Muñoz, Nueva Ecija

Muñoz, officially the Science City of Muñoz (, Ilocano: ''Siudad ti Siensia ti Muñoz''), (American Spanish: , European Spanish: ), is a component city in the province of Nueva Ecija, Philippines. According to the 2020 census, it has a population of 84,308 people.

From its lowly origins as “Sitio Papaya”, it was renamed as Muñoz in 1886 in honor of Spanish Governor Don Francisco Muñoz. It was in 1913, under Executive Order No. 72, when Muñoz was declared as a new and independent municipality. By the virtue of Republic Act 8977 signed on November 7, 2000, Muñoz formally elevated to a city and country's only city with "Science" in its formal name.

Etymology

The town got its name in honor of Don Francisco Muñoz, being the alcalde mayor and gobernadorcillo.

Science City of Muñoz, located in Nueva Ecija, Philippines, is known for its agricultural research and scientific institutions. It was officially declared a Science City in 2000 because it houses several major research and educational institutions specializing in agriculture, biotechnology, and aquaculture.

Some key institutions in Muñoz that contribute to its "Science City" status include:

Philippine Rice Research Institute (PhilRice) – Focuses on rice science and development.

Central Luzon State University (CLSU) – A top agricultural university.

Philippine Carabao Center (PCC) – Conducts research on water buffalo genetics and dairy production.

Bureau of Postharvest Research and Extension (BPRE) – Works on improving postharvest technologies.

National Renewable Energy Laboratory (NREL) – Researches alternative energy sources.

History

Early history

The present-day city was formerly a ''barrio'' known as Papaya. In 1886, the name was changed to Muñoz in honor of Don Francisco Muñoz, the first appointed ''gobernadorcillo''.

The ''barrio'' was once a forested area. During the American occupation, in 1907, part of it was selected for the establishment of a government agricultural school—the present-day Central Luzon State University (CLSU).

Residents of ''barrios'' Muñoz and San Anton in San Juan de Guimba, and of Palusapis in Santo Domingo, later petitioned for them, along with the '' sitios'' in Talavera—Kabisukulan, Rangayan, Rizal, Mataas-na-lupa, Siniguelas, Pukoc, Agricultura, and Pulong-maragol—to be organized into a separate municipality. On October 18, 1912, Newton W. Gilbert, the island's acting Governor General, issued ''Executive Order No. 72'' which created Muñoz as the twenty-fourth municipality of Nueva Ecija, with Barrio Muñoz designated as the seat of government; the order took effect on January 1, 1913. As mandated, a municipal hall and a school building was constructed.

In the aftermath of a typhoon that hit Luzon on October 9–11, 1936, and caused floods, affecting the central and southwestern part with the province the hardest hit, 20 bodies were found at the agricultural school.

Japanese period

In January 1945, the United States Army landed at Lingayen Gulf. This was opposed by the Imperial Japanese Army's 14th Army under the command of Gen. Tomoyuki Yamashita; its 2nd Tank Division, which had been in Luzon since July 1944, was involved in tank battles in Pangasinan and Nueva Ecija, particularly Muñoz and Lupao.

Gen. William Krueger, realizing the strategic importance of capturing San Jose (situated in the municipality's northeast), ordered units under the I Corps of the United States Army to liberate the area. The Japanese defense had eight strong points around the area, including that at Muñoz, which was ordered attacked by Gen. Innis Swift, commander of the I Corps, to the 6th Division. Filipinos also engaged the Japanese in a close-quarter battle—the battle of Muñoz—including Col. Cesar Pobre, a member of the United States 98 Mortar Brigade.

Post-colonial period

Muñoz had its territory reduced on January 1, 1948, when ''barrios'' Alula, Calisitan, and Saverona were separated and, along with portions of Cuyapo, Guimba, and Lupao, were organized into the province's twenty-eighth municipality— Talugtug—by virtue of Executive Order No. 113.

In late September of that year, a ten-hour battle, one of the bloodiest between the Philippine Constabulary (PC) and the Hukbalahap, occurred near the municipality where 83 people were killed.

During the Marcos administration post-martial law, Jun Quimpo, an activist who had been working for an underground movement in the rural areas, was fatally shot by his former comrade who had surrendered to the PC, in Calisitan in December 1981.

The municipality was affected by the 1990 Luzon earthquake; with 75 people died in the collapse of the library of the CLSU.

In September 1993, through the initiatives of the leadership of the municipality and the CLSU, the agricultural town became the fifth in the country to be classified by the Department of Science and Technology (DOST) as a science community. This is due to the presence of various centers of excellence and research and development agencies; at the time of the cityhood, there were sixteen, most notably the CLSU, Philippine Rice Research Institute, Philippine Carabao Center, as well as the provincial offices of the DOST and the Agricultural Training Institute.

Cityhood

Mayor Efren Alvarez (who would be the first city mayor; served 1992–2001) later sought the conversion of the municipality into what would be the country's first ''"Science City."'' A master plan was then developed for the development into such agricultural entity. The Nueva Ecija Provincial Board endorsed the cityhood through a resolution. However, the province's second district representative Eleuterio Violago said that the requirements for cityhood were yet to be complied.

Nevertheless, in 1998, the cityhood bill was sponsored in the House of Representatives by Simeon Garcia (Violago's successor), being supported by provincial governor Tomas Joson III; and was co-introduced by Josefina Joson, also from the province. It was later sponsored in the Senate by senators Sergio Osmeña III and Vicente Sotto III. According to senator Aquilino Pimentel Jr., the chamber's local government chairperson, the bid was different as it was about the creation of a city of such kind, being passed by the House prior to adoption by the Senate of a ruling that was supposed to make the plan be rejected.

On November 7, 2000, President Joseph Estrada signed Republic Act No. 8977, converting the town into a ''science city'', which is also the world's second after Tsukuba, Japan. On December 9, the conversion was ratified in a plebiscite with about 12,468 voters favoring the bid, against 602 who voted against; hence becoming the province's fourth component city, officially bearing the name Science City of Muñoz—the only local government unit in the country holding such designation to date.

Contemporary

Muñoz is among those areas in the province's northwest whose rice fields are being reached by the Casecnan Multi-Purpose Irrigation and Power Project of the National Irrigation Administration; the project became operational in 2001.

At the early morning of September 26, 2012, a traffic collision occurred on Maharlika Highway in Barangay Bantug, killing the drivers of a Victory Liner bus and a fuel tanker, five bus passengers, and a couple on a motorcycle.

In November 2012, mayor Alvarez and vice mayor Ester Lazaro had a dispute over the mayorship as the latter was designated as acting mayor. In February 2013, the Supreme Court unseated Alvarez after affirming his 2009 conviction by the Sandiganbayan for graft.

On August 22, 2023, Muñoz and Batac signed a sisterhood agreement.

Geography

Muñoz is situated from Cabanatuan, from Palayan, and north of the capital Manila. Due to its rich topography and tropical climate, it is now home to agricultural research and technology centers, committed to the production of information and technological breakthroughs to promote rural development, productivity, and food security.

Barangays

Science City of Muñoz is politically subdivided into 37 barangays. Each barangay consists of puroks and some have sitios.

Dispute

The National Government has an ongoing move to transfer the Talavera barangays of Matingkis (Talavera), Bakal 1, Bakal 2 and Bakal 3 to become part of Science City of Munoz for the reason that the said barangays are geographically and strategically within the said city. This was favored by most of the residents of the said barangays but opposed by the Municipal Government of Talavera.

Also there is a proposed separation of Villa Pinili (Bantug West) and San Juan (CLSU) which will include PNR (CLSU), and Sawmill (CLSU) from Barangay Bantug into two independent separate barangays.

Climate

Demographics

Language

Tagalog and Ilocano are the main dialects spoken in Muñoz.

Religion

Churches:
* The Church of Jesus Christ and Latter Day Saints
*Sacred Heart of Jesus Shrine
*San Sebastian parish Church
*Christ the Worker Parish Church
*Iglesia ni Cristo
*Christian Churches
*IIJMS Temples
*United Pentecostal Church
*The Apostolic Faith Church (Mission of Portland Oregon Inc.)
*Jesus Christ the Living God Fellowship (Conservative Baptist)
*Munoz Christian Church (FIFCOP)
*Lakas Angkan Ministry
*Muñoz Church of Christ

Economy

There are many new establishments in Munoz in the past few years. Notable are Jollibee Munoz, Mang Inasal Munoz, 7/11, BDO, Land Bank, Novo, Lucky 99, Friendship Supermarket, Inc (FSi), and the Villa-Mendoza Training Institute, are now major landmarks on the city.

In terms of commercial and shopping sector, Robinsons, Savemore and Puregold has also initially identified locations in the city for future construction. Fast-food chain operator Jollibee already established their store in the city.

With a bustling market center with rice trading as a major economic activity, it has transformed into its present status as a Science City by virtue of Republic Act 8977 on December 9, 2000. Being a science city, Muñoz was acknowledged as one of the members of League of Cities of the Philippines and became a pilot city of achieving the United Nation's Millennium Development Goals.

;Research and development centers:
*The Philippine Rice Research Institute (PhilRice) (formerly the Maligaya Rice Research and Training Center (MRRTC)) is found in Muñoz
*Central Office and National Genepool of the Philippine Carabao Center (PCC).
*National Freshwater and Fisheries Training and Research Center (NFFTRC)
*The main offices of the Bureau of Postharvest Research and Extension (BPRE) now known as Philippine Center for Postharvest Development and Mechanization (PhilMech)
*Bureau of Fisheries and Aquatic Resources (BFAR-NFFTC) are also based in Muñoz.

Government

Elected officials

Transportation

As with most towns in Central Luzon, inter-city transport is through the Pan-Philippine Highway (also known as Maharlika Highway/ Asian Highway 26), the country's principal transport backbone.

Land use

Education

* Central Luzon State University - a state university located on a 658-hectare campus. It serves as the lead agency of the Muñoz Science Community and hosts the Regional Research and Development Center in Central Luzon. CLSU is recognized for its significant contributions to agricultural research in Southeast Asia, particularly in areas such as aquatic culture (notably in the sex reversal of tilapia), ruminant studies, crop science, orchard management, and water management.

Notable personalities

* Alexis Belonio - inventor

References

External links

*
* Philippine Standard Geographic Codebr>Philippine Census InformationLocal Governance Performance Management System

{{DEFAULTSORT:Munoz, Nueva Ecija

Cities in Nueva Ecija
Populated places established in 1913
1913 establishments in the Philippines
Component cities in the Philippines