Peñaranda, Nueva Ecija

Peñaranda
—  Municipality  —
Map of Nueva Ecija showing the location of Peñaranda.
Peñaranda Location in the Philippines
Coordinates: 15°21′N 121°00′E
Country	Philippines
Region	Central Luzon (Region III)
Province	Nueva Ecija
District	4th District
Founded
Barangays	10
Government
• Mayor	Ferdinand R. Abesamis
Area
• Total	95.00 km2 (36.68 sq mi)
Population (2007)
• Total	26,725
• Density	280/km2 (730/sq mi)
Time zone	PST (UTC+8)
ZIP code	3103
Income class	4th class; rural

Population Census of Peñaranda
Census	Pop.		Rate
1995	22,661		—
2000	24,749		1.91%
2007	26,725		1.07%

Peñaranda is a 4th class municipality in the province of Nueva Ecija, Philippines. According to the latest census, it has a population of 26,725 people in 4,940 households.

It is bordered by municipalities of General Tinio and San Leonardo and the city of Gapan.

The area was originally called Mapisong, and it was a part of the municipality of Gapan. The area was organized into a municipality by José Maria Peñaranda, a Spanish engineer, and subsequently named after him.

Peñaranda was once known for its high quality crop called ikmo, a plant used by older Filipinos as a chewing substance. Recently however, the crop is on the brink of extinction. Rice remains a flourishing farm produce.

Every May, Peñaranda residents stage a musical drama called "Araquio", a re-enactment of Christians' quest led by Queen Helena and King Constantine for the Holy Cross where Jesus Christ was nailed. Actors and actresses garbed in colorful and cute costumes dramatize this century old tradition which features swordfights between the Christians and Moors.

Peñaranda is also known for its mouth-watering, native rice cakes such as espasol, putong puti and sapin-sapin.

History

In December 1941, the Japanese fighter and bomber planes was found invading the town municipalities in Peñaranda during the Japanese Invasion. In 1942, the Japanese Occupation forces entered in Peñaranda, Nueva Ecija. The established of the military general headquarters, garrisons and concentration camps of the Imperial Japanese Armed Forces was stationed and built from the town municipality.

In 1942 to 1945, the ambushed by the local guerrilla groups and Hukbalahap Communist resistance was around the conflicts and insurgencies from the municipal town in Peñaranda and attacks the Japanese. When the guerrillas and Hukbalahap Communists groups there retreated from the Japanese. Before the arrival by the local Filipino troops and officers of the Philippine Commonwealth Army units was liberated the municipal towns.

Invasion of Peñaranda
Part of World War II
Date 1945 Location Peñaranda, Nueva Ecija Result Filipino Victory
Belligerents
Philippine Commonwealth Philippine Commonwealth Army Various Recognized Guerrilla Units Hukbalahap	Empire of Japan Imperial Japanese Army
Strength
30,000 Filipino troops 6,100 local guerrillas 2,700 Hukbalahap Communist resistance	57,000 Japanese troops
Casualties and losses
2,000 killed 3,800 wounded	35,000 killed 22,000 captured

In 1945, entering to the Philippine Commonwealth Army troops of the 2nd, 21st, 22nd, 23rd, 25th and 26th Infantry Division of the Philippine Army took in Peñaranda, Nueva Ecija together with the local recognized guerrilla units and Hukbalahap Communist fighters we fronted the battles against the Japanese troops by defeated from successful to the Philippine troops and recognized guerrillas beginning the Invasion of Peñaranda during World War II.

Barangays

Peñaranda is politically subdivided into 10 barangays.

• Callos ( Ninja Town )
• Las Piñas
• Poblacion I
• Poblacion II
• Poblacion III
• Poblacion IV
• Santo Tomas
• Sinasajan
• San Josef
• San Mariano (Maugat)
• Spratly Island

External links

• Pasyalan Nueva Ecija
• Philippine Standard Geographic Code
• 1995 Philippine Census Information
• 2000 Philippine Census Information
• 2007 Philippine Census Information
• Local Governance Performance Management System