List of people from Cabanatuan

The following is a list of notable people who were either born in, lived in, are current residents of, or are closely associated with the city of Cabanatuan, Nueva Ecija.

National heroes and patriots

General Manuel Tinio

• Antonio Bautista – air force pilot and Medal of Valor awardee
• Juan Pajota – World War II guerrilla officer who played a key role in the Raid at Cabanatuan ^[1]
• Manuel Tinio – youngest general of the Philippine Revolutionary Army and later governor of Nueva Ecija

Entertainment

Kathryn Bernardo

• Jason Abalos – actor and politician
• Paolo Ballesteros – actor, comedian and drag queen
• Heber Bartolome – folk singer
• Ruel S. Bayani – film and television director
• Kathryn Bernardo – actress and singer
• Gavin "Ser Geybin" Capinpin – vlogger ^[2]
• Anthony Castelo – singer
• Val Castelo – singer and actor ^[3]
• Manuel Chua – actor and model
• Nestor de Villa – actor
• Diana Mackey – actress and beauty queen ^[4]
• Rose Marielle Mamaclay – singer
• Kaori Oinuma – actress
• Kurt Perez – former child actor
• Willie Revillame – television host, actor, comedian, recording artist, and businessman
• Vilma Santos – actress and politician ^[5]
• Yen Santos – actress
• Romnick Sarmenta – actor
• Vic Sotto – actor, television host, and comedian ^{[6] [7]}

• Val Sotto – actor, singer and politician
• Xilhouete – drag performer

Journalism

• Athena Imperial – GMA News reporter and Miss Earth - Water 2011

Education

• Emmanuel de Guzman – 12th president of the Polytechnic University of the Philippines.
• Doreen Fernandez – food writer and cultural historian

Education, literature and the arts

• Behn Cervantes – artist, activist and film director
• Lázaro Francisco – novelist and National Artist for Literature.
• Damiana Eugenio – writer known as the "Mother of Philippine Folklore." ^[8]
• Rony V. Diaz – writer and Palanca awardee

Politics and government

Former Associate Justice Ameurfina Melencio-Herrera

• Jaime Bautista – businessman and former Secretary of Transportation ^[9]
• Oscar Castelo – former secretary of national defense and secretary of justice
• Perci Cendaña – representative, Akbayan Party-list
• Hermogenes Concepcion – former senator

• Hermogenes Concepcion Jr. – former solicitor general and associate justice of the Supreme Court of the Philippines
• Randy Escolango – undersecretary at the Department of Health
• Dr. Paulino J. García – former Secretary of Health
• Eduardo Joson – WWII guerrilla leader and former governor of Nueva Ecija
• Ameurfina Melencio-Herrera — lawyer and former associate justice of the Supreme Court of the Philippines
• Vicente "Tito" Sotto III – senate president, actor, and musician ^[10]

Religion

• Emma de Guzman – Marian visionary and co-founder of La Pietà International Prayer Group
• Frederick Kriekenbeek – Catholic priest and pioneering exorcist in the Archdiocese of Cebu

Sports

• Hernando Castelo – sports shooter
• Samboy de Leon – basketball player
• Japoy Lizardo – taekwondo athlete, actor, and commercial model
• Frances Molina – volleyball player
• Ferdinand Pascual – international basketball referee

Other

• Mary Jane Veloso – Filipino migrant worker who was sentenced to death in Indonesia for drug trafficking in 2010. Her case drew international attention and widespread advocacy efforts, leading to a stay of execution in 2015.

References

1. "The Heroism of Juan Pajota". HistoryNet. Retrieved July 25, 2025.
2. Basina, Carby (2024-01-07). "Capinpin Brothers give their mom 3 new houses in Cabanatuan City". GMA News Online. Retrieved 2025-09-27.
3. Valle, Mario Bautista (February 10, 2022). "Moviegoer: Remembering Val Castelo". Manila Bulletin. Retrieved July 27, 2025.
4. "Ex-PBB housemate Diana Mackey, target masungkit ang korona ng Binibining Pilipinas 2022". Balita. February 18, 2022. Retrieved July 20, 2025.
5. "Nueva Ecijana Vilma Santos wows Thomasians in talkback session". May 3, 2024.
6. Galvez, Manny (February 16, 2017). "Bossing Vic named Outstanding Cabanatueño". The Philippine Star. Retrieved July 11, 2025.
7. "Dabarkads Vic Sotto and Paolo Ballesteros receive award from the City of Cabanatuan". www.gmanetwork.com. February 3, 2017. Retrieved 2024-12-23.
8. Sicat, Gerardo P. "Damiana Eugenio, master compiler of Philippine folkloric myths, legends, riddles, and proverbs". Philstar.com. Retrieved 2025-09-27.
9. "Kalihim ng DOTr, kinilala bilang Natatanging Anak ng Cabanatuan". PIA. February 7, 2023. Retrieved July 20, 2025. "Profile of Chairperson‑Secretary Jaime J. Bautista" (PDF). Clark Int’l Airport Corp. Retrieved July 20, 2025. "JAIME J. BAUTISTA – Tourism Promotions Board CV" (PDF). Tourism Promotions Board. Retrieved July 20, 2025.
10. "Sotto: Imported agri products flood market, farmers hit hard". Journal News. March 7, 2022. Retrieved July 27, 2025.