We chronicled the first two days of the Camino de Peñafrancia in Part 1 as we began our devotional journey in Sorsogon City and made our way to Pilar, Sorsogon, a cumulative distance of 38.6 km. In Part 2, we trudged towards Albay and eventually reached Camarines Sur — with each weary step as silent prayer.

Our daily spirituality and reflections are drawn from the Pilgrim’s Prayer Book – Camino de Peñafrancia 2026, Dalan Pasiring sa Mahal na Ina, Second Edition, by Rev. Fr. Francis A. Tordilla, CDP, Spiritual Adviser.

Day 3 – September 1, 2026

An Mga Balaog — The Gift We Were Given

Start: Holy Family Church, Putiao, Pilar, Sorsogon. Finish: Our Lady of the Gate Church, Daraga, Albay. Today’s Distance – 16.4 km.; Cumulative Total – 55.0 km.

The third day of the Camino brought the pilgrims across a meaningful threshold as they walked 16.4 kilometers from Putiao, Pilar into Daraga, Albay, leaving the Diocese of Sorsogon and entering the Diocese of Legazpi. More than a geographic crossing, the day deepened their journey toward Inâ, Our Lady of Peñafrancia, inviting them to recognize the many gifts—places, people, and quiet graces—that meet them along the road.

The pilgrims began their morning at Holy Family Parish in Putiao, where they were warmly welcomed and given space to pray and gather strength. Their first reception in Albay came at Our Lady of Salvation Parish in Anislag.  Fr. Elbert L. Celestina, Fr. Mark Joseph Calbelo, and the parish community prepared breakfast that nourished them for the long walk ahead. By noon, they reached Our Lady of the Gate Parish in Daraga. They were welcomed by Fr. Elbert L. Celestina, Fr. Mark Joseph Calbelo, and the parishioners, and received hydration and a place to settle for the night, ending the day in prayer and gratitude.

Generosity also flowed from fellow pilgrims. Boy Marpuri provided lunch, while CDP founder Dennis Marpuri and his wife Elizabeth offered dinner and shared their blessings with the group. These acts of kindness affirmed a truth often felt on the Camino: that the road provides, and that God’s grace frequently arrives through the hands of those walking beside them or welcoming them along the way.

As they continued toward Daraga and the sight of Mayon Volcano, the pilgrims reflected on the day’s theme—The Gift We Were Given. Guided by the prayer, “Lord, the land we walk on is not ours. Teach us to pass through it like guests,” they were reminded to see the land as a sacred trust rather than a possession. Carrying the prayers of families and friends, they pressed on toward Our Lady of Peñafrancia, grateful for every community that has accompanied their Camino and every blessing entrusted to their journey.

Day 4 – September 2, 2026

An Mga Hilom — The Hidden Ones

Start: Our Lady of the Gate Parish, Daraga, Albay. Finish: Divine Mercy Monastery of the Carmelite Nuns, Ligao, Albay. Today’s distance – 26.8 km; Cumulative distance – 81.8 km.        

The fourth day carried the pilgrims from Daraga to Ligao, moving through the vibrant communities of Daraga, Camalig, Guinobatan, and Ligao. The day began at Our Lady of the Gate Parish, where Rev. Fr. Antonio S. Sial and the parish community prepared a generous breakfast—enough not only to nourish the pilgrims but to accompany them along the road. True to its nature, the Camino provided. As the pilgrims walked, locals offered food, rambutan, lansones, and even helped supply lunch. These simple gestures reminded everyone that generosity often meets us before we even know to ask, appearing quietly along the path as grace in motion.

The route brought the pilgrims past the Cagsawa Ruins and into the parishes of St. John the Baptist in Camalig and Our Lady of the Assumption in Guinobatan, each becoming a place to pause, pray, and honor the communities encountered. Yet the fourth day was not only about the blessings received; it was also about learning to see the people behind those blessings. The prayer book speaks of “An Mga Hilom” — The Hidden Ones — those who serve without seeking recognition. Like John the Baptist, who spent his life pointing beyond himself, and contemplative communities whose quiet prayer sustains others, these unseen hands shape the Camino in ways that often go unnoticed.

This spirit of quiet service appeared not only in the communities but among the pilgrims themselves. Along the road, countless small acts of care unfolded—sharing what was available, watching over one another, offering help, and ensuring no one walked alone. The strength of one pilgrim often became the support of another. At the Shrine of Divine Mercy and the Carmelite Monastery, Mother Ma. Trinidad Bunac and the sisters welcomed the group once more, offering a place of rest, reflection, and prayer. Their gentle presence revealed another form of hidden service: simply being there, making room for others, and praying without expecting to be seen.

As the pilgrims continued toward Ligao, they carried not only the blessings of the day but a deeper awareness of the many people who make the Camino possible—some visible, many unseen, all essential. To the Camino volunteers, local police, barangay tanods, DRRM teams, parish communities, and every person who offered even the smallest kindness: you are not forgotten. And to those whose prayers accompany the Camino from afar, your intentions travel with the pilgrims. May we learn to recognize the grace that comes through people who do not seek to be noticed. “Lord, make me useful before you make me noticed.” Inâ, pray for us. Viva la Virgen!

Day 5 – September 3, 2026

An Nagbabantay — Those Who Guard the Road

Start – Divine Mercy Monastery of the Carmelite Nuns, Ligao, Albay. Finish – St. Peter and Paul Parish, Polangui, Albay. Today’s distance – 12.3 km; Cumulative distance – 94.1 km.

The fifth day began in the quiet blue light before sunrise, when the pilgrims stepped out of the Shrine of Divine Mercy and the Carmelite Monastery in Ligao at 5:55 a.m. Though the day’s route was shorter, the accumulated fatigue of five days on the road made every step heavier. By this point in the Camino, difficulty is no longer measured by kilometers alone. Blisters sting, conversations fade, and photographs become fewer. Sometimes pilgrimage becomes the simple, stubborn act of placing one foot in front of the other — and accepting that this, too, is part of the Camino’s truth.

The pilgrims moved steadily through Ligao and Oas, stopping at St. Stephen the Protomartyr Parish and St. Michael the Archangel Parish before reaching their host parish for the night, Sts. Peter and Paul in Polangui. Along the way, the day’s theme revealed itself: An Nagbabantay — Those Who Guard the Road. Psalm 91:11 — “He will command his angels concerning you, to guard you in all your ways” — framed the reflection.

The Camino teaches that angels are not always distant beings watching from above; often, they are much closer to the ground. They appear in ordinary people whose quiet acts of service make the pilgrimage possible: the jeepney driver who brings the luggage forward, the tricycle personnel who assist tired walkers, the first‑aid helpers tending blistered feet, the security personnel keeping watch, and the road users who slow down to give way. Many of these guardians will never appear in a photograph, yet their presence shapes the Camino as surely as the pilgrims’ own steps. God’s protection does not always arrive dramatically; sometimes it is a waiting vehicle, a hand offering help, a marshal in a reflective vest, or a stranger making space on the road.

Five days of walking have become a reminder to recognize grace in the ordinary and to honor those who quietly guard the journey. The Camino asks its pilgrims to see the hands through which God’s protection comes — hands that say, “I am here. You can keep walking.” As the day ends in Polangui, the prayer becomes simple and sincere: Lord, teach me to recognize the people who guard our road. Inâ, pray for us. Viva la Virgen!

Day 6 – September 4, 2026

An Pintuan — The Threshold

Start – St. Peter and Paul Parish, Polangui, Albay. Finish – St. Francis of Assisi Parish, Buhi, Cam Sur. Today’s distance – 24.1 km; Cumulative distance – 118.2 km.

The sixth day unfolded as one of those days that quietly demanded more from the peregrinos. They left Sts. Peter and Paul Parish in Polangui at 5:00 a.m., beginning the long walk toward Our Lady of Guadalupe Parish in Lidong, their final stop in the Diocese of Legazpi. The climbs were steeper, the sun harsher, and the 24.1‑kilometer stretch felt heavier on legs that had already endured days of walking. Yet even in the difficulty, the road offered small mercies—breakfast at a humble karinderya, shared laughter, and the quiet beauty of Bicol’s backroads. For pilgrims from outside the region, it was a glimpse of a gentler Bicol, the kind one rarely sees when simply passing through.

The day marked their entry into the Archdiocese of Cáceres, though no grand gate announced it. Their first parish stop was St. Vincent Ferrer Parish, followed by the long push toward St. Francis of Assisi Parish in Buhi. By midday, fatigue had settled deep into the body, but so had the warmth of welcome. There was space to rest, breathe, and let the long road loosen its grip. As evening arrived, St. Francis of Assisi Parish prepared dinner for the pilgrims—a simple gesture that felt profoundly meaningful after such a demanding day.

It was here that the day’s theme, An Pintuan — The Threshold, began to speak. The crossing from Legazpi into Cáceres happened quietly, almost unnoticed. No sign marked the moment; the peregrinos simply kept walking. Only when looking back did they realize they had already stepped into a new place. Life often mirrors this—seasons change not with fanfare but with quiet shifts, revealed only in hindsight. And on the other side of such thresholds, there is often an open door: a place to rest, to be received, to be reminded that we do not walk alone.

After 24.1 kilometers, the peregrinos arrived tired, grateful, and welcomed. The open door they found in Buhi became a reminder of what the Camino asks of all of us—not only to seek the doors that offer rest, but to become one for others. To make room. To welcome the weary. To offer presence and kindness along the road. Sometimes, coming home is simply finding a door that is open. Inâ, thank You for every road that brings us home, and for every person who opens a door along the way. Inâ, ibahan mo kami. Viva la Virgen!

What’s ahead in the Camino

Day 7 – September 5: Start – Saint Francis of Assisi Parish – Buhi, Cam Sur. Finish – St. Bartholomew the Apostle Parish Church, Baao, Cam Sur; 22.6 kms.

Day 8 – September 6: Start – St. Bartholomew the Apostle Parish, Baao, Cam Sur. Finish – St. Bernard Abbot Parish, Ocampo, Cam Sur; 17.3 kms.

Day 9 – September 7: Start – St. Bernard Abbot Parish, Ocampo, Cam Sur. Finish – Archdiocesan Shrine and Parish of St. Joseph; 26.4 kms.

Day 10 – September 8: Start – Archdiocesan Shrine and Parish of St. Joseph, San Jose, Cam Sur. Finish – St. Martin de Porres Parish, Goa, Cam Sur; 13.5 kms.

Day 11 – September 9: Start – St. Martin de Porres, Goa, Cam Sur. Finish – St. Paschal Baylon Parish, Tinambac, Cam Sur; 26.2 kms.

Day 12 – September 10: Start – St. Paschal Baylon Parish, Tinambac, Cam Sur; Finish – Our Lady of the Holy Cross Parish, Bombon, Camarines Sur; 27.4 kms.

Day 13 – September 11: Start – Our Lady of the Holy Cross Parish, Bombon, Cam Sur; Finish – Basilica Minore, Naga City; 9.1 kms

The header photo shows the pilgrims gathered around the newly coronated giant image of Our Lady of Peñafrancia, towering over the grounds of the St. Teresa of Avila Parish in Baao, Camarines Sur. The daily accounts of the pilgrimage are based on the FB posts shared by the Camino de Peñafrancia group.