Philippine jigsaw puzzler sets Guinness record

TAGAYTAY, Philippines (AFP) - From Mona Lisa to Mickey Mouse, a Philippine guesthouse owner has pieced together over a thousand jigsaw puzzles, making her collection the world's largest.

"It was just a hobby at first. It takes away my stress," Ms Gina Gil Lacuna, 61, said as she was awarded her certificate of recognition by Guinness World Records.

But the pastime, which she took up 26 years ago, turned into an obsession that has seen her collect a total of 1,028 different puzzles, framed wall to wall at her two-storey guesthouse.

The puzzles form pictures of religious figures, animals and landscapes, and even Philippine President Benigno Aquino, with the largest containing over 18,000 pieces.