Nueva Ecija

History

Early history

Nueva Ecija's first settlers included tribes of Caraclan and Buquid people and Bugkalot (Abaca and Ilongot) people. Settlements were built along the Rio Grande de Pampanga's river banks. The Bugkalot were the fierce headhunters and animist tribes who occupied Carranglan and the mountainous terrain of Sierra Madre and Caraballo Mountains. 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 were settled in Bongabon and Pantabangan along the riverbanks of Rio Grande's tributaries in the northeast.

Spanish colonial era

Consistent with the history of Hispanization in the rest of Philippine archipelago, missions in Nueva Ecija were 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.

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.

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 after his hometown of Ecija in northern Spain. At this time, however, Nueva Ecija was still part of upper Pampanga.

In 1762, the British occupied Manila, and many Tagalog refugees from Manila and the northern 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. The majority of Kapampangans sold their lands to the newly arrived Tagalog settlers and others intermarried with and assimilated to the Tagalog, which made the province predominantly Tagalog.

Since then, the province has 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, the annexation of new territories three years later elevated the population to 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.

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.

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.

Japanese occupation

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.

In 1942, the entire present-day territory of Aurora was re-annexed from Tayabas to Nueva Ecija, and returned to Tayabas in 1945

On January 30, 1945, American Army Rangers, Alamo scouts and Filipino guerrillas liberated Allied prisoners of war in Cabanatuan, successfully rescuing over 516 people. 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.

In the rural areas of Nueva Ecija, however, economic inequality and environmentally unsustainable farming practices dating back to the 1930s led to a postwar rise of agrarian unrest, peaking around the years from 1948 to 1952.

In 1952 the Magsaysay administration began consultations which led to the setting aside of land on the borders of Laur and Bongabon, where a new planned city would be established to replace Cabanatuan as the provincial capital. Named the city of Palayan, it was formally constituted on June 19, 1965.

Marcos dictatorship

When Ferdinand Marcos was first elected president in 1965, he started planning a series of agricultural modernization programs in Nueva Ecija as part of the effort to centralize political power around the office of the president, rather than local politicians. In May 1969, Congress passed Republic Act No. 5499. which would lead to the creation of Pantabangan Dam, and early pilot testing of what would later become the Masagana 99 programme took place in Nueva Ecija in 1971 and 1972.

The years from 1969 to 1972 were characterized by social unrest, however, as Marcos' campaign spending to win a second term led to an economic crisis in late 1969. This resulted in much of the postwar rebuilding and establishment of new economic centers in Nueva Ecija spiralling down.

Marcos eventually declared of martial law in 1972. Among the first opposition figures to be arrested Philippine Constitutional Convention delegates Romeo Capulong, Ernesto Rondon, Rebeck Espiritu, Juan Liwag, Emmanuel Santos, and Sedfrey Ordoñez - six of Nueva Ecija's seven elected delegates. Fort Magsaysay in Laur became well known as the detention center where the highest profile Political detainees, including Senators Jose W. Diokno and Ninoy Aquino, were kept.

Without anybody able to protest, projects stalled due to earlier unrest pushed through. The Pantabangan Dam finally began construction and was completed in 1974, at the cost of submerging seven villages whose residents were all forcibly moved to locations with less productive riceland. And Masagana 99 achieved initial success but eventually failed due to fertilizer requirements which farmers could not afford.

The latter part of the dictatorship era saw numerous violent incidents such as the January 1982 Talugtug massacre, where commonfolk Ilocanos were gathered and killed by the Marcos-controlled forces; and the February 1982 Gapan massacre, where the Marcos' forces killed-off a whole family, including children.

A drought driven by a severe El Nino incident during the 1982-1983 agricultural season severely hurt rice farmers in Nueva Ecija, rendering them unable to afford the technology package offered under Masagana 99. Similar circumstances throughout the archipelago led to the eventual failure of the program. By 1985, the Marcos administration had shifted away from Masagana 99 towards an economic deregulation strategy which put an emphasis on producing high value crops for export instead of rice.

Contemporary History

New cities were created in Nueva Ecija after the passage of the Philippine Local Government Code of 1991. November 7, 2000 saw the passage of Republic Act 8977, which elevated the town of Muñoz to the formal title of Science City of Muñoz. And on August 25, 2001, Gapan, which had been the province's oldest municipality, was converted into the City of Gapan, a component city of Nueva Ecija.

Geography

The province is the largest in Central Luzon, covering a total area of 5,751.33 square kilometres (2,220.60 sq mi). 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.

Flora and fauna

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.

Administrative divisions

The province is divided into four congressional districts comprising 27 municipalities and five cities. The province has the most cities in the Central Luzon region.

Demographics

The population of Nueva Ecija in the 2024 census was 2,395,816 people, with a density of 420 inhabitants per square kilometre or 1,100 inhabitants per square mile.

Ethnicity

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. 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; other Tagalog settlers arrived from Tayabas (now Quezon), Batangas, & Laguna.

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, 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.

Religion

The province is predominantly Roman Catholic (about 82.43%). Other Christian groups are Iglesia ni Cristo (6.01%), Born-again Christians, Philippine Independent Church (2.50%), Evangelical (1.70%) & Methodists (1.62%). The remaining minorities (6.2%) are the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, Jehovah's Witnesses and Seventh-day Adventist & Muslims. Anitists, and animists are also represented in the province practiced by indigenous ethnic groups.

Economy

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.

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". 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.

Several areas have mineral deposits. Copper and manganese have been found in General Tinio, Carranglan, and Pantabangan. The upper reaches of Carranglan and Palayan City are said to contain gold.

Tourism

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 monument honoring the Philippine revolutionary hero General Antonio Luna. Depicted astride a horse, the statue stands at Plaza Lucero in front of the St. Nicholas of Tolentine Cathedral, marking the exact spot where the brave general was assassinated in 1899, in Cabanatuan City.

Camp Pangatian Shrine (Prisoner of War Memorial) 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. It is 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.

Ruins of Pantabangan - refers to the submerged remnants of the nearly 300-year-old original town of Pantabangan in Nueva Ecija, Philippines. Established in 1645, the historic settlement was intentionally flooded in the 1970s to create the Pantabangan Dam reservoir, which provides irrigation and hydroelectric power.

Fort Magsaysay's Aquino-Diokno Memorial - once held two of the country’s brightest minds in total solitary confinement.

The Grand Sideco House - an ancestral house in San Isidro, which General Emilio Aguinaldo use to frequent. It was here that General Frederick Funston planned the capture of Aguinaldo during the Philippine–American War. It was once the headquarters of the First Philippine Republic in 1899.

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.

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.

Minor Basilica and National Shrine of La Virgen Divina Pastora (Gapan Church) - 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.

Peñaranda Church - one of the oldest in the province, built in 1887.

San Nicolas de Tolentino Parish Church (Carranglan Church)

San Roque Parish Church - established in the early 20th century in Cuyapo, this historic church stands as a testament to the community's faith and resilience, notably serving as a center of devotion and protection during a devastating cholera epidemic in 1909.

Sanctuary of the Holy Face of Jesus (Nampicuan Church) - houses the Holy Face of Jesus relic, a cloth bearing an image imprint of the face of Jesus from Manoppello in Italy.

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, emerald-green Peñaranda River, which is flanked by towering limestone walls reaching up to 16 meters high.

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.

Mt. 387 (Batong Amat) - situated in Carranglan, this mountain is known as the "Chocolate Hills of the North" due to its rolling hills, stunning morning sea of clouds and view decks overlooking the Caraballo Mountains. Historically known as Batong Amat (Ghost Rock), it served as a strategic World War II battleground for Filipino, American, and Japanese forces.

Colosboa Hills - situated in Barangay Colosboa, Cuyapo, this eco-tourism site is dubbed the "New Zealand of Central Luzon" due to its rolling green hills and vast meadows. It features a 3-kilometer mountain bike trail with both uphill and downhill tracks designed for bikers. Under House Bill No. 7688 introduced in the Nineteenth Congress, the area is targeted for prioritization and development by the Department of Tourism (DOT).

Deesap Falls - located in Bongabon, it is the tallest waterfall in the province. This natural wonder is situated at the foot of the Sierra Madre mountain range and is characterized by multi-tiered cascades. It was featured in the travel documentary program Biyahe ni Drew.

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.

Others

Philippine Carabao Center - headquartered in Muñoz; it is the main arm of the national government on carabao research and development, featuring an agri-tourism hub where visitors can experience hands-on calf feeding and cow milking alongside a dedicated dairy product outlet.

Philippine Rice Research Institute - the main research and experimentation arm of the government for rice and other crops.

Central Luzon State University - the only university in the province to be declared a cultural property of the nation. It includes the CLSU Agricultural Museum, the Living Fish Museum, and serves as the research site that developed the internationally award-winning Tilapia Ice Cream.

Fort Magsaysay - primarily known as the largest military reservation in the Philippines spanning Palayan City and Laur, it also serves as a prominent eco-tourism and summer getaway destination. The vast reservation features dedicated public recreational spaces including the man-made Pahingahan Dam for boating and fishing, scenic picnic grounds, and diverse outdoor sports facilities set within its forested hills.

Highland Bali - known as the "Bali of the North", it is located in Pantabangan. This prominent tourism destination is known for its Balinese-themed architecture and luxury amenities. Situated along the hills overlooking the Pantabangan Lake, it serves as a major landmark for eco-tourism and has frequently hosted high-profile Filipino celebrities for vacations and private events.

Little Vigan (Lumang Gapan) - a historic heritage and cultural tourism site located in Gapan City. Centered around Plaza Independencia and the Gapan Church, it features preserved ancestral brick houses, beautifully illuminated cobblestone streets, and active open-air night markets highlighting local heritage and street food culture.

Upper Tabuating Dam - an infrastructure and water resource development project completed by the National Irrigation Administration (NIA) located in General Tinio.

PMP Man-Made Paradise Farm - a prominent agri-tourism and farm resort destination located in Barangay Nazareth, General Tinio.

Politics

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. The current governor of the province is Aurelio Umali and its vice governor is Gil Raymond Umali.

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.

The province is known for various localized culinary specialties. These include the longganisa of Cabanatuan, traditional rice cakes (kakanin) from San Jose, Peñaranda, and San Antonio, and carabao milk products originating from Talavera, Cabiao, and Muñoz. Additionally, towns like Cuyapo and San Jose are noted for their pancit, while San Leonardo and Muñoz are recognized for their local goat stew. The province is also recognized for "tinumis," a distinct local variant of pork blood stew (dinuguan) native to Nueva Ecija that uniquely utilizes tamarind leaves or tamarind fruit as a souring agent instead of vinegar. For desserts and baked goods, the city of Cabanatuan is widely noted for its homegrown confectionery culture, driven by established local brands such as Edna's Cakeland.

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. 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.

Sports

The province is home to the Nueva Ecija Rice Vanguards of the Maharlika Pilipinas Basketball League (MPBL). The team won the 2022 MPBL finals, where they also accomplished the first and only regular season sweep in the league.

Festivals

Local festivals in Nueva Ecija typically reflect the province's agricultural heritage and cultural traditions. 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.

In Aliaga, the Taong Putik festival is held annually on June 24 in honor of John the Baptist. 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.

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.

Other notable celebrations in the province highlighting local culture and industries include the Pandawan Festival of Pantabangan, the Kesong Puti Festival of Talavera, and the Kariton Festival celebrated in the municipality of Licab.

Education

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.

The province is also home to Wesleyan University Philippines, a private Methodist university in Cabanatuan City. Other notable institutions include Araullo University, the largest private university in the Province with three campuses, and the College of the Immaculate Conception, one of the oldest Catholic educational institutions in the province.

Two extra universities are the Polytechnic University of the Philippines in Cabiao, and Our Lady of Fatima University in Cabanatuan City.