Gem at Montemaria
A must-see in the capital Batangas City of the Philippines’ Batangas province of “ala eh” is the Montemaria International Pilgrimage and Conference Centre, simply known as MONTEMARIA – the site of the Mother of all Asia – Tower of Peace, the tallest statue of the Blessed Virgin Mary in the world. With a height, equivalent to a 33-story building, of 98.15 metres or 322 feet measured from the ground up to the tip of the cross on top of her crown. It stands taller than New York Statue of Liberty and the Statue of Christ, the Redeemer, in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil. Adapted from Pope Benedict XVI’s 27 May 2017 prayer to Our Lady of Sheshan, Mother of the Church in China and All Asia and conceived as an international destination for devotees and pilgrims, the statue is symbolic of universal unity and peace for all people and countries all over the globe.
Montemaria is a legacy project of Batangas Governor Herminigildo (Dodo) Mandanas, owner of Abacore Capital Holdings, Inc. that donated the five-hectare land in Barangay Pagkilatan, Batangas City. Montemaria was originally a project of Mary Mother of Poor Foundation of Roman Catholic priest Fr. Fernando Suarez where he could have a place to perform his faith healing work.
Construction of the Tower of Peace started in 2014 and was completed in 2021 with the grand opening ceremony held on 7 December 2021 just in time for the celebration of the 500th year of Christianization and globalization of the Philippines. Construction of the hands and face of the Blessed Virgin Mary was commissioned to renowned sculptor and national artist, the late Ed Castrillo, who started working on the project in 2008 and completed in 2010. The crown of Mama Mary has 12 stars representing the 12 Apostles of Jesus Christ. The monument has 12 foundations representing the 12 tribes of Israel. To reach the crown you have to climb a total of 420 steps from the ground level unless you opt to use any of the three elevators inside the monument.
Within the grounds there are two chapels, the Sto. Nino the Prague Chapel and the Chapel of St. John Paul II.
There’s also a souvenir shop where you can purchase rosaries, bracelets, keychains, books, and other related items. If you get hungry, grab some grubs here at the Cenacle Cafe.
The site is strategically located at the southernmost tip of the Batangas City accessible by concrete road and by sea from the Batangas international port. The Montemaria site is situated in a plateau like a sentinel overlooking the Verde Island Passage, referred to as the “Amazon of the Ocean” and the “Centre of Marine Shorefish Bio-diversity of the world”.
From the observation deck you could get an excellent view of the surrounding areas including the town of Tingloy, Verde Island, some parts of Oriental Mindoro, and the opposite distant shores of the towns of Bauan and Mabini. During our October 2024 visit work is in progress for construction of the first glass walkway in the Philippines slated to open before 2024 Christmas with an estimated entrance fee of 250 to 350 pesos to experience the breathtaking Glass Walk called Montemaria Miracle Walk.
If you want to go to Montemaria, there is no entrance fee. It’s free.
Gem with grandson Scott & sons Omar & Rico at Montemaria
