Cabanatuan City is a city in Nueva Ecija, the rice granary of the Philippines.

Understand

Cabanatuan served as the economic center of Nueva Ecija, and an major stopover to Cagayan Valley.

The city once formed a barrio of the then-municipality of Gapan during the Spanish colonial period. During the Philippine–American War, it became the temporary capital of the nascent Philippine republic, and the place where general Antonio Luna would be assassinated by a soldier of his own battalion. The city also served as a battleground for one of the major encounters in the Philippines at the end of World War II, the raid at Cabanatuan, better remembered in the Hollywood film The Great Raid. Cabanatuan served as the capital of Nueva Ecija until the new capital is established at Palayan.

The city has tricycles the most popular mode of transportation, and there are more than 30,000 in the city, giving its nickname "Tricycle Capital of the Philippines".

Climate

Cabanatuan
Climate chart (explanation)
J F M A M J J A S O N D       17     32 21       17     33 21       18     34 22       47     36 24       179     36 24       194     34 24       371     33 24       372     32 24       320     33 24       186     33 23       90     33 23       43     32 22 Average max. and min. temperatures in °C Precipitation+Snow totals in mm
Imperial conversion J F M A M J J A S O N D       0.7     90 69       0.7     91 70       0.7     94 72       1.9     97 74       7.1     96 76       7.6     94 76       15     91 75       15     90 75       13     91 75       7.3     91 74       3.5     91 73       1.7     90 71 Average max. and min. temperatures in °F Precipitation+Snow totals in inches

The city has its reputation for very hot summer days, making it one of the hottest cities in the Philippines after Tuguegarao in Cagayan Valley. The climate is the usual tropical climate influenced by the monsoon, but its inland location further gave the possibility of extremely hot temperatures, enough to give you heat stroke on a short walk. Daytime highs usually fall in the 30s and does not fall below it. The highest temperature to record is a 40.4 °C (104.7 °F), and heat indexes above 50 °C (122 °F) are not uncommon during the dry season.

Get in

By bus and minivan

There are air-conditioned buses going from Cabanatuan to Baler at 8AM and 9:30AM. The trip takes around 4 hours and cost ₱247.

Vans also go from Cabanatuan to Baler for ₱200 but take time to fill up.

• Cabanatuan Central Terminal, Circumferential Road. There are food stalls, a restroom and convenience stores (7-Eleven and Alfamart). There are transfers to UV Express and jeepneys. Beware of scammers who will bring your baggage and lead you to overpriced shops. (updated Jul 2019)

Get around

Tricycles from ₱15 per person most rides ₱20-30.

There are also jeepneys from ₱8 for the first 4 km.

See

• 1 Camp Pangatian (Cabanatuan American Memorial). A former American military camp turned into a Japanese concentration camp for American and Filipino prisoners of war, it was known for the raid at Cabanatuan, one of the largest military operations of World War II in the Pacific. The camp has been turned into a memorial for the prisoners of war detained here, and is also part of itineraries for American war veterans. 
• Plaza Lucero, Rizal Street and Del Pilar Streets, Nabao. A little plaza built on where Antonio Luna, a Filipino general during the Philippine-American War, was assassinated. A statue of Luna in horseback is erected on the spot where he was killed. (updated Apr 2020)
• Nueva Ecija Old Provincial Capitol, Burgos Avenue, Padre Burgos. A neoclassical capitol building designed by the American architect and urban planner E. William Parsons. It used to house the government offices of the Nueva Ecija provincial government until it was relocated to the new capital at Palayan. (updated Apr 2020)

Buy

Malls & supermarkets

• N E Pacific Mall, Maharlika Highway. 9AM-9PM. (updated Sep 2016)
• Puregold Supermarket, Maharlika Highway. 8AM-9PM. (updated Sep 2016)
• Robinsons Mall & Robinsons Supermarket, Maharlika Hi-way. 9AM-9PM. (updated Mar 2015)
• SM City Mall & Savemore Supermarket, Maharlika Hi-way. 10AM-9PM. (updated Mar 2015)

Sleep

• Sogo hotel, Maharlika Hi-way (not far from the new SM mall and Robinsons). A good deal is the ₱300 rooms from 8PM till 6AM. ₱300 10 hours and ₱525 for 12 hours. (updated Mar 2015)
• Cabanatuan Travellers Apartelle, Papaya road Mabini, ☏ +63 44-6007368. Single/double rooms with own bathroom and cable TV. ₱700/800. (updated Mar 2015)
• Mansion Lodge, maharika Hi-way (next to Sogo Hotel). The least expensive fan double rooms in Cabanatuan. Cable TV costs ₱100 more. ₱500 for 24 hours. (updated Mar 2015)
• Microtel Inn & Suites Cabanatuan, Sta. Arcadia, ☏ +63 632 671-7171, fax: +63 632 671-7172. Well-maintained and comfortable rooms. 

Go next

• Baler
• Angeles
• Manila
• Solano (Philippines)

Routes through Cabanatuan

Gapan ← Santa Rosa ←

N  S

→ Talavera → San Jose