News and Events

Coming up to serve you, Regina Rica

It is at this time when our world is scourged with noise, waste and haste, that we dare to start the REGINA RICA (Regina Rosarii Institute for Contemplation in Asia). It’s a great risk we are taking, but with the help of all our members, benefactors and friends, this work will be done. . read more.

BK Village

With the western and European influences, today’s homes have separate rooms for parents, children and other family members. The concrete houses become a status symbol. However, we still find a longing for the good o’l days of closeness of the families. read more.

Praying with Trees

When we first arrived from our Holy Land Pilgrimage, I can’t help but marvel at the blessing of green earth, green grass, and green trees in the Philippines. Most parts of Dubai, Jordan, Egypt and part of the Holy Land are dry, desertified and depressing. But the first sights we have, especially upon landing at the air strip of Surigao, are the green trees and the green grass read more.

Adopt-A-Tree

“Oh the Lady is waiting on top of the hill”. . . . . .so goes the song of the devotees of our Lady, Regina Rosarii whose image lovingly gazes at us on the roof deck of the Regina Rosarii Center for Contemplative Prayer read more.

Regina RICA cold drink

Walking around Mama Regina’s Ricaland in Tanay gave me an idea. What is it? You may ask. Let me explain. read more.

BK VilLAGE

“I miss all of you!”, exclaimed my sister to all of us, after the first night we spent in our new house. For the first time in our life, we have separate bedrooms! Since we were kids, we were used to sharing rooms. Our ancestral house in the province had only two bedrooms: one for boys and one for girls. (I have four brothers and four sisters). My parents slept in the sala. When we started working in Manila, we rented a small house with one bedroom. We slept on one big double decked bed while my brothers bunked in the sala which also served as our dining area. After sleeping mats were rolled up in the mornings, the same space was given over to daytime activities. So much for the privacy.

Unlike the westerner who places privacy as a priority, we Filipinos prefer a living space that is communal, surrounding oneself with people all the time. European homes prefer enclosing spaces from each other: everything is definite and separate, the living room, the dining room, kitchen, the bedrooms. Everyone disappears into his/her private room and closes the door.

With the western and European influences, today’s homes have separate rooms for parents, children and other family members. The concrete houses become a status symbol. However, we still find a longing for the good o’l days of closeness of the families. Thus, we find big houses in the city with a small bahay kubo in the garden. There is a deep longing in our hearts to go back to the simplicity of lifestyle… to commune with nature… to be close to our loved ones.

The BK (Bahay Kubo) village of Regina RICA provides such ambiance of communion with nature and humanity. When you enter the Bahay Kubo, you are already in the sala which double as dining area. This is the center of activity, where friends or families eat or sometimes take a nap. The only furniture you can find in the sala is papag (bamboo table) and a long bench that is attached to the adjacent wall. The bedroom is furnished with bamboo table and chair. A native sleeping mat is rolled on the side. When you step out of the bahay kubo, nature greets you through its simple garden. Walk a little bit farther and you will find yourself surrounded with mahogany trees. In a world where consumerism is rampart, the bahay kubo is a constant reminder to live a simple lifestyle. In our frenzied environment, we are invited to pause, relax and enjoy the company of our loved ones in the unfussiness of the bahay kubo.

In time, Regina RICA will offer a sacred space that will be a reminder to live a simple lifestyle. Since the place is still a “work in progress”, only members of the Regina Rosarii family can avail of the use of the Bahay Kubo. Soon, we will open RICA for those who want to experience silence, serenity, simplicity and solitude. Please, be one with us in our advocacy to love our mother earth and live a sustainable contemplative lifestyle. At RICA you will tread on sacred grounds.