Nueva Ecija - Notable Personalities in Nueva Ecija

Notable Personalities in Nueva Ecija

• General Mariano Llanera †(1855–1942) - Mariano Llanera who fought in the provinces of Bulacan, Tarlac, Pampanga, and Nueva Ecija.
• Alipio Tecson - Alipio Tecson (Alipio B. Tecson)`was the revolutionary Colonel who was the assistant field officer in the battle Cry of Nueva Ecija in Cabiao, Nueva Ecija. Alipio Tecson later became Brigadier General. Cry of Nueva Ecija was led by General Mariano Llanera, Mariano Llanera and manned by General Manuel Tinio, Manuel Tinio. Alipio Tecson was deported to Guam 1991. Upon his return he became Mayor (Governaborcillo) of Cabiao, Laguna. Tecson Street is a memorial for him.
• Engr. Ponciano A. Bernardo † - Ponciano Bernardo (December 2, 1905 - April 28, 1949) was the 2nd Mayor of Quezon City. Ponciano Bernardo was born in Sta. Rosa, Nueva Ecija, whose father immigrated from Pandi, Bulacan to PAPAYA now called General Tinio, Nueva Ecija. Ponciano Bernardo School and Ponciano Bernardo Park in Cubao, Quezon City is a memorial for him. Ponciano was killed in an ambush by Hukbalahap with the Philippine First Lady Aurora Quezon on their route to Aurora. Ponciano was appointed by the 2nd Philippine President Manuel Quezon, prior to being Mayor he was Secretary of Department of Public Works and Highways (Philippines). Ponciano was Filipino engineer and politician who served as mayor of Quezon City, holding the position from 1947 until his death in 1949. It was during his tenure that Quezon City was designated as the capital city of the Philippines.

• Catalino Ortiz Brocka † (April 3, 1939–May 21, 1991) - Lino Brocka is known as one of the greatest film directors of the Philippines. Brocka was openly gay and many of his films incorporated LGBT themes into their often dramatic storylines. Brocka was born in Pilar, Sorsogon but their family later transferred at San Jose City, Nueva Ecija.
• Epifanio de los Santos † (April 7, 1871—April 18, 1928) - Epifanio de los Santos y Cristóbal, sometimes known as Don Pañong or Don Panyong he was born in 1871 in Malabon, province of Rizal, (now an independent city) to Escolastico de los Santos of Nueva Ecija and musician Antonina Cristóbal of Malabon. He was a noted Filipino historian, literary critic, art critic, jurist, prosecutor, antiquarian, archivist, scholar, painter, poet, musician, musicologist, philosopher, philologist, bibliographer, translator, journalist, editor, publisher, paleographer, ethnographer, biographer, researcher, civil servant, patriot and hero. He was appointed Director of the Philippine Library and Museum by Governor General Leonard Wood in 1925.He was appointed district attorney of San Isidro, Nueva Ecija. He was later elected as governor of Nueva Ecija in 1902 and 1904. His election victory made him the first democratically elected provincial governor and head of the Federal Party in Nueva Ecija.
• Admiral Ramon C Liwag PCG, born in Cabiao, Nueva Ecija is the 23rd Commandant of the Philippine Coast Guard. At the same time, he is occupying the following vital positions in the organization namely: as Chairman, Board of Marine Inquiry (BMI); Chairman, Board of Senior Officer (BOSO); Chairman, Grievance Committee; during the recently conducted 5th annual meeting of the ReCAAP-ISC Governing Council held in Singapore last 1–3 March 2011, He was unanimously elected as the new Chairperson of the Regional Cooperation Agreement on Combating Piracy and Armed Robbery Against Ship in Asia (ReCAAP).
• Lolita Eva Carino Padilla a.k.a. "Mama Eva". Born on March 23, 1936 from Nagmisahan, Cuyapo, Nueva Ecija is a Filipino actress who married Roy Padilla, Sr. from the province of Camarines Norte. She is better known as the mother of actors Rommel Padilla, Robin Padilla and Rustom Padilla a.k.a BB Gandanghari
• Heber Gonzalez Bartolome (born on November 4, 1948) is a Filipino folk and folk rock singer, songwriter, composer, poet, guitarist, bandurria player, bluesman, and painter. His music was influenced by the “stylistic tradition” of Philippine folk and religious melodies.
• Dorothy Acueza Jones - Nida Blanca † (January 6, 1936 – November 7, 2001) - Nida Blanca as popularly known by her stage name, was a Filipina actress. She starred in over 163 movies and 14 television shows and received over 16 awards for movies and six awards for television during her 50-year film career. She was named one of 15 Best Actress of all Time by YES magazine.
• Rhiza Ann Cenon Simbulan, better known by her screen name Ryza Cenon(born on December 21, 1987 in Gapan City, Nueva Ecija), is a Filipina actress.
• Jaime de los Santos (born April 1946, Nueva Écija, Philippines) is a retired military general in the Philippines. He joined the Philippine Army in 1969 after graduating from the Philippine Military Academy with a degree Bachelor of Science in Military Engineering. De los Santos later on served as a Brigade Commander, Chief of Staff and Commanding General of an Infantry Division and Superintendent of the Philippine Military Academy.
• Damiana L. Eugenio is a Filipino female author and professor who is known as the Mother of Philippine Folklore, a title she received in 1986. Apart from teaching at the University of the Philippines, she has several publications in the field of Philippine folklore, among them is a series of seven books which she compiled and edited.
• Frankie Evangelista † (July 24, 1934 - February 18, 2004), was a radio and television broadcaster of ABS-CBN since 1953.
• Josepina "Josie" Padiermos Fitial (born November 25, 1962) is the current First Lady of the Northern Mariana Islands and the wife of Governor Benigno Fitial. She became First Lady upon the inauguration of her husband as the 6th Governor of the Northern Mariana Islands on January 9, 2006.
• Fred Panopio † (February 2, 1939 — April 22, 2010) Was a Filipino singer and actor who rose to fame in the 1970s.
• Rommel Padilla Is an actor, businessman and politician. He is the part of the Padilla clan.
• Rogelio R. Sikat † (Also known as Rogelio Sícat) (1940–1997) Is a Filipino fictionist, playwright, translator and educator. He was born to Estanislao Sikat and Crisanta Rodriguez on June 26, 1940 in Alua, San Isidro, Nueva Ecija, Philippines. He is the sixth of eight children. Sicat graduated with a B.Litt. in Journalism from the University of Santo Tomas and an M.A. in Filipino from the University of the Philippines.
• Néstor de Villa † (July 6, 1928 – February 21, 2004) Was a Filipino actor frequently cast in musical films. He was a gifted dancer often paired with frequent onscreen partner Nida Blanca in both movies and television. His dancing talent led some to call him the "Fred Astaire of the Philippines", though the same moniker had also been given to Bayani Casimiro.
• Oscar A. Solis (October 13, 1953) - Oscar Azarcon Solis was born in San Jose City, Philippines, October 13, 1953. He studied at Christ the King Seminary of the Society of the Divine Word in Quezon City, Philippines, and at the Pontifical Royal Seminary, University of Santo Tomas, in Manila. After migrating to the United States in 1984, Father Solis served as associate pastor of St. Rocco's parish, New Jersey, 1984-1988. With permission from his Ordinary in the Philippines, he went to the Diocese of Houma-Thibodaux in 1988 where he was appointed associate pastor of St. Joseph Co-Cathedral. He was incardinated into the Diocese of Houma-Thibodaux in 1992, and was named pastor of St. Joseph Co-Cathedral in 1999. He has been a member of the Diocesan Priests' Council, the Personnel Committee and the College of Consultors. Solis is the first Filipino-American to be consecrated a bishop.
• Patrocinio V. Villafuerte (born May 7, 1948, San Isidro, Nueva Ecija) - Multi-awarded writer and educator in Filipino. Presently, he is the OIC of the Filipino Department of Philippine Normal University with a rank of Full Professor.
• Anthony Taberna (January 16, 1975) - Born in San Isidro, Nueva Ecija, Anthony "Tunying" Taberna is a Filipino broadcast journalist and radio commentator. At ABS-CBN, Taberna has hosted television and radio programs covering news and public affairs. He is currently hosting Umagang Kay Ganda (where he gained popularity in the segment "Punto por Punto") and XXX: Exklusibong, Explosibong, Exposé. As a DZMM commentator, Taberna is one of the lead anchors for Dos Por Dos, a daily morning and late afternoon show, along with Gerry Baja. He is also the sole anchor of Iba-Balita in Studio 23.
• Kathryn Bernardo (March 26, 1996) - Born in Cabanatuan, Nueva Ecija, Kathryn Chandria Manuel Bernardo was her full name. She is a Filipina Actress and her career was started in 2003–Present. She is best known for her role as Mara in the primetime Filipino drama, Mara Clara. Kathryn is currently a contract artist of Star Magic and ABS-CBN and most recently starred as Ana Bartolome in the 2011 drama film, Way Back Home. She currently plays the main protagonist, Mikay, in the primetime series Princess and I.
• Willie Revillame (January 27, 1961) - He is a Novo Ecijano in Cabiao, Nueva Ecija but he was born in Manila, Philippines. He started his career in 1986–Present. Is a television host, actor, comedian and a recording artist in the Philippines.