2. Nueva Ecija
Nueva Ecija is the largest province and the
biggest rice producer of Central Luzon and the
Philippines, thus, often referred to as the
“Rice Bowl of the Philippines.”
3. Historical
• Gapan
The first Augustinian mission in lowland Nueva Ecija was
founded in Gapan in 1595. It is home to a Roman Catholic
church of Byzantine architecture built from 1856 to 1872.
• Gen Luna Statue and Marker (Cabanatuan City)
A statue of Philippine hero General Antonio Luna astride a
horse stands at the plaza in front of the cathedral on the exact
spot where the brave general was assassinated in 1899 in the
city that adopted him subsequently.
• Dalton Pass
Located in Capintalan, Carranglan, the five-hectare area
blessed with a cool climate 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.
4. Historical
Gen Luna Statue and Marker
Gapan Nueva ecija
Dalton Pass
5. Historical places
Historic Barrio Labi (Bongabon) Bongabon is regarded as the mass producer of Onion
in Nueva Ecija The resthouse of the Quezon family is located in this barrio, along
the National Highway going to Baler Aurora. It is also the place of death of Mrs.
Aurora Quezon, wife of former Philippine President Manuel Luis Quezon
• Tabacalera of San Isidro Centuries-old brick walls of the Tabacalera in San Isidro
remain as witness to the Novo Ecijanos’ 100-year oppression, from 1782 to
1882, when the province became the center of the tobacco monopoly in Central
Luzon and was thus restricted from raising other crops.
• Apolinario Mabini Marker (Cuyapo) Site of the arrest of Philippine hero Apolinario
Mabini, known as “the sublime paralytic,” by the Americans on December
10, 1899.
• Trial House Owned by revolutionary leader and Novo Ecijano 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.
• Sedeco of San Isidro The Grand Sedeco house in San Isidro, which General Emilio
Aguinaldo frequented, marks this gallant town that has proven time and again to
be cradle of Filipino heroes. 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 of San Isidro One of the first high schools established outside
Metro Manila during the American period.
6. TOURIST SPOTS
CULTURAL,FESTIVAL,NATURAL
• Cultural
Churches of Nampicuan, Carranglan, and Pantabangan
Church ruins of identical Augustinian architecture can still be
found in the three upland missions.
Carranglan
Napicuan
7. Natural
• Minalungao Park
Declared as a national park, it features a breathtaking view of the narrow but deep
Penaranda River. On both sides of the river bank are 16 meter high limestone
walls. The ridge formation of white sculptured limestone walls shows the might of
the great river.
• Gabaldon Falls
The lure of Gabaldon, Nueva Ecija. The ten-feet falls are surrounded by huge rock
formations and rippling ice-cold water. Located within the 200-hectare Sabani
Estate Agricultural College.
Minalungao park Gabaldon Falls
8. Natural
• General Luna Falls (Rizal)
The easternmost barrio of Rizal nestled uphill on the foot of the Sierra
Madre mountain range boasts of one of Central Luzon’s hidden treasures:
a towering waterfall of more than a hundred feet descending widely
across a rocky mountain wall into over twenty pools of varying levels and
depths.
• Mt. Olivete (Bongabon)
A hundred-step stair leads to the church built by the Adarnista spiritual
community on the mountaintop. Frequented by pilgrims who bathe in and
drink the water of its springs believing it to be medicinal.
• Gapintalan (Carranglan)
Maintained by the Kalanguya tribal community from Ifugao, its rivers and
low-lying hill are ideal for hiking and communing with nature. A gateway
to the Cagayan Valley, it was a strategic location during WWII’s liberation
period. Tunnels, war artifacts, and stories of gold digging abound in the
area.
• Palaspas Falls
Located in San Jose City, it is ideal for picnics and bathing especially during
summer.
9. • Man-Made
Tourist Spots
Diamond Park (San Jose)
Strategically located at the gateway to the Cagayan Valley, it is a haven for picnics
and sightseeing. Its hundred-step stair leads to lamp-lit pagodas nestled on hilltops
and offering a panoramic view of northern Nueva Ecija.
• Pantabangan Dam
Built in 1974 along the Pampanga River to serve as reinforcement against
flood, and provide irrigation, additional electricity in the entire Luzon island, the
dam was built by Filipino engineers under the supervision of the National Irrigation
Administration. Pantabangan Dam is now one of the most visited tourist spots in
the province. The place offers a scenic view of the surrounding area. Tourists will
also appreciate the dam's engineering wonders.
10. Festivals
• Taong Putik Festival of Aliaga
At the crack of dawn, scores of mud-covered, barely dressed devotees make their
appearance, asking for alms and candles form the wide awake town folks. This
practice mimics a biblical myth about St. John the Baptist, who was said to have
done the same thing in his lifetime. A special mass culminates the
occasion, reinforcing its spiritual nature to the people of Aliaga.
• Holy Week Rituals of Puncan
The unique Holy Week rites of Puncan, one of the oldest towns in Nueva Ecija, are
woven in folklore. Aside from the differing dialect, Pangasinense, widely used in
Puncan, its distinct Lenten rituals include a hide-and-seek routine between the
“Flagellante” and “Hudyo,” a children’s parade, and a choreographed version of
Christian penitential rites in which participants with charcoal-smeared faces beat
bamboos.
