Palayan, officially the City of Palayan (Filipino: Lungsod ng Palayan, Ilocano: Siudad ti Palayan), is a component city and capital of the province of Nueva Ecija, Philippines. According to the 2020 census, it has a population of 45,383 people,[3] making it the least populated city in the Philippines.
On March 25, 1952, a special consultation meeting was conducted by Governor Leopoldo Diaz along with Congressman Jesus Ilagan, Board Members Dioscoro de Leon and Antonio Corpuz, Don Felipe Buencamino, and the municipal mayors of Nueva Ecija to discuss the transfer the provincial capital from Cabanatuan. As a result, the group unanimously agreed to establish the new capital on the site of the Government Stock Farm located within the municipalities of Laur and Bongabon. The municipalities of Gapan, San Jose, Santa Rosa, Guimba, Talavera, General Tinio, Baloc (Santo Domingo), and Muñoz were also considered as potential sites for the new capital.
In 1955, President Ramon Magsaysay declared a portion of the Government Stock Farm open for settlement pursuant to Presidential Proclamation No. 237.[6]
On June 19, 1965, the Congress of the Philippines enacted Republic Act No. 4475 creating Palayan City and designating it as the new capital of Nueva Ecija.[7] "Palayan" (rice paddy) was chosen as the name of the new provincial capital to reflect the moniker bestowed upon the province of Nueva Ecija as the “Rice Granary of the Philippines”. The city government was constituted on December 5, 1965, with then Governor Eduardo L. Joson acting as the city's ex-officio Mayor, while the Provincial Board constituted the first City Council. Under this administration, the Iglesia ni Cristo (INC) purchased a large tract of land at the city's parameters near Laur to house INC members from Hacienda Luisita due to conflicts arising from union disbandments.
Palayan city hall
In 1969, Mayor Elpidio Cucio and Vice Mayor Felipe Bautista, initially appointed to their respective offices, were among the first elected local officials of the city, along with Councilors Flor Agustin, Tranquilino dela Cruz, Antonio Pascual, Federico Dacanay, Luis Lacalle, and Thomas Lumawig. The city also hosted the National Boy Scout Jamboree which was attended by thousands of local and foreign scouts at the time.
In August 1969, the city was enlarged by virtue of Republic Act No. 6052, authored by then Congressman Angel Concepcion (Nueva Ecija 2nd), which provided for the inclusion of the Military Reservation in Laur and the Fort Magsaysay cantonment area located in Santa Rosa.[8]
In 1972, by virtue of Proclamation No. 893, a portion of the Government Stock Farm was allocated for the displaced population of Pantabangan following the construction of the Pantabangan Dam. The resettlement site was eventually converted into Barangay Marcos Village.
In 1983, the training ground of the Philippine Army was transferred from Fort Bonifacio in Metro Manila to Fort Ramon Magsaysay. This paved the way for the development of the reservation area into a training complex to serve the army's training requirements.
In 1993, the Asianwide Green Scouts Movement was founded during the first Philippines-Japan Bilateral Ecology Work Camp held in the city. The event also led to the establishment of the projects Kawayang Buhay and the Asian Ecology Forest which is supported by the Asian Friendship Society.
In 1995, Barangay Popolon, formerly a barangay of Bongabon, was annexed into the city by virtue of Republic Act No. 8030. This was ratified in a plebiscite held on October 1, 1995.[9] Moreover, Bagong Buhay, one of the three resettlement areas in the city, was converted to a regular barangay after a plebiscite on November 26, 1995.
The new provincial capitol building of Nueva Ecija was completed in 2002, solidifying the city's status as both the defacto and de jure capital of the province. The old provincial capitol is located on Burgos Avenue, Cabanatuan, and is still utilized by the provincial government.
Geography
Barangays
Palayan City is politically subdivided into 20 barangays. Each barangay consists of puroks and some have sitios.
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