General Tinio, Nueva Ecija

Barangays

General Tinio is politically subdivided into 13 barangays consisting of:

History

According to the story passed on from one generation to another, the town got its name because of miscommunication between the natives and the Spanish colonizers. A native settler when asked by a Spanish soldier "Llama el pueblo?" replied "Papaya" referring to the particular fruit tree growing abundantly in the place (not understanding the Spanish language). The name stuck to the Spanish colonizers and the place from then on was called "Papaya".

Papaya was a sitio of Bo. Mapisong which was then a barrio of Gapan (now Gapan City). Bo. Mapisong became a town in 1851 changing its name to Peñaranda after a Spanish engineer Jose Maria Peñaranda. Papaya became one of its barangays. Papaya became a town on January 1, 1921, through the collaborative efforts of Capitan Mamerto Padolina who was then the Secretary of the Governor of the Province, Judge Segundo Bernardo and Francisco Padolina.

Congressman Celestino Juan sponsored a congressional act changing the name of Papaya to General Tinio in honor of General Manuel Tinio, a noble and prominent revolutionary leader against the Spaniards who hailed from the Nueva Ecija. The act was signed into law on June 20, 1957 as Republic Act No. 1665. The new name of the town was inaugurated days later, on August 19, 1957.

Recently, the municipal council approved a resolution to rename the town back to its original name, "Papaya".

World War II

Beginning the outbreak of World War II, Japanese planes invaded the town of General Tinio during the Japanese Invasion on December 1941. Japanese soldiers entered the municipality on 1942 during the Japanese Occupation. During the occupation, the Japanese soldiers built a military garrison and concentration camp of the Imperial Japanese Armed Forces in the town.

The construction of the general headquarters and base camp of the Philippine Commonwealth Army was founded on January 3, 1942 to June 30, 1946. The 2nd Infantry Regiment of the Philippine Constabulary was founded again on October 28, 1944 to June 30, 1946 in the municipality of General Tinio. The local soldiers and officers of the Commonwealth Army, as well as the Constabulary sent military operations in Central Luzon and aided the guerrilla fighters and Hukbalahap Communist resistance against the Japanese from 1942 to 1945.

Some of the conflicts and insurgencies by the local guerrilla groups and Hukbalahap Communists aided the local Filipino troops and officers of the Philippine Commonwealth Army and incoming Philippine Constabulary 2nd Infantry Regiment units. Both forces fought side by side and attacked Japanese troops for fours year in 1942 up to 1945. After the conflicts and insurgencies, the guerrilla groups and Hukbalahap resistance retreated from the Imperial Japanese troops and the air raid pilots recaptured the town and before the liberation on 1944 and 1945.

The Allied Philippine Invasion Forces entered General Tinio in Nueva Ecija between 1944 and 1945, harassing the Imperial Japanese ground forces and aiding the Philippine Commonwealth ground troops and various guerrilla groups and the Hukbalahap resistance. When the local Filipino troops of the Philippine Commonwealth Army and the 2nd Infantry Regiment of the Philippine Constabulary liberated the municipality of General Tinio in Nueva Ecija, the two forces combined to defeat the retreating Imperial Japanese troops on 1944 to 1945.

Local government

The following have led the town from its birth in 1921 to what it had become today.

Economy

Farming is the livelihood of majority of the residents. Even though located at the foot of the Sierra Madre Mountain Ridges, the topography is generally plain ideal to agricultural products such as palay and vegetables. A number of poultry broiler contract growers are located in the municipality. Other industries include furniture and fixtures, backyard poultry, cattle and livestock, vegetable production and minor agricultural livelihoods like duck raising. "Ikmo" or betel leaves production is one dying symbol of the town. The practice of chewing betel leaves by the older generation was not adopted by the younger generation even though of its reported natural anti-cancer formula.

The remittances of numerous sons and daughters of Papaya abroad also help keep the economy of the town afloat. Papayanos can be relied to answer calls of assistance for the town's development.

Minalungao National Park is also one of the biggest attraction of the town catering tens and hundreds of thousands each day.

Culture

Roman Catholic is the most prevalent religion, with Iglesia ni Cristo, Baptist, Methodist, and others attracting its own followers. The town's patron saint, San Isidro de Labrador is being feted every May 12.

The town is best known for having the most number of brass bands in the Philippines with 15 organized bands. These bands are sought after to enhance entertainment ambience in fiestas and other traditional rites such as wakes. The Family band is the most popular one and have produced champions in majorette exhibition, solo flute competition, solo clarinet competition, solo trumpet competition, French horn competition, etc., in national brass band competitions.

The town also has other places of interest notably Minalungao National Park which is a favorite swimming destinations in summer, specially during Black Saturday when it is usually filled with local bathers and visitors. Minalungao, literally meaning "mine of gold in a cave", has several caves which can explored. The river also has a portion where a stone ledge located about 15 meters high from the river can be used as spring board.

Papaya Festival is also celebrated coincide with its Foundation Anniversary, Parade of different school students around the town wearing colourful costume inspired by the fruits Papaya which this town got its name until it was change to General Tinio

Schools

General Tinio National High School is the most beautiful school in the town and one of the biggest in the province.

It also bags a ton of awards in major tournaments, competitions and in Nueva Ecija Provincial Jamborees.

Also, it was/is the home of the most beautiful and smartest graduates and students in the province.