Nicholas of Tolentino
The name Cabanatuan could have its origin from its root word “Banato”. Arg.), a type of plant that is said to be widely found in this area in the past. Its name may have been coined in a manner similar to its constituent area of Caalibangbangan which is named after Alibangbang or Malabar Orchids (Bauhinia malabarica Roxb.) and Catuguian (former name of the town of Talavera) that is derived from ‘Tugui’ or ‘Lesser Yam’ (Dioscorea esculenta Lour), a root plant.
‘Banato’ is a kind of plant that grows from 4 to 10 feet and is endemic to the plains of the Philippines. This type of tree is also found in neighboring countries in Asia such as India, Pakistan, Myanmar, China, Taiwan, Sri Lanka, Vietnam, and the Australian continent. Its skin, leaves, and seeds are being sought, for it is being considered a medicinal plant. In addition, the plant could also be used as a dye for silk and wool as well as a natural coloring agent for food and beverages. The oil from its seeds serves as an ingredient to paints, varnishes, and ointments. Its wood is being employed for the production of paper, for fuel, and for crafting various utensils while its bark could be used as rope. Meanwhile, there is another tradition about the origin of the word Cabanatuan. Some say that the city’s name is taken from ‘mabato’ or ‘kabatuhan’ because of the rocky terrain in this area. This tradition formed as the basis for some of the symbols to be seen in the escudo of the Roman Catholic Diocese of Cabanatuan, specifically the small stones (white dots) scattered all over the green field of the shield. According to the Cuadro estadistico de los pueblos fundados por los Agustinos en las Islas Filipinas in the book Memoria Acerca de las Misiones de los PP Agustinos Calzados en las Islas Filipinas that was made by the ‘Padre Comisario’ of the Augustinian Order in 1892, the town of Cabanatuan was erected in the year 1700. There was no recorded data about the population of the town in the years 1722, 1803, 1831, and 1845. But, in 1866, the said document made mention of 11,591 residents living in this pueblo. Cabanatuan was under the jurisdiction of the Archdiocese of Manila together with all the other towns in the Province of Nueva Ecija. The church of Cabanatuan began as a visita of Gapan. Gapan was established as a ‘Comunidad Agostino’ on August 28, 1595. At that time, the town of Gapan, together with the neighboring towns of San Isidro, Cabiao, and San Antonio, was still a part of the Province of Pampanga. In the year 1848, the territories of the provinces were arranged and the said towns formed part of the province of Nueva Ecija. The records of the Libros Canonigos of Cabanatuan, beginning from the year 1860, tells of the various barrios and cabecerias under its jurisdiction which were named after their respective Cabeza de Barangay. Some of the barrios mentioned are Samon, Sumacab, Caboo, Valdefuente, and San Josef. It also included the barrios of Bangabanga (Santa Rosa), La Torre, Pinagpanaang, Calipajan, Valle, Mamandil, Catuguian (Talavera), Baloc, Pulong Buli (Sto. Domingo) and Concepción. The written accounts about the spiritual life of the faithful in Cabanatuan were very scarce from the time it was established as an independent pueblo in 1700 until the early part of the 19th Century. In those times, the town is in the state of ‘de segunda asenso’ according to the writings of Augustinian friars. In 1866, through the leadership of Fray Jose de la Fuente, OSA, who was the parish priest at that time, the first stone church was erected together with the convent. But these structures were destroyed by an earthquake on July 18, 1880. The church and convent were once again built through the efforts of Fray Mariano Rivas, OSA in 1891. Gen. Emilio Aguinaldo made use of the convent as his headquarters and it was here where he invited Gen. Antonio Luna y Novicio for what supposed to be a meeting of the cabinet. This led to the treacherous murder and gruesome death of the latter while descending the stairs of the convent on June 5, 1899. His aide, Colonel Francisco ‘Paco’ Roman also died with him. In 1912, Cabanatuan became the capital of the province of Nueva Ecija; replacing the municipality of San Isidro. In 1934, the church in Cabanatuan, which was known to be one of the largest and well built in the province, suffered a fire. Because of this, all parts of the church needed to be rebuilt with the exception of the walls. On February 16, 1963, in accordance with the Papal Bull of St. John XXIII entitled Exterior Ecclesiae, the parish church of St. Nicholas of Tolentino was raised to the dignity of a cathedral and consequently, became the mother church of the Roman Catholic Diocese of Cabanatuan. The diocese was solemnly inaugurated on June 3, 1963, and the following day, the Most Rev. Mariano Garces Gaviola, D.D. was consecrated and installed as its first bishop. Nine years after these joyous events, on the fateful day of September 28, 1972, a huge fire again consumed the structure of the cathedral and the adjoining building of the College of the Immaculate Conception. But due to the zeal of the people for the faith and the able leadership of its rector, Msgr. Pacifico B. Araullo, the Cathedral of St. Nicholas was rebuilt. On November 22, 1975, the cathedral was solemnly dedicated by the Most Rev. Vicente Posada Reyes, D.D., the second residential bishop of Cabanatuan, and Archbishop Bruno Torpigliani, D.D., the Apostolic Nuncio to the Philippines. The structures of the Cathedral of St. Nicholas of Tolentino have undergone several developments with the leadership of its rectors and the generosity of the faithful in the succeeding years. These changes are but signs of the living faith of the people of Cabanatuan and of the diocese as a whole. The appearance of the Cabanatuan Cathedral may be simple in comparison to the mother churches of many other dioceses, but this simplicity clearly expresses the mission and vision of People of God in the Diocese of Cabanatuan: “A humble and nurturing Church, grounded on realities, and called to become an authentic witness of Christ.”
