Bongabon

Bongabon is a municipality in Nueva Ecija. Situated on the slopes of the Sierra Madre, it forms one of the gateways to neigboring Aurora province.

Formerly known as Santol or Santor, Bongabon was founded by the Spanish in 1659 as an outpost of Pantabangan to subjugate the indigenous tribes in the Sierra Madre mountains. It became a separate municipality in 1760. It is a largely quiet municipality that suffered some the occasional peasant revolt and guerrilla warfare during World War II, the Huk Rebellion and the New People's Army insurgency during the 20th century.

Bongabon's main lifeline is agriculture, particularly its production of onions that have made it the "Onion Capital of Nueva Ecija". There is also a growing ecotourism sector seeking advantage of its position on the watershed of the Pampanga River. Bongabon's mountains are also included in the Doña Aurora Memorial National Park, a 5,676 hectares (14,030 acres) protected area straddling the boundaries of Nueva Ecija and Aurora that is home to some endemic species such as the Philippine eagle, the country's national bird.

It is home to about 69,000 people (census, 1 July 2024)

Bongabon is the western terminus of the Nueva Ecija-Aurora Road, the main thoroughfare between Nueva Ecija and Baler, the capital of Aurora province. It passes through the Sierra Madre and features hairpin turns and forested areas. From Bongabon, the road is directly connected by highways to the major cities of San Jose and Cabanatuan.

There are passenger vans and buses passing through Bongabon on their way between Baler and Cabanatuan, the largest city in Nueva Ecija.

Tricycles are the main form of transportation between barangays.

• 15.661922121.3108211 Mount Labi, Labi. Believed to be the highest mountain in town, it is a 1,620 metres (5,310 ft) peak whose summit requires a 2-day climb. Along its slopes are the Silangan and Deesap falls, the latter being the tallest waterfall in Nueva Ecija.  (updated Sep 2026)
• 15.664711121.2914232 Aurora Quezon Ambush site, Nueva Ecija-Aurora Road, Labi. Perhaps the main claim to fame (or infamy) of Bongabon in Philippine history is that it was the place where former first lady Aurora Quezon was assassinated along with her daughter, son-in-law, and several others when their convoy was ambushed along the highway by Huk rebels in 1949. The killing provoked national and international outrage and saw support for the Huks, then riding on popular demands for land reform, precipitously decline. The site of the killing is marked with a roadside shrine lined with shady trees which is often overlooked by travelers heading to Baler, where Mrs. Quezon's party was also heading to at the time.  (updated Sep 2026)
• 15.609806121.2126053 Ilog Jordan, Olivete. A pristine waterway (ilog means "river" in Tagalog) originating from Mount Olivete that is used for irrigation and swimming purposes by surrounding resorts.  (updated Sep 2026)
• 15.651264121.2151274 Dilalam Lake, Calaanan. A man-made reservoir used primarily for irrigation purposes.  (updated Sep 2026)
• 15.627637121.141985 Saint Francis of Assisi Parish Church (Bongabon Church), Payawal Street, Sisilang na Ligaya (facing Bongabon Town Plaza), ☏ +63 936 934 3445, sfapmediabongabon2020@gmail.com. Bongabon's main Roman Catholic church, built during the Spanish era and retaining its red-brick facade.  (updated Sep 2026)
• 15.627129121.1409536 Museo de Bongabon, JP Rizal Street, Social (beside Bongabon Central School). 9AM-4PM M-F. A museum on local history and culture, housed inside the former municipal hall. ₱25 adults, ₱20 elderly/disabled, ₱10 students, additional fees for filming and commercial photography.  (updated Sep 2026)

• 15.667399121.180411 Bongabon Bike Park, Ariendo. A complex featuring dirt biking trails on hilly terrain catering to mountain bikes.  (updated Sep 2026)
• Sibuyas Festival. April. The town's annual festival dedicated to its main agricultural product (sibuyas means onion in Tagalog). (updated Sep 2026)

• 15.631165121.1440591 Bongabon Public Market, JP Rizal Street, Commercial.  (updated Sep 2026)
• 15.632316121.1446412 7-11, JP Rizal Street, Commercial.  (updated Sep 2026)

There may be a few New People's Army rebels hiding in the mountains.

The town's postal code is 3128.

• 15.627496121.145031 Bongabon Tourism, Sinipit (inside the Municipal Hall complex).  (updated Oct 2026)