Tarlac to unveil ecotourism park

BARANGAY LUBIGAN, San Jose, Tarlac — A 200-hectare portion of a government-owned forestland here will be unveiled on Wednesday as Tarlac’s new major destination for nature lovers and adventure seekers.

With an elevation of 308 meters above sea level, the newly developed area in Sitio Padlana in this upland village has been dubbed by Gov. Jose Yap as the Tarlac Ecotourism Park.

The park, home to dipterocarp trees, is situated near the legendary Bueno hot springs of Capas and the scenic Baag Waterfalls.

The provincial government began developing the area three years ago, with the construction of a road that makes it accessible via a 30-minute drive from Tarlac City.

About 50 hectares of the park have been designated as a campsite for the provincial councils of the Boy Scouts and Girl Scouts.

Welcoming visitors to the ecotourism park before they reach the peak is the castle-like hilltop monastery of the Catholic Order of the Servants of the Risen Christ.

There are also view decks where tourists can see the central plains of Tarlac and its neighboring provinces, and the mountains that border Tarlac, Pangasinan, Pampanga and Zambales. — Benjie Villa