Jaen, Nueva Ecija

History

During the Spanish Era, the municipality was only a component barrio of Gapan. When San Isidro became a town and was separated from Gapan, the town and San Antonio became one of its component barrios. When San Antonio itself became a town, the area was still its component barrio called San Agustin. By 1865, Jaen was known by its old name "Ibayong Ilog", and because there were many people in the river port in what is now Barangay Langla, the town became a centre for trade.

When the place improved and its population grew to more than 5,000 people, it became a town through a petition filed by the inhabitants with the initiative of two early leaders, Kabesang Prudencio Esquivel and Kapitan Antonio Embuscado. On June 18, 1865, Jaen itself partitioned from San Antonio, and retained Saint Augustine of Hippo as its patron saint. The Spanish officials signed the papers granting the petition that "Ibayong Ilog" be a town in Factoria (now San Isidro) which was then the capital of Nueva Ecija. The declaration was brought to Governor-General Juan de Lara e Irigoyen in Manila and afterwards was submitted to the Vicar-General of the Philippines in the person of Reverend Gregorio Martínez. Father Martínez marked the document as approved but later wrote in his own wish that the name "Ibayong Ilog" be changed to the name of his birthplace of Jaén, Spain.

In coordination with Reverebd Estanislao B. Moso, Kabesang Prudencio and Kapitan Antonio led the establishment of the first Catholic church (the present-day parish church). Jaen is in Central Luzon, in the southern part of Nueva Ecija. About 100 km from Manila via the old Cagayan Valley Road, the town has other road networks connecting it to Nueva Vizcaya, Isabela, Pampanga, Olongapo and Bataan. In the olden days, Pampanga River was once the only and the fastest way of transportation in going to Manila and other places.

On August 24, 1896, its people revolted against the Spaniards and in September of the same year, armed with bolos and spears, ambushed and killed forty Spanish soldiers in Lumanas (now a Sitio of Barangay Santo Tomas South). This successful attack made Lumanas a historical site called "Pinagtambangan", where a marker was erected in memory of the event.

Geography

The municipality is situated in the southern part of Nueva Ecija, some 100 km north of Manila. Jaén is bounded by the municipalities of Santa Rosa on the north-east; Zaragoza on the north-west; by San Isidro on the south; San Leonardo on the east and by San Antonio on the west.

The municipality has a land area of 10254 ha and is divided into 27 barangays, two of which are in the Población proper.

Barangays

Jaén is politically subdivided into 27 barangays, as listed below. Each barangay consists of puroks and some have sitios.

• Calabasa
• Dampulan (Poblacion)
• Don Mariano Marcos (Poblacion) (Former Antonino)
• Hilera
• Imbunia
• Imelda de Poblacion (Doña Aurora)
• Lambakin
• Langla
• Magsalisi
• Malabon-Kaingin
• Marawa
• Niyugan
• Ocampo-Rivera (Poblacion)
• Pakol
• Pamacpacan
• Pinanggaan
• Putlod
• San Jose
• San Josef (Nabao)
• San Pablo
• San Roque
• San Vicente
• Santa Rita
• Santo Tomas North
• Santo Tomas South
• Sapang
• Ulanin-Pitak

Sitios

• Sanggalang (Brgy Lambakin)
• Pampangbana (Brgy Lambakin)
• Malaiba (Barangay San Jose)
• Mediatrix Subdivision (Brgy Sapang & Dampulan)
• Iran (Brgy San Jose)
• BLISS (Barangay Niyugan)
• Putol (Barangay Niyugan)
• Tumana (Brgy Niyugan)
• Lumanas (Barangay Sto Tomas South)
• Daang Hapon (Brgy Sto Tomas South)
• Campugo (Brgy Sto Tomas South)
• Kaingin (Barangay Sto Tomas North)
• Muyod (Barangay Sto Tomas North)
• Macapulo (Barangay San Pablo)
• Poultry (Barangay Magsalisi)
• Pinagsugalan (Barangay Pinanggaan)
• Inalin (Brgy Pinanggaan)
• Triangulo (Brgy Sapang)
• Gubat na Munti (Brgy Putlod)
• Luwasan (Brgy Putlod)
• Looban (Brgy Putlod)
• Mitla (Brgy Hilera)
• Bungo (Brgy San Roque)
• Dampe (Brgy Dampulan)
• Bantog (Brgy Marawa)

Climate

Demographics

Economy

Most of the north-western section of the municipality is devoted to rice farming, as rice production is the main livelihood of the populace. Twenty barangays of Jaén are fully irrigated, with about 80% of the land (approximately 9,500 hectares) being suited for rice production.

Mango plantations are found in the southern portion of the municipality. Based on the latest survey, 584 hectares are utilized for mango production, including backyard mango farms. Ten percent of the total agricultural area is for planting vegetables.

In the Población and nearby barangays, several establishments have sprouted. These include agricultural supply traders, dry goods stores, hardware stores, groceries, travel agency, fashion style, pawnshop, banks, supermarkets, gasoline stations, printing presses, and eateries. The public market is in the area.

Among the service businesses in the area are pawn shops, restaurants, auto and motorcycle parts and service, car wash, commercial center, lechon manok and liempo stand, pharmacies, computer repair shops, convenience store, bakery, petrol station, grocery, internet café, tailoring and dress shops and rural banks.

Distilled and purified water processors, mobile phone card dealers, cable and landline telephone businesses are also present in the municipality.

Professional services of doctors, accountants, dentists, lawyers, surveyors and engineers are also prevalent in the town. Most of the unemployed and out-of-school youths are given manual labor by private contractors and the local government unit, such as construction workers and street sweepers.

Education

The Jaen Schools District Office governs all educational institutions within the municipality. It oversees the management and operations of all private and public, from primary to secondary schools.

Primary and elementary schools

• Angels of Wisdom Child Care and Educational Foundation
• Calabasa Elementary School
• HILERA Elementary School
• Imbunia Elementary School
• Jaen Central School
• Jaen West Elementary School
• Lambakin Elementary School
• Langla Elementary School
• Magsalisi East Elementary School
• Magsalisi West Elementary School
• Malabon Kaingin Elementary School
• Marawa Elementary School
• MGP School of Sciences
• Niyugan Elementary School
• Pakul Elementary School
• Pamacpacan Elementary school
• Pinanggaan Elementary School
• Putlod Elementary School
• San Agustin Diocesan Academy
• San Jose Elementary School
• San Josef Elementary School
• San Pablo Elementary School
• San Pedro Bliss Elementary School
• San Vicente Elementary School
• Sapang Elementary School
• Sta. Rita Elementary School
• Sto. Tomas North Elementary School
• Sto. Tomas South Elementary School
• Ulanin-Pitak Elementary School

Secondary schools

• Jaen National High School
• Jaen National High School Annex (San Pablo)
• Lambakin National High School
• Marawa National High School
• Putlod-San Jose National High School

Government

Local government

Main article: Sangguniang Bayan

Kapitan dela Cruz was later on succeeded by an elected Municipal President, an office superseded by the title "Mayor of Jaén":

• Apolinario Esquivel (1902 – 1907)
• Patricio Yambao, Sr. (1916 – 1922)
• Prudencio Eduardo (1922 – 1925)
• Delfín Esquivel (1925 – 1928)
• Patricio Yambao, Sr. (1928 – 1931)
• Ambrocio Javaluyas (1931 – 1934)
• Patricio Yambao, Sr. (1934 – 1937)
• José C. Carlos (1934 – 1945)
• Bartolome García (1945 – 1954)
• Bonifacio Hipólito (1954 – 1956)
• Felix E. Velarde (1956 – 1967)
• Patricio Yambao, Jr. (1968 – 1971)
• Felix E. Velarde (1972 – 1979)
• Franklin Eduardo (1979 – 1986)
• Patricio Yambao, Jr. (1986 – 1988)
• Franklin Eduardo (1988 – 1992)
• Antonio Esquivel (1992 – 1998)
• Cezar Eduardo (1998 – 2004)
• Antonio Esquivel (2004 – 2007)
• Santiago R. Austria (2007 – 2016)
• Sylvia C. Austria (2016 – 2020)
• Antonio Esquivel (2020 – 2021)
• Sylvia C. Austria (2021 – 2025)
• Sylvester C. Austria (2025 - present)

Tourism

• Pinaglabanan Marker (Lumanas, Sto. Tomas South: The marker stands where the historical battle between the Spaniards and the people of Jaen took place on September 4, 1896. The group was led by Lt. Col. Delfin Esquivel and they used bolos, spears and several guns. It can be seen now along Sto. Tomas South main road (Jaen - Santa Rosa Road) corner Sitio Lumanas (first corner to your right going to Sitio Lumanas if you going to Sto. Tomas North)
• Resorts:
  • Villa Aurora Resort (Barangay San Josef)
  • Golden Shower Resort (Barangay Niyugan)
  • Tata Guring Mini Resort (Barangay Sto. Tomas South)
  • DelFreds Resort (Barangay San Pablo)
  • Rocky's Resort (Sitio Riverside, Barangay Magsalisi)
• Community
  • Augustinian Alumni Association Jaen, N.E.

Gallery

File:Jaen Welcome Arch from San Isidro, Nueva Ecija, Oct 2025 (1).jpg|Welcome arch File:Jaen33323jf.JPG|Municipal Park File:Jaenchurchjf.JPG|Façade and belltower of the new San Agustin parish church File:Cockpitjaenjf.JPG|Jaén Coliseum

References

References

1. {{DILG detail
2. "About Us".
3. "Contact Us".
4. "Jaen: Average Temperatures and Rainfall". Meteoblue.
5. (January 15, 2021). "Masterlist of Schools".