Gapan

Old records called the town Ibon. Gapan was founded by the Spanish curates and officials who, in their early occupation, exercised great influence over the people and the things they were doing. History places Gapan as one of the first towns of Pampanga founded sometime in the middle part of the sixteenth century. Records of the first Catholic mission to the far east indicated that in 1595, Fathers Contres Tendilla, Caballo and Salazar were responsible for clearing the forest which later became a pueblo. In this pueblo, a church, presedencia and residential houses made of bricks and lime were constructed, now the age-old landmarks of the city.

Its foundation in 1595 makes Gapan the oldest town in Nueva Ecija and one of the oldest in the Philippines. It was likewise a big pueblo embracing an area as far as Cabanatuan City in the north, which was its barrio with the name Cabanatuan before it separated in 1750: the Sierra Madres in the East, San Miguel, Bulacan in the south and Candaba, Pampanga in the West. Gradually as the Spanish power waned and economic progress caught up in the area, the pueblo disintegrated into many pueblos until it remained to comprise only the towns of Peñaranda, General Tinio and San Leonardo (formerly called Manikling) all of Nueva Ecija province. In fact the Patron Saint Divina Pastora had its origin or residence in Barrio Callos, Peñaranda.

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 Bulacan province, and to the west by San Isidro.

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.

National Shrine of Virgen La Divina Pastora

National Shrine of Virgen La 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.

• Divina Pastora College
• Asian Institute of E-commerce (AIE) - Gapan Campus
• Gapan Computer Technical Institute
• ACLC College (Gapan Campus)
• Allen Institute of Technology
• College for Research and Technology
• Nueva Ecija University of Science and Technology – Gapan Academic Extension Campus
• Gapan City Technical School
• Provincial Manpower Training Center (Technical School)
• SKD Academy Gapan Campus

• Good Samaritan General Hospital - a private hospital located at Don Simeon St, Gapan City.
• Gapan District Hospital - a public hospital located at Divina Pastora Street, Divina Pastora Subdivision, Gapan City.
• Dr. J.P. Cruz Cancer Clinic
• other clinics (dental, skin and etc..)

• 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 - award-winning actress
• Ryza Cenon[10] - actress
• Eula Valdez[11] - actress
• Joe Taruc[12] - DZRH news anchor
• Frankie Evangelista Former TV Patrol News Anchor
• Coleen Perez - actress
• Daniel Figueroa[13] - actor
• Deo Macalma - Radio and Television Anchor MBC and DZRH

• Cabanatuan City, Nueva Ecija
• Cabiao, Nueva Ecija

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  Rice fields, Santo Cristo
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  City Hall
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  City park
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  Wet market
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  Dry Market and the Water District
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  Cockfighting Coliseum

Wikivoyage has a travel guide for Gapan.

Wikimedia Commons has media related to Gapan City.

• Gapan Profile at PhilAtlas.com
• Gapan City Official Website
• Pasyalan Nueva Ecija
• Philippine Standard Geographic Code
• Philippine Census Information
• Local Governance Performance Management System