Enjoy Candaba! Tara Na!

Saturday, July 23, 2011

SOME historians claim that Candaba may have been the first and oldest settlement in the entire Kapampangan Region.

A town known for its warm people and noted for its wide and scenic swamps - the habitat of mudfish and catfish.

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Candaba has a complex of freshwater ponds, swamps and marshes with surrounding areas of seasonally flooded grassland and arable land on a vast alluvial plain.

It is usually flooded in the wet season, but most of it dries out during the dry season and is converted into rice fields and plantations of watermelons and corn.

Farming and fishing are the two main industries of the town. Recently, another growing industries are ducks and poultry. Earlier, the Duck Raiser Cooperative claim that they have been producing more than 200,000 eggs a day. According to the officials of the cooperative, they are now supplying eggs to Pateros - the "Balut" Capital of the Philippines.

"Burong Isda" (Pickled Fish)

The popular "burong isda", a distinct Kapampangan fermented delicacy, is made from catfish or mudfish produced in Candaba.

Watermelons

Candaba is known for its farmlands where the sweetest melons and watermelons are grown. Tourists can personally pick their fruits during harvest season.

In the past, the watermelon produced here finds way to world markets.

Ducks and Eggs including salted eggs

Candaba also happens to be the top producer of duck eggs which are usually made into balut, itlog na maalat (salted eggs).

At present, more than 80 duck raisers empowered themselves by forming a strong cooperative. This aims to reach the maximum potential of the duck and egg industry.

Tilapia and Kois

Candaba was once famous as one of the top tilapia producer in the region. In fact, at least 6,000 hectares of the total land area of the town has been dedicated to tilapia raising.

Kois, meanwhile, are the ornamental domesticated varieties of the common carp. They symbolize good fortune, strength and masculinity. The mud ponds of Candaba proved conducive to the commercial breeding of these "living jewels."

Migrant wild ducks

Migratory wild ducks and various bird wildlife escape winter winds from China and Siberia making Candaba their yearly sanctuary.