HISTORY

During the Spanish Regime, Banga-banga, a former barrio of Cabanatuan at that time is what this present Municipality of Santa Rosa, Nueva Ecija is known. It was told that this was so-called because of the people’s way of fetching water by use of jars-commonly known as “Banga” to us. The jar or “banga” is made of clay and it is very important to most Filipinos because it is used in fetching water from the river to their houses.

The Spaniards named it after this, because according to Mr. Marcelo D. Liwag (a revolutionary of the Filipino-Spanish war) the first Spanish Missionaries who were assigned at this place asked women they met on their way if they have seen anyone from their origin, the women unaware of what have been asked, innocently answered “banga-banga” thinking that the Spaniards did ask of the thing on top of their heads, and so since then the place was called as such.

Banga-banga is a small town that encountered rapid changes. Development was fast growing and there came the time when heads of this barrio petitioned to government authorities that it must be made a Municipality, independent from Cabanatuan. The petition was granted but the name was changed. Santa Rosa, the new name was after a patron saint found inside an abandoned Spanish headquarters.

Today, Santa Rosa is one of the twenty seven (27) municipalities of Nueva Ecija with an area of 24,162.000 hectares or 241.6200 square kilometers. It is located on the Southwestern part of the province. Bounded on the North by Cabanatuan City, on the South by San Leonardo and Penaranda, on the East by Palayan City and General Tinio, on the Northwest by Zaragoza and Aliaga and on the Southwest by Jaen. The municipality traversed by two (2) routes of the National Road, both from the South to the North by the Maharlika Highway and from the East to the West by the Tarlac-Santa Rosa-Fort Magsaysay Road.

Santa Rosa, besides possessing potentials for economic development, is strategically located between progressive communities, and center of commerce and trade. Travel to and from this town is not a problem as road networks with other municipalities link it.

Experience staying with the people of this town and you will feel the number one trait of every Filipino, and that is….HOSPITALITY”.