San Jose and Munoz : Visiting Nueva Ecija's Northern Cities

(This is part of my Nueva Ecija townhopping last June 12, 2013)

Nueva Ecija has five cities and two of them can be found north of the province : San Jose City and the Science City of Muñoz. Because visiting all the Philippine cities is also part of my quest, I seized the opportunity to visit these two cities during my one day Nueva Ecija tour.

From Rizal, Nueva Ecija, I rented a tricycle for Php 120.00 to San Jose City. There are public utility vehicles plying the route Rizal-San Jose but they are available only during afternoon and it was just 1:30 PM so I've got no choice but to take the tricycle.

Upon arriving at San Jose, the most dominant structure you will see is the San Jose Cathedral, the house of the Diocese of San Jose which oversees Roman Catholics of the Northern part of Nueva Ecija. The Cathedral is huge though the architecture is modern. Nevertheless, the church still exudes elegance and the mere size of it makes it a noticeable edifice.

San Jose Cathedral. Nueva Ecija.

Right side view of San Jose Cathedral. Nueva Ecija.

Unfortunately, the church was closed so I wasn't able to see the interior. What I did is to take a shot of the altar through the window that was left open.

San Jose Cathedral Altar

After visiting the church, I had a short walking tour around the city checking its commercial district and establishments. San Jose City has a more  vibrant business environment as compared to other Nueva Ecija towns and cities though it still has much room for improvements. I also checked out the city hall though when I get there, it seems it's under construction. Nevertheless, I took a picture of it for souvenir. From San Jose City, I took a jeepney to bring me to the famed Science City of Muñoz. 

Science City of Muñoz became as such in 2000 through the enactment of RA 8977 specifically including the phrase "Science" to the name of the city. The city is home to the Central Luzon State University, a tertiary institution known for its aquaculture, agriculture, food security and other related fields researches. 

Central Luzon State University. Munoz. Nueva Ecija.

It is also home to many national research and development centers such as the Philippine Rice Research Institute (PhilRice), Philippine Carabao Center, Fruits and Vegetable Seeds Center, Ramon Magsaysay Center for Agricultural Resources and Environmental Studies, and National Small Ruminant Center. Aside from those mentioned, there are also many other regional research and development centers which can be found there earning the city the name "science city". 

I also visited the Muñoz City hall as well as its unconventionally designed town church found not far from the city hall. I've also got to taste the Muñoz style bibingka and it is actually tasty. Said bibingka can be found being sold by vendors at the side of Muñoz City hall. 

Muñoz City Hall. Nueva Ecija.

Muñoz Town Church. Nueva Ecija.

You would say it's ironic but yes, the very last part of Muñoz I visited is the city's Welcome Arch, which is there to welcome those who are entering the city. In my case, it was there to remind me that I will always be welcome to come back, considering the fact that there are still many parts of the city I haven't explored yet. And that's actually scheduled already... :)

Munoz welcome arch, welcoming the visitors of the city. Nueva Ecija.

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To know more about my Nueva Ecija Tour, you may visit the following (some to be posted later):

My one day affair with Nueva Ecija
A walking tour on Historic Cabanatuan

A short visit to Palayan City

Exploring three Eastern Nueva Ecija Towns : Bongabon, Rizal, Pantabangan

Unexpected beauty : Talavera