An Aeta boy stands on his own share of paradise at the soon-to-be-completed housing area for some 600 Aeta families in Nabuklod, Floridablanca.
Photo by Ric Gonzales
FLORIDABLANCA, Pampanga – Nabuklod, Pampanga’s fast-growing tourist attraction, has become the focus of Gov. Lilia Pineda’s agri-tourism efforts in the province.
Dubbed “Paradise in the Sky,” it is perched on a hilly area at the edge of this town.
The area’s cool temperature in most days of the year is like the weather in the tourist cities of Baguio and Tagaytay.
Nabuklod Barangay Captain Roger Apang said Pineda is “sobrangmasaya (very happy)” when she is in their village.He added that she arrives as early as 5:00 a.m. and usually stays long there despite her tight schedule for that day.
BLUE and GREEN
Mountains of Bataan province and nearby Porac town — whose colors turn to green or blue — are seen from Nabuklod. The view of the western portion of Pampanga is also visible from the village largely occupied by some 2,400 Aetas.
“You forget your problems when you are here,” said Pineda in a jest during one of several province-led tree-planting activities at Nabuklod,in cooperation with Philippine Army General Gregorio Catapang of the 703rd infantry brigade based in Pampanga.
“One of our future projects is a hanging restaurant there,” added Pineda in the dialect while standing on Viewdeck 2 and pointing to a lower portion of the site’s some 1,000-hectares.
TREE-PLANTING
The first-term governor disclosed that she will invite business tycoon Manuel “MVP” Pangilinan of Apalit, Pampanga for a tree-planting program in Nabuklod, following Pangilinan’spledge to plant 66,000 trees all over the country by his MVP group of companies.
He made this commitment during his recent 66th birthday celebration that Pineda attended in Apalit.
Pineda also said they will urge Pangilinan to open an access point to Nabuklod from the Subic-Clark-Tarlac Expressway (SCTex), to cut present travel time in half.
At present, the only way to Nabuklod from Porac is through the western portion of the huge property of Basa Air Force Base in Floridablanca.
The SCTex is under the management of the Pangilinan-owned Manila North Tollways Corporation.
HOLISTIC
Meanwhile, Fourth District Board Member Nestor Tolentino said Pineda and the provincial board led by Vice Gov. Joseller “Yeng” Guiao wants “holistic” development of Nabuklod.
He added that the P10 million allotted for Nabuklod would be used to make it one of the top agri-tourism areas in Central Luzon.
But more importantly, Tolentino stressed, the governor is prioritizing the social, economic and educational development of every indigenous individual living there.
Pineda has plans to raise funds for the Aetas through an exhibit of paintings of young Aetas who, among others, underwent seminars on painting and on massage therapy conducted by the Public Employment Service Office (PESO).
Roy Imperial, consultant-adviser of the governor, said Pineda has partnered with various government agencies, including the Departments of Education, Health and Agriculture and the National Housing Authority (NHA), for coordinated delivery of public services to Nabuklod.
For one, a birthing station will be established there by the DOH under its regional director Dr. LeonitaGorgolon.
On-going projects include the improvement of the road leading to Nabuklod from Basa and construction of a path with at least 240 steps down to the “virgin areas” in the Central portion of the adventure park.
Also, an untouched fish-rich body of water will soon be shown to the public to re-awaken in people’s hearts love for the environment, revealed Imperial.
As project coordinator of the Nabuklod Eco-Tourism Adventure Park, he reported 60 percent completion of the projects in the area that is the ancestral domain of the Floridablanca-based Aetas.
A zipline and cable cars are now the major attractions at Nabuklodthat now has ready water supply due to the “aggressive but caring” drive of the governor. “The Aetas used to walk for many hours just to be able to get one pail of water in Nabuklod’s lower portion,” he said.
The provincial government spent at least P1 million for the water tank and other related equipment to bring for the first time potable water to Nabuklod.
Imperial also said modern farming has been taught to the Aetas who have since used it to plant corn, rice and bananas.
Construction of “safer and better” houses for more than 600 Aeta families is going on under the NHA.
Pineda is also meeting with private companies for the aggressive production of in-demand fruits and crops, including strawberries used for ice cream products.
Bikers and local and foreign tourists have begun to flock to Nabuklod for its magnificent view that comes for free but has much returns for the long-marginalized Aetas living there.
