CABIAO, Nueva Ecija—The municipal government will develop the area around the 38-hectare Nabao Lake here into a premier tourist attraction.
Mayor Ramil B. Rivera said they plan to set up a floating market like the ones in Thailand and hold dragon boat race festivals to turn this historic hotbed of rebellions during the Spanish and Japanese eras into a tourist hub in southern Nueva Ecija
Rivera said they also plan to organize other water sports activities, and that experts from the Nueva Ecija University of Science and Technology (NEUST) are crafting the master plan for lake’s development.
The floating market will be patterned after floating markets of Damnaen Saduak, Amphawa, Talin Chan, Khong Lat Mayom and Bang Nam Pheung in Thailand, which have been attracting tourists in that country.
Rivera said the markets offer a carnival-like atmosphere with a wide array of goods, snack houses and live music to keep tourists in high spirits. They are considered the perfect antidote to the shopping mall culture spreading across Bangkok, he added.
Instead of international brands and franchise restaurants, the floating markets offer local items mostly crafted by skilled artisans, making them popular to the younger set.
Rivera said a 210-meter portion of the lake will be cleared for road widening as part of a plan to set up souvenir shops, food courts and two zip lines.
“Hopefully, we can open Nabao Lake to tourists within this year,” he said. Once operational, the lake could provide jobs to at least 300 families, the mayor added.
Known locally as “Lawa ng Nabao,” the lake in barangays Sta. Rita and San Carlos has become popular for boating and fishing, with a panoramic view of Mt. Arayat as a backdrop.
In 2013, a movement called “Save Cabiao Lake” was formed to save the then-dying lake by Rivera’s predecessor, Gloria Congco.
Congco said the lake used to teem with aquatic life, with local people feeding on an abundance of fish in the area. However, the lake got covered with water lilies and informal settlers have set up houses around the area.
Congco described the lake, an untouched sanctuary of nature, as a “secret paradise in itself, a gift from God.”
An emerging cultural and historical hub, Cabiao is also known for its role in the anti-colonial rebellion of the Hukbo ng Bayan Laban sa Hapon (Hukbalahap) and the “Unang Sigaw ng Nueva Ecija” against the Spaniards.
A monument of General Mariano Llanera stands in front of the municipal hall, where a tablet shows the names of those who took part in the rebellion against the Spaniards.
Aside from the lake and Llanera, the housing site of Gawad Kalinga in Barangay San Carlos also offers a site for picnics, sightseeing and family bonding. This first-class municipality also hosts several hotels and resorts.