The Maliputo Festival in San Nicolas, Batangas is held to honor the maliputo, a rare fish found in Taal Lake and the Pansipit River. The festival began in the late 1990s as a way to promote the town’s local product and unite the community. Celebrated every August 9th during the town’s founding anniversary, it reflects how the people of San Nicolas depend on the lake for their livelihood and how deeply the maliputo is woven into their history and daily life. Over the years, the event has also become a reminder to protect the fish and the environment that sustains it.