Caleruega, Philippines

The two and a half to three hours road trip from Manila to the boundary of Tagaytay and Nasugbu in Batangas did not seem that long. On an ordinary week day afternoon, there was no traffic on the South Luzon Expressway or SLEX. We took the Skyway that brought us all the way to Alabang in less than thirty minutes. From Alabang it was a smooth drive that I actually fell asleep for a few minutes until we reached the Sta. Rosa Exit in Laguna. There are several villages and housing communities in Sta. Rosa, Laguna. We also passed by two town centers along the way. It is also in the vicinity of Sta. Rosa where the Philippines National Police Academy is located. One can tell that Sta. Rosa is a booming and fast developing area.

After Sta. Rosa, we passed by Silang in Cavite, on the way to Tagaytay City. A vast campus of the Adventist University of the Philippines can be found there. Along the roadside, there were many furniture shops that make rattan and abaca lampshades and chairs and wooden dining tables and chairs, garden kiosks and gazebos. There were also several housing communities, rest houses, garden shops, fruit stands and restaurants along the way. In Tagaytay City, we can see the scenic view of Taal volcano from the highway. We made a stop over for snacks at the Mushroom Burger. This restaurant has been a popular snack stop over place for a very long time now. They produce and sell cultured mushrooms, which they also make into mushroom burgers and mushroom sandwiches.

A few meters away from the arch that marks the boundary of Tagaytay City and Nasugbu, Batangas, we turned left on the road going to Evercrest Golf Course. Across the street is the Don Bosco Retreat House which is administered by the Salesian Fathers and Brothers. We turned right on the road leading down to Caleruega. This area used to be known as Gulod sa Batulao. Looking at the horizon, we can see Mount Batulao and Balayan Bay beyond it.

As we entered the gates of Caleruega, a rotunda with a fountain welcomed us. An imposing administration building faced the rotunda that has an 8-point star motif on the floor. The statues of St. Thomas Aquinas and St. Catherine of Siena, two Dominican doctors of the church, stand on each side of the building’s façade. At the lobby, there is a grand staircase that leads up to the living quarters of the Dominican Fathers. The buildings and cottages have a mix of Spanish and Filipino inspired architecture. There is also a life sized statue of St. Dominic de Guzman in the garden outside. There are two dormitory buildings than can accommodate about eighty persons each and cottages that can accommodate two, four or up to eight occupants. At the highest point of Caleruega is the Chapel of the Transfiguration. Giant champagne palm trees are lined up at both sides of the path walk going up the chapel.  Over the years this chapel has become a popular destination for weddings, with weddings being held there almost everyday. With the cool mountain breeze in the area, it gives a feeling that one is in some place in Europe like Spain.

Other features of Caleruega are a campsite down the ridge with a big bonfire place, a big koi pond and waterfalls with a variety of large Japanese kois, a hanging bridge that traverses a dried up creek and a tent chapel at the far end across the hanging bridge.

Caleruega is a Dominican Retreat Center that was established in 1995. It was named after the birthplace of St. Dominic in Caleruega, Spain. It is a place for spiritual retreats and seminars and more.   The abundance and beauty of nature that one can see around the place aptly summarizes Caleruega’s tagline: “Close to Nature, Closer to God.”