Gapan , officially the City of Gapan (, Ilocano: ''Siudad ti Gapan'', Kapampangan: ''Ciudad/Lakanbalen ning Gapan''), is a component city in the

province A province is an administrative division within a country or sovereign state, state. The term derives from the ancient Roman , which was the major territorial and administrative unit of the Roman Empire, Roman Empire's territorial possessions ou ...

Nueva Ecija Nueva Ecija, officially the Province of 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 Local gove ...

Philippines The Philippines, officially the Republic of the Philippines, is an Archipelagic state, archipelagic country in Southeast Asia. Located in the western Pacific Ocean, it consists of List of islands of the Philippines, 7,641 islands, with a tot ...

. According to the 2020 census, it has a population of 122,968 people. Gapan is nicknamed the "Footwear Capital of the North" due to the thriving footwear making industry in the city.

History

Historical records called the town Ibon, which the 16th century was then a town of

Pampanga Pampanga, officially the Province of Pampanga (; ; ), is a province in Central Luzon in the Philippines. Lying on the northern shore of Manila Bay, Pampanga is bordered by Tarlac to the north, Nueva Ecija to the northeast, Bulacan to the east, ...

. During Spanish rule, in 1595, Gapan was reinstituted as a Catholic town by the Spanish priests Contres Tendilla, Caballo, and Salazar. This makes Gapan the oldest town in Nueva Ecija and one of the oldest in the Philippines. The town had a large jurisdiction embracing an area as far as

Cabanatuan Cabanatuan, officially the City of Cabanatuan (; ; kapampangan language, Kapampangan: ''Lakanbalen/Ciudad ning Cabanatuan''), is a Cities of the Philippines#Legal classification, component city in the province of Nueva Ecija, Philippines. Acco ...

to the north (which was its ''barangay'' with the name Cabanatuan before it separated in 1750); the Sierra Madre to the east; San Miguel,

Bulacan Bulacan, officially the Province of Bulacan (; ; ; ), is a Provinces of the Philippines, province in the Philippines located in the Central Luzon Regions of the Philippines, region. Its capital is the city of Malolos. Bulacan was established on ...

to the south; and, Candaba,

to the west. Most of the original settlers in Gapan were Tagalogs from

and Morong (now Rizal Province) and Kapampangans. Other early settlers came from Ilocos and Tayabas (now Quezon Province). Gapan, along with Aliaga, Cabiao, San Antonio, and San Isidro, was transferred to the province of Nueva Ecija in 1848. After the 1898 Philippine independence, some of the town's former districts became separate towns until what remained comprised only what are now the towns of Peñaranda, General Tinio, and San Leonardo (formerly called Manikling), all of which are part of Nueva Ecija. In 1982, the Gapan massacre occurred after the Marcos-controlled military killed a family, including children, in the town.

Cityhood

By virtue of

Republic Act This article contains a partial list of Philippine laws. Sources of Philippine laws ;Notes : *Customs may be considered as supplementary source of law, however, customs which are contrary to law, public order or public policy shall not ...

No. 9022 and its ratification in a plebiscite subsequently held on August 25, 2001, Gapan was converted into a component city of

. Ernesto L. Natividad became the first city mayor of Gapan.

Geography

Gapan is located in the southern part of the province. It is bounded to the north by Peñaranda and San Leonardo, to the east by the Gen. Tinio, to the south by San Miguel in neighboring

province, and to the west by San Isidro. Gapan is from

, from Palayan, and from

Manila Manila, officially the City of Manila, is the Capital of the Philippines, capital and second-most populous city of the Philippines after Quezon City, with a population of 1,846,513 people in 2020. Located on the eastern shore of Manila Bay on ...

Climate

Barangays of Gapan City, Nueva Ecija

Gapan is politically subdivided into 23

barangay The barangay (; abbreviated as Brgy. or Bgy.), historically referred to as ''barrio'', is the smallest Administrative divisions of the Philippines, administrative division in the Philippines. Named after the Precolonial barangay, precolonial po ...

s. Each barangay consist of

purok A ''purok'' () is an informal division within a barangay in the Philippines. While not officially considered a local government unit (LGU), a ''purok'' often serves as a unit for delivering services and administration within a barangay. ''Pur ...

s and some have

sitios A ''sitio'' (Spanish language, Spanish for "site") in the Philippines is a territorial enclave that forms part of a barangay. Typically rural, a ''sitios location is usually far from the center of the barangay itself and could be its own bar ...

Demographics

Languages

Tagalog is the main dialect of Gapan. Kapampangan and Ilocano are also used.

Economy

Current major sources of income include farming, slipper making, fishponds, poultry and piggery, and commercial establishments. The city of Gapan held tremendous promise not only in its natural resources but also in its potentials in agri-base industries and in footwear industries which help sustain its virtual role in agricultural and industrial production. Commercial and trade activities in the city are further accelerated by the influx of financing lending institution and new businesses. Like its sister city, Cabanatuan, Gapan also houses major shopping hubs in the province. The two major Philippine mall chains, Walter Mart and

Robinsons Malls Robinsons Malls is one of the List of shopping malls in the Philippines, largest shopping malls and retail operators in the Philippines. It was incorporated on September 9, 1997, by entrepreneur John Gokongwei, John Gokongwei Jr. to develop, c ...

, has already established its presence in the city. Currently, major shopping centers in the city include: Walter Mart Gapan; Robinsons Gapan, Primark Town Center Gapan, Puregold, RCS Gapan, NOVO Gapan, Sansu Mall, Wilcon Depot, AllHome Gapan, A&S Drugmart, STM Drugmart. Gapan has also several local grocery, department, and hardware stores.

Government

Elected Officials of Gapan

Transportation

Gapan serves many bus companies operating provincial and regional routes. Jeepney operators serve routes within the province with some reaching as far to nearby towns in Nueva Ecija. Much of the city's population rely on public transportation such as tricycles and jeeps to get around the city. Two main highways serve the city of Gapan: Maharlika Highway and Jose Abad Santos Avenue. Maharlika Highway (or Pan-Philippine Highway) is the main highway traversing the city where most vehicles going to Cagayan Valley pass through. It links Gapan to its nearby city of Cabanatuan and town of San Miguel in the province of Bulacan. It also allows travelers to reach towns of Sta. Rosa and San Leonardo. On the other hand, Jose Abad Santos Avenue is the highway that links Gapan to the towns of San Isidro and Cabiao, where the road continues straightforward, again turning westward then eastward, entering

, and passes through

Pampanga River The Pampanga River is the second largest river on the island of Luzon in the Philippines (next to Cagayan River) and the country's fifth longest river. It is in the Central Luzon region and traverses the provinces of Pampanga, Bulacan, and Nuev ...

. One proposed expressway will pass through Gapan if built: it would be the

North Luzon East Expressway The North Luzon East Expressway (NLEE) is a proposed four-lane, long limited-access toll expressway in the Central Luzon region of the Philippines. The expressway was originally planned in 2000, when the route would have linked to the Cagayan ...

(

Quezon City Quezon City (, ; ), also known as the City of Quezon and Q.C. (read and pronounced in Filipino language, Filipino as Kyusi), is the richest and List of cities in the Philippines, most populous city in the Philippines. According to the 2020 c ...

to Cabanatuan).

Tourism

Attractions: * ''Lumang Gapan'' or Little Vigan * National Shrine of La Virgen Divina Pastora - The center of Marian pilgrimages during the months of April and May is the National Shrine of Virgen La Divina Pastora as declared by the Catholic Bishops Conference in 1986 * Gapan City Plaza * Gapan City Ferris Wheel * Casa Batik Gapan City Historic Center Panorama

Healthcare

*Good Samaritan General Hospital - a private hospital located at Don Simeon St, Gapan. *Gapan District Hospital - a public hospital located at Divina Pastora Street, Divina Pastora Subdivision, Gapan.

Education

* Divina Pastora College (DPC) * Asian Institute of E-commerce (AIE) - Gapan Campus * Gapan Computer Technical Institute * Allen Institute of Technology * College for Research and Technology (CRT) * Gapan City College formerly Nueva Ecija University of Science and Technology – Gapan Academic Extension Campus - Gapan City College Annex. Located on the old Gapan City Hall across the famous "Night Market" beside the Gapan City Plaza famous for it's Ferris Wheel. * Gapan City Technical School * Provincial Manpower Training Center (Technical School) * Kinect Academy Inc. * Glorious Hope Academy * SKD Academy Gapan Campus

Notable personalities

* Mariano Llanera, the Revolutionary General of the battle Cry of Nueva Ecija in Cabiao, Nueva Ecija. *General Pantaleon Valmonte, the capitan municipal of Gapan who, together with General Mariano Llanera, capitan municipal of Cabiao, launched the "First Cry of Nueva Ecija" against the Spanish rule on September 2, 1896. * Juan Liwag - former Senator of the Philippines *

Nida Blanca Dorothy Guinto Jones (January 6, 1936 – November 7, 2001), known professionally as Nida Blanca, was a Filipino actress. In a career spanning five decades, she is known for her dramatic and comedic roles in Cinema of the Philippines, film ...

- award-winning actress * Ryza Cenon - actress * Eula Valdez - actress * Joe Taruc - DZRH news anchor * Frankie Evangelista Former TV Patrol News Anchor * Coleen Perez - actress

Sister cities

, Nueva Ecija * Cabiao, Nueva Ecija

Gallery

File:Lumang Gapan, Gapan City, Nueva Ecija, April 2023.jpg, Lumang Gapan (Little Vigan) File:Gapan City Plaza, Gapan, Nueva Ecija, April 2023.jpg, Gapan City Plaza File:Gapancityjf221.JPG, City park File:Gapanmalljf.JPG, Dry Market and the Water District

References

External links

Gapan Official Website
* Philippine Standard Geographic Code
Philippine Census Information

Local Governance Performance Management System
{{Authority control Cities in Nueva Ecija Populated places established in 1732 1732 establishments in the Philippines Component cities in the Philippines