PhilRice, Nueva Ecija

The province of Nueva Ecija is a popular destination for tourists as it takes pride in a lot of exciting and educational attractions within its boundaries.  These attractions have over the years contributed greatly to the province's image as a progressive province with a vibrant history and a colorful culture.   

 

Casecnan Irrigation and Power Generation Project

Rizal, Nueva Ecija

The P6.75-B Casecnan Multi-purpose Irrigation and Power Project in Nueva Ecija provides irrigation to more than 26,920 hectares of new farms in the municipalities of Munoz, Talugtog, Guimba, Cuyapo, and Nampicuan while at the same time generating some 140 megawatts of power for the Luzon grid that will supply cheap electricity to millions of people in Luzon including Metro Manila. The project is expected to increase the annual rice production to 834,000 metric tons of milled rice nationwide. With ample supply of water, fishponds in Central Luzon are expected to mushroom as farmers would be encourage to build fishponds for tilapia, bangus (milkfish) and catfish. It also gives additional irrigation water to the 55,000 hecatres of land in upper Pampanga River Integrated Irrigation System by rehabilitating and enlarging canals and structures, including the dredging and lining of major conveyances.

Central Luzon State University

Science City of Munoz, Nueva Ecija

Located in the outskirts of the town Munoz, Nueva Ecija, the 658 hectares main campus of CLSU is famous for its old and shady trees, its model farms, its vegetables and ornamental plant garden. It has also facilities for swimming, basketball and pelota. Oftentimes, Nueva Ecija is referred to as the "Agricultural Center of Luzon" because of the presence of CLSU. The place was declared by the Department of Tourism as the agri-tourism site of Luzon. CLSU Concrete Tank Culture for Tilapia

Science City of Munoz, Nueva Ecija

This one-of-a-kind breeding farm showcases intensive culture of tilapia in concrete circular tanks, with provisions for continuous water exchange and aeration. Each tank is stocked with 6,000 tilapia fingerlings. Estimated output is 1,000 kg. of table-size fish after four months of culture.

Fort Magsaysay

Palayan City, Nueva Ecija

Located in the province capital, Fort Magsaysay has a total area of 74,000 hectares. Being one of the biggest military training camp not only in the Philippines but the whole of Asia, Fort Magsaysay provide new breed of soldiers in different fields such as engineering, health care and education. Pahingahan Complex is the main attraction of the camp. Described as a mini dam, it offers a breathtaking scenery of natural rainforest and a huge lake.

Fruit and Vegetable Seeds Center (FVSC)

Science City of Munoz, Nueva Ecija

FVSC was established by the provincial government of Nueva Ecija with the support of the Department of Agriculture and Central Lzuon State University to develop quality fruits and vegetable seeds. The center has a 10-ha farm area for production with pressurized irrigation system, greenhouses, laboratory, conference room, and modern farm machineries.

Gross Ostrich Farm

San Leonardo, Nueva Ecija

Located in Brgy. Tagumpay, San Leonardo, Gross Ostrich Farm grows, breeds and propagates imported ostriches both for human consumption and for tourism such as sale of decorative eggs, leather wallets, colorful feathers and other by-products. Ostriches reach a height of about 7 - 8 feet, weighs 110 - 130 kgs, runs at a speed of 60 km/h, has a lifespan of 50 - 80 years and a breeding life of 20 - 25 years. Tha farm produces fillet meat at P600/kl, steak at P500/kl and stir fry at P400/kl. On-site farm visits to view the "big birds" in their natural habitat are organized for students and professionals alike.

Pantabangan Dam

Pantabangan, Nueva Ecija

Built in 1974 along the Pampanga River to serve as reinforcement against flood, and provide irrigation, additional electricity in the entire Luzon island, the 1.61-km long, 107-meter high dam now supplies irrigation waters to farmlands in Nueva Ecija and adjoining provinces, and electricity to the Luzon power grid - after the construction submerged Barangays East and West Poblacion, Villarica, Liberty, Cadaclan, San Juan, Napop-Napon, Marikit and Conversion out of the $340-million World Bank project. Then President Ferdinand Marcos ordered the release of fish varieties into its waters so people displaced by the project could tap the dam for future livelihood. Today, about half of the town's more than 25,000 residents survive on fishing. The complex consists of two hydroelectric plants - the Pantabangan Hydropower Plant, which produces 100 megawatts and its subsidiary, the Masiway Power Plant, which generates 12 MW of hydroelectric power. In 1996, the national government started building a 27-km tunnel from the Casecnan River in Nueva Vizcaya to irrigate an additional 50,000 hectares of land and generate 140 MW more of hydroelectric power. The project started operations in 2001. As a result of its growing fishing industry, the local government instituted its famous Pandawan Festival, its bid to boost the local economy thru tourism related activities. Pandawan comes from the word "Pandaw" (fish harvest) and "Pagdalaw sa Pagaani" (visit during harvest). The place offers a scenic view of the surrounding area. The serene blue sky glimpses the 1.61-km long dam enveloped by the picturesque Sierra Madre mountains. The dam's clear water is the sanctuary of tropical marine life and an inviting site for jetskiing and fishing. Tourists will also appreciate the dam's engineering wonders. Pantabangan was the first town established during Spanish regime. Augustinian friars occupied the region Northeast which was drained by tributaries of the Rio Grande in 1701 and during that time it was also an agricultural land. They lived by means of farming and fishing. After the decade, Pantabangan was converted into a large river (dam) that irrigates the lower part of Nueva Ecija down to Bulacan and Pampaga. In short, Pantabangan sacrificed the wealthy agricultural land for the good of other constituents. It offers standard-class accommodation at Best View Hotel and Restaurant, with its spa and beauty salon, swimming pool, tennis court, and water sports amenities.

Philippine Carabao Center

Science City of Munoz, Nueva Ecija

The Philippine Carabao Center was created in 1993 as an offshoot of the Carabao Development Program, through Republic Act 7307 enacted in 1992. It is an attached agency of the Department of Agriculture, mandated to "conserve, propagate and promote the carabao as a source of draft animal power, meat, milk and hide, to benefit the rural farmers". Services at the center include: artificial insemination, bull loan, production of quality breeding animals and germplasm, technical assistance and training and carabao-based enterprise development. The center breeds and cross-breeds, through artificial insemination, animals called Murrah Buffaloes, a species of the dairy type from India, Bulgaria and some countries like North and Latin America. At the center, the male carabao (water buffalo) weighs 750 kg and counting while the female yields 17-20 liters of milk a day. These water buffalos at the gene pool look hugely different from the native carabaos that weigh and average of 350 kg while native dam gives a milk yield of a average of 1.5 liters per day. As of 2009, about 3.3 million native and crossbred carabaos were used mainly for draft purposes in sugarcane plantations and rice and corn farms, and for hauling. Through the PCC's 13 stations across the country, technology transfer on the care and production of carabaos, and teaching and encouraging rural families to engage in carabao enterprises are also pursued. The genetic transformation being done by the PCC, after conducting thorough research and development is through the production of semen from imported bulls and its distribution for artificial insemination to native carabaos. The center also uses reproductive biotechnology called embryo transfer technology, or the test-tube technique. It takes three generations or 15 year to produce quality animals from cross breeding or to attain 87.5 percent genetic purity for the improved breed of native carabaos.

Philippine Rice Research Institute

Science City of Munoz, Nueva Ecija

The Philippine Rice Research Institute or PhilRice at Maligaya, Munoz, Nueva Ecija is a government - owned and controlled corporation that aims to to develop high-yielding and cost - reducing technologies so farmers can produce enough rice for all Filipinos. It is the central agricultural environment station - the only one of its kind throughout the country. It was created to develop and implement a natural rice research and development program, sustain the grains made in rice production and solve location-specific problems of the rice industry. A variety of rice wine is produced at the center.

Phil-Sino Center for Agriculture & Technology

CLSU Campus, Science City of Munoz, Nueva Ecija

Situated in a 9.78 hectare area inside the CLSU campus, PhilSCAT is the first collaborative project between the Philippines and People's Republic of China through their respective departments and ministries. It is envisioned to make Filipino farmers prosperous through the adoption of modern and appropriate agricultural technology such as hybrid rice production and mechanization jointly developed and evaluated by Filipino and Chinese scientists.

Rubber Dam

Llanera, Nueva Ecija

Asia's first and only rubber dam

The Aquino - Diokno Memorial

Laur, Nueva Ecija

Located in the midst of the sprawling Fort Magsaysay, this former headquarters of the 1st Military Security Detachment (1MSD) of the Philippine Army became the detention facility for political prisoners during the martial law period. Senators Benigno (Ninoy) S. Aquino, Jr. and Jose (Pepe) W. Diokno were imprisoned here from 12 March to 11 April 1973. Isolated from their families, friends and followers, Ninoy (codenamed "Alpha") and Pepe (codenamed "Delta") endured a month of indignity and uncertainty in separate rooms.

Accommodations

Here is the list of hotels and resorts that can be found in the province of Nueva Ecija located in Cabanatuan City.

• LA PARILLA HOTEL - Zulueta St., Melencio Corner Cabanatuan City 
• VILLAGE INN - Mabini Homesite, Cabanatuan City
• FRED'S APARTELLE  - 0728 Victoria Mansions, Bitas, Cabanatuan City
• GREENLAND SUITES  -  Mampulog, Cabanatuan City
• PRIME RESORT AND HOTEL - Mampulog Bitas, Cabanatuan City
• HUNTER VALLEY PLANTATION & RESORT  -  Brgy. Cabu, Cabanatuan City
• ACROPOLIS NORTH WATER CAMP & COUNTRY CLUB - Cabanatuan City

Restaurants (Cabanatuan City)

• PLAZA LETICIA
• ARCELI'S RESTAURANT
• DE LUXE RESTAURANT
• VICENTICO'S GRILL
• ALLESANDRA'S RESTAURANT
• CHARCOAL GRILL
• Cafe CRISTINA RESTAURANT
• RETRO BAR & RESTAURANT
• MAX'S RESTAURANT
• CIRCLES BAR AND RESTO
• JOEY'S SNACK HOUSE
• CAKELAND

FAST FOOD CHAINS

Jollibee, Mc Donald's, Kentucky Fried Chicken, Greenwich, Red Ribbon, Chowking, and Kenny Roger's Roaster are available at NE Pacific Mall and Mega Center the Mall.

Accessibility

Visitors can reach the province of Nueva Ecija by riding a bus from Manila via Cabanatuan City. There are bus lines (The five star, Philippine Rabit, Baliwag, Saulog transit and Victory Liner) that ply the routes to Nueva Ecija. Jeepneys and tricycles are available in the province as a common method of transportation around the province.