# Bongabon

Bongabon, officially the Municipality of Bongabon (Ilocano: Ili ti Bongabon; Tagalog: Bayan ng Bongabon), is a municipality in the province of Nueva Ecija, Philippines. According to the 2020 census, it has a population of 66,839 people.
Bongabon is the leading producer of onion in the Philippines and in Southeast Asia. Each barangay in Bongabon has its own fiesta. The town fiesta, celebrated annually on the 1st to 2nd week of April, is known as the Sibuyasan Onion Festival.
Bongabon is 14 kilometres (8.7 mi) from Palayan, 144 kilometres (89 mi) from Manila, and 88 kilometres (55 mi) from Baler.

## History
### Spanish colonial era

The Augustinian missionaries who preached Catholicism in Pampanga extended their outposts into what is now the province of Nueva Ecija by following the Rio Grande dela Pampanga. Thus, Santol (present day Barangay Santor) was part of Pantabangan and established in 1659. In 1760, Bongabon was named as a town and parish under the patronage of St. Francis of Assisi.
Bongabon was the first capital of Nueva Ecija.
Immigrating settlers of the community were mostly Tagalog and Ilocanos from the provinces of Ilocos Region and Pangasinan with some Kapampangans from the provinces of Pampanga and Tarlac.

#### Philippine revolution

When the Philippine Revolution began on 1896 to 1898 against Spain. The Philippine Revolutionary and Republican troops with the aid of Katipunero rebels invaded the municipal town of Bongabon and fought the Spanish Colonial forces and started the Siege of Bongabon. The Filipino revolutionary troops and Katipunero rebel fighters captured the municipal town after the siege forcing the Spanish troops to retreat.

### American invasion era

With the outbreak of the Philippine–American War on 1899 to 1902, the town saw the arrival of American troops which fought the Filipino revolutionary troops and Katipuneros in the Battle of Bongabon on 1899. In the ensuing battle, the town was captured by the American troops.

### Philippine independence

On April 28, 1949, Aurora Quezon, her daughter Maria Aurora "Baby" Quezon, then a law student at the University of Santo Tomas, her son-in-law Felipe "Philip" Buencamino (husband of "Nini" and brother-in-law of "Baby") and Quezon City Mayor Ponciano Bernardo were assassinated by Hukbalahap movement led by Luis Taruc in this town while traveling in Aurora's Buick sedan along the Baler–Bongabon Road connecting Baler with Nueva Ecija, which Aurora Quezon herself inaugurated in 1940, to open the Quezon Memorial Hospital in Baler, Aurora, hometown of Aurora and her husband Manuel Quezon, then a town of Nueva Ecija before 1902 and a town of Quezon Province since 1902 and in 1949.

## Geography
### Barangays

Bongabon is politically subdivided into 28 barangays.  Each barangay consists of puroks and some have sitios.
* Antipolo
* Ariendo
* Bantug
* Calaanan
* Commercial (Poblacion)
* Cruz
* Digmala
* Curva (J. Tomacruz)
* Kaingin (Poblacion)
* Labi
* Larcon
* Lusok
* Macabaclay
* Magtanggol (Poblacion)
* Mantile (Poblacion)
* Olivete
* Palo Maria (Poblacion)
* Pesa
* Rizal (Poblacion)
* Sampalucan (Poblacion)
* San Roque (Poblacion)
* Santor
* Sinipit (Poblacion)
* Sisilang na Ligaya (Poblacion)
* Social (Poblacion)
* Tugatug
* Tulay na Bato (Poblacion)
* Vega Grande

### Climate

Climate data for Bongabon, Nueva Ecija :
| Month | Jan | Feb | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec | Year |
| Mean daily maximum °C (°F) | 29 (84) | 30 (86) | 31 (88) | 33 (91) | 33 (91) | 31 (88) | 30 (86) | 29 (84) | 29 (84) | 30 (86) | 30 (86) | 29 (84) | 30 (87) |
| Mean daily minimum °C (°F) | 19 (66) | 19 (66) | 20 (68) | 22 (72) | 23 (73) | 24 (75) | 24 (75) | 24 (75) | 23 (73) | 22 (72) | 21 (70) | 20 (68) | 22 (71) |
| Average precipitation mm (inches) | 4 (0.2) | 6 (0.2) | 7 (0.3) | 12 (0.5) | 61 (2.4) | 89 (3.5) | 96 (3.8) | 99 (3.9) | 81 (3.2) | 88 (3.5) | 37 (1.5) | 13 (0.5) | 593 (23.5) |
| Average rainy days | 2.5 | 3.0 | 4.1 | 6.3 | 15.8 | 19.4 | 22.5 | 21.6 | 20.1 | 17.5 | 9.6 | 4.0 | 146.4 |
| Source: Meteoblue ||||||||||||||

## Demographics

| Year | Pop. | ±% p.a. |
| 1903 | 3,923 | — |
| 1918 | 4,532 | +0.97% |
| 1939 | 11,885 | +4.70% |
| 1948 | 14,958 | +2.59% |
| 1960 | 20,854 | +2.81% |
| 1970 | 25,434 | +2.00% |
| 1975 | 29,932 | +3.32% |
| 1980 | 32,451 | +1.63% |
| Year | Pop. | ±% p.a. |
| 1990 | 39,616 | +2.02% |
| 1995 | 44,856 | +2.35% |
| 2000 | 49,255 | +2.03% |
| 2007 | 63,639 | +3.60% |
| 2010 | 59,343 | −2.51% |
| 2015 | 64,173 | +1.50% |
| 2020 | 66,839 | +0.80% |
Source: Philippine Statistics Authority :

### Religion

The majority of the people of the municipality are Roman Catholic. The members of the Iglesia ni Cristo are growing in number and are second to the Catholics in membership. Other sects in the municipality are the Methodists, Iglesia ng Dios, Seventh-day Adventists, etc.

## Economy

Poverty incidence of Bongabon
* 10
* 20
* 30
* 40
* 2000 38.56
* 2003 24.87
* 2006 29.50
* 2009 21.74
* 2012 16.49
* 2015 14.80
* 2018 5.47
* 2021 15.00
* Source: Philippine Statistics Authority

## Tourism

* Sibuyas Festival is celebrated as a form of thanksgiving every 10 April, and a way to promote and show their town as one of the largest producers of onion in Asia.
* Ilog Jordan at Barangay Olivete – This place is a popular Lenten destination for people seeking spiritual rejuvenation and healing.
* Falls Deepsap at Barangay Labi – A good place to visit during summer, the falls offers a cold shimmering water perfect to beat heatwaves. Its water comes from the untainted Sierra Madre Mountain.
* Mount Labi Peak at Barangay Labi.
* The first leg of the UCI Gravel World Series was held in Bongabon, Nueva Ecija, Philippines on April 3, 2022.

## Healthcare

Bongabon District Hospital, a government hospital located at Barangay Curva, Bongabon, Nueva Ecija

## Education

Most are public schools from primary to secondary. Bongabon National High School is located at Barangay Sinipit, Bongabon, Nueva Ecija, Philippines. Many of the students are going to Cabanatuan to continue their college.