Naga, Camarines Sur

Naga
Independent component city
City of Naga
(From top, left to right)Universidad de Santa Isabel,Holy Rosary Seminary,Ateneo de Naga University,Our Lady of Peñafrancia,Naga Metropolitan Cathedral,Naga City Hall, Malabsay Falls,Our Lady of Peñafrancia Shrine,Peñafrancia Festival, Carmelite Monastery
Flag Seal
Nicknames: Queen City of Bicol The Heart of Bicol An Maogmang Lugar(The Happy Place) Pilgrim City of Naga One of the Seven Golden Cities of the Sun
Motto(s): Naga Na, Uswag Pa!(Naga Now, Prosper More!)
Anthem: Heart of Bicol March
Map of Camarines Sur with Naga highlighted
OpenStreetMap
Naga Location within thePhilippines
Coordinates:13°37′28″N123°11′11″E
Country	Philippines
Region	Bicol Region
Province	Camarines Sur(geographically only)
District	3rd district
Founded(as Ciudad de Nueva Caceres)	1575
Royal City-Charter	1595
Renamed as Naga	1919
Cityhood	June 18, 1948
Founded by	Capt. Pedro de Chavez
Barangays	27 (seeBarangays)
Government
• Type	Sangguniang Panlungsod
• Mayor	Nelson S. Legacion
•Vice Mayor	Cecilia V. de Asis
•Representative	Gabriel H. Bordado Jr.
•City Council	Members Jessie R. Albeus Joselito S. del Rosario Ghiel G. Rosales Melvin Ramon G. Buenafe Gilda Gayle A. Gomez Vidal P. Castillo Jose C. Rañola Jose B. Perez Salvador M. del Castillo Antonio B. Beltran
•Electorate	117,481 voters (2022)
Area
•Independent component city	84.48 km2(32.62 sq mi)
• Urban	225.79 km2(87.18 sq mi)
• Metro	1,342 km2(518 sq mi)
Elevation	66 m (217 ft)
Highest elevation	1,864 m (6,115 ft)
Lowest elevation	−1 m (−3 ft)
Population (2020 census)
•Independent component city	209,170
• Density	2,500/km2(6,400/sq mi)
•Urban	342,769
• Urban density	1,500/km2(3,900/sq mi)
•Metro	858,414
• Metro density	640/km2(1,700/sq mi)
•Households	45,984
Demonym(s)	Nagueño (masculine) Nagueña (feminine) Nagueñians (English, unofficial)
Economy
•Income class	1st city income class
•Poverty incidence	21.37 % (2021)
•Revenue	₱ 1,362 million (2020)
•Assets	₱ 5,536 million (2020)
•Expenditure	₱ 1,294 million (2020)
•Liabilities	₱ 718.8 million (2020)
Service provider
• Electricity	Camarines Sur 2 Electric Cooperative (CASURECO 2)
Time zone	UTC+8(PST)
ZIP code	4400
PSGC	051724000
IDD : area code	+63 (0)54
Native languages	Central Bikol Tagalog
Feast date	Third Saturday and Third Sunday of September
Catholic diocese	Archdiocese of Caceres
Patron saint	Our Lady of Peñafrancia
Website	naga.gov.ph

Naga,officially theCity of Naga(Central Bikol:Syudad nin Naga;Rinconada Bikol:Syudad ka Naga;Filipino:Lungsod ng Naga;Spanish:Ciudad de Nueva Cáceres), or thePilgrim City of Naga,is a 1st classindependent component cityin theBicol Regionof the Philippines. According to the 2020 census, it has a population of 209,170 people.

The town was established in 1575 by order ofSpanishGovernor-GeneralFrancisco de Sande.The city, then namedCiudad de Nueva Cáceres(NewCáceresCity), was one of the Spanish royal cities in theSpanish East Indies,along withManila,Cebu,andIloilo,the third oldest to be exact.

Geographically and statistically classified, as well as legislatively represented withinCamarines Sur,but administratively independent of the provincial government, Naga is considered by some sources to be theBicol Region's trade,business,religious, cultural, industrial, commercial,medical,educational,and financial center.

Naga is known as the "Queen City of Bicol" due to the historical significance of Naga in the Bicol Region;as the "Heart of Bicol",due to its central location on theBicol Peninsula;and as the "Pilgrim City,"as Naga is also the destination of one of the largest Marianpilgrimagesin Asia to the shrine ofOur Lady of Peñafrancia,an image that is one of the country's most popular objects of devotion.Naga is also known as "One of the Seven Golden Cities of the Sun" as stated byNick Joaquín.

It is one of the two Philippine cities named Naga, the other beingNaga, CebuinVisayas.

Etymology

Lignum nephriticumcup made ofnarrawood (the namesake of the province) produced opalescent colors when water is poured into it. These wooden cups were a major pre-colonial and colonial industry of Naga.

Naga is the native pre-colonial name of the city. It is named after thenarratree (Pterocarpus indicus), which is known asnagain theBikol language.It was abundant in the region and was part of a pre-colonial industry of wooden cups and bowls made from narra that produced distinctive blue and yellow opalescent colors when water is poured into them (later known to Europeans aslignum nephriticum). During theSpanish colonial era,they were exported toMexicoas luxury goods for their purporteddiureticproperties via theManila-Acapulco Galleons,and from there, toEurope.They were often presented as gifts to European nobility.

TheJesuitmissionaryand historian Juan José Delgado (1697-1755) describes the industry in the following:

"The city called Nueva Cáceres by the Spaniards bears among the natives the name Naga, on account of the abundance of this tree throughout those provinces of Camarines and Albay, where they carve very curious cups out of it for drinking water. Those made of female naga (pale white wood) are much the better, for this wood tinges the water very quickly to a celestial color, more quickly than the male (reddish wood). These cups are much esteemed in Europe and are regarded as a gift well worthy of any prince. Out of one of these cups they made me drink when I was a child, inCadiz(Spain), as a remedy forhydropsyandoppilation,and I think that it might have helped me had I not drunk too much. "

— Juan José Delgado,Biblioteca Histórica Filipina: Historia general sacro-profana, política y natural de las islas del poniente llamadas Filipinas(1751),

History

Precolonial era

The Bicolandia was closely allied with theKedatuan of Madja-asConfederation, which was located southeast onPanay Island.According to the epicMaragtas,twodatusand their followers, who followed Datu Puti, arrived atTaal Lake,with one group later settling aroundLaguna de Bay,and another group pushing southward into the Bicol Peninsula, placing the Bicolanos between people fromLuzonand people from theVisayas.An ancient tomb preserved among the Bicolanos, discovered and examined by anthropologists during the 1920s, refers to some of the same deities and personages mentioned in theMaragtas.

Spanish colonial period

Main article:Nueva Cáceres

Visit of Gov.-Gen Narciso Claveria y Zaldua at Nueva Caceres in Feb 16, 1845. Painting by Honorato Lozano

In 1573, on his second expedition to this region, theconquistadorJuan de Salcedolanded in a settlement named Naga in the native languages, because of the abundance ofnarra trees(nagainBikol).

In 1575, Captain Pedro de Chávez, the commander of the garrison left behind by Salcedo, founded on the site of the present business centre (across the river from the original Naga) a Spanish city which he named La Ciudad de Cáceres, in honor ofFrancisco de Sande,theGovernor-Generaland a native ofCáceresin Spain. Nueva Caceres, had 30 Spanish Households then.

It was by this name of "Nueva Caceres" that it was identified in thepapal bullof August 14, 1595, which established the see of Cáceres, together withCebúandNueva Segovia,and made it the seat of the new bishopric subject to theArchdiocese of Manila.Nueva Caceres was settled by around 100 Spaniards from Europeand reinforced by migrations fromMexico.

In time, the Spanish city and the native village merged into one community and became popularly known as "Nueva Cáceres", to distinguish it from its namesake in Spain. It had a city government as prescribed by Spanish law, with anayuntamientoandcabildoof its own. At the beginning of the 17th century, there were only five otherciudadesin thePhilippines.Nueva Cáceres remained the capital of the Ambos Camarines provinces and later of Camarines Sur province until the formal creation of the independent chartered city of Naga under a sovereign Philippines.

For hundreds of years during the Spanish colonial era, Naga grew to become the center of trade, education, and culture, and the seat of ecclesiastical jurisdiction in Bicol.

Liberation (1898)

Under the commands of Corporals Elias Angeles and Felix Plazo,revolutionariesplanned arevoltagainst the Spanish on September 18, 1898. Gunfire rang out until 5 AM in the morning, and the remaining Spaniards sought shelter at the convent of San Francisco Church. When the Spaniards could no longer withstand the pressure, they signed a peace treaty at theUniversity of Sta. Isabel,a school. The aforementioned "peace treaty" is displayed at the USI Museum.

A display at Museo Historico de Universidad de Sta. Isabel depicting Elias Angeles and Felix Plazo, two Bicolano revolutionaries during the Spanish period.

This revolt marked a turning point in Naga City's history, bringing an end to over 323 years ofSpanish rulesince the founding ofNueva Cáceres.A city ordinance, passed by the Naga City Government, designates September 19th as Liberation Day in the City of Naga. This is ordinance number 2006-050. The ordinance also outlines activities for commemorating Liberation Day and allocates funds to support them.

American colonial period

Naga, Camarines Sur (1935)

With the advent of American rule, the city was reduced to a municipality. In 1919, it lost its Spanish name and became officially known as Naga.

World War II and Japanese occupation

Naga came under Japanese occupation on December 18, 1941, following theJapanese invasion of Legaspia few days earlier.

In 1945, toward the end of World War II, combined U.S. and Philippine Commonwealth troops—of theUnited States Army,Philippine Commonwealth Army,Philippine Constabulary,as well as Bicolano guerrilla resistance groups—liberated Naga from Imperial Japanese troops.

Independent Philippines

After Naga was liberated from the Japanese, Naga began rebuilding. Having suffered only a few casualties, Naga was able to rebuild quickly after the war.

Cityhood

Main article:Cities of the Philippines

After many petitions, Naga became a city on June 18, 1948, when it acquired its present city charter; and its city government was inaugurated on December 15 of the same year by virtue of Republic Act No. 305.

Geography

Naga is located within the province of Camarines Sur at the southeastern part of Luzon, 15 kilometres (9.3 mi) fromPiliand 435 kilometres (270 mi) southeast ofManila,the nation's capital, and near the center of theBicol Region.

It is surrounded on all sides by forests and by rich agricultural and fishing areas. It has an area of 84.48 km²and is located on the serpentine and historicNaga River,at theconfluenceof the Naga andBikolrivers. Thus, it has always been an ideal place for trade, and as center for schools, church, and government offices. Included in its territory isMount Isarog,a declaredprotected areaknown as Mount Isarog Natural Park covering 10,090.89 hectares.

Climate

Climate data for Naga
Month	Jan	Feb	Mar	Apr	May	Jun	Jul	Aug	Sep	Oct	Nov	Dec	Year
Mean daily maximum °C (°F)	30.2 (86.4)	31.1 (88.0)	32.8 (91.0)	34.3 (93.7)	34.2 (93.6)	32.4 (90.3)	31.3 (88.3)	30.8 (87.4)	31.1 (88.0)	31.2 (88.2)	31.0 (87.8)	30.3 (86.5)	31.7 (89.1)
Daily mean °C (°F)	25.6 (78.1)	26.1 (79.0)	27.6 (81.7)	29.1 (84.4)	29.5 (85.1)	28.4 (83.1)	27.7 (81.9)	27.4 (81.3)	27.6 (81.7)	27.3 (81.1)	26.9 (80.4)	26.0 (78.8)	27.4 (81.4)
Mean daily minimum °C (°F)	20.9 (69.6)	21.1 (70.0)	22.5 (72.5)	24.0 (75.2)	24.8 (76.6)	24.4 (75.9)	24.1 (75.4)	24.0 (75.2)	24.0 (75.2)	23.5 (74.3)	22.8 (73.0)	21.6 (70.9)	23.1 (73.6)
Averageprecipitationmm (inches)	6.3 (0.25)	3.3 (0.13)	7.1 (0.28)	9.3 (0.37)	100.4 (3.95)	272.7 (10.74)	341.2 (13.43)	398.3 (15.68)	326.0 (12.83)	230.0 (9.06)	120.4 (4.74)	48.8 (1.92)	1,863.8 (73.38)
Average rainy days	1.0	1.0	1.0	1.0	7.0	14.0	16.0	19.0	17.0	13.0	9.0	5.0	104

According to theKöppen climate classificationsystem, Naga has atropical savanna climate.

The weather in the city from March to May is hot and dry, with temperatures ranging from 24 to 34 °C (75 to 93 °F). Thetyphoonseason is from June to October, and the weather then is generally rainy. From November to February, the climate is cooler with temperatures ranging from 22 to 28 °C (72 to 82 °F). The average year-round humidity is 77%.

Barangays

Naga is politically subdivided into 27barangays.Each barangay consists ofpuroksand some havesitios.

Political subdivisions of Naga

Barangays	Class	Population	Barangay head
Abella	Urban	5,757	Manuel Antonio Berja
Bagumbayan Norte	Urban	2,203	Antonio B. Beltran
Bagumbayan Sur	Urban	7,867	Jorge I. Salva Jr.
Balatas	Urban	11,112	Pedro San Juan Jr.
Calauag	Urban	11,295	Ma. Corazon M. Peñaflor
Cararayan	Urban	19,692	Rodrigo B. Agravante Jr.
Carolina	Urban	6,870	Eufresenia E. Manguiat
Concepcion Grande	Urban	11,125	Michael G. Oliva
Concepcion Pequeña	Urban	25,139	Jewelin G. Regmalos
Dayangdang	Urban	4,130	Julius Cesar B. Sanchez
Del Rosario	Urban	10,337	Jose T. Peñas
Dinaga	Urban	344	Doris Dianne G. Lee
Igualdad Interior	Urban	3,008	Antonio F. Galido
Lerma	Urban	1,640	Domingo R. Serrado
Liboton	Urban	3,105	Ronald M. Luntok
Mabolo	Urban	8,125	Ramil G. Job
Pacol	Urban	14,747	Josue P. Perez
Panicuason	Urban	3,100	Domingo L. Ramos
Peñafrancia	Urban	4,503	Ricardo P. Sierra Jr.
Sabang	Urban	6,838	Cyrus L. Caballero
San Felipe	Urban	21,098	Alfonso R. Rodriguez
San Francisco	Urban	722	Efren C. Nepomuceno
San Isidro	Urban	3,432	Veronica C. Panganiban
Santa Cruz	Urban	7,135	Lorenzo D. Narvaez
Tabuco	Urban	4,240	Marcelo R. Bagadiong
Tinago	Urban	2,904	Estelita N. Bautista
Triangulo	Urban	8,702	Allan D. Beriso

Demographics

Population census of Naga

Year Pop. ±% p.a. 1903 17,943 — 1918 9,396 −4.22% 1939 22,505 +4.25% 1948 56,238 +10.71% 1960 55,506 −0.11%	Year Pop. ±% p.a. 1970 79,846 +3.70% 1975 83,337 +0.86% 1980 90,712 +1.71% 1990 115,329 +2.43% 1995 126,972 +1.82%	Year Pop. ±% p.a. 2000 137,810 +1.77% 2007 160,516 +2.13% 2010 174,931 +3.18% 2015 196,003 +2.19% 2020 209,170 +1.29%
Source:Philippine Statistics Authority

According to the 2020 census, the population of Naga is 209,170 people, with a density of 2,300/km².Naga had an average annual population growth of 1.29% between 2010 and 2020 according to same census. All populated areas of the city are classified as urban. Naga City has about the same population as Legazpi City (209,533).

Religion

Roman Catholicism

Minor Basilica of Our Lady of Peñafrancia

The city is the ecclesiastical seat of theArchdiocese of Caceres,which oversees the Catholic population in theBicol Region,whose archbishop is theprimateof the region. This dominant faith is supported by the presence of old and influential Catholic institutions, from universities to churches run by differentreligious institutes,notably theAteneo de Naga Universityby theJesuits;theUniversidad de Santa Isabelby theDaughters of Charity;theNaga Metropolitan Cathedral,which is the oldest cathedral that is still standing inLuzonoutsideMetro Manila;Peñafrancia Basilica Minore,which is the largest Catholic structure in southern Luzon in terms of size and land area;Our Lady of Peñafrancia Shrine;the historicSan Francisco Church;and Peñafrancia Museum.

Other Christian faiths

Protestant denominations in the city includeSeventh-day AdventistsandBible Baptists,whose churches are located along Magsaysay Avenue, while other Protestants attend the Methodist Church which is among the old structures along Peñafrancia Avenue.

TheAssemblies of Godmaintains a fast-growing ministry in Naga. Aside from Naga Bethel Church (formerly Naga Bethel Temple), which is located on Felix Plazo Street, other local congregations are Philippians Christian Fellowship (in barangays San Felipe), Gethsemane Christian Ministries (in Carolina), and outreach ministries in other barangays.

The largest minority religion in Naga isIglesia ni Cristo(INC). INC has several chapels in different barangays in the city, and the local congregation is the largest in the district. It is followed by The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints (formerly known as "Mormon" ) which has several congregations (wards) with their main church building situated along Panganiban Drive not far from the INC's.

There is also a concentration ofJesus Miracle Crusadeministries in the city.

Other religions

Taoist Temple along Naga river

Muslims,Sikhs,andTaoistscan also be found in the city.

Language

The Coastal Bikol-Central dialect of the CoastalBikol languageis the dominant dialect spoken by the population in Naga.Central Standard Bikol is also the basis for other dialects in theBicol Region.The majority of the city's population can understand and speak English,Filipino,andTagalog.Because of the influx of people from the Rinconada area that are studying in different universities,Rinconada Bikolcan also be heard in different schools and throughout the city. Some Nagueños have varying degrees of proficiency with Rinconada Bikol, due to the fact that the southern half of Pili, which is the boundary between Rinconada Bikol and Coastal Bikol speakers, is just few kilometers away from Naga. Although the main language is Bikol, and the medium of instruction in school is English, people in Naga usually tell time and count in Spanish.

Isarog Agta Language

In 2010,UNESCOreleased its 3rd volume ofAtlas of the World's Languages in Danger,where three criticallyendangered languageswere in the Philippines. One of these is theIsarog Agtalanguage, of the Isarog Agta people, who live on Mount Isarog and are one of the original Negrito settlers in the Philippines, belonging to theAeta peopleclassification but with language and belief systems unique to their own culture and heritage.

Only five Isarog Agta spoke their indigenous language in the year 2000. The language was classified as "Critically Endangered", meaning the youngest speakers are grandparents and older, speak the language partially and infrequently, and hardly pass the language to their children and grandchildren. If the remaining 150 Isarog Agta do not pass their native language to the next generation, it will be extinct within one to two decades.

Economy

Poverty incidence of Naga

5 10 15 20 25 30 2006 16.60 2009 24.39 2012 15.69 2015 19.29 2018 9.12 2021 21.37 Source:Philippine Statistics Authority

Central Business District 2

Naga is theBicol Region's center ofcommerceandindustry.Strategically located at the heart of Bicol, Naga is the trade center in Bicol for goods from Visayas and Manila. Naga is cited as one of the "Most Business-Friendly Cities in Asia", is considered to be one of the Philippines's Top-10 cities, and is the No. 1 competitive independent component city (2022) of the Philippines.Some entrepreneurs cited the city as the most business-friendly in the region.

The city's economy was impacted really hard by the pandemic during mid 2020 and was estimated that its assets contracted by 4% and a lot of small businesses closed. In the Q2 of 2021 following the 11-12% quarterly growth of the country, a lot of businesses in the city proper reopened while some didn't. Currently the city is experiencing rapid economic recovery and is forecasted to surpass Legazpi again by 2024.

Business districts

Panganiban Drive

Downtown Naga is located in the southern part of the city. It is bordered on the north by the Naga University Belt and on the south by the historical Naga City Peoples Mall or simply Naga City Community Supermarket. It encompasses the three plazas of Naga: The Plaza Quince Martires, The Plaza Quezon, and the Plaza Rizal, which is the center of Central Business District 1 (CBD-1). Downtown Naga is the location of local businesses that sell local delicacies and native products from neighboring municipalities and provinces.

A second business district, known as the Central Business District 2 (CBD-2), is located alongPanganibanDrive andRoxas,Ninoy,andCoryavenues. It is also the location of 3 shopping complexes, a bus terminal,and the Camarines Sur Industrial and Technological Park, which houses several business process outsourcing offices.

South Riverfront growth area

South Riverfront is composed of the whole of Barangay Sabang except those areas that are socialized housing sites or are otherwise excluded by the Naga City land-use plan for commercial or industrial development. It is bordered by CBD-1 (to the east), the Naga River, and the town ofCamaligan,Camarines Sur.

Magsaysay district

Naga City-Magsaysay skyline.

The main road in the city is Magsaysay Avenue, or Boulevard, which runs from Bagumbayan Road (Naga-Calabanga–Siruma–Garchitorena–PartidoNorth Road), connecting it to Magsaysay district, where accommodations and restaurants catering to travelers are found.Businesses are open until late at night, with some shops open 24/7. Naga also has its share offastfoodrestaurant chains.The city hall and several provincial offices are also located in the district, around thePeñafrancia Basilica.

Banking and finance

Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas (Central Bank of the Philippines) Naga Office, handling Clearing house and Gold trade.

In 2017, the banks in the city numbered around 66, excludingBangko Sentral ng Pilipinas.The city hosts the regional bank offices ofBanco de Oro,Philippine National Bank,Development Bank of the Philippines,Metrobank,RCBC,Allied Bank,China Banking Corporation,Philtrust Bank,UnionBank of the Philippines,Philippine Veterans Bank,Asia United Bank,Maybank,Bank of Commerce,East West Bank,Bank of Makati,Bank of the Philippine Islands,and thePhilippine Postal Savings Bank.Other government banks includeLandbank of the PhilippinesandDevelopment Bank of the Philippines.

Shopping malls and Hotels

SM City Naga

SM City Nagais one of the largest and most-visited shopping malls in theBicol Region.Robinsons Place Naga opened in 2017. Nagaland E-Mall is in Downtown Naga. LCC Central Mall Naga is located on Felix Plazo Street. Gaisano Mall Naga is near the Bicol Medical Center. The Vista Mall is located alongMaharlika Highway,in Barangay Del Rosario. Avenue Square is the region's first "lifestyle center", built in 2005 along Magsaysay Avenue. There are also leisure hubs in the city, the majority along Magsaysay Avenue, Dayangdang and along Diversion Road. There are around sixty (60) hotels and inns within the city proper, having two 4-star hotels which is Avenue Plaza Hotel and Summit Hotel Naga and ten (10) 3-star hotels.

IT–Business Process outsourcing

Naga City Technology Park

Naga was cited as one of the best places to conductinformation technology–business process outsourcing(IT–BPO) activities in the Philippines.

The city currently has three IT parks—Naga City IT Park, Camarines Sur Industrial and Technological Park, and Naga City Technology Center.

IBMleased their own client innovation center in front ofSM City Naga.

Culture

Naga is considered to be Bicol's cultural center, due to the largest festival in the region, thePeñafrancia Festival,being held in the city.

Festivals

Fluvial Procession for Our Lady of Peñafrancia

Peñafrancia Festival

The city celebrates the feast ofNuestra Señora de Peñafrancia(Our Lady of Peñafrancia), the patroness of theBicol Region.Starting on the second Friday of September each year, the 10-day feast, the largestMarian devotionin the country. The start of the festival is signalled by a procession (orTranslacion) when the centuries-old image of theBlessed Virgin Maryis transferred from its shrine at thePeñafrancia Basilica Minore de Nuestra Señora de Peñafranciato the 400-year-oldNaga Metropolitan Cathedral.Coinciding with nine days of novena prayer at the cathedral, the city celebrates with parades, pageants, street parties, singing contests, exhibits, concerts, and other activities. Finally, on the third Saturday of September, the image is returned, shoulder-borne by so-calledvoyadores,to the basilica via the historic Naga River. The following day marks the feast day of Our Lady of Peñafrancia, whenPontifical High Massesare celebrated in the basilica, attended by hundreds of thousands of faithful devotees.

Kamundagan Festival

Naga celebrates the Kamundagan Festival everyChristmas.It begins with the lighting of the Christmas Village in the Plaza Quezon Grandstand.

Kinalas Festival

Naga celebrates the Kinalas Festival during its yearly anniversary of chartership or cityhood. It honors local delicacies, includingkinalasandsiling labuyo,with a food contest.

Food and delicacies

Naga is known for some native foods and delicacies.

Kinalas and log-log arenoodle soupdishes served Bicol style, similar tomamiexcept for a topping of what looks like a pansit palabok sauce, and the meaty dark soup made from boiling a cow's or a pig's head until the flesh falls off. Kinalas is from the old Bicol wordkalas,which refers to the "fall off the bone" meat that is placed on top of the noodles. The soup is the broth of beef bone and bone marrow (sometimes skull and brain included) or what Manileños callbulalo.The soup is topped with very tender meat slices that also come from the head. It is usually served hot with an egg, and sprinkled with roasted garlic and spring onions.Kalamansiandpatismay be added according to taste. Kinalas is usually paired withBaduya,or withBananaorcamote cue.

Other delicacies, such as,bukojuice,nata de coco,andpan de Nagaare found in the city.

Sports

Jesse M. Robredo Coliseum

The Metro Naga Sports Complex, in Barangay Pacol, has Olympic-sized swimming pools, tennis courts, and a track oval.

TheJesse M. Robredo Coliseum,formerly the Naga City Coliseum which is renamed in honor of the lateDILGsecretary and former mayor of Naga, is the largest indoor arena in southern Luzon.

Transportation

Airport

Naga Airport

The city is served by theNaga Airport(WNP) located in Barangay San Jose in the neighboring town ofPili.It has a runway of 1,402 meters (4,600 ft) and thus is capable of handling only small aircraft.

Railways

Philippine National RailwaysNaga Station

Naga is the regional head office and the center point of thePhilippine National Railway's Bicol Line.

Naga—along with those of adjacent towns and cities, fromTagkawayan,Quezon Province,toLigao,Albay—is served daily by the Bicol Express. There is a plan for extending the line toLegazpiin the near future.

Roads and bridges

As of December 2009,Naga's total road network is 185.02 kilometers (114.97 mi) in length, of which 147.67 kilometers (91.76 mi) are paved with concrete, 14.63 kilometers (9.09 mi) with asphalt overlay, 4.10 kilometers (2.55 mi) with asphalt, 11.87 kilometers (7.38 mi) are gravel, while 5.76 kilometers (3.58 mi) are dirt. This translates to an increase of 19.74 kilometers (12.27 mi) since 1998.

The city is connected to the capitalManilaby theAndayaandMaharlikahighways.

In order to spur development in the city, the Toll Regulatory Board declared Toll Road 5 the extension ofSouth Luzon Expressway.A 420 kilometres (260 mi), four-lane expressway starting from the terminal point of the under-constructionSLEXToll Road 4 at Barangay Mayao,Lucena CityinQuezon,toMatnog,Sorsogon,near the Matnog Ferry Terminal. On August 25, 2020, San Miguel Corporation announced that they will fund the project, which will reduce travel time from Lucena to Matnog from 9 hours to 5.5 hours.

Public transportation

Bicol Central Station

The most common vehicles used for intra-city travel are public utilityjeepneys(PUJ), trimobiles, andpadyak.

Public utility jeepneys and multicabs, a total of 323 units, are a major mode of intra-city transport used by regular commuters.

Trimobiles are the most used land transport in the city. There are 1,500 units available for hire while 1,150 are for private use. There is now stiffer competition among drivers, which creates a wide range of problems, such as fare overcharging, refusal to convey passengers, an uneven distribution of trimobile service resulting in a shortage of transport service in some areas of the city, and rampant traffic violations.

Padyakcan be used in subdivision and barangay transportation. They provide a moderate amount of speed for those travelling to the city center.

Inter-town trips are served by 403 filcab vans and 708 jeepneys, while inter-provincial trips are served by an average of 300 airconditioned and non-airconditioned buses and 88 Filcab vans.

Recently, about 50 taxi units became available in the city. They use the new SM Naga City mall as a waiting area for passengers.

Public services

Health care

The Bicol Medical Center

Naga is the medical center of theBicol Region.The largest hospitals include the government-ownedBicol Medical Center(1000-bed capacity by virtue of Republic Act No. 11478) and Camarines Sur Provincial Hospital, and theUniversidad de Sta Isabel– Mother Seton Hospital, owned and operated by the Daughters of Charity. The Metropolitan Naga Medical District, in Naga, is the only medical district in Bicol.

Bicol Medical Center (BMC) is located in Concepcion Pequeña. It offers specialty training in internal medicine, pediatrics, general surgery, obstetrics and gynecology, anesthesiology, radiology, ophthalmology, otolaryngology, orthopedics, and traumatology. It is also a base hospital of theHelen Keller Foundation,where eye specialists from all over the country are trained and later assigned to different parts of the Philippines.

Universidad de Santa Isabel - Mother Seton Hospital (USI – MSH), is the largest private hospital in the region by number of admissions, medical equipment facilities, number of beds available, physical structure, and number of board-certified medical consultants. It is the only private hospital in Bicol offering specialty training programs, accredited by the Philippine Medical Association's component society, in major fields of medicine, such as internal medicine, pediatrics, and general surgery.

The Plaza Medica houses the Naga Endocrine Laboratory (also called theEndolab), a modern hormone laboratory and facility.

Bicol Access Health Centrum is another large hospital located in the city. It houses the Regional Disease Research Center, the first and only in the region.

Several secondary and tertiary hospitals can be found in the city.

Waste management and disposal

Solid waste

The main pollutants in the city come in the form of solid waste generated daily. Generally, these wastes come from various sources: residential, commercial, industrial, and institutional.

Naga generates approximately 85.8 tons of waste per year, based on the latest 2009 estimates, where agricultural waste makes up a little more than one-fourth (26%) of the total volume.Food wastemakes up a slightly smaller share, at 23%. Paper-based materials compose 12%, while other categories contribute smaller percentages.

Solid wastes are disposed of and collected via the city's garbage trucks, which traverse ten routes on a daily basis. Collected wastes are then dumped at the dump site in Barangay Balatas, where they are segregated according to type of waste, and whether biodegradable or non-biodegradable.

Liquid waste

A study of wastewater treatment facilities is incorporated in the proposed septage management ordinance, where the city will be very strict in forcing compliance with proper waste treatment by housing and establishment owners. The local water-utility agency has made the Metro Naga Water District its local partner in providing septage services, in exchange for adding environmental fees to water bills.

The new wastewater treatment facility of SM City Naga, operational since April 20, 2009, has a capacity of 500 cubic meters per day; but at present, it is treating only around 200.

Fire safety

The Naga City Fire Station is one of the most well equipped fire stations in the country. Other fire stations include Naga Chin Po Tong Fire Brigade, and the Naga White Volunteers.

Police and law enforcement

The city is the location of two of the largest police stations in theBicol Region.The historic Naga City Police Station, which had been the military base of operations of theGuardia Civilin the region, during thetime of Spanish rule.Another police office, located in Barangay Concepcion Grande, is the provincial office of thePhilippine National PoliceforCamarines Sur.

Education

Naga is the home of the three largest universities in theBicol Region.The city is also the home of several colleges.

Tertiary education

Ateneo de Naga University

Universidad de Santa Isabel

Ateneo de Naga Universityis aJesuituniversity and the largest Catholic university in theBicol Region.The school has been accredited byPAASCUsince 1979 and is the first university in the Philippines to achieve PAASCU Institutional Accreditation, on top of its Autonomous and Level III status. It is a "center of excellence" in teacher education, and a center of development in business administration, entrepreneurship, and information technology. It has produced animators for the country since it launched its bachelor's degree in animation.

TheUniversidad de Santa Isabelwas inaugurated on April 12, 1869, as a private Catholic university owned and run by theDaughters of Charityand is the "first normal school for women in the Philippines and Southeast Asia and the Heritage and Historical University of Bicol".It was established by six sisters of the order who arrived in theBicol Regionon April 4, 1868, with the Bishop of Caceres, Francisco Gainza,O.P.,the founder of Colegio de Santa Isabel.

University of Nueva Cacereswas the very first university in Bicol, and is considered to be largest in the region, due to its attendance and size, that offers courses from kindergarten to graduate school. Founded by Dr. Jaime Hernandez in 1948, it has grown to become one of the leading institutions of higher learning in thePhilippines.All course offerings are recognized by the government, and the colleges of Arts and Sciences, Education, and Commerce are accredited by the Philippine Association of Colleges and Universities Commission on Accreditation (PACU-COA). Its College of Engineering and Architecture is now one of the few regional centers for technological education in thePhilippines.

Technical colleges in the city include theSouth East Asian University of Technology,Naga College Foundation, AMA Computer College, andSTI College.Specialized computer schools include Worldtech Resources Institute (WRI), Philippine Computer Foundation College (PCFC), and Computer Communication Development Institute (CCDI).

The country's oldest live-inChristianhigher educational institute for the clergy was established in the city in the early part of the 18th century. TheHoly Rosary Seminary(El Seminario del Santissimo Rosario), a Roman Catholic seminary run by the Archdiocese of Caceres, has produced 22 bishops, including the first Filipino bishop,Jorge Barlin,and the first Filipino cardinal to work in the Roman Curia,Jose Tomas Sanchez.The seminary has contributed, as well, to the national heritage, throughJosé María Panganiban,Tomás Arejola,and seven of theFifteen Martyrs of Bicol.On January 29, 1988, theNational Historical Institutedeclared the Holy Rosary Seminary a National Historical Landmark.

Secondary and primary education

The government-runCamarines Sur National High School,which was established in 1902, registers over 10,000 enrollees every school year, and it is the biggest secondary school in the region. Among other secondary schools in the city is theTinago National High School.

Naga City Science High Schoolwas established in Naga in 1994. It has pilotcurricula,including the Spanish curriculum, which is the third one in the Philippines, and the journalism curriculum, which allows students to receive training and exposure to college-level situations. The school is consistently a champion at theDoon Po Sa Aminnational documentary contest.

Two schools in the city, Saint Joseph School (SJS) and Naga Hope Christian School (NHCS), cater to Filipino-Chinese students.

Naga Parochial School (NPS) is the largest parochial school in the region; it receives 850 enrollees yearly. It is run by priests of theArchdiocese of Caceres.It is the first PAASCU-accredited parochial school in the Philippines. Some members of the clergy (63 as of 2007 with 3 bishops) assigned to the city are alumni of the school. Well-known personalities—such as the lateRaul Roco,Jesse Robredo,Francis Garchitorena,Luis Villafuerte,Jaime Fabregas, Jonathan Dela Paz Zaens, ArchbishopAdolfo Tito Yllana,and Bishop Jose Rojas—are graduates of NPS.

Private schools—such as Arborvitae Plains Montessori, Inc.; Naga City Montessori School; and the Village Montessori School—can be found in the city. Tutorial and review centers for higher education are also found in the city.

Media

Television networks

For the complete lists of the TV and radio stations, seeList of television and radio stations in Naga, Camarines Sur.

All of the major television broadcasting channels' regional offices are located in the city.ABS-CBN Corporationexpanded its network in Bicol by establishing ABS-CBN Naga, which operatesABS-CBN channel 11 Naga,ABS-CBN Sports and ActionNaga andMOR!Local shows such asTV Patrol Bicol,Marhay na Aga Kapamilyaare broadcast throughout the region via ABS-CBN Regional, which is also stationed in the city.TV5 Network Inc.'sTV5airs shows via channel 22,GMA Network's channel 7 andGMA News TVchannel 28 are also available and the newscastBalitang Bicolandia.

Cable and satellite TV

The city's cable and satellite TV companies include South Luzon Cable and DCTV Cable Network Naga (Formerly SkyCable Naga).

Radio stations

Naga has a number of FM and AM radio stations, some of which operate 24 hours daily.

Notable personalities

• Andrew E– Filipino singer and rapper
• Johnny Abarrientos– a Philippine basketball player who played in thePBAfrom 1993 to 2010. He is currently serving as coach of the teamB-Meg Llamados
• Kyline Alcantara– Filipina actress
• Tomás Arejola– lawyer, legislator, diplomat, political writer and a propagandist during the Spanish colonial period.
• Joker Arroyo– was a statesman and key figure in theEDSA People Power Revolutionwhich evicted then-presidentFerdinand Marcosand his family from office. He also served as Congressman of Makati for 9 years, and a member of the Senate for 12 years. Arroyo has received various awards and commendations for his significant contributions to the law profession and public service. Among these are the Philippine Bar Association's Most Distinguished Award for Justice as a "man beholden to no one except to his country" and Senate Resolution No. 100, enacted in the 8th Congress, commending him for his invaluable services to the Filipino people.
• Wally Bayola– is a Filipino comedian, actor, and TV host ofEat Bulaga!
• Ely Buendia– whose real name is Eleandre Basiño Buendia. He is a Filipino singer, frontman ofEraserheadsandPupil
• Jose Fabian Cadiz– Filipino politician and vice mayor ofMarikina.
• Arnold Clavio– Philippine news anchor
• AJ Dee– whose real name is Angel James Dee III, is an actor and an international competitive swimmer, like his younger brother Enchong Dee.
• Enchong Dee– whose real name is Ernest Lorenzo Velasquez Dee, is an actor, director and model, and an international competitive swimmer. He is a contract artist of ABS-CBN and has won numerous awards for his work in movies and television. He is the younger brother of AJ Dee, also an actor and swimmer. He came to prominence after starring in his first major TV dramaKatorse(2009). He played the role of "Luis" in the Filipino remakeMaria La Del Barrio(2011). He also starred inIna, Kapatid, Anak(2012–13), andMuling Buksan Ang Puso.
• Amalia Fuentes– Filipina actress
• Jerome Martinez Davis aka Boss Ka Reppa - Bicolano Content Creator and formerNCAABasketball player viaLyceum Pirates
• Victor Dennis T. Nierva– poet, teacher, journalist, theatre actor, translator, graphic and book designer.
• Salvador Panelo– former spokesman and chief legal counsel of President Rodrigo Duterte; practicing lawyer known for representing controversial figures.
• Jesse Robredo– was a Filipino statesman and former mayor of Naga. Robredo was able to transform Naga from being dull and lethargic to being one of the "Most Improved Cities in Asia", as cited byAsiaweek Magazinein 1999. During his time in city hall, Robredo was credited for "dramatically improved stakeholdership and people participation in governance, in the process restoring Naga to its preeminent position as the premier city of Bicol Region." In 1995, in recognition of his skills and competence as a leader and development manager, Robredo was elected president of theLeague of Cities of the Philippines,the national association of city mayors. Robredo also chaired the Metro Naga Development Council. He served as chairman of the Regional Development Council, the regional planning and coordinative body of Bicol's six provinces and seven cities, from 1992 to 1998.
• Leni Robredo– wife of Jesse Robredo, former congresswoman of the Third District ofCamarines Sur(2013–16), and the 14thVice President of the Philippines.
• Raul Roco– was a political figure in the Philippines. He was the standard-bearer ofAksyon Demokratiko,which he founded in 1997 as a vehicle for his presidential bids in 1998 and 2004. He was a then senator and secretary of the Department of Education under the presidency ofGloria Macapagal Arroyo.He had a strong following among young voters in the Philippines, due to his efforts to promote honesty and good governance.
• Tecla San Andres Ziga–female senator in the Philippinesnotable for being the firstwoman in the countryto top thebar examinationfor law-degree graduates.
• Adolfo Tito Yllana– catholic Archbishop serving as Apostolic Nuncio to Israel and Cyprus, and Apostolic Delegate to Jerusalem and Palestine

Gallery

• 
  Downtown Naga
• 
  Avenue Square
• 
  Naga City Hall
• 
  Plaza Oragon
• 
  Malabsay falls at Mt. Isarog, Panicuason
• 
  Plaza de Nueva Caceres

Sister cities

Local

• Bacolod,Negros Occidental
• Cotabato City
• General Santos,South Cotabato
• Iloilo City,Iloilo
• Lucena,Quezon
• Makati
• Ozamiz,Misamis Occidental
• Parañaque
• Quezon City
• San Fernando,Pampanga
• Vigan,Ilocos Sur
• Puerto Princesa,Palawan

International

• San Leandro,California,United States
• Scranton,Pennsylvania,United States

See also

• List of renamed cities and municipalities in the Philippines
• Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Caceres
• Bicolano People
• List of Bicol Region Cities and Municipalities

External links

• Geographic data related toNaga, Camarines SuratOpenStreetMap
• Official website
• Philippine Standard Geographic Code
• Philippine Census Information