Far Eastern University

INSTITUTE OF ACCOUNTS, BUSINESS AND FINANCE

DEPARTMENT OF ACCOUNTANCY AND INTERNAL AUDITING

“BASTA NOVO ECIJANO, PANALO!”

FA #2: Local Culture
Art Appreciation

Submitted by:
Acosta, Zeke

June 2022
 “BASTA NOVO ECIJANO, PANALO!”

Introduction

One of the notable qualities of Novo Ecijano is that they are very kind and cheerful. They are often
good at communicating and know themselves (Buenaventura, 2021). Fortunately, these qualities
were proven and tested when two third-year students from the same town, Cabanatuan and Nueva
Ecija, met, once formed a group and have ever become friends. I just met them recently, but they
have a lot in common, so I quickly formed a friendship.
-One of them is from the same city. We grew up in the same city, but had different perspectives
and perceptions about Nueva Ecija. There are many more in our state. Therefore, I will continue to
explain what it is like to be Novo Ecijano.

History
Acclaimed as the "Philippines Rice Reservoir," Nueva Ecija was able to maintain its title as Central
Luzon's largest rice producer. Rice is the staple food of the Philippines, and Central Luzon is a
popular source of rice in the country, and the region accounts for 20.4% of total rice production.
Our state, Nueva Ecija, was a major supplier of over 760,000 tons of rice (Galang, 2020). As many
do not know, Nueva Ecija was part of Pampanga throughout the Spanish era. Originally known as
"Upper Pampanga," it was later renamed "Nueva Ecija" when the Governor of Claveria changed
the state to the
military district (Comandancia) in 1777. In 1848, Nueva Ecija officially became a legitimate state
(Santiago, 2015). Nueva Ecija consists of 27 municipalities and 5 cities, with the capital city of
Palayan (Guia, 2012).
 Photo from Google

Aside from its geographical background, Nueva Ecija is also known to be one of the

first eight provinces to courageously defied and revolted against Spaniards in 1896. It then

declared its independence in 1898. Aside from this, General Emilio Aguinaldo retreated to

the province of Nueva Ecija and made the Cabanatuan the temporary seat of his

government during the Filipino-American war.

Our hometown, Cabanatuan, a city in Nueva Ecija, is widely known because of its

historical site: Plaza Lucero and Cabanatuan Cathedral - a place where General Antonio

Luna was ambushed (Philippine Cities, 2022). In commemoration of General Luna, a statue

of him
 riding a horse stands at the plaza, named “Gen Luna Statue and Marker”. It stands in the

exact spot in front of the cathedral where he was assassinated.

In terms of the province's historical background, Nueva Ecija is an excellent place to visit.
However, Nueva Ecija not only has a good reputation for its history, but it also has a variety of
festivals, food, tourist attractions, and other attractions. We will look at our province's culture and

traditions, as well as why Nueva Ecija is worth visiting .

Festivals

Nueva Ecija is a notable territory with spectacular celebrations. This territory,

which has 5 urban communities and 27 districts, has a variety of social practices that have

become an important part of Novo Ecijanos culture and custom. Festivals that originated in

Nueva Ecija include:

 Taong Putik Festival

 Banatu Festival
  Tanduyong Festival.

Taong Putik Festival:

Photo from Google

Nueva Ecija's Aliaga is celebrated every year on June 24th and is known for its

Taumptic Festival. This festival is a religious ritual called "Pagsa San Juan" celebrating St.

John (the patron saint) of baptism. Believers cover their entire body with mud, wrap

themselves in dry banana leaves and coconut leaves, and hide their identities during the

procession. This is done to imitate St. John of Baptism, who was chosen to baptize Jesus

Christ. He hid himself by wearing animal skins to avoid being killed by once-recognized

humans. After the procession, the believers wash themselves. This symbolizes

regeneration. A special mass will be held in which the priests explain the symbol of mud as

our sin, but God loved us to drive out the filth we have. (Guia, 2013).
 Banatu Festival

Banatu Festival, which takes place every January 29-February 4, is one of the most

important festivals in Nueva Ecija. The word banatu, which means "vine," inspired the

festival's name. Cabanatueos, they say, bind themselves in the pursuit of progress and

prosperity like a vine (Crisologo, 2015). The Banatu Festival aims to represent Cabanatueo

pride – their history, culture, talent, beauty, and craftsmanship. (Colorful Festivals, n.d.).

Tanduyong Festival

Photo from Google

Photo from Google

 Citizens of San Jose City, Nueva Ecija, celebrate a remarkable festival every fourth

Sunday of April - the Tanduyong Festival. On the exact day, dancers in colorful and multi-

hued costumes fill the main street. It is done to celebrate the blessing of the harvest of the

tanduyong - a type of onion abundant in the area. Consequently, the Nueva Ecija was

named as the "Onion Capital of the Philippines" (Colorful Festivals, n.d.).

Tourist spots

Minalungao National Park

Photo from: itsmielara

The 2,018-hectare Minalungao National Park is one of the most famous spots in

Nueva Ecija. The name of the park was derived from the words - mina and lungao, which

means “mine of gold in caves”. Although the park may not possess actual gold, it has

remained to be
Nueva Ecija's best-kept secret and a tourist spot that the province is proud of (Mayuga,

2021). The wide Peñ arada River is the main attraction of the park. It flows in between 16-

meter-high limestone rocks. Furthermore, its clean and turquoise river is exceptionally

appealing for activities such as cliff jumping, swimming, and bamboo rafting (Lambac,

2021).

Gabaldon Falls

Photo by: Albert reguyal

One of the mesmerizing places to visit in our province is the Gabaldon Falls. The ten-

feet falls are surrounded by green foliage and huge rock formations. Along with this, the

ice- cold rippling water of the falls, which came from the Sierra Madre mountain, is

considered to be its main attraction. Furthermore, it has been recognized as the cleanest

water source in the Philippines (Decio, 2012)

Delicacies

After a tiring hike or a long tour to the tourist spots in Nueva Ecija, we all deserve an

amazing treat of delicacies that will surely make tourist salivate. Nueva Ecija is home to

famous dishes and treats that would make visiting to the province worthwhile. It offers a

variety of foods that are unique and have a significance with the Nueva Ecija’s culture.

Batutay and Garlic Longganisa

Photo from: Lessandra

Nueva Ecija would be incomplete without its signature dishes, the Batutay and the Garlic Longganisa.

Batutay is made of pure beef that has been coated in a sweet sauce, which gives the meat a distinct flavor.

Cabanatuan residents are familiar with the batutay. The garlic longganisa, also known as Cabanatuan

longganisa, on the other hand, is for those who prefer savory to sweet. Unlike Batutay, garlic longganisa is

typically made of ground pork. It has a distinct aroma and flavor that sets it apart from the competition

(Santos, 2017).
 We personally love garlic longganisa as compared to the batutay. It is because of its

strong spices that makes the taste even better every bite. Our staycation in Cabanatuan will

never be complete without bringing a kilo of Longganisa that we bring to the Manila with

us. For us, no other longganisa is as legitimate as the ones made in Cabanatuan, which is

why it is worth to try for foodies who want to have a delicious dish served to them.

Carabao’s Milk Dairy Products

Photo by: Martin San Diego

Nueva Ecija is a popular destination for tourists interested in sampling carabao milk. Carabao milk is said to

have a high percentage of milk fat, making it richer and creamier than cow and goat milk. The province is

well-known for the Philippine Carabao Center (PCC), which is located in Muoz, Nueva Ecija's Science City. It

is a Department of Agriculture-affiliated agency that manages Milka Krem, a dairy product outlet that sells a

variety of products such as chocolate milk, pastillas, yogurt, and so on. Its mission is to "conserve,

propagate, and promote the Carabao as a source of milk, meat, draft power, and hide to the public."
 benefit the rural farmers” (Philippine Carabao Center, n.d.). Milka Krem’s products are

guaranteed to be fresh since the raw milk needed to process the product came from the

healthy animals supported by the PCC (Lessandra, 2021).

Puno’s Ice Cream

Photo source: RJ Abellera

Finally, when it comes to Nueva Ecija's homemade ice cream, Puno ice cream is at the top of the list.

Atanacio and Simeona Puno founded Puno Ice Cream to send nine children to school. Now for 60 years, he

has been providing ice cream to Novo Ecijanos. Puno ice cream is widely known for its affordability and

unique taste. Its bestsellers are cheese cashew maca puno and other flavors such as lychee buco sorbet and

ube cheese (Guzman, 2017). Puno ice cream was part of our childhood. Our weekend wasn't complete

without asking the elderly to buy ice cream for us. It is also offered on every occasion, which is why we are

so excited to come to parties and occasions for Puno.

ice cream that awaits us. Us, Novo Ecijanos, are not only appreciative in savory and sweet

treats; we are also appreciative in arts, which can be seen from the famous personalities

who rose to fame because of their extraordinary talent.

Famous Personalities

Novo Ecijanos’ pride and joy do not end solely on the magnificent natural wonders

of the province, along with its famous delicacies. We believe that what truly makes the

Nueva Ecija a mesmerizing place to visit is the people living in it - the Novo Ecijanos. As

aforementioned, Novo Ecijanos are known to be very hospitable and cheerful. Once we get

acquainted with one another, we tend to build strong bonds and treat each other as

families. Not only do we possess a pleasing personality, but we are also talented and

dedicated people (Buenaventura, 2021). It is evidenced by the famous personalities who

rose to fame due to their admirable talents.

Mario Parial

Mother and Child (1991)

 One of the renowned artists in the Philippines is Mario Parial. Born in Gapan, Nueva

Ecija, Parial is a painter, printmaker, and photographer, best known for his festive canvas

works. His works depicted folk religious imagery, rural landscape, and mythical figures -

integrated with plants and other organic forms. Most of his paintings are intensely colored

and have a strong decorative appeal. In 1965, Parial held his first solo exhibition, which

featured thirty-five (35) of his artworks. In the following year, 1966, he won the first prize

for “Flight of the Sun” at the Art Association of the Philippines competition (Osental, 2017).

Elito Circa

Photo from: Amangpintor.net

Another notable artist is Elito Circa or also known as “Amangpintor”. Circa is a

contemporary folk artist from Pantabangan, Nueva Ecija, who uses indigenous human hair

and blood fluids as his medium, thus recognizing him as the “First Hair and Blood Painter”.
He gained national renown for his artwork of the image of President Rodrigo Duterte and

the boxer Manny Pacquiao, which he painted using his own blood. Most of his paintings are

thematic; he uses the legends of his place to symbolize and metaphorize the struggles of the

people and the beauty of his hometown (Tejero, 2017).

Ramon H. Lopez

“Love is in the Air” (2014)

Lastly is the author who was born in San Jose City, Nueva Ecija, who is known to be

the First Filipino Rustpainter - Ramon H. Lopez. Determined to create a unique painting

style, Lopez started to collect rusting objects from trash and carefully segregated the rust

particles to make a process that he uses for his artworks - thereby using rust as his

medium. He also uses acrylic with a combination of rust to incorporate in his painting. His

themes are usually erotica, abstract, and Filipiniana (Art pavilion>Ramon H. Lopez, 2021).
 Conclusion

Another beautiful sight from Nueva Ecija is Mount 387, also known as Mount Baton Amat in Karanglan,

Nueva Ecija. Known for the Chocolate Hills in the north. Since we were from Cabanatuan, it only took 1 hour

and 30 minutes to reach Mount 387, so we left Cabanatuan at 1am and arrived at Sting before 3am. I chose

light meals, at least to get the energy of hiking. I needed to register before the hike, so I decided to hire a

guide to explain it before I started climbing. I left a puncture wound at 3 am while it was still dark. The

higher you are, the less trees and greens you can see. The summit surprised us with a view of the steep

brown slopes reminiscent of other hiking experiences. Due to the steep slopes on the way to the famous

Aloha Falls, we conclude that Mount 387 is one of the most difficult experiences we have had. But our

adventure doesn't end with a waterfall. When we returned to the jump, we crossed several rivers and now

had a beautiful Worms Eye view of the mountains. Finished the climb with a gorgeous lunch prepared by

the locals
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