The following is a list of notable people who were either born in, lived in, are current residents of, or are closely associated with the city of Cabanatuan, Nueva Ecija.
National heroes and patriots
Antonio Bautista – air force pilot and Medal of Valor awardee General Antonio Luna – Commanding General of the Philippine Republican Army; assassinated in Cabanatuan Juan Pajota – World War II guerrilla officer who played a key role in the Raid at Cabanatuan Manuel Tinio – youngest general of the Philippine Revolutionary Army and later governor of Nueva Ecija
Entertainment
Jason Abalos – actor and politician Paolo Ballesteros – actor, comedian and drag queen Heber Bartolome – folk singer Ruel S. Bayani – film and television director Kathryn Bernardo – actress and singer; highest-grossing Filipino actress of all time Gavin "Ser Geybin" Capinpin – vlogger Anthony Castelo – singer Val Castelo – singer and actor Manuel Chua – actor and model Nestor de Villa – actor H.E.R. – Academy, Emmy, and Grammy-winning singer-songwriter and actress Katrina Halili – actress Diana Mackey – actress and beauty queen Rose Marielle Mamaclay – singer; WCOPA Grand Champion Kaori Oinuma – actress; former PBB housemate Kurt Perez – former child actor; StarStruck Kids Ultimate Male Survivor Willie Revillame – actor, businessman and longtime host of major Philippine noontime variety shows Vilma Santos – actress and politician; FAMAS Hall of Fame inductee Yen Santos – actress; Gawad Urian Best Actress Romnick Sarmenta – actor; dubbed as the "Teenage King" in the 1980s Vic Sotto – actor, television host, and comedian; multi-awarded Box Office King Val Sotto – actor, singer and politician Xilhouete – drag performer
Journalism
Athena Imperial – GMA News reporter and Miss Earth - Water 2011
Education, literature and the arts
Lino Brocka – National Artist for Film Behn Cervantes – artist, activist and film director Emmanuel de Guzman – 12th president of the Polytechnic University of the Philippines. Doreen Fernandez – food writer and cultural historian Lázaro Francisco – novelist and National Artist for Literature. Damiana Eugenio – writer known as the "Mother of Philippine Folklore." Rony V. Diaz – writer and Palanca awardee
Politics and government
Richard Albano – retired PNP General Jaime Bautista – businessman and former Secretary of Transportation Alice Bulos – Filipino American civil rights leader and Democratic Party delegate Oscar Castelo – former secretary of national defense and secretary of justice Delfin Castro – Armed Forces of the Philippines major general Perci Cendaña – representative, Akbayan Party-list Hermogenes Concepcion – former senator Hermogenes Concepcion Jr. – former solicitor general and associate justice of the Supreme Court of the Philippines Eliseo Cruz – retired Philippine National Police major general and Assistant Secretary of the Department of Justice Randy Escolango – undersecretary at the Department of Health Dr. Paulino J. García – former Secretary of Health Eduardo Joson – WWII guerrilla leader and former governor of Nueva Ecija Fortune Aleta-Ledesma – Honorary Consul General of Monaco to the Philippines Rafael V. Mariano – activist and former Secretary of Agrarian Reform Ameurfina Melencio-Herrera — lawyer and second woman to be appointed as Associate Justice of the Supreme Court of the Philippines Vicente "Tito" Sotto III – senate president, actor, and musician Jay Vergara – representative, Nueva Ecija's 3rd district Rosanna Vergara – representative, Nueva Ecija's 3rd district Aurelio Umali – governor of Nueva Ecija and representative, Nueva Ecija's 3rd district Czarina Umali – governor of Nueva Ecija and representative, Nueva Ecija's 3rd district
Religion
Emma de Guzman – Marian visionary and co-founder of La Pietà International Prayer Group Frederick Kriekenbeek – Catholic priest and pioneering exorcist in the Archdiocese of Cebu
Sports
Hernando Castelo – sports shooter; Asian Games Gold medalist Samboy de Leon – basketball player Japoy Lizardo – taekwondo athlete, actor, and commercial model Frances Molina – volleyball player Ferdinand Pascual – international basketball referee
Other Alice Eduardo – businesswoman; founder and CEO of Sta. Elena Construction and Development Corporation Mary Jane Veloso – Filipino migrant worker who was sentenced to death in Indonesia for drug trafficking in 2010. Her case drew international attention and widespread advocacy efforts, leading to a stay of execution in 2015.
References