People and Culture
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| Early Police force in Nueva Ecija |
Nueva Ecija ("New Écija") was settled in the last century by thousands of migrants from adjoining provinces such as Pampanga, Tarlac, Bulacan, Pangasinan, and Ilocos. Today Novoecijanos are descendants of these settlers and many still hold on to folk traditions that trace their ancestry to other provinces. About 77% of the people speak Tagalog as their first language. Much of the remainder are Kapampangan,Pangasinan, and Ilocano-speakers and they are concentrated in the cities and towns of the south and north,. There are small communities of Ilongots along the Caraballo and Sierra Madre Range as well as Agtas or Negritos.
Agriculture is the main industry of the people because of its naturally rich soil. Lowland crops such as rice, corn, onions, vegetables and sugarcane are produced in great quantities and Nueva Ecija is widely referred to as the "Rice Granary" of the country. Agriculture has played a vital role in molding the culture of the people. The typical Novo Ecijano family is tightly knit and is the basic working unit on the farm.
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| Nueva Ecija is rich in Corn fields as well |
In Barangay Bibiclat, in the town of Aliaga there is a unique practice among the devotees of Saint John the Baptist. They cover their bodies with mud and dry leaves and vines to denote the humble origins of the Saint. Known as the taong-putik or the mud people, they ask alms and candles from the people and offering them to the Church during the special mass celebrated at 7:00 in the morning. They believe that such a practice will cure sickness and bring a bounty in the harvest.
Economy
Nueva Ecija is considered the main rice growing province of the Philippines and the leading producer of onions in the Municipality of Bongabon in South East Asia.
Major Industries
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| Farmers planting Rice crops |
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| Central Luzon State University |
Education is very well established as a major industry in the province. The leading educational institutions are the Central Luzon State University in Munoz and Nueva Ecija University of Science and Technology, Wesleyan University-Philippines, La Fortuna College and Araullio University in Cabanatuan. There are 18 tertiary level institutions in Cabanatuan City alone.
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| Good Samaritan Hopital Gold Care Unit |
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 also an important livelihood. Fishponds are unevenly distributed throughout the province but the largest concentrations are in San Antonio, Santa Rosa, and Cuyapo.
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| Tricycles are one of the commonly used transportation in Nueva Ecija. |
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.
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| Carabaos are other sources of milk in Nueva Ecija. A facility was built just for mass production of milk coming from them, The Philippine Carabao Center located at Science City of Muñoz. |
Geography
Physical
The province is the largest in Central Luzon. 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 ranges in the north.
Political
The governor as of 2010 is Aurelio Oyie Matias Umali , who assumed his governatorial duties after winning the 2010 election.
The province is divided into four congressional districts which consists of 27 municipalities and 5 cities.
