The Camino is a seven-day spiritual journey that allows the pilgrims to reflect and experience personal transformation as they discover their paths to Jesus Christ through INA, Our Lady of Peñafrancia. In 2022, there were 18 participants led by Dennis T. Marpuri, his family, and friends from Ocampo. In 2023, 27 completed the Camino. In 2024, it garnered 64 registrants, which included intrepid senior citizens in their seventies. For the first time this year, the Camino will begin in Daraga, Albay, adding four days to the devotional pilgrimage. Dennis T. Marpuri, founder of the Camino de Peñafrancia, writes about his experience.

DAY 0, September 2 Tuesday – Our Lady of the Gate Parish (Daraga Church) – 5:00 PM arrival.

Here was my last-minute checklist: Inside my backpack, I packed socks, hiking shirts and pants, underwear, my cellphone, a GoPro, a headlamp, bath soap, a laundry bag, a toothbrush, toothpaste, and a power bank. Miscellaneous items included a water bottle, sunglasses, a hat, insect repellent, a sleeping bag, and sunscreen.

Although I completed many Caminos, somehow I still feel unprepared. I was jittery, anxious, and uneasy. My knee sometimes would hurt and the discomfort would shift between my left and right foot. My ankle tended to give out and I experienced a burning sensation from plantar fasciitis when I stood still for too long.

“Ready or not, the Camino de Peñafrancia 2025 begins.”

This morning, I finished packing. Before we headed to the Naga Bus Terminal at 11:00 AM, as they were leaving from Ocampo to Daraga, I gave the pilgrims assurances and offered them encouragement. Often, this was when self doubt and discouragement would set in.

One by one, they arrived at our designated meeting point. Our Peñafrancia bus was scheduled to depart at 12:00 noon. As Filipinos, we have a tendency to push the limits of our bus schedules. The bus always leaves on time, and if you miss it, you’ll be on your own for the rest of your journey.

The waiting was over. Who would arrive on time? I bought ten bus tickets: two for seniors (160.00 pesos each) and eight for adults (200 pesos).

At 10:30 AM, Shanhie Consulta and Noli Felezmino were already waiting at the bus terminal. One by one, other passengers began to arrive. The bus departed promptly at noon. Bon Abias almost missed it; as usual, he was late and had to wait for the bus to arrive in Tri-City.

We arrived at Daraga Church at 2:30 PM. After a brief photo session with the picturesque church, we finally met Father Tony Sial, the parish priest. We were welcomed with open arms and shown to our quarters, where we would be sleeping that night. He also instructed the parish staff to prepare dinner for the 13 pilgrims.

Tonight we planned to attend the 5:30 PM mass. At our sleeping quarters, lights out will be at 10:00 PM, and our wakeup call is at 4:00 AM. Departure time is scheduled for 5:00 AM.

DAY 1, September 3 Wednesday – Our Lady of the Gate Parish (Daraga Church) – 5:00 AM Mass; 6:00 AM start. Walk to — St. John the Baptist Parish, Camalig; Our Lady of the Assumption Parish, Guinobatan, Divine Mercy Monastery of the Carmelite Nuns, Ligao. Distance traveled – 28 kms.

After dinner last night, the pilgrims had an orientation about what to expect on our first day of walking along the rough highways of Albay. Lights out was at 10:00 PM, and the wake-up time was set for 4:00 AM. As with every Camino, we were sleeping in close quarters with people of different ages, so the sound of snoring was reminiscent of an orchestra concert.

Instead of waking up at 4:00 AM, almost everyone was already awake by 2:30 AM. One thing for sure, I was happy this group of pilgrims was punctual. I thought perhaps they might have drunk too much coffee last night. At 4:45 AM, our breakfast was served, which included pancit bato and large buns of pandesal, courtesy of Father Tony Sial. After breakfast, we said our prayers and asked for a safe Camino. Exactly at 5:00 AM, we began our descent from the scenic hill of Daraga Church.

We established two alternate routes for the Camino Daraga. One route included the Cagsawa Ruins and Sumlang Lake, both of which were worth exploring. The Sumlang route served as a shortcut from the Camalig highway to the town center, allowing us to bypass the crowded highway and experience less vehicle traffic. However, we found that these alternate routes increased the distance by 4 kilometers.

The first church we visited was St. John the Baptist Parish in Camalig, Albay. It is situated along the main highway. On our way to Camalig, we encountered rain twice, so we decided to use our umbrellas and continue walking. We arrived around 9:30 AM, but unfortunately, the church was closed, limiting our visit to a brief stop. Since they did not provide a wet stamp, we had no way to officially document our visit to this church, except for a few pictures.

The second church, Our Lady of the Assumption Parish, was located in Guinobtan, Albay, and is believed to have been built in the 1670s. The distance from Camalig, Albay, was 10 kilometers.

The heat was starting to become a problem for us. I, for one, was so exhausted; my ankle suddenly started hurting, and I could hardly walk. We had our lunch at Kawa-kawa Hills around 2:30 PM, and then we proceeded to the Divine Mercy Monastery of the Carmelite Nuns of the Holy Trinity.

It was very quiet in the monastery. Our living quarters for the night were just like an albergue in Spain. The heat was starting to become a problem for us. I, for one, am so exhausted; my ankle suddenly started hurting, and I could hardly walk. We had our lunch at Kawa-kawa Hills around 2:30 PM, and then we proceeded to the Divine Mercy Monastery of the Carmelite Nuns of the Holy Trinity.

It was very quiet in the monastery. Our living quarters for the night were just like an albergue in Spain.

DAY 2, September 4 Thursday – Divine Mercy Monastery of the Carmelite Nuns – 6:00 AM start. Walk to – St. Michael the Archangel Parish, Oas; St. Peter and Paul Parish, Polangui. Distance traveled – 14 kms.

I regret to announce that I am abandoning my Camino de Peñafráncia 2025 journey. Last night, I woke up with severe swelling and excruciating pain in my right toe. This is the first time in my life that I have had to give up on something. I attempted to walk last night, but the more I tried, the more the pain intensified. At this moment, my toe is still very swollen.

It brings back bad memories from last year. The situation was almost the same, except my ankle was swollen then. Despite that, I managed to walk through several stages. I wonder what it was about the dish I ate in this area. Could it have contained MSG? It seems my uric acid levels are high.

It’s interesting how people tend to become a bit lazy when they know they only have a short distance to walk. The pilgrims began their journey at 6:30 AM, and by 7:30 AM, everyone was ready for breakfast at McDonald’s. After half an hour, they started walking to the next parish church in Ligao City, which was just a short 1-kilometer distance away. By this time, the sky was clear, with no clouds and not a drop of rain in sight; it was a beautiful, sunny day.

By 9:00 AM, we made our way to the next town, Oas, Albay, where the St. Michael the Archangel Parish Church is located. The heat gradually intensified, and by the time we reached Polangui, it felt like it could burn my skin in just three minutes. One by one, we arrived at the St. Peter and Paul Parish Church in Polangui, Albay. I could see the faces of the thirteen pilgrims; there were no smiles, just signs of thirst and tiredness, yet also a sense of accomplishment.

In preparation for their arrival at the parish, I bought two cases of water bottles (48 in total). All the bottles were chugged within one hour.

Tomorrow, they will face their hardest climb yet. For the first time, they will cross the province of Camarines Sur while leaving the province of Albay.

DAY 3, September 5 Friday – St. Peter and Paul Parish, Polangui; 6:00 AM start. Walk to – St. Vincent Ferrer Parish, Buhi; St. Francis of Assisi Parish, Buhi – 6:00 pm – Arrival of Pilgrims; 7:00 pm – Pilgrims’ Mass. Distance traveled – 24 kms.

Today, the pilgrims on the Camino de Peñafrancia crossed the provincial boundary from Albay to Camarines Sur. Out of the original 14 pilgrims, only 11 continued on to complete their journey; the others would join later. This leg of the journey was the most challenging as it involved a long uphill climb through a less populated area with limited food and water supplies. Our tri-mobile transportation managed to navigate the incline with a lot of effort, as it was packed with backpacks and luggage.

The weather was pleasant throughout the climb. We crossed into the boundary of Camarines Sur at 10:14 AM. Our tri-mobile support finally came through and brought us a water supply. It might be a good time for a coffee break; we wished there was a Jollibee or McDonald’s nearby to help us refuel with some energy.

The pilgrims traveled 12 kilometers, nearly halfway to their final destination. Unfortunately, there was no food in sight, except for the leftovers from the previous night’s dinner.

We arrived at St. Vincent Ferrer Parish Church at 10:44 AM, the first parish located on the border of Camarines Sur. We still need to cover another 7.6 kilometers to reach St. Francis of Assisi in Centro, Buhi.

All 11 pilgrims reached their final destination at 2:10 PM. Suddenly, heavy rain began pouring and continued into the late night, with intermittent showers. The pilgrims’ mass was scheduled for 6:00 PM, and some new pilgrims arrived before it started. The group of 13 pilgrims from Ocampo was able to catch up in time for the mass. After the service, the parish church hosted a dinner for the pilgrims in a “budol” style.

We ended the night with a few reminders for the pilgrims and lights out was set for 10:00 PM.

Regarding my personal health issue, I returned to Naga to consult my doctor. He prescribed two types of medicine, which have somewhat reduced the pain; however, my toe was still swollen, and I was no longer able to wear my hiking shoes.

Day 4, September 6 Saturday – St. Francis of Assisi Parish – Buhi; 5:00 AM Start. Walk to – St. Paul the Apostle Parish – Buhi, Our Lady of the Miraculous Medal Parish – Iriga, Parish and Archdiocesan Shrine of Anthony Padua – Iriga, Our Lady of Fatima Parish and Shrine – Iriga, St. Theresa of Avila Parish and Shrine – Baao, St. Bartholomew the Apostle Parish Church – Baao. Distance traveled – 20 kms.

I was invited to present the Camino de Peñafrancia to the BATTO-NAITAS Bicol group, which had the theme “Faith, Fiesta, and Fellowship.” After my presentation, I quickly returned to join the Camino pilgrims who had just reached their final destination at St. Bartholomew Parish in Baao, Camarines Sur.

My foot is finally healing, but I still cannot walk properly due to the swelling; I am unable to put on my shoes.

The evening concluded with a brief orientation regarding what to expect for the next day’s stage. The trail has a 10% incline and can be quite challenging for new pilgrims. It is less populated, and food and water are scarce. We were reminded to try to avoid relying on the support vehicle, as the trimobile cannot cross the Pawili River.

Everyone agrees that both the terrain and the weather present challenges. Therefore, we all decided to wake up early at 3:30 am and leave by 4:30 am. Lights out were set for 9:00 pm.

Editor’s note: The Day 4 segment of the Camino, September 6, was added to the original article on Sept. 10, 2025. The header image features a collage of photos taken during the past four days (photos by author).

About the author

DENNIS T. MARPURI graduated from Ateneo de Naga High School. He was an independent IT consultant in the US and worked in nine different states doing contracts primarily with Federal government agencies and Fortune 500 companies. He also became a professional photographer covering NCAA college sports. Now retired, he and his wife love to travel to Europe. They divide their time between Northern California with their immediate family and Ocampo, Camarines Sur, his hometown, where he promotes mountain biking for the local youth. He is the founder and principal advocate of Camino de Penafrancia.