Cabanatuan City

Cabanatuan
Component City
City of Cabanatuan
(clockwise): Camp Pangatian Memorial Shrine, Gen. Antonio Luna Equestrian Statue, San Nicolas de Tolentino Cathedral, Old Nueva Ecija Provincial Capitol, Camp Pangatian WWII Memorial
Seal
Nickname(s): The Gateway to the North, Tricycle Capital of the Philippines
Motto: Pagbabago, Progreso, Disiplina
Location within Nueva Ecija
Cabanatuan Location within the Philippines
Coordinates: 15°29′N 120°58′E / 15.48°N 120.97°E / 15.48; 120.97Coordinates: 15°29′N 120°58′E / 15.48°N 120.97°E / 15.48; 120.97
Country	Philippines
Region	Central Luzon (Region III)
Province	Nueva Ecija
Congressional District	3rd
Founded	1750
Cityhood	June 15, 1950
Barangays	89
Government
• Mayor	Julius Cesar V. Vergara (Liberal Party)
• Vice Mayor	Emmanuel Antonio M. Umali (Unang Sigaw)
• Representative	Rosanna V. Vergara (Liberal Party)
Area
• City	192.29 km2 (74.24 sq mi)
• Metro	789.83 km2 (304.96 sq mi)
Elevation	44 m (144 ft)
Population (2015 census)
• City	302,231
• Density	1,600/km2 (4,100/sq mi)
• Metro	642,767
• Metro density	810/km2 (2,100/sq mi)
Demonym(s)	Cabanatueño/Cabanatueña
Time zone	PST (UTC+8)
Zip code	3100
IDD : area code	+63 (0)44
Income Class	1st Class; urban
Website	www.cabanatuancity.gov.ph

Cabanatuan, officially the City of Cabanatuan (Tagalog: Lungsod ng Cabanatuan; Ilocano: Ciudad ti Cabanatuan; Kapampangan: Lakanbalen ning Cabanatuan; Pangasinan: Siyudad na Cabanatuan), or simply Cabanatuan City is a first class component city in the province of Nueva Ecija, Philippines. It is the most populous city in Nueva Ecija and the 5th populous in Central Luzon with a population of 302,231 in 2015.

The city is popular for being home to more than 30,000 tricycles, thus priding itself as the "Tricycle Capital of the Philippines" and its strategic location along the Cagayan Valley Road has made the city a major economic, educational, medical, entertainment shopping and transportation center in Nueva Ecija and nearby provinces in the region such as Aurora and Bulacan. It has also earned the moniker "Gateway to the North".

Cabanatuan remained as Nueva Ecija's capital until 1965 when the government created Palayan City as the new provincial capital. Nueva Ecija's old capitol and other government offices are still used and maintained by the provincial administration.

Cabanatuan was founded as a Barrio of Gapan in 1750 and became a Municipality and capital of La Provincia de Nueva Ecija in 1780. Cabanatuan is the site of the historical "Plaza Lucero" and the Cabanatuan Cathedral, where General Antonio Luna was assassinated by Captain Pedro Janolino and members of the kawit battalion. Cabanatuan lost the title of provincial capital in 1850 when the capital of Nueva Ecija was moved to San Isidro, another historic town. It was only in 1917, when the Administrative code was enacted, that Cabanatuan was restored as capital of the Province. However, in 1965, Congress created Palayan City, which has been the capital ever since.

During World War II, the occupying Japanese built Cabanatuan Prison Camp, where many American soldiers were imprisoned, some of whom had been forced to endure the infamous Bataan Death March. In January 1945, elements of the U.S. Army 6th Ranger Battalion marched 30 miles (48 km) behind enemy lines to rescue the prisoners in what became known as the Raid at Cabanatuan. As a result of the raid on January 30, 1945, victorious Filipino guerrillas and American troops of the U.S. Army 6th Ranger Battalion celebrated having obtained the freedom of 500 American POWs. Soon thereafter, Philippine and American forces re-established the presence of military general headquarters and military camp bases of the Philippine Commonwealth Army, Philippine Constabulary 2nd Infantry Regiment, and the United States Army in Cabanatuan from February 1, 1945 to June 30, 1946 during the Allied Liberation. Before long, the combined Philippine Commonwealth and American armed forces, in cooperation with local guerrilla resistance fighters and Hukbalahap Communist guerrillas, had liberated Central Luzon from Japanese Imperial forces, a campaign that lasted from January until August 1945.