regina rica

I witnessed this place evolve from idle land to what it is now. It is a beautiful place to visit. The giant statue of the Virgin Mary is a sight to behold and the views simply breathtaking.

The place is located in the mountain of sierra madre. It was a more than an hour drive from paranaque to tanay rizal. We wanted to start our year with a mass and decided to do pilgrimage to this place. Regina Rica is still under construction but has already a chapel and a big statute of the Blessed Virgin Mary on which inside the statue lies an adoration room on where the visitors are led in prayers by the Dominican sister. BESIDE the statute of our Lady , a candle area on where the pilgrims can light candles and utter their prayers.Stations of the Cross are around the area for visitors on Holy Week. Restrooms are provided for free and to satisfy our phydical hunger the place has a mini restaurant but during our visit pancit and lumpiang gulay was available... do not forget to order their freshly baked bread. Our Blessed Mother is always awaiting for us in prayer. REGINA RICA is a place to renew your tired body and soul through prayers with our Blessed Mother who is waiting on the top of the hill.

The place is very calming and peaceful as it is located in a hilly place in Tanay Rizal. The breeze is cool and the area is teeming with greeneries. They also have some sheeps, goats and horses. There is a church and also a wishing well nearby. The highlight of the place is the huge statue/image of the Virgin Mary and child Jesus.

We went there on a Sunday and was able to catch the 11:30 am mass. It was quite cool when we reached the place and there was fog embracing the mountainside. This place may be good for people who want to be close to nature but still accessible from the city. It took us about 2 hours from Quezon City to Tanay and we took the scenic route along Laguna Lake.However, I did not find the food in the vegetarian restaurant really good, unlike what the other reviewers were saying. We ordered the kalderetang tofu which was not really exceptional. The other choice was tortang talong, again too common. The soup was also not something to rave about. I suggest that they introduce more variety in their menu.I'd still go back to this place, though, just to inhale the cool mountain breeze blowing and to give my lungs some rest from breathing the polluted air in Metro Manila.

When you want peace of mind, need to ponder some sort of things, this place is a big help.... you're not only with Mother Nature but also with the company of Mama Mary.... You will definitely felt cuddled, hugged and welcomed by her........that you will automatically burst out all the pain you've had when you're there....like a child telling all your troubles to your Mom who is so willing to listen and pamper you.......that you will go home with calmness in mind.....feeling somebody backed you up with all your troubles.....There's even beautiful instrumental music while walking uphill, sheep around busy eating grass..it's quite heaven not to mention the scenery...and I tell you it's really quite you can even hear the caress of the wind up on the hill..don't miss this experience guys...

If you want an out of the ordinary birthday celebration that is just way far from all the city stress and where you can just cast all your worries away at the moment this is where you have to be! And if you are so preoccupied here is where you can be at your best pensive mode ^_^

I love it and definitely one of the best place i eva been. Family's so happy to visit this place. Perfect getaway. You will never be bored.

I was led to this place by my good friend Joey Faulve. We looked at the giant statue of Our Lady called Regina Rica. You can go inside the statue where there are guides, lay minister, or volunteers who can show you around and teach you to have a spiritual experience. There is a wonderful church in the middle of the place.

The statue is huge and beautiful that one would wonder how it got built there.Parking was abundant but when we went there 2 Sundays ago, it was full that I had to park far away on a grassy embankment.The chapel was big too and well done.The veggie burger was delicious.The place was far and the directions were a bit confusing owing to absence of directional signs along the way (very typical in the Philippines). I missed the road going up to Antipolo and Teresa which made us take a long route via Cainta, Taytay, Cardona, etc.But even then, the place was worth it.It was a sunny day when we went there so it was hot all over. The place could use a bit more foliage.

As part of the holy week activity as a catholic my family planned to do Visita Inglesia last Holy Thursday April 17, 2014. Visita Iglesa is going to 14 different churches as each church represents one station in praying the Stations of the cross. Regina Rica is our Second Station next to Antipolo since we are coming from Quezon City. There is a long traffic in the main road so we decided to park our vehicle to the parking space near the main road because we taught vehicles are not allowed to get inside the shrine. We had to walk about 1.5 kms from where we parked to the entrance of the shrine. From the entrance there is along queue before we were accommodated to the reception area for a short briefing about the place. After the briefing we were allowed to explore the place. It is a nice place for meditation. They have the big Image of the Our Lady of the Holy Rosary. They also have Kubos/nipa huts near their restaurants and you can use that fro free. They also have a mini zoo, a hanging bridge and several "duyans" / native swings. I enjoyed my visit to this shrine but I think it would be better to go here on ordinary days to enjoy its serenity. Visiting time 8:00am-5:00 pm, but they are closed on Tuesdays. You can contact them at 09192694286 / 3725327.... e-mail: reginarosarii@yahoo.com and their website : www.reginarosarii.org

It was a weekend prior to the Holy week when we visited the church for the first time. It was indeed a pilgrim the moment you enter the premise as the church is too far from the entrance itself. We managed to hear mass despite the late schedule and volunteers and nuns are everywhere to assist us with the partaking of the bread. The place is huge that there are two floors that can accommodate the flock of church goers. And despite the fact that we are seated outside, we can still hear the whole ceremony clearly.After hearing mass, we took the steps going to the huge shrine of the Holy Rosary. There is quite a line for those who wants to offer prayer and lit a candle for requests. And make sure to come quietly. And lastly, apart from the shrine, there is also a labyrinth of steps where kids can enjoy walking around until they reach the end of the steps. This will served as part of their pilgrim. But note, once you take the 300 steps to the shrine, just make sure to wear something ideally such as skirts longer below the knee, while sleeveless are not allowed. Because of distance, Regina Rica can be a good place for pilgrims.

An afternoon of scenic and silent moments await you once you step inside this place of contemplation run by the Dominican Sisters of Regina Rosarii. We went there one afternoon to explore and what we got was an experience of health and wellness not only for the body but also for our souls. The 71 foot statue of the Madonna stands awesomely quiet amid the panoramic hills of Tanay. Securely watched and taken care of, the place was well maintained thanks to the generosity of people who visit. The few nuns we were able to come in contact with are very accomodating and they willingly answered all our questions. The improvements are well planned and the washroom is clean. The sister told us that there were two masses on Sundays and one during ordinary days. They have made use of contour engineering for the roads and you will know that the structures that they have constructed on the hills are all structurally okay. The lovely ladies manning the reception and the shops are dressed pleasantly in their candy-colored uniforms. The all vegetable sandwich is a winner. And best of all, you do not pay for entrance fees as it is free. Really, the place beckons...

Facilities are great. Hosts are friendly and gracious. Food is excellent. Bread is freshly baked. All amenities are very clean.

Not being a religious person, I went with an open mind, as obviously Regina Rica is aimed at people of the Catholic faith. I was quite surprised, it's a pleasant, relaxing area, with a surprisingly good and interesting building/sculpture/statue at the top of the site depicting Mary and child. From the balcony, accessible through the interior of the statue, there is an excellent panoramic view of the area. After wandering through the various garden areas, which are at the beginning of a work in progress, we visited the chapel (modern and nice), and the cafe/restaurant where they served a simple lunch menu of pancit, deep fried lumpia, pastries and shakes, very pleasant, even for a westerners taste.While having lunch we noticed that everyone else seemed to be buying bread to take out, so we copied. Glad we did as it was delicious, and now wished that we had bought more.Well worth a visit now and, I suspect, even more so in a couple of years when the gardens are more established, and buildings completed. One comment though ... not knowing Manila that well I found that it was not an easy place to find as the address given cannot be found on Google map, and suggests that it is located in Tanay. The summary map provided on the website was a little ambiguous ("at about 66.5 kms. turn right" 66.5 Regina kms from where?) It would be a lot easier if a "Google Map/GPS grid reference" was given (can be programmed into car GPS) and/or the summary map on the website made a little clearer. Well worth the visit, and would go back again in a couple of years.

It was an unplanned weekend trip. What I only knew before I left the house was that I, my sister, her mother-in-law and my mother are going to Tanay. She mentioned about Regina Rica but I honestly did not have any idea what it was.We left the house at 10 am, and we reached the place at 11:30 am. The road to Regina Rica is never a headache. So, the travel was really smooth. Getting to the place for the first time isn't a problem as well most especially if you have a map. When you are lost, it is easy to ask the folks in the street.When we reached the place, I had the feeling as if I am entering a sanctuary of peacefulness. Indeed, it was such a peaceful place.After the orientation by the head nun, we went to their canteen and had some simple lunch of pancit, lumpia, bread, and shake.After that we went to the chapel. We took our time because my sister's mother-in-law and my mother couldn't walk that fast anymore. It was too late for us to find out that there is a service that they ride with a minimal fee.We left them at the chapel and walked up to the statue of the Our Lady of the Rosary. When we reached the top and the blessed sacrament, it was where I felt the peacefulness.All in all, the experience was superb. The place is like the Monastery in Bukidnon. But this time, I need not take a plane ride to experience such tranquility.Definitely, this place is worth a countless of visits.