My family lives in Nueva Ecija for a long time but never seen much of the province’s tourist spots. Last week, the whole fam went to Minalungao National Park to relax and have a change in ambiance. Minalungao is part of General Tinio, located in Sitio Minalungao, Barangay Pias.

The name Minalungao is from the words ‘mina’ and ‘lungao’ which means mining of golds in caves. The Minalungao River is surrounded by amazing rock formation, the river is pristine clear and is 15 kilometers east of town proper. The remote location leaves the National Park untouched by technologically advanced civilization and is perfect for lonesome travelers to sit down, reflect and relax.

We left Gapan before 1pm and arrived in Minalungao around 2pm. Kids took a dip at the cool water to lessen summer heat. You can see my son doesn’t want to leave the water and was crying when we told him we have to leave. The road to Minalungao is narrow and after the national road of Penaranda is mainly dirt road that goes up and down. It is not advisable to leave the place after sunset as there’s no electricity along the road. Overall, Minalungao River is a nice reprieve after stress week of work – no entrance fee, greenery relax the eyes, and refreshing cool water that relieves stress.