Plaza Lucero. This statue of Philippine hero General Antonio Luna astride a horse stands at the plaza in front of the cathedral on the exact spot where the brave general was assassinated in 1899 in the city that adopted him subsequently. In May 2022, alongside Plaza Lucero, the statue was renovated and re-opened to the public. Old Provincial Capitol of Nueva Ecija is located along Burgos Avenue. The old provincial capitol was designed by prominent American architect William E. Parsons who also designed government buildings in Manila, Cebu and Laguna during the American Colonial Period. The old edifice has since been renovated and expanded. Cabanatuan Eco Park is a future city project that will convert the Valle Cruz dumpsite into a ten-hectare eco park. Government centers, including the new Cabanatuan City Hall, are to be built within the area. Festivals and celebrations celebrated in Cabanatuan include: Banatu Festival celebrates its founding anniversary as a chartered city. From its humble beginning in 2015, "Banatu Festival" aims to showcase the history, culture, talent, beauty and craftsmanship of Cabanatueños. Longganisa Festival one of the activities in "Banatu Festival" and is held in the vicinity of the public market along Paco Roman Street. Apart from the local meat traders and customers, tourists from nearby towns also join the celebration. Highlights of this festival are the cooking contests and the different preparations for longganisa (native sausage like "batutay", "longganisang bawang" and "longganisang matamis"), including spaghetti and “binagoongan”. Government Cabanatuan City's current seat of government, the city hall, is located at Barangay San Josef Sur. The local government structure is composed of one mayor, one vice mayor, and ten councilors. Each official is elected publicly to a 3-year term and can be re-elected up to 3 terms in succession. The day-to-day administration of the city is handled by the city administrator. Education Cabanatuan is a regional educational hub. The city more than forty higher education institutions including four universities, a science high school, more than fifty public and private high schools, and more than a hundred public and private primary schools. Some prominent schools, universities and colleges within the city include: ABE International College Acatech Aviation College AMA Computer College Asian College of Science and Technology Asian Institute of Computer Studies (AICS) Asian Institute of E-commerce (AIE) Cabanatuan Araullo University Main Campus Araullo University South Campus Cabanatuan East Central School Cabanatuan City Senior High School Camp