The Cathedral of St. Gregory the Great, also called the Albay Cathedral, is the Episcopal Seat of the Diocese of Legazpi. The cathedral started as a wooden chapel built by early Spanish missionaries who moved into the town in the 1580s. It was damaged by American bombers and reconstruction went beyond 1951. The church was elevated to become a cathedral when the Episcopal See of the Diocese of Legaspi was established.

In this series of posts, Wow Legazpi will explore the various Catholic churches of Albay, not only to serve as a guide for pilgrims who will observe Visita Iglesia but also to provide information about these churches and help inspire appreciation of these priceless cultural treasures.

The Embarcadero is Legazpi’s newest lifestyle hub, commercial and entertainment center offering retail shops, restaurants and cafes, bars, arcade, bowling alleys, promenade, Celebration Plaza and a lighthouse. Although less than half of the entire complex is completed, the Embarcadero has already made its mark in the Legazpi cityscape as a popular destination for both locals and tourists.

Legazpi continues to adapt ways to help mitigate the negative impact of climate change and global warming caused by pollution and greenhouse gas emissions. New electric-powered, non-polluting jeepneys now provide eco-friendly transportation in the city of Legazpi.

Legazpi’s colorful month-long Ibalong Festival returns this October 2009. This year’s celebration promises to be more exciting and festive than ever before. The Ibalong Festival is a feast that celebrates Bicol’s ancient history as told in the Ibalong folk-epic fragment that recounts the adventures of Bikol’s early heroes: Baltog, Handiong and Bantong.

Ibalong, the sixty stanzas the remain of a full-length folk epic that is today little known even in Kabikolan itself, was presumably jotted down in its complete Bicol narrative by Fray Bernardino de Melendreras (1815-1867), a Franciscan missionary in Ginobatan, Albay, from a minstrel referred to in the epic as Kadungung and who could be the same wandering bard described years later by another Franciscan, Fray Jose Castaño (b. 1854), as “Homero de Ibalon.”

In celebration of the 2nd anniversary of the National Conference on Climate Change Adaptation (NCCCA). The Albay CIRCA (Center for Initiatives and Researche on Climate Adaptation) is holding the first ever Albay Eco Challenge. The event is designed to increase awareness on climate change and other important environmental issues.

Experience one of the most grueling, physically-challenging (yet scenically-rewarding) races in the Philippines when Mayon Trail Run returns this October 2009! This will be the second Mayon Trail Run after the successful race held last year just in time for Legazpi’s Ibalong Festival.The race is designed to help in the awareness campaign for environmental issues such as global warming and climate change.

The Embarcadero, one of the most anticipated developments in the city of Legazpi, “soft” opened last July 18, 2009 with two locators opening its doors to the public. The Embarcadero is a waterfront development located at the harbor area of Legazpi City adjacent to the alluring Kapuntukan Hill (also called Sleeping Lion Hill).

One of the best ways to view any city is from above while aboard an aircraft. From up there, one can see the city and its surroundings literally from a different perspective.

San Miguel Island is located off the eastern coast of Albay in the Lagonoy Gulf. It is part of Albay’s chain of islands that include Cagraray, Batan and Rapu-rapu. San Miguel Island is home to an island marine reserve established by Coastal Resource Management Project in San Miguel Island (COREMAP-SMI).