One of the 12 entries to the "Salog kan Buhay" contest for the Best Conceptual Design for revitalizing Naga River

1. SALOG NI INA, SALOG NIN BUHAY A NAGA RIVER MAKEOVER FOR INA

2. Histories of nations start from the banks of rivers. Even the Bible gives a river setting ------ the Tigris and Euphrates Rivers ---- for the story of Adam and Eve. So did the first settlers in the land of Bikol. The river provided more movement of people from land to land. And historical evidence shows that the early settlers in Bikol started their communities at the banks of the biko-bikongriver. This geographical setting was what the Spanish colonizers led by Captain Juan Salcedo found when they traversed the Bikol river and settled on a piece of muddy land, in fact the banks of the Naga river, just across the settlement (now the Balintawak area) of a community of Naga warriors, and claimed it in the name of King Philip of Spain. Religious Perspective of the Project This tribal belief of seeing spirits in the river caught the attention of the missionary friars and they introduced the image of the Virgin of Peñafrancia among the native fishermen. Thus, the germ of the fluvial procession, bearing the image of Ina must have started ----- to purify the Naga river of the evil spirits residing in its depths. This could explain why the noise raised during the fluvial procession is a noise of purification of the river ----

3. of the river ---- the shouts of “Viva La virgin”, the brass band playing “ResueneVibrante”, the devotees praying the Rosary, the continual firing of cojetes into the air, the voyadores banging the sides of their boats with their paddle, the splashing of water as the image of Ina passes by ------ all these are manifestations of the belief that the image of Ina is able to purify the river of its evils. Geo-Historical Perspective of the Project The old route of the Naga river, a tributary of the Bikol River, flowed through the present day Camarines Lumber site close to the San Francisco Church, cutting across the Peñafrancia Avenue, towards a portion of Crown Hotel running towards Baker’s Plaza, crossing Panganiban Street towards the Naga South Star Drug, slicing through Ojeda Street, running towards the intersection of Caceres, Dinaga and Elias Angeles Street up to the bank of the present river bank.

4. MAP OF OLD ROUTE OF THE NAGA RIVER This old route of the Naga River under the study of Don Manuel Esquivel y Castañeda accounted for the progressive erosion of the bank near the San Francisco church threatening the church to be swallowed by the river should the flow of the water not directed away from the church.

5. Map of NEW ROUTE OF THE NAGA RIVER Esquivel proposed to fill up the stretch of this river from the side of San Francisco Church up to the bank of the river at the back of the MetroBank and to build a canal that would divert the water in the Naga River away from the church and prevent the area from being flooded at any heavy downpour of rain. This diversion saved the san francisco church while the new route will save the devotion to INA for posterity.

6. RIVER (SALOG IN BIKOL ) It Is a body of water which has immense importance geologically, biologically, historically and culturally That WE SHOULD LOVE and PROTECT.

7. SAVE OUR RIVER FOR OUR BELOVED INA.. WE SHOULD ACT…NOW!!! aims: To save and protect the Naga River FOR POSTERITY To GIVE A deeper MEANING TO THE NAGA RIVER AS a healing river, an important item in Bikol’s devotion to their ina To bring about new life to the river as a healthy place for recreation and leisure travel To Encourage further research in the culture and history of the river for Naga City’s tourism program

8. PERSPECTIVES: A River that is clean and inhabited by fishes not by water lilies. A river that is used for water sports activities (kayaking, Dragon Boat Race, Boat building Competitions. Etc.) A river that is visited not only by Bikolanos but also by people from other places and countries. A river deserving the fluvial procession during the Peñafrancia Festival ---- a beautiful route for Ina to travel from “dalhugan” to basilica.

9. INSPIRATION We Bikolanos are very religious. In our desire to revitalize the naga river, we Are inspired by INA to join this contest by submitting our proposed design. Our design has the special features of INA, more visibly seen in the riverwalk to be constructed on both riverbanks. As Bikolanos, we want that INA shall travel through a beautiful path WHEN she gives her blessings to us, her love for us. In this way, we give her our love, admiration and respect by giving her a clean river for her procession. Our proposed project makes use of Modern Spanish design. We choose Spanish because Naga was colonized by the Spaniards and because we like to maintain and extend along the river the initiated spanish design given to the plaza de nueva caceres and the area near the archibishop’s palace and the Metropolitan Cathedral. We choose Modern because we like to be contemporary, to be in tune with the new generation.

10. AN SALOG NI INA, SALOG NIN BUHAY KAN MGA BIKOLANO

11. PROPOSED DESIGNs BEFORE AND AFTER

12. A makeover of the Dalhugan ni Ina will have an arch with the image at the topmost part of the arch. To indicate the triumph of Ina in Bikol the arch may be dotted with rays. The arch is anchored on striated POST boxes.

13. The Rosales Bridge can be made strong and splendid looking by covering the pipes in one big box and by redesigning the top portion of the bridge with stainless steel railings suggestive of the shape of the Manto of Ina, which are anchored on striated posts. This design for the railings shall be made consistently visible along the river banks.

14. How the Delfin Rosales Bridge ----- and all the other three bridges over the Naga River: the Tabuco Bridge, Colgante Bridge and the Magsaysay Bridge ---- would appear when given a makeover, complete with Spanish lampposts and specially designed railings. The design under the bridge shall maintain the half-oval shape of the manto with ray members. The posts of the bridge shall have tile finishing while the the riprap along the river banks shall have colorful rock finishing.

15. A walkway on each side of the banks of the river shall have space for a bicycle lane, to be lighted by Spanish lampposts, fenced by railing, with benches facing the river with rectangular flower boxes, their surfaces striated, planted with flowering shrubs. Garbage boxes are distributed regularly along the walkway.

16. The riprap on the banks of the river shall have colored stones and railings with the design of the Ina’s Manto. The river itself shall be dredged of the muck and materials that make it shallow to allow the passage of a floating restaurant or to encourage people to engage in water sports or simply in pleasure-rowing.

17. A makeover of the Doongan ni Ina will have an arch with the image at the topmost part of the arch. To indicate the triumph of Ina in Bikol the arch may be dotted with rays. The arch is anchored on striated boxes. The ground shall be paved and on the sides of the Doongan are specially designed railings and Spanish lampposts.

18. Lampposts along the bridges as well as those to be installed along the walkways shall have one design, which is Spanish.

19. Concrete pavement is an eco-friendly design for the walkways and sidewalks.

20. The walkways are provided with benches, facing the river, and at whose back are plant boxes. Spanish lampposts are placed in the spaces between the plant boxes. This arrangement is seen throughout the walkway. The railings are designed with the half-oval shape of Ina’s manto and with rays-like members. At the ends of the railings are concrete striated plant boxes whose lower portions are provided with covered trash boxes.

21. In specified areas along the walkway there shall be all-weather floating cottages and souvenir shops. At the dalhugan ni Ina --- the design is the same as that in the doongan --- a building shall be constructed to serve as washroom for tourists and visitors in the area. At the doongan ni Ina the embankment shall be paved and its sides given a landscaping. The riprap at the banks of the river shall have colorful rock finishing.

22. These are proposed designs for the Naga River that are implementable and practicable. These designs will keep THE VISTA OF THE NAGA RIVER VERY BECOMING OF THE DEVOTION OF THE BIKOLANOS TO THEIR INA. Let’s implement these designs to keep the Naga River breathing with life, to preserve and make the devotion to Ina truly meaningful and one that has the power to heal, and finally, to implement Presidential Proclamation 33 and City Resolution 2010-280, making Naga City a truly Pilgrimage City.

23. DESIGNED BY: Bolo, augusto Obias, janine lizette Rivero, iris pearl Guinhawa, kevin kristopher Sureta, mark