San Leonardo, officially the Municipality of San Leonardo ( tl, Bayan ng San Leonardo), is a 1st class

municipality A municipality is usually a single administrative division having corporate status and powers of self-government or jurisdiction as granted by national and regional laws to which it is subordinate. The term ''municipality'' may also mean the go ...

in the

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

Nueva Ecija Nueva Ecija, officially the Province of Nueva Ecija ( tgl, Lalawigan ng Nueva Ecija , also ; ilo, Probinsia ti Nueva Ecija; pag, Luyag/Probinsia na Nueva Ecija; Kapampangan: ''Lalawigan/Probinsia ning Nueva Ecija''), is a landlocked province ...

Philippines The Philippines (; fil, Pilipinas, links=no), officially the Republic of the Philippines ( fil, Republika ng Pilipinas, links=no), * bik, Republika kan Filipinas * ceb, Republika sa Pilipinas * cbk, República de Filipinas * hil, Republ ...

. According to the 2020 census, it has a population of 68,536 people. San Leonardo is located between Gapan City and

Santa Rosa Santa Rosa is the Italian, Portuguese and Spanish name for Saint Rose. Santa Rosa may also refer to: Places Argentina *Santa Rosa, Mendoza, a city * Santa Rosa, Tinogasta, Catamarca * Santa Rosa, Valle Viejo, Catamarca * Santa Rosa, La Pampa * S ...

along the

Maharlika Highway The Pan-Philippine Highway, also known as the Maharlika Highway ( tl, Daang Maharlika; ceb, Dalang Halangdon), is a network of roads, expressways, bridges, and ferry services that connect the islands of Luzon, Samar, Leyte, and Mindanao in t ...

. It is from

Cabanatuan Cabanatuan, officially the City of Cabanatuan ( fil, Lungsod ng Cabanatuan; ilo, Siudad ti Cabanatuan), is a 1st class component city in the province of Nueva Ecija, Philippines. According to the 2020 census, it has a population of 327,325 peop ...

, from

Palayan Palayan, officially the City of Palayan ( fil, Lungsod ng Palayan, Ilocano: ''Siudad ti Palayan''), is a 5th class component city and capital of the province of Nueva Ecija, Philippines. According to the 2020 census, it has a population of ...

, and from

Manila Manila ( , ; fil, Maynila, ), officially the City of Manila ( fil, Lungsod ng Maynila, ), is the capital of the Philippines, and its second-most populous city. It is highly urbanized and, as of 2019, was the world's most densely populate ...

. The area has a farming economy. San Leonardo has vast rice fields and land for growing vegetables and poultry products.

History

During

World War II World War II or the Second World War, often abbreviated as WWII or WW2, was a world war that lasted from 1939 to 1945. It involved the vast majority of the world's countries—including all of the great powers—forming two opposin ...

Imperial Japanese The also known as the Japanese Empire or Imperial Japan, was a historical nation-state and great power that existed from the Meiji Restoration in 1868 until the enactment of the post-World War II 1947 constitution and subsequent forma ...

forces sacked San Leonardo in 1942 during the opening stages of the Japanese Occupation. Novo Ecijano and

Hukbalahap The Hukbong Bayan Laban sa Hapon (), better known by the acronym Hukbalahap, was a communist guerrilla movement formed by the farmers of Central Luzon. They were originally formed to fight the Japanese, but extended their fight into a rebelli ...

Communist guerrilla resistance groups from 1942 to 1944 in the town fought the invaders, with liberation coming in 1945 by the

Allied An alliance is a relationship among people, groups, or states that have joined together for mutual benefit or to achieve some common purpose, whether or not explicit agreement has been worked out among them. Members of an alliance are called ...

troops. From January to April 1945, the combined military force of the

Philippine Commonwealth Army The Philippine Army was established on December 21, 1935, as the Army of the Philippines, with a general headquarters in Manila, and units and formations based throughout the provinces of the Philippines. The Philippine Army was initially org ...

Philippine Constabulary The Philippine Constabulary (PC; tl, Hukbóng Pamayapà ng Pilipinas, ''HPP''; es, Policía de Filipinas, ''PF'') was a gendarmerie-type police force of the Philippines from 1901 to 1991, and the predecessor to the Philippine National Po ...

, and the

United States Army The United States Army (USA) is the land service branch of the United States Armed Forces. It is one of the eight U.S. uniformed services, and is designated as the Army of the United States in the U.S. Constitution.Article II, section 2, cla ...

recaptured and liberated the town. The joint forces assisted the Novo Ecijano and Hukbalahap Communist resistance groups and defeat the Japanese soldiers and officers under the Imperial Japanese Armed Forces and the Makapili soldiers and begins the Battle of San Leonardo and the Battle of Gapan between the Japanese and the combined American and Philippine Commonwealth troops on January to April 1945 and ended World War II.

Geography

Barangays

San Leonardo is politically subdivided into 15

barangay A barangay (; abbreviated as Brgy. or Bgy.), historically referred to as barrio (abbreviated as Bo.), is the smallest administrative division in the Philippines and is the native Filipino term for a village, district, or ward. In metropolitan ...

Climate

Demographics

Religion

Majority of populace is Roman Catholic. Other religious groups have churches and places of worship in the municipality. *St. Bartholomew the Apostle Parish Church *Pentecostal Missionary Church of Christ (4th Watch) - Brgy. Diversion *Bethel United Methodist Church *Magpapalayok Catholic Church *Saint John Marie Vianney Parish *St. Jude Thaddeus of Nueva Ecija *Church Of Christ Locale Of Castellano *Iglesia Ni Cristo - Lokal ng San Leonardo *Iglesia Ni Cristo Lokal ng Nieves *Jesus Christ to God be the Glory Church International *Leap of Faith Christian Church *United Pentecostal Church -San Leonardo *Victory Churches of Asia Incorporated

Economy

Primarily depends on rice cultivation, vegetable production, poultry, piggery & commercial fishery.

Education

Public elementary schools

* C.I. Villaroman ES (Formerly Magpapalayok Elementary School) * Castellano Elementary School * Mallorca Elementary School * Mambangnan Elementary School * Nieves Elementary School * San Anton Elementary School * San Leonardo Central School * San Roque Elementary School * Tagumpay Elementary School * Tambo North Elementary School * Tambo South Elementary School

Public high schools

* Magpapalayok National High School * Mallorca National High School * Mambangnan National High School * San Anton National High School * Tagumpay Nagaño High School

Tertiary

* Nueva Ecija University of Science and Technology - San Leonardo Campus

Private schools

* Akarui Technical School Foundation * Clever Lane Montessori School * Dr. Gloria D. Lacson Foundation Colleges * Lasaltech Academy * San Leonardo Academy * San Lorenzo Ruiz Diocesan Academy * Seraphin Learning Center * Trinity Christian School (TCS)

Healthcare

Hospitals and clinics can be found for their check up and treatment. *Dr. Gloria D. Lacson General Hospital *Nueva Ecija Medical Center * South Ecija Doctors Hospital

Gallery

File:San Leonardo Town Hall in Nueva Ecija.jpg, Town hall File:San Leonardo Nueva Ecija covered gymjf.jpg, Municipal covered courts File:St. Bartholomew Parish Church San Leonardo Nueva Ecijajf.jpg, St. Bartholomew the Apostle Church File:San Leonardo Public Market in Nueva Ecija.jpg, Public market File:San Leonardo Nueva Ecija gymnasiumjf.jpg, Biggest gymnasium in Nueva Ecija

References

External links

The Official Website of San Leonardo, Nueva Ecija
* Philippine Standard Geographic Codebr>Philippine Census InformationLocal Governance Performance Management System
{{Authority control Municipalities of Nueva Ecija Populated places on the Pampanga River