Nueva Ecija, officially the Province of Nueva Ecija (Tagalog: Lalawigan ng Nueva EcijaTagalog pronunciation:[ˈnwɛvɐʔɛˈsiha,ˈnwɛbɐ-]; Ilocano: Probinsia ti Nueva Ecija; Pangasinan: Luyag/Probinsia na Nueva Ecija; Kapampangan: Lalawigan ning Nueva Ecija), is a landlocked province in the Philippines located in the Central Luzon region. Its capital is the city of Palayan, while Cabanatuan, its former capital, is the largest city and the economic, commercial, and institutional center of Nueva Ecija. The province borders, from the south clockwise, Bulacan, Pampanga, Tarlac, Pangasinan, Nueva Vizcaya and Aurora. The province is nationally known as the Rice Granary of the Philippines, producing the largest rice yield in the country.
These first settlers included tribes of Bugkalots or Italons, Abaca and Buquids.[6] Settlements were built along the banks following the river's undulations. The Ilongots, meaning people of the forest, were the fierce headhunters and animist tribes who occupied Carranglan and the mountainous terrain of Sierra Madre and Caraballo Mountains.[7] The head hunting communities were nestled along the riverbanks of Rio Grande's tributaries in the north. Abaca and Italon were subgroups of Bugkalot people, meaning river settlers. Ilongots survived mainly by fishing and hunting. Food production was a secondary occupation. The agriculture-based community of Caraclans and Buquids[8] were settled in Bongabon and Pantabangan along the riverbanks of Rio Grande's tributaries in the northeast.[9]
When the waves of Tagalog migrations took place between 300 and 200 B.C., intrepid travelers and traders set up settlements along Luzon's western coast. These early settlements formed the nucleus of the Pampango Empire that was consolidated by Balagtas. The flatlands of the southern portion of Upper Pampanga was a hospitable place for these new Tagalog settlers. The indigenous tribes were forced to take to the hills in the face of the Tagalogs' superior technology.[10]
Barter trade flourished among communities that settled along the great river. The constant riverside trading resulted in both a commercial and cultural exchange between the settlements in vast plains upstream of the Pampanga River. Settlements in Carranglan, Pantabangan, and Bongabon and prospered and grew into more stable communities.[citation needed]
Spanish colonial era
At the time, the Pampango crown has waned and had little resistance from Spanish invasion. When the Pampango Empire fell into the hands of Spanish forces under the command of Martin de Goiti in 1572, the conquistadores began their long upward trek towards Cagayan Valley and Mountain Province. Their forces passed through the settlement areas of the Upper Pampanga River. They also attacked the Caboloan of Pangasinan, effectively capturing more territories from local kingdoms.
Because of growing territorial domain and evangelical missions, a command outpost or Commandancia in the Upper Pampanga River area was established. Then Governor-General[11]Fausto Cruzat y Góngora (July 25, 1690, to December 8, 1701) had most likely spent much of his time in the northern outpost in Carranglan and Pantabangan and, baking in the fiercely hot climate, probably waxed nostalgic about his hometown in Écija, Andalusia in Spain, which was also known as "la sarten" (the frying pan) because of its intensely hot summers. Thus the Governor-General hit upon the notion to name the outpost Nueva Ecija. Both the New and Old Ecija were washed by navigable rivers- the former, by Pampanga River and the latter, by the river Genil.
Consistent with the history of Hispanization in the rest of Philippine archipelago, Nueva Ecija was established by Augustinian missionaries. The first mission was established in Gapan in 1595. The Augustinians abandoned their missionary work in 1636, maintaining only the mission in Bongabon.[12]
At the turn of the 18th century, the missionaries resumed their evangelical work and redirected their efforts to the northeast, towards rough, mountainous terrain inhabited by the Bugkalots.
On September 1, 1759, King Carlos III of Spain issued a Royal Decree that ended the founding missions of Augustinians and transferred all Augustinian responsibilities in the settlements of Nueva Ecija to Franciscan friars. Through tribute collections and polo y servicio or rendering of force labor, the Franciscans constructed churches, convents, parochial schools and tribunals. They also constructed roads and bridges to connect other settlements. In 1781, a simple irrigation system was constructed in Pantabangan. This new farming technology contributed to the promotion of agriculture in the province.
New province
To make possible the establishments of settlements, military force became necessary to protect the friars and whatever basic settlement structures were beginning to emerge. Thus military outposts were of utmost importance, especially with the friars trying to convert fierce head-hunting tribes with spears and bladed weapons. It was around this time, during the term of Governor General Fausto Cruzat y Gongora (July 25, 1690, to December 8, 1702), that he established the military outpost he named Nueva Ecija.[13] At this time, however, Nueva Ecija was still part of upper Pampanga.
In 1762, British occupation of Manila happened, and many Tagalog refugees from Manila & north areas of Cavite escaped to Bulacan and Nueva Ecija, where the original Kapampangan settlers welcomed them. Nueva Ecija, along with Bulacan, was natively Kapampangan when Spaniards arrived. Majority of Kapampangans sold their lands to the newly arrived Tagalog settlers and others intermarried with and assimilated to the Tagalog, which made Nueva Ecija dominantly Tagalog, many of the Tagalog settlers arrived in Nueva Ecija directly from Bulacan.[14][15][16][17]
In 2016, researchers of the National Historical Commission of the Philippines (NHCP) and the provincial government found documents showing that in 1799, Carlos IV ordered the separation of towns and parishes of Upper Pampanga, near the Sierra Madre range, as well as coastal towns of Tayabas, along the Pacific Ocean and their organization into a corregimiento (political-military administrative unit). Royal directives were implemented on April 25, 1801, and the corregimiento was named Nueva Ecija after the Spanish hometown of that period's Governor General Rafael Maria de Aguilar, with Baler as its capital.[18]
Since then, the province had undergone numerous changes in territorial composition. The progressive towns of Gapan, San Isidro, San Antonio, Cabiao and Aliaga were all annexed to Nueva Ecija from Pampanga, resulting in an economic as well as population boom for inhabitants. While Nueva Ecija only had a population of 9,165 in 1845,[19] the annexation of new territories three years later pegged the population at 69,135. In 1818, Nueva Ecija annexed the towns of Palanan from Isabela, as well as Baler, Casiguran, Infanta (formerly called Binangonan de Lampon) and Polillo Islands from Tayabas, and Cagayan, Nueva Vizcaya, Quirino, and part of Rizal.[20][21]
Other changes occurred in the following years until, in 1901, Nueva Ecija's northern municipalities of Balungao, Rosales, San Quintin and Umingan were annexed to Pangasinan.[13] Nueva Ecija's shifting political boundaries in fact necessitated transferring its provincial capital four times. Still, these changes proved ultimately beneficial to Nueva Ecija, as they resulted in a territory with rich land resources nourished by an excellent river system composed of the Pampanga, Talavera and Penaranda rivers. This would help lay the foundation for Nueva Ecija's abundant agricultural economy starting with the American Occupation in the early 20th century.
Tobacco monopoly
Maintaining the Philippines as a colony became a challenge for the Spanish Empire. Expenses incurred in running the colony were usually paid for by a yearly subsidy (called real situado) sent from the Philippines' sister colony in Mexico. This financial support from the Spanish royal court was often insufficient, especially with expenditures in the Philippine colony growing each year.
This prompted the royal fiscal assigned in Manila to devise a plan to allow the colony itself to raise revenues on its own and thus be able to supplement the Spanish subsidy. This royal fiscal was Francisco Leandro de Vianna, who first proposed creating a tobacco monopoly. De Vianna reasoned, tobacco was a product widely consumed throughout the islands, with a market of roughly one million. He projected earnings of as much as P400,000 from the venture. The first time the proposal was made, however, both King Carlos III of Spain and colonial officials didn't give the idea much importance.
All that would change during the term of Governor-General Jose Basco y Vargas. Basco had plans to develop and promote Philippine agriculture, and de Vianna's proposal seemed attractive to him. After studying the proposal, Basco sent his plan to establish a large-scale tobacco production in the colony under complete ownership and management by the colonial government of Spain. What probably perked up the ears of the Spanish king about Basco's plan to make the Philippine colony financially self-sufficient, thus removing a huge financial burden from the Spanish crown. The King of Spain issued a royal decree on February 9, 1780, setting in motion Basco's plan.[22]
Almost two years to the date of that royal decree, Basco ordered local officials and military commanders to prevent unnecessary losses of tobacco revenues. By March 2, 1782, tobacco production was established in Luzon, with La Union, Ilocos, Abra, Cagayan Valley and Nueva Ecija (still part of Pampanga at the time) as the centers for planting, growing, harvesting and processing tobacco.
This made a drastic and extreme change in the lives of all Novo Ecijanos. Where farmland used to bear rice, tobacco was now the only crop allowed to grow. These included the towns of Gapan, San Isidro, Jaen, Cabiao, Cabanatuan, Talavera, Santor and Bongabon. Each farming family was given a quota of tobacco plant to grow.
By 1850 the tobacco monopoly was producing immense financial gain for the colonial government. Some reports at the time pegged the earnings by as much as $500,000. One account in 1866 reported a much higher amount, as earnings rose to $38,418,939 that year.
Novo Ecijanos suffered a lot from the system. Nueva Ecija was more often able to meet production quotas compared to the other districts. Despite this, tobacco policy imposed a lower price on tobacco from areas closer to Manila. That meant that first-class tobacco leaf grown and harvested from Nueva Ecija was priced lower by one dollar, compared to those from Ilocos, La Union and Cagayan Valley.
The tobacco monopoly did not spur Novo Ecijanos to revolt, unlike the Ilocanos who staged an uprising over injustices in the system. Some tobacco growers in Nueva Ecija resorted to smuggling their own harvests in order to get some profit. But getting caught entailed harsher fines and penalties. Even sympathetic local officials had no choice but to enforce the unjust policies under pain of arrest and hard labor, once laxity on their part resulted in low production.
The flourishing tobacco industry coupled with the rich agricultural lands in central and northeastern Nueva Ecija also attracted migrants from neighboring Pampanga, Pangasinan, Ilocos and Tagalog areas. This made Nueva Ecija a melting pot of cultures and influences, the results of which are still evident in present-day Novo Ecijano culture.
As the tobacco monopoly fuelled further unrest, Spain finally abolished the monopoly on December 3, 1882. It was only then that they could all once again grow rice for food.[23]
Philippine revolution
One distinct feature of the 1896 revolution against Spain in Nueva Ecija was that it was led by the elite, ruling class instead of the masses. Leaders of the revolt in Nueva Ecija were municipal officials and prominent citizens, who refused to collaborate with the Spanish authorities when armed struggle broke out. Despite being in the ruling class and enjoying positions in the colonial government, these prominent Novo Ecijanos proved their patriotism and love for fellow Filipinos.[24] In fact, one of the founding members of the reform movement La Liga Filipina[25] was lawyer and Novo Ecijano Mamerto Natividad. By the time the Katipunan, the revolutionary movement against Spain, was formed, Novo Ecijanos were actively yet secretly joining it. Even local officials in Nueva Ecija secretly allied with the illustrados and farmers in forming the underground revolutionary society.[26]
Once the Spanish authorities learned of the Katipunan's existence, those perceived as sympathizers of the movement, and even those who were falsely accused of being members of it, were arrested. Mamerto Natividad was among those arrested for sedition, tortured and killed by guardia civil. He was one of the first Novo Ecijano martyrs[27] for freedom. His death, however, would result in bigger problems for the Spanish authorities.
Mamerto Natividad's two sons, Mamerto Jr. and Benito Natividad, later joined the Katipunan. The Spaniards burned their house and sugar mills in Jaen. Mamerto Jr. was later jailed for shooting a Spanish judge who had slapped his younger brother. As the Revolution gained ground, Mamerto Jr. was released and he was able to join the revolutionary army of General Emilio Aguinaldo in Cavite. By August 30, 1896, a state of war was declared by the Spanish colonial government in several Luzon provinces including Nueva Ecija, Bulacan, Pampanga, Tarlac, Batangas, Laguna, Cavite and Manila.[28]
Novo Ecijanos immediately proved themselves worthy of the fight for freedom. On September 2, 1896, Novo Ecijanos led by Gen. Mariano Llanera, capital municipal of Cabiao and Gen. Pantaleon Valmonte, capitan municipal of Gapan attacked San Isidro, the provincial capital. Their 3,000-strong army attacked San Isidro in distinct Novo Ecijano fashion: accompanied by music played by the Banda de Cabiao or Cabiao band.[citation needed]
Novo Ecijanos like Llanera, Valmonte, Mamerto Natividad Jr. and Manuel Tinio conducted themselves heroically during the revolution. They were allied with Aguinaldo's Magdalo[29] group. Aguinaldo was in fact so impressed, he appointed Natividad and Llanera to the two highest-ranking posts in the revolutionary army. Natividad became General Mamerto Natividad, commanding general of the revolutionary army, while General Llanera was vice-commander with the rank of Lieutenant-General. General Natividad proved himself worthy of the position by scoring victories against the Spanish in Tayug, Pangasinan and San Rafael, Bulacan.[citation needed]
On November 11, 1897, Natividad was killed in action in Cabiao, Nueva Ecija. His death precipitated the Pact of Biak-na-Bato,[30] a peace treaty that sought to end hostilities between Spanish authorities and the Filipino rebels. The treaty provided for a payment of P800,000 to the rebels who would then be exiled to Hong Kong. Five Novo Ecijanos would accompany Aguinaldo's exile.[31] They were General Mariano Llanera, Benito Natividad, General Manuel Tinio,[32] and Joaquin Natividad.
Later on, Novo Ecijanos would continue to participate in the drama of war, revolution and the fight for freedom. They would fight when the revolt against Spain continued after the peace treaty broke down and the United States, after declaring war on Spain, promised to help Filipinos fight for freedom. Then, Novo Ecijanos again joined General Emilio Aguinaldo in the Philippine–American War (after it became evident the United States wanted to make the Philippines their own colony).[33]
The "Cry of Nueva Ecija" is the 1896 revolutionary battle led by General Mariano Llanera, manned and assisted by General Manuel Tinio and Pantaleon Valmonte of Gapan, Nueva Ecija and Colonel Alipio Tecson of Cabiao, Nueva Ecija who later on became Brigadaire General. The battle was fought in Cabiao, Nueva Ecija. Alipio Tecson would eventually become Gobernadorcillo of Cabiao, Nueva Ecija.[34]
American colonial era
Commercial, interprovincial trade was carried out using the Rio Grande de Pampanga as main waterway, with trade outposts in San Isidro and Talipapa. Traders from Bulacan, Tondo and Manila regularly came to Nueva Ecija to carry back rice, palay, tobacco, sugar, corn and livestock.
Americans, however, wanted to shift from water-borne trade to a land-based trade system. Their idea for establishing this depended on something they were masters at: building railways. The American colonial government thought a railway could help boost Nueva Ecija's economic growth, in the same way that the US railway system helped unite and develop the economy of the North American continent. What made the railway project attractive was that it was less expensive than building roads. At first run by a private company, the US colonial government took over the ownership and management of the railway system by 1917.
The Americans were soon proven right: trade conducted through the railways boosted Nueva Ecija's income by 25% while transport costs went down by 25% to as much as 75%. With the train able to transport more goods and more people at a cheaper rate, the railway helped spark a rice boom in Gapan, San Isidro, Cabanatuan, Santa Rosa and Penaranda. Farmers could devote more land to growing rice and even secondary crops like onions and watermelons. More rice mills, farmers and farmer settlers came to Nueva Ecija. By 1936, there were 42 rice mills in Nueva Ecija, owned mostly by Chinese.[35]
The agriculture-based economic boom brought about by the train's huge load capacity and greater speed (compared to boats) encouraged waves of migrations to Nueva Ecija from places like Ilocos, Pampanga, Pangasinan, Tarlac and Bulacan.
The railway brought other changes to Nueva Ecija. While trade was still being done by waterways, settlements by necessity had to be established close to the rivers, where people's basic necessities came from. When the trains became the main mode of transporting goods and people, and with the influx of migrants, it became not only possible but crucial to build more communities further inland. This meant roads and irrigation systems were needed.[36]
As communities expanded inward, first along the rivers and then along the railways, the need for roads and irrigation systems leading to communities in the plains became more urgent. These made it possible for the more remote towns—those farther away from both rivers and railroads—to grow crops and participate in trade, ending what was until then a very slow pace of economic development. By 1912 Governor Benito Natividad had appropriated funds to fast-track the building of roads and bridges linking these remote towns and municipalities to then provincial capital Cabanatuan.
The American government also constructed three major irrigation facilities: the Talavera Irrigation System in 1924, the Penaranda River Irrigation System in 1930 and the Pampanga River Irrigation System in 1939.
By the time these irrigation systems went in full swing, combined with the railway system and the many rice mills, Nueva Ecija had been established as the "Rice Granary of the Philippines". From 1930 to 1939, rice production in Nueva Ecija was averaging more than 9 million cavans of rice.[37]
Under the American regime's homesteading system, an individual could get up to 16 hectares of land, while a corporation could get as much as 1,024 hectares. This did not result in a wide settlement of lands throughout the country, however. Nueva Ecija was one exception, as more settlers opted to homestead its lands. A 1928 Statistical Bulletin records nearly 70,000 hectares were given to more than five thousand homestead applicants.[38]
Civil government in the American period
The second Philippine Commission went to what was then Nueva's provincial capital, San Isidro, on June 8, 1901, to begin proceedings for establishing the local and provincial governments. 16 out of Nueva Ecija's 19 towns were represented in the meeting. Elections of various representatives from the different towns were carried out successfully.
However, there was still the thorny problem of deciding whether or not to move the provincial capital. The dilemma was caused by events related to the Philippine–American War. First, Nueva Ecija had been a hotbed of resistance against the American Occupation, and was therefore in a state of siege. Four of its towns, Balungao, Rosales, San Quintin and Umingan, which were further away from the capital and already considered pacified by US forces, had been annexed to the province of Pangasinan.[13] In 1902, the District of El Príncipe (composed only of Baler and Casiguran at that time, and now also composed of Dinalungan, Dingalan, Dipaculao, Maria Aurora, and San Luis) was separated from Nueva Ecija & annexed to Tayabas (now Quezon), which then became part of Aurora.[39][40][41]
The newly elected Nueva Ecija representatives were of the view that since a civil government under the Americans was already being established, it was time to return the four towns to Nueva Ecija. This would benefit the province as the four town were rich in natural resources. The fact that the towns were quite far from the capital, one of the representatives suggested, was no obstacle: the provincial capital could simply be moved to Cabanatuan. Other representatives objected to this proposal, pointing out that Cabanatuan had no infrastructure wherein to house the provincial government. The matter was not resolved until two years later, when the US governor-general signed Act No. 1748,[42] ordering the transfer of the capital to Cabanatuan by 1912.
A report of the United States' Philippine Commission in 1900 showed only 10 out of 23 municipalities in Nueva Ecija had a public school established during the Spanish times and according to the Philippine Commission figures by 1902, 37 public primary schools were established, and 63 Novo Ecijano teachers supported by 16 American Thomasites, part of the larger group of some 500 pioneer American teachers who arrived aboard the USATThomas in September 1901, to help establish an American public school system in the Philippines. The Education Act No. 74 approved by the Philippine Commission in 1901 proved to be the catalyst that made Novo Ecijanos rally behind the local and American teachers to make sure as many children as possible benefitted from the public school system.[44]
People contributed in the form of cash, construction materials or labor, and even vacant lots for the building of schools. Community support for the building of schools was such that by 1906, there were already 99 schools in Nueva Ecija. The public school system was still hampered by problems. Relying only on local support, Nueva Ecija (and other places in the Philippines as well) could simply not meet the increasing needs of a growing number of schools, teachers and students. Given the high premium placed by Novo Ecijanos on education, a legislator from Nueva Ecija took the crucial step to compel the American colonial government to allot funding for public education via a legislative act.[citation needed]
Assemblyman Isauro Gabaldon of Nueva Ecija filed an education bill before the 1907 Philippine Assembly, which would later be approved and known as the Gabaldon Education Act. The bill required government to earmark P1,000,000 for public schools throughout the Philippine islands.[45]
Nueva Ecija benefitted tremendously from the new education law. By 1908 Nueva Ecija had 144 primary schools, 11 non-sectarian private schools, 18 sectarian private schools, nine intermediate schools, one vocational school and one agricultural school, the Central Luzon Agricultural School, which is currently now operating as Central Luzon State University.[citation needed]
Alamo Scouts in the Raid at Cabanatuan1946 sketch of an American prisoner of war giving another soldier a drink at the Cabanatuan prison camp
During World War II the Imperial Japanese Army entered the province and Nueva Ecija was taken in 1942. On March 29, 1942, under the leadership of Luis Taruc the Hukbalahap was organized in Sitio Bawit, Barrio San Julian in the town of Cabiao. It was perceived to be the military arm of the Partido Komunista ng Pilipinas (Communist Party of the Philippines), that brought about the beginning of the early organized resistance of the Filipino people.[46]
In 1942, the entire present-day territory of Aurora was re-annexed from Tayabas to Nueva Ecija,[47] and returned to Tayabas in 1945[48]
On January 30, 1945, American Army Rangers, Alamo scouts and Filipino guerrillas liberated Allied prisoners of war in Cabanatuan, successfully rescuing over 516 people.[49] By January 31, 1945, the liberated civilians and prisoners of war reached Talavera.
Post-independence era
After the war, much rebuilding was made at the urban areas of the province, specifically Cabanatuan and Gapan. This became the focus of the administrations of Quezon, Roxas, Quirino, Magsaysay, Garcia, and Macapagal. The city of Palayan was formally established by law and became the new capital of the province.
Marcos dictatorship
Much of the rebuilding and establishment of economic centers in the province spiraled down due to the declaration of martial law by Marcos, which also resulted to the Talugtug massacre, where commonfolk Ilocanos were gathered and killed by the Marcos-controlled military, and the Gapan massacre, where the military killed-off a whole family, including children.[50]
Geography
The province is the largest in Central Luzon, covering a total area of 5,751.33 square kilometres (2,220.60sqmi)[51]. Its terrain begins with the southwestern marshes near the Pampanga border. It levels off and then gradually increases in elevation to rolling hills as it approaches the mountains of Sierra Madre in the east, and the Caraballo and Cordillera Central ranges in the north.
Nueva Ecija is bordered on the northeast by Nueva Vizcaya, east by Aurora, south by Bulacan, southwest by Pampanga, west by Tarlac, and northwest by Pangasinan. The province has four distinct districts. The first district (northwest) has a mixture of Ilokano, Pangasinense, and Tagalog, with little Kapampangan cultures. The second district (northeast) is the most complex as it has at least 10 different ethnic groups. The third district (central) has a metropolitan culture, coming from a majority of Tagalog culture, as Cabanatuan is within it. And the fourth district (southwest) has a mixture of Kapampangan and Tagalog cultures.
The species of flora and fauna in the province is diverse on its north and east borders, which exhibit a shared ecosystem with the Caraballo mountains in the north and the Sierra Madre mountains in the east. The southeast areas are also known for its diverse fauna and flora due to the presence of the Minalungao National Park.
The orchid species Ceratocentron fesselii, which can only be found in the Pantabangan–Carranglan Watershed Forest Reserve in Carranglan, is considered one of the most critically endangered orchid species in the entire Southeast Asian region. It is endangered due to illegal gathering from the wild and due to the illegal black market trade. The forest reserve is also home to the endemic Rafflesia consueloae, which is the smallest rafflesia in the world and is found nowhere else. Philippine deer, Philippine warty pig, and other indigenous mouse species are also present in the province.
In a recent activity, the presence of a Philippine eagle couple was discovered in the Sierra Madre side of Nueva Ecija. The couple are now protected by the local government units in that area. Snakes, lizards, and various amphibian species are also present, especially in wetter months.
The population of Nueva Ecija in the 2020 census was 2,310,134 people,[3] with a density of 400 inhabitants per square kilometre or 1,000 inhabitants per square mile.
According to the Atlas Filipinas published by the National Commission for Culture and the Arts of the Philippines, 11 local ethnic languages with living ethnic speakers are present in Nueva Ecija, namely Tagalog (in the entire province), Abellen (in a small part in the centre), Kapampangan (in the southwest-most section), Kankanaey (in the east central), Ilokano (in the northern areas and in a small section in the centre, spoken with a Tagalog accent), Alta (in the east central), Ayta Mag-antsi (in the centre and the north-central), Bugkalut (in Carranglan, Pantabangan, and Bongabon), Ibaloy (in Carranglan), and Kalanguya and Isinay (in Carranglan); another language spoken in the province is Pangasinan, predominantly in northwest areas. Kapampangans were the native residents of the northwest areas; Pangasinan settlers moved there during early years of Spanish period until the Kapampangans assimilated to the Pangasinan settlers.[16][17] Like mentioned aboved, Nueva Ecija was natively Kapampangan when Spaniards arrived, but when British invaded Manila, the province became dominantly Tagalog after many Tagalog refugees from Manila & north areas of Cavite escaped to Nueva Ecija, where the original Kapampangan settlers welcomed them and assimilated to them, many of the Tagalog settlers arrived in Nueva Ecija directly from Bulacan;[14][15][16][17] other Tagalog settlers arrived from Tayabas (now Quezon), Batangas, & Laguna.[55][56]
Languages
The majority of the population speaks both Tagalog and English. The province primarily speaks Tagalog dialect called Bulacan Tagalog that resembles poetic form of speech, with a Novoecijano flavor, that added loanwords of Ilocano and Kapampangan origin. Ilocano is also widely spoken in Nueva Ecija, specifically in the northern and central parts of the province. Pangasinan is mostly spoken in northwest areas of the province and Kapampangan in the southwest. Languages not native in the province are also spoken to varying degrees by their respective ethnic communities within the province,[57] and ethnic groups who grew up within environment of other ethnic group also speak other native languages as second languages, like Kapampangans and Tagalogs who grew up within an Ilocano or Pangasinan population speak Ilocano or Pangasinan.
Nueva Ecija is considered the main rice growing province of the Philippines and the leading producer of onions in the country. The province has also been recognized as the "dairy capital of the Philippines" as it produces the most amount milk from cows and carabaos.[68][69]
Major industries
Nueva Ecija is one of the top producers of agricultural products in the country. Its principal crops is mainly rice but corn and onion are produced in quantity. The province is often referred to as the "Rice Granary of the Philippines".[70][71] Other major crops are mango, calamansi (calamondin orange), banana, garlic, and vegetables. The municipality of Bongabon at the eastern part of the province at the foot of the Sierra Madre mountains and its neighbouring Laur and Rizal are the major producers of onion and garlic. Bongabon is called the "onion capital of the country". A sunflower farm is housed inside the Central Luzon State University campus in Science City of Muñoz.
There are poultry farms in a number of towns, most notably, the Lorenzo poultry farms in San Isidro which is one of the largest in the country. Duck raising and egg production is an important livelihood. Fishponds are unevenly distributed throughout the province but the largest concentrations are in San Antonio, Santa Rosa, and Cuyapo.
Fabrication of tricycle "sidecars" is widespread in the province, notably in Santa Rosa.[citation needed]
Tourism in Nueva Ecija famously includes national parks, heritage sites, resorts, and events like gatherings in churches and local festivals.
Historical Sites
Gen. Antonio Luna Statue and Marker - a statue and marker honoring the Philippine hero General Antonio Luna, depicted astride a horse, stand at Plaza Lucero, located in front of the St. Nicholas of Tolentine Cathedral. This marks the exact spot where the brave general was assassinated in 1899, in the city that later adopted him.
Gen. Antonio Luna Statue
Quezon Family Rest House - a commemorative house in the town of Bongabon, the death place of former First Lady Aurora Quezon.
Tabacalera of San Isidro - a former brick-built tobacco center in San Isidro that stands as a witness to the province's 100 years of oppression, from 1782 to 1882, when it served as the center of the tobacco monopoly in Central Luzon, restricting the cultivation of other crops.
Gat Apolinario Mabini Shrine - a commemorative marker for the site of the arrest of Philippine hero Apolinario Mabini, known as "the sublime paralytic", by the Americans on December 10, 1899, in Cuyapo.
Triala House - an ancestral house of General Manuel Tinio, built during the early Commonwealth period. It features ornately designed turn-of-the-century furniture and a life-size figure of esteemed Nove Ecijano Don Kapitan Berong in stained glass.
The Grand Sedeco House - an ancestral house in San Isidro, which General Emilio Aguinaldo frequented. It was here that General Frederick Funston planned the capture of Aguinaldo, first President of the Philippine republic, during the Philippine–American War.
Wright Institute - One of the first high schools established outside Metro Manila during the American period, located in San Isidro.
Camp Pangatian (Prisoner of War Memorial Shrine) (Now Cabanatuan American Memorial) - began as a military training camp for twenty years until converted into a concentration camp for allied prisoners of war during the Japanese occupation. A popular tourist destination among war veterans by way of the WWII Veteran's Homecoming Program. Camp Pangatian's liberation of World War II American prisoners of war held by the Japanese forces in January 1945 was the most successful rescue operation ever executed by the American military aided by the Filipino guerillas who were fighting the invaders. That tactical operation was immortalized in the movie The Great Raid.
Camp Pangatian
Ling Hong Temple - built in 1938, it is the second oldest Buddhist temple in the Philippines.[73]
Historical Churches
Cabanatuan Cathedral (Saint Nicholas of Tolentine Parish Cathedral) - established in 1700 by Augustinian priests as a visita of Gapan, the parish transitioned to secular clergy in 1866, coinciding with the construction of its first stone church and convent under Jose de la Fuente. These structures were destroyed by an earthquake in 1880 and subsequently rebuilt by Mariano Rivas in 1891. The cathedral's convent briefly served as the seat of the Philippine Revolutionary Government under President Emilio Aguinaldo in 1899. Notably, General Antonio Luna was assassinated by members of the Kawit Battalion on June 5, 1899, in front of the cathedral at Plaza Lucero.
Cabanatuan Cathedral (Saint Nicholas of Tolentine Parish Cathedral)
Gapan Church (Minor Basilica and National Shrine of La Virgen Divina Pastora) - a Byzantine architecture church in Gapan City built from 1856 to 1872 which has been declared as a National Cultural Treasure, the first in the entire province of Nueva Ecija.
Gapan Church (Minor Basilica and National Shrine of La Virgen Divina Pastora)
Peñaranda Church - one of the oldest in the province, built initially in 1887.
Carranglan Church
Nampicuan Church
Minalungao National Park
Natural Tourist Spots
Minalungao National Park - located in the town of General Tinio, having been established in 1967. The park spans approximately 2,018 hectares and is renowned for its picturesque Peñaranda River, which is flanked by towering limestone walls reaching up to 16 meters high.[74]
Dalton Pass - located in Capintalan, Carranglan. It primarily serves as a crucial segment of the Pan-Philippine Highway (Maharlika Highway) and acts as the major gateway to the Cagayan Valley and the Ifugao Rice Terraces. It also contains a five-hectare area which houses the monument of General Dalton and a tower that borders the provinces of Nueva Ecija and Nueva Vizcaya. Uphill is a World War II memorial in black marble where a historical account of the war had been etched in English and Japanese.Pantabangan Dam
Pantabangan Dam - the first and only rubber dam in Asia. It functions as an irrigation, a hydroelectric power generation, and a flood control dam of Nueva Ecija. The dam's reservoir, Pantabangan Lake, is among the largest in Southeast Asia and is noted for its cleanliness. The dam's hydroelectric facility comprises two 60 MW turbines, contributing significantly to the region's power supply.
Philippine Eagle Exclusive Area - established in the Nueva Ecija part of the Sierra Madres.
Gabaldon Falls - located in Gabaldon, which is within the Sabani Estate Agricultural College.
General Luna Fall - situated in the town of Rizal.
Capintalan - a reserve known for its WWII tunnels, forests, rivers, and artifacts and has been maintained by the only Ifugao community in Nueva Ecija, located in Carranglan.
Diamond Park - established in San Jose City.
Lupao Pinsal Falls
Nabao Lake
Fort Magsaysay Dam (Pahingahan)
Others
Central Luzon State University - the only Novo Ecijano university to be declared a cultural property of the nation. It also includes the CLSU Agricultural Museum and Living Fish Museum.
The Governor of Nueva Ecija is the highest-ranking official in the province, after the President of the Philippines. The province is divided into six congressional districts, which consists of 27 municipalities and five cities, namely: Cabanatuan, San Jose, Palayan, Gapan and Science City of Muñoz. The provincial capital is Palayan City.
Each district has a specialization, where district 1 is known for its organic agriculture, district 2 is known for its highlands and protected forests, district 3 is known for its urban and economic settings, and district 4 is known for its diverse cultural celebrations. Each district is under a congressperson, whom represents the district at the House of Representatives in Congress.
Being an agricultural province, the main political agenda for the province is agricultural and aquacultural advancements, along with high level education, health, and job and business generation. The current governor of the province is Aurelio Umali and its vice governor is Gil Raymond Umali.
Capitols of Nueva Ecija
New Provincial Capitol (seat of Government) of Nueva Ecija is at Palayan City.
The Governor and Provincial Officers still hold office at the Old Provincial Capitol in Cabanatuan
Culture
Novo Ecijano culture, primarily Tagalog in base, also has a mixture of Kapampangan, Pangasinense, Ilokano, and other indigenous cultures within the province. A melting pot of culture, the province has a varied of festivals, traditions, and beliefs that constitute Novo Ecijano heritage, along with tangible heritage structures, scenes, and objects.
Cuisine
Novo Ecijano cuisine is varied. In its northwest, seafood and vegetable dishes with a lot of salt is prevalent due to its proximity with Pangasinan. In its northwest, highland crops are much prized. In its central and southern areas, food is very diverse due to its proximity with numerous sources of ingredients.[citation needed]
Literature
The best known Tagalog novelist of the province is Lázaro Francisco. His novels depicted life in an agrarian society that gave rise to the social unrest of his period (1950s and 1960s). One of his novels was serialized by Liwayway Magazine, the most popular Tagalog magazine at that time until the 1970s.[75] But unlike the Partido Komunista ng Pilipinas, Lazaro advocated for the peaceful resolution of the agrarian problem, relying on the benevolence of the government and the landlords.[76]
Local festivals in Nueva Ecija typically reflect the province's agricultural heritage and cultural traditions.[77][78] For example, San Jose celebrates the Tanduyong Festival every fourth Sunday of April, a colorful street dancing event that gives thanks for the onion harvest, and the Pagibang Damara, held in April or May, which marks the conclusion of the harvest season and serves as a communal expression of thanksgiving.
The Banatu Festival in Cabanatuan, which coincides with the city's founding anniversary, derives its name from banatu (vine) symbolizing growth and unity within the city.[79]
In Aliaga, the Taong Putik festival is held annually on June 24 in honor of John the Baptist.[80] Participants cover themselves in mud and dried banana leaves while asking for alms and candles, reenacting a local interpretation of a biblical story associated with the saint.[81]
Bongabon's Sibuyas Festival, observed from April 1 to 10, highlights the municipality’s prominence as country's top onion producer and serves as a tribute to its farmers.[82][83]
Education
Central Luzon State University main gate
Nueva Ecija hosts several prominent educational institutions that serve as major centers of learning in Central Luzon.
The Central Luzon State University, located in the Science City of Muñoz, is one of the country’s leading state universities known for its programs in agriculture, fisheries, and science and technology research. The Nueva Ecija University of Science and Technology, with its main campus in Cabanatuan City, offers a wide range of undergraduate and graduate programs in engineering, education, and information technology.
↑ "List of Provinces". PSGC Interactive. Makati City, Philippines: National Statistical Coordination Board. Archived from the original on January 17, 2013. Retrieved October 17, 2013.
↑ Barrows, David P. (1916). "The Governor-General of the Philippines Under Spain and the United States". The American Historical Review. 21 (2): 288–311. doi:10.2307/1835051. JSTOR1835051.
↑ Modern Dilasag was not included here as it was part of Nueva Vizcaya and also transferred to Tayabas only in 1905. The picture of territorial evolution of Quezon.
↑ National Historical Commission of the Philippines. "History of Baler". National Historical Commission of the Philippines. Archived from the original on September 16, 2019. Retrieved March 9, 2012. When military district of El Príncipe was created in 1856, Baler became its capital...On June 12, 1902 a civil government was established, moving the district of El Príncipe away from the administrative jurisdiction of Nueva Ecija...and placing it under the jurisdiction of Tayabas Province.
↑ "Pursuant to the authority conferred upon me as Head of the Central Administrative Organization by Order No. 1 in connection with Order No. 3 of the Commander in Chief of the Imperial Japanese Forces in the Philippines and upon the recommendation of the Executive Commission it is hereby ordered that—
The Province of Batanes is abolished and the comprising the same as well as the territory thereof shall be annexed to the Province Cagayan.
The municipalities of Baler and Casiguran, Province of Tayabas, and the territories thereof are segregated from said province and shall be annexed to the Province of Nueva Ecija.
The municipality of Infanta, Province of Tayabas, and the territory thereof are segregated from province and shall be annexed to the Province of Laguna.
The Province of Marinduque is abolished and municipalities comprising the same as well as territory thereof shall be annexed to the Province of Tayabas.
The Province of Romblon is abolished and the municipalities comprising the same as well the territory thereof shall be annexed to the of Capiz."
↑ Provisions of this order only apply for the duration of the Japanese occupation; revoked after the restoration of the Commonwealth in 1945.
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