San Leonardo, officially the Municipality of San Leonardo, is a 1st class municipality in the province of Nueva Ecija, Philippines. According to the 2020 census, it has a population of 68,536 people.

History

During World War II, Imperial Japanese forces sacked San Leonardo in 1942 during the opening stages of the Japanese Occupation. Novo Ecijano and Hukbalahap Communist guerrilla resistance groups from 1942 to 1944 in the town fought the invaders, with liberation coming in 1945 by the Allied troops. From January to April 1945, the combined military force of the Philippine Commonwealth Army, Philippine Constabulary, and the United States Army recaptured and liberated the town. The joint forces assisted the Novo Ecijano and Hukbalahap Communist resistance groups and defeat the Japanese soldiers and officers under the Imperial Japanese Armed Forces and the Makapili soldiers and begins the Battle of San Leonardo and the Battle of Gapan between the Japanese and the combined American and Philippine Commonwealth troops on January to April 1945 and ended World War II.

Geography

The municipality has a land area of 151.90 square kilometers or 58.65 square miles which constitutes 2.67% of Nueva Ecija's total area. This represented 2.97% of the total population of Nueva Ecija province, or 0.55% of the overall population of the Central Luzon region. Based on these figures, the population density is computed at 451 inhabitants per square kilometer or 1,169 inhabitants per square mile. San Leonardo is located between Gapan and Santa Rosa along the Maharlika Highway. It is 15 km from Cabanatuan, 29 km from Palayan, and 101 km from Manila.

Barangays

San Leonardo is politically subdivided into 15 barangays. Each barangay consists of puroks and some have sitios.

Climate

Demographics

Religion

A majority of the populace is Roman Catholic. Other religious groups, mostly Christian, have churches and places of worship in the municipality.

Economy

Primarily depends on rice cultivation, vegetable production, poultry, piggery & commercial fishery. The area has a farming economy. San Leonardo has vast rice fields and land for growing vegetables and poultry products.

Education

Public elementary schools

Public high schools

Tertiary

Private schools

Healthcare

Hospitals and clinics can be found for their check up and treatment.

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