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 province of Nueva Ecija.
National heroes and patriots Antonio Bautista – air force pilot and Medal of Valor awardee Mariano Llanera – vice commander of the Philippine Revolutionary Army Benito Natividad – brigadier general of the Philippine Revolutionary Army Mamerto Natividad – commanding general of the Philippine Revolutionary Arm in Central Luzon 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 Pantaleon Valmonte – general of the Philippine Revolutionary Army Entertainment Jason Abalos – actor and politician JC Alcantara – actor Raymond Bagatsing – actor RK Bagatsing – actor Jose Balagtas – film director 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 Bea Binene – actress Nida Blanca – actress Gavin "Ser Geybin" Capinpin – vlogger Anthony Castelo – singer Val Castelo – singer and actor Ryza Cenon – actress Manuel Chua – actor and model Nestor de Villa – actor Darren Espanto – singer Cristy Fermin – talk show host Bella Flores – actress Marvin Gagarin – singer BB Gandanghari – actress and model Katrina Halili – actress JaMill – content creators Small Laude – vlogger Rio Locsin – actress Diana Mackey – actress and beauty queen Rose Marielle Mamaclay – singer Jayzam Manabat – vlogger Kaori Oinuma – actress; former PBB housemate Erika Padilla – actress, TV host and model Rommel Padilla – actor and politician Fred Panopio – singer and actor Coleen Perez – actress Kurt Perez – former child actor; StarStruck Kids Ultimate Male Survivor Lito Pimentel – actor Anita Ramos Camba – television producer and director Willie Revillame – actor, businessman and longtime host of major Philippine noontime variety shows Nikki Samonte – actress Rosalyn Sirikit Santiago – Bb. Pilipinas 2006 1st runner-up 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 Silayan – actor Val Sotto – actor, singer and politician Vic Sotto – actor, television host, and comedian; multi-awarded Box Office King Chanel Olive Thomas – Bb. Pilipinas Supranational 2017 Eula Valdez – actress Xilhouete – drag performer
Journalism
Philip Agustin – journalist and newspaper editor Louie Beltran – broadcast journalist, first editor-in-chief of the Philippine Daily Inquirer Frankie Evangelista – broadcast journalist and newspaper columnist Athena Imperial – GMA News reporter and Miss Earth - Water 2011 Anthony Taberna – news anchor and radio broadcaster Joe Taruc – DZRH radio broadcaster
Education, literature and the arts
Lamberto Antonio – poet and writer; Palanca awardee Jose Balagtas – film director and writer Lino Brocka – director and National Artist for Film Behn Cervantes – artist, activist and film director Elito "Amangpintor" Circa – indigenous painter Emmanuel de Guzman – 12th president of the Polytechnic University of the Philippines. Felipe Padilla de Leon – composer and National Artist for Music Rony V. Diaz – writer and Palanca awardee Damiana Eugenio – writer known as the "Mother of Philippine Folklore." Doreen Fernandez – food writer and cultural historian Lázaro Francisco – novelist and National Artist for Literature. Ramon H. Lopez – painter E. Arsenio Manuel – academic, historian and anthropologist Mario Parial – painter and sculptor Rogelio R. Sikat – novelist, playwright and Palanca awardee
Politics and government Richard Albano – retired PNP General Jaime Bautista – businessman and former Secretary of Transportation Sonny Belmote – former speaker of the House of Representatives Ponciano Bernardo – former mayor of Quezon City Alice Bulos – Filipino American civil rights leader and Democratic Party delegate Oscar Calderon – former chief of the Philippine National Police Oscar Castelo – former secretary of national defense and secretary of justice Delfin Castro – AFP 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 Epifanio de los Santos – historian and writer who served as Nueva Ecija representative to the Malolos Congress and later governor of Nueva Ecija Jaime de los Santos – former chief of staff and commanding general of the Philippine Army, former commander of the United Nations Transitional Administration in East Timor Eduardo del Rosario – first Secretary of Human Settlements and Urban Development Faustino Dy – former Governor of Isabela Randy Escolango – undersecretary at the Department of Health Juan Feleo – peasant leader Josie Fitial – former First Lady of the Northern Mariana Islands Isauro Gabaldón – former resident commissioner of the Philippines to the United States House of Representatives Dr. Paulino J. García – former Secretary of Health Rafael Ileto – AFP General and former Secretary of National Defense Mark Jimenez – former congressman of Manila and consultant of former Philippine President Joseph Ejercito Estrada Eduardo Joson – WWII guerrilla leader and former governor of Nueva Ecija Juan Liwag – former senator Cielo Magno – economist; former Undersecretary of the Department of Finance Rafael V. Mariano – former partylist representative for Anakpawis 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 Sedfrey Ordoñez – lawyer and former Secretary of Justice Robin Padilla – actor and politician; ran for Vice Governor of Nueva Ecija in 1995. Bernardo Pardo – Supreme Court Associate Justice Emerson Pascual – representative, Nueva Ecija's 4th district Kokoy Salvador – representative, Nueva Ecija's 2nd district Vicente "Tito" Sotto III – senate president, actor, and musician Mika Suansing – representative, Nueva Ecija's 1st district Jay Vergara – representative, Nueva Ecija's 3rd district Joseph Gilbert Violago – representative, Nueva Ecija's 2nd district Reynaldo Wycoco – former director of the national Bureau of Investigation
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 Jose Elmer Mangalinao – Roman Catholic bishop Alberto Ramento – ninth supreme bishop and former chairperson of the Supreme Council of Bishops of the Philippine Independent Church Oscar Solis – bishop of Salt Lake City in Utah since 2017, first Filipino-American Catholic bishop
Sports
Carlo Biado – pool player and world champion Hernando Castelo – sports shooter Samboy de Leon – basketball player Japoy Lizardo – taekwondo athlete and commercial model; Asian Games bronze medalist Frances Molina – Premier Volleyball League MVP Ferdinand Pascual – international basketball referee
Others
Alexis Belonio – inventor Alice Eduardo – businesswoman; founder and CEO of Sta. Elena Construction and Development Corporation Rosario and Silvino Encarnacion – Ramon Magsaysay Award recipients Rolando Galman – alleged assissin of Ninoy Aquino Julian Marcelino – mass murderer Sergio Ortiz-Luis Jr. – Chairman of PCCI; Father of Philippine Export Aniceto Sobrepeña – businessman; former president of Metrobank Foundation 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