The Harvest Hotel is a mid-range business hotel strategically located in the commercial district of Cabanatuan City, Nueva Ecija. The hotel opened in 2014 and is currently the newest hotel in the city. It has a total of 81 guestrooms, suits and lofts. The hotel caters primarily to business travelers, and is also the preferred hotel of leisure travelers and balikbayans.
When traveling to Central and Northern Luzon, it will be very helpful to learn some Ilocano phrases. This will be very handy when using the public transportation, eating in a restaurant or shopping at the market. We have listed down some of the most useful Ilocano phrases for your next trip to the north.
Whenever Edgar is craving for paella, we would to Eastwood to have his favorite all-meat paella and whenever I crave for longganisa, I would drag him to Kapitolyo to have my favorite longsilog. That is why both Edgar and I were so intrigued about this paella dish made with longganisa in Bonifacio Global City.
Nueva Ecija is a landlocked province in Central Luzon. With its vast flatlands, Nueva Ecija is the biggest producer of rice in the region, giving it the nickname Ricebowl of the Philippines. It is unsurprising that most Filipinos, even the Nueva-Ecijanos themselves, think that there is nothing else to see in the province than ricefields and more ricefields.
So what is there to see in Nueva Ecija other than ricefields?
Located far beyond the countryside of Nueva Ecija, close to the foothills of the Sierra Madre mountain range, is the sitio of Minalungao in the town of Papaya (officially called Municipality of General Tinio). The entire area has been named Minalungao National Park and features the clear emerald waters of the Peñaranda River. On both sides of the river stand limestone walls towering to up to 16 meters.
One may choose to trek along the limestone formations or rent a raft to reach the other end of the river where a shallow portion awaits visitors for a refreshing swim. Favorite activity of the locals is cliff diving. If you wish to try it, we suggest that you hire a local guide who can direct you to the areas where it is safe for cliff diving. The best time to visit Minalungao is during the dry season as the limestones can get very slippery and the river may turn murky.
Tourism Potentials of Minalungao National Park
Minalungao is one of the very few remaining natural environments in Central Luzon and it is the relative uniqueness of this park that can finally place the province of Nueva Ecija in the Philippine tourism map. With proper care, development and management, the Minalungao National Park will be able to compete with other eco-tourism destinations in Luzon and perhaps across the country. It is not far from now that Minalungao will be fully accessible to visitors. Concreting of the local road connecting the downtown area of Papaya to the park is already 50% complete. Facilities such as cottages and boats are already in place. Ultimately, it is the local community of Minalungao who will benefit from the livelihood that would be created by this development.
How to get to Minalungao National Park
From Manila, take a bus bound for Cabanatuan City passing through Gapan City (Cubao: ES Transport or Baliwag Transport). At Gapan City center, hire a tricycle along the national highway that would take you to Minalungao. We highly recommend Kuya Erning (0909-997-2393). We paid P600.00 for a special round trip rate (three passengers). Please add a little tip for the driver's waiting time. Travel time from Gapan City to Minalungao is roughly 1 hour 20 minutes.
Cabanatuan is a highly urbanized city in the province of Nueva Ecija. With its central location, Cabanatuan is considered as the trading center of the province best known for rice production. The city's commercial significance called for an affordable and relaxing accommodation that can cater to business men, traders, balik-bayans and tourists.
Genesis Transport is currently the only bus company that serves the Manila-Baler route. It is a 6-7 hour trip with two short stops in Nueva Ecija. Genesis has two type of buses, the Joy Bus, a 2x1 seater deluxe bus, and the regular 2x2 seater air-conditioned bus. For a more comfortable ride, we highly recommend the Joy Bus as it has reclining seats and spacious leg room.
www.genesistransport.com.ph
If you are planning to take the first trip, make sure to be at the terminal at least one hour before the scheduled departure time as the first trip bus can easily get full, as early as 40 minutes before the scheduled departure time.
We got the chance to take a nap while the bus plied the NLEX and SCTEX. The bus took the Tarlac Exit at the northern end of SCTEX and turned right along the Tarlac-Santa Rosa Road heading to the direction of Cabanatuan City, Nueva Ecija. The bus will make its first short 15-minute stop at the Cabanatuan Central Terminal, allowing the passengers to use the restrooms and grab some snacks.
Genesis Bus parked at the Cabanatuan Bus Terminal
Back on the road, the bus then headed to the direction of Pantabangan, Nueva Ecija where it would ascend the Sierra Madre, a mountain range that separates the plains of Central Luzon to the coastal Province of Aurora. Though sleepy, we tried to stay awake during this ascend as it offered a unique opportunity to view the Pantabangan Lake. The lake is a man-made lake which resulted from the construction of the Pantabangan Dam, flooding the Pampanga River. We will definitely plan a future trip to the Pantabangan Lake where we heard is a good place for freshwater fishing.
ascending the Sierra Madre with a view over Pantabangan Lake
The bus made its second and final stop in Pantabangan, Nueva Ecija. This stop is longer in duration compared to the first stop in Cabanatuan City. There's clean toilet available for passengers (no fee). There's also a small canteen that serves home-cooked meals. We bought grilled hotdogs on stick. There's also a lady that sells tupig (a must try).
Genesis Bus stopover at Pantabangan, Nueva Ecija
From Pantabangan, Nueva Ecija, the bus entered the municipality of Alfonso Castañeda, in the province of Nueva Vizcaya. This was the last municipality before we reached the province of Aurora. One remarkable sight in Alfonso Castañeda was the Canili-Diayo Dam. The Canili-Diayo Dam bypass road was originally constructed as a two-lane road, but access was restricted to one vehicle at a time to protect the dam from deterioration. A number of humps were also placed on the road to prevent vehicles from speeding.
bus crossing the Canili-Diayo Dam bypass road
After Alfonso Castañeda, we were finally in the province of Aurora. The bus passed through the municipality of Maria Aurora before reaching Baler. Tricycles were lined up at the Baler Bus Terminal to transport passengers around the town. Tricycle fare ranges between Php20.00 to Php30.00 per trip depending on your destination.
Genesis Transport: Trip Schedule and Fare
Updated as of: May 1, 2013
Cubao to Baler (departure time)
Joy Bus Deluxe (P700.00)
Air-conditioned Bus (P450.00)
12:30 AM
01:30 AM
02:30 AM
02:30 AM
04:00 AM
05:00 AM
06:00 AM
07:00 AM last trip
Genesis Transport
704 EDSA Corner New York St., Cubao, Quezon City, Philippines 1109
Tel: 421-1425, 421-1422, 421-1413 www.genesistransport.com.ph
