Gov. Peñaranda.

In recent years, the park was renovated to become a more modern venue for outdoor fun and relaxation. The park is now multi-tiered and features new landscaping, fountains, lights, and ornamental plants as well as a spacious stage and theater area that has become a venue for various occassions including festivals, concerts, symposia, and even rallies.

Peñaranda Park has also become a center for recreation and dining with a row of restaurants and bars just a short hop away at the ground floor of the Albay Capitol Annex. Fastfood joints and some of the city’s best restaurants and cafes along the busy Rizal Street are also just a few hundred meters away. Visitors and promenaders can enjoy a leisurely stroll around the park and have easy access to these recreation and dining facilities.

With the Old Albay District steadily emerging as the city’s next business district, the Peñaranda Park has the advantage of being at the center of it all. Peñaranda Park is easily accessible from all points of the city due to its strategic location at the intersection of the main thoroughfares Rizal Street and Washington Drive (Capt. F. Aquende Drive) which leads to and from the domestic airport. Public utility jeepneys and tricycles also make the park easily accessible to visitors.

Peñaranda Park Map

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