Meet and Greet Gina Gil-Lacuna, the Puzzle Queen

Met her for the very first time during the Guinness World Records Awarding Ceremony on November 29, 2012. Gina Gil-Lacuna is now the title holder and the owner of the largest collection of jigsaw puzzles in all shapes, sizes and form. She has 1,029 puzzles housed at the Puzzle Mansion.

She has 1,028 puzzles when awarded the Guinness Record, the last one she did was a 10,000 pieces of puzzle, which is a birthday gift to her husband and his son.

The museum boasts puzzles that are made of cardboard, wood, plastic which are either flat, circular, 3D and 4D (I used to have an idea that puzzles are only flat, now I know). They depict pictures of people, animals, nature, occasions, religions, business ads, cartoon characters. There are also amazing puzzles of famous paintings by Picasso, Da Vinci, Van Gogh, Michaelangelo, Renoir and Goya to name a few.

According to ma'am Gina, her passion for puzzles began 27 years ago when she did her very first Disney puzzle as a gift for his son Gino who was then 2 years old.  Afterwhich she was enchanted and entertained by puzzles and began buying them during her travels abroad and put them together, thus the birth of her collection.

Her very first puzzle which she did 27 years ago.

A business guru herself, being the woman behind the successful maternity wear brand "Buntis" (I knew this brand because it used to be my maternity dresses before) she is proud to share that her lack of formal education (being a high school graduate) did not became a hindrance for her to succeed. Now, despite her busy schedule running the puzzle museum, she still engages herself with their garment's business operations.

When asked what was the very virtue you learned from doing puzzles? Her reply, "PATIENCE" which I totally agree because for someone to finish putting those pieces of puzzles together needs lots of patience which eventually will turn into perseverance. This hobby can be addicting, LOL.  But I believe, it will always bring about fulfillment.

She is currently doing the Ravensburger Puzzle which she aimed to finish by July 2013.  It is a 32,000 pieces puzzle by Keith Haring entitled Double Retrospect. When finished, it will measure six (6) pieces of plywood,  it might be another world record for her. But accordingly, she might possibly beat her own record as there are still several unfinished puzzles underneath her bed. 

Entrance to the gallery is P100.00, with a guided tour by ma'am Gina herself.

The museum once again put the Philippines, Tagaytay City in particular, on the world map. It has then became a top tourist destination for the locals and foreigners alike. Getting there, you will not get lost as there are visible directional signs that will lead you to the place.

Besides the gallery, the other attraction here is the Puzzle Mansion Bed and Breakfast (read my review HERE). I was personally invited by ma'am Gina to stay overnight here to enjoy and  experience their wonderful accommodation.

There's also a souvenir shop where you can buy presents for your family and friends back home. Puzzles, shirts, caps, towels, wall clocks, calendars, and various sort of gift items.

So the next time you are in Tagaytay City or nearby, don't forget to drop by the Puzzle Mansion and know for yourself how Gina Gil-Lacuna got her title.

Address:
Purok 4 Cuadra St. Brgy. Asisan
Tagaytay City, Philippines 4210
website: http://www.thepuzzlemansion.com/
email: puzzlemansion@gmail.com

Guinness World Records Recognized a Filipina: Largest Collection of Jigsaw Puzzles

Today the Guinness World Records recognized Ms. Gina Gil Lacuna as the record holder for "The World's Largest Collection of Jigsaw Puzzles in any Size, Shape or Form". The awarding was held at the very prestigious The Puzzle Mansion located in Tagaytay City.

The award was handed by no other than Guinness World Records Adjudicator and Representative of Turkey, Seyda Subasi Gemici, with the official Guinness Certificate attesting to the new record she has set in this category. Ms. Gina Lacuna's collection boasts 1,030 jigsaw puzzles.  All the puzzles in the collection were completed by ma'am Gina herself and are all housed at the Puzzle Mansion Bed & Breakfast in Tagaytay City.  The previous record for jigsaw puzzles was 238, collected by Luiza Figuereido of Brazil on May 21, 2010.

The puzzles in Ms. Lacuna's collection were adjudicated this morning in the presence of two official witnesses, Sister Angeline Ilagan and Professor Monette Narciso of the University of the Philippines College of Fine Arts.  The puzzle collection includes mural-sized puzzles that are 14 feet long and 5 feet tall and smaller pieces of various shapes and sizes, some in 3D and 4D.

Ms. Lacuna is currently working on one jigsaw puzzle that is acknowledged also by Guinness to be the biggest jigsaw puzzle in existence in the world : Keith Haring’s Double Retrospect with 32,000 puzzle pieces – 17 feet long and 6 feet tall.

According to ma'am Gina she began doing jigsaw puzzles 27 years ago, says she is able to finish two 500-piece puzzles a day and a 1000-pieces puzzle overnight. “If the puzzles have only 300 pieces, I am able to finish five of them in one day,” she said.

The awarding ceremony was also witnessed by local and foreign dignitaries, like Tagaytay Mayor Abraham Tolentino and Director Luella Jurilla of the Calabarzon Region who represented Tourism Secretary Ramon R. Jimenez. Friends from local and international media were also present during the occasion.

Mayor Tolentino said, “We are very proud to have this awesome puzzle collection in our City and this recognition from Guinness World Records, the ultimate authority on record-breaking achievements, will place Tagaytay on the world map. The Puzzle Mansion will now be included in their local package travel offerings such as the Lakbay Aral. We congratulate Ms. Lacuna on her singular feat and salute her for the role that her puzzles will play in boosting tourism in this part of the country,” 

For her part, Ms. Lacuna said she wants to turn more people – especially the youth – into solving jigsaw puzzles. “They are very rewarding to do because they are educational and have many psychological and health benefits as well. They relax you even as they make you think. According to doctors, working on difficult jigsaw puzzles exercises your brain. The more you work your brain, the better off your mind will be. Solving jigsaw puzzles can help stave off memory loss and brain aging.”

The event ended with a very beautiful fireworks display brightening the Tagaytay skyline.

The puzzle collection is on view daily at The Puzzle Mansion from 8 a.m. to 7 p.m. Monday to Sunday with minimal entrance fee of P100.00.  For more information about the puzzle collection and The Puzzle Mansion, visit www.Facebook.com/puzzlemansion