Licab, Nueva Ecija

Licab
Municipality
Seal
Map of Nueva Ecija showing the location of Licab
Licab Location within the Philippines
Coordinates: 15°33′N 120°46′E / 15.550°N 120.767°E / 15.550; 120.767Coordinates: 15°33′N 120°46′E / 15.550°N 120.767°E / 15.550; 120.767
Country	Philippines
Region	Central Luzon (Region III)
Province	Nueva Ecija
District	1st District
Barangays	11
Government[1]
• Mayor	Wilfredo S. Domingo
Area[2]
• Total	67.37 km2 (26.01 sq mi)
Population (2010)[3]
• Total	26,187
• Density	390/km2 (1,000/sq mi)
Time zone	PST (UTC+8)
ZIP code	3112
Dialing code	44
Income class	4th class; rural

Licab is a fourth class municipality in the province of Nueva Ecija, Philippines. According to the 2010 census, it has a population of 26,187 people.^[3]

About 155 kilometres (96 mi) north from Metro Manila, Licab lies in the lowest portion of the province, experiencing two situations: during rainy seasons, being located at the northern portion of the municipality are flood free barangays while the other five (5) barangays are mostly flooded.

Barangays

Licab is politically subdivided into 11 barangays.^[2]

• Aquino
• Linao
• Poblacion Norte
• Poblacion Sur
• San Casimiro
• San Cristobal
• San Jose
• San Juan
• Santa Maria
• Tabing Ilog
• Villarosa

History

Licab was formerly a part of another town, Aliaga. In 1835, immigrants Don Dalmacio Esguerra and brother Tomas, toiled to scrape off thick leaves using only hoes and twigs of hard trees. The Esguerra Brothers first called the place “Pulong—Samat”. Later, after years of successful tilling and with families growing bigger they renamed the place Licab, an Ilocano word meaning to "scrape off". Don Dalmacio had three other brothers who assisted him in his endeavour: Pedro, Abdun and Olegario. Olegario Esguerra married a woman named Betis, and one of their children is named Juliana who, in the early 1890s, married another local Gregorio Espiritu.

The new settlement attracted more settlers. Don Dalmacio’s commitment to improve Licab inspired him to work for its political identity. He filed a petition to the national government to make Licab a formal town. At first, the friar governor of Aliaga opposed the petition but later relented and Licab was proclaimed an independent municipality on March 28, 1894.

From the town archives of San Nicolas Ilocos Norte, families of Barangan, Dawang and Casino all relatives immigrated to Licab a former barrio of Aliaga, Nueva Ecija. Some relatives went as far as Santo Domingo, Munoz and San Jose City to reside and raised their own family. The group led by Igmidio Barangan and his son Santiago Barangan and grandsons Dr.Victor A. Barangan and Dr. Roman A Barangan and a number of close relatives along with four sisters populated the town.The sisters were married to the families of Dumaya, Juan, Bumanlag,and Fernando. All of them remained residents of Licab and raised generations of families that now composed majority of the populations.

These families were generations of farmers and farmhands that sought freedom to own lands in the vast agricultural plains of Central Luzon. As a manifestation of this family's ownership, a place in a low lying areas of the town called "kababaan" was named Sitio Barangan which is now part of Barangay Aquino. In the early 19th century the head of the clan Igmidio lost his life for the love of a barrio lass of "Bangbangkag" now called Barangay San Cristobal. His son Santiago did not permit his marriage and therefore in a tree with a piece of rope ended his life in a tragedy. The place is now called "Pinagbitinan" at nearby Church of Rizal.

A well known national figure whose name was a famous avenue of Metro Manila called EDSA was named after Epifanio Delos Santos a former Governor of Nueva Ecija, Historian and a Writer during the American regime, who made a name for himself in the national political arena. His family who left the town to reside in Malabon, donated a family lot that now became the town's Public Market at Poblacion Sur.

Many changes and developments of the town were attributed to the past administrations who contributed road repairs and rehabilitation and constructions to include flood protection with drainage/ canal systems. The present Mayor Wilfredo S. Domingo contributed additional rehabilitated roads in the outer Barangays to serve as farm-to-market roads to make farm produce available in the local Market and traders to other towns.

During the height of Town Fiesta usually on the last week of the month of March, a Kariton Festival was ingeniously celebrated, with each Barangay Captain contributing floats decorated with farm produce skillfully designed to show progress of the town. A large number of Karitons paraded the town and the best ones were to receive Prizes from the festival judges. The show attracted local tourists and former residents from Manila and around the provinces.

Demographics

Municipal Hall of Licab

Economy

Agriculture has remained the prime industry of the municipality. Agricultural lands devoted to various agricultural activities cover about tens of thousands hectares out of the total provincial area of 550,718 hectares. Rice is still the prime crop of agricultural development and programs. Palay production in the town is boosted by a large network of irrigation facilities and other appurtenant structure.

Live stock production of piggery and poultry were the second agricultural income source in this municipality. Most of the residence were considered to be backyard raisers. Meat products sold in the public market were produced and raised locally.

References

External links

Wikimedia Commons has media related to Licab, Nueva Ecija.

• Philippine Standard Geographic Code
• Philippine Census Information
• Local Governance Performance Management System

		Guimba
	Victoria, Tarlac		Quezon
	Licab
	La Paz, Tarlac	Zaragoza	Aliaga