Licab

Licab, officially the Municipality of Licab (Tagalog: Bayan ng Licab; Ilocano: Ili ti Licab; Pangasinan: Baley na Licab), is a municipality in the province of Nueva Ecija, Philippines. According to the 2020 census, it has a population of 29,269 people.^[3]

Licab
Municipality
Municipality of Licab
(From top, left to right): Licab Municipal Hall building, Our Lady of the Holy Rosary Parish, Liwasang Dalmacio, Saint Christopher Academy, Old Town Center Welcome Sign, Downtown area
Seal
Map of Nueva Ecija with Licab highlighted
OpenStreetMap
Licab Location within the Philippines
Coordinates: 15°32′24″N 120°45′43″E
Country	Philippines
Region	Central Luzon
Province	Nueva Ecija
District	1st district
Barangays	11 (see Barangays)
Government  [1]
• Type	Sangguniang Bayan
• Mayor	Eufemia D. Domingo
• Vice Mayor	Albert M. Caraang
• Representative	Estrellita B. Suansing
• Municipal Council	Members Oliver A. Villaroman Reynaldo C. Geronimo Alejandro B. Miguel Bayani A. Lopez Lolito C. Baltazar Leny B. Ogrimen Glen J. Llera Myrla D. Puno
• Electorate	18,034 voters (2025)
Area [2]
• Total	67.37 km2 (26.01 sq mi)
Elevation	24 m (79 ft)
Highest elevation	38 m (125 ft)
Lowest elevation	17 m (56 ft)
Population  (2020 census)[3]
• Total	29,269
• Density	430/km2 (1,100/sq mi)
• Households	7,312
Economy
• Income class	4th municipal income class
• Poverty incidence	11.72 % (2021)[4]
• Revenue	₱ 154.3 million (2022)
• Assets	₱ 266.3 million (2022)
• Expenditure	₱ 142.6 million (2022)
• Liabilities	₱ 65.23 million (2022)
Service provider
• Electricity	Nueva Ecija 2 Area 1 Electric Cooperative (NEECO 2 A1)
Time zone	UTC+8 (PST)
ZIP code	3112
PSGC	0304914000
IDD : area code	+63 (0)44
Native languages	Tagalog Ilocano

History

Licab was a sitio under the municipality of Aliaga and was known as "Pulong Samat". A wooded area surrounded by rivers and streams, it was then inhabited by thirty families consisting of Ilocanos, Tagalog, and relatives of the Esguerras from the Ilocos Region. The Esguerra brothers later arrived from San Nicolas, Ilocos Norte^[5] and lived with the locals.

Don Dalmacio, one of the Esguerra brothers, led the clearing of the vast grasslands and brushwood with his brothers and the locals, subsequently cultivating the area with a bountiful harvest.

Due to the increase in the population of Pulong Samat, Dalmacio directed the establishment of a "gunglo" which served as Pulong Samat's council or government. The council then worked to change the name of Pulong Samat and later used "Licab" which came from the Ilocano saying "kaskada agliklikab ti ani ti pagay da" which means "the collected rice is flowing", the word likab is the Ilocano term of "flowing".

In 1882, led by Don Dalmacio, the local heads of the barrios of Santa Maria, Licab, Bantog and neighboring sitios, presented a petition to the civil administration of the Spanish government in the Philippines for the establishment of a separate and independent municipality from the Municipality of Aliaga.

After more than ten years and having fulfilled the requirements prescribed by the leaders of the Spanish government in the Philippines, the order to establish the Municipality of Licab was adopted under the leadership of the Governor General Ramón Blanco and took into effect on March 28, 1894.^[6]

Geography

About 155 kilometres (96 mi) north of Metro Manila, Licab lies in one of the lowest portions of the province with an average elevation of 24 metres (79 ft),^[7] experiencing flooding in all but one of its 11 barangays during rainy season.

Barangays

Licab is politically subdivided into 11 barangays, as shown below. Each barangay consist of puroks and some have sitios.

PSGC	Barangay	Population			±% p.a.		Area		PD 2020
		2020[3]		2010[8]			ha	acre	/km2	/sq mi
034914013	Aquino	8.5%	2,476	2,292	▴	0.78%	1,213	2,997	200	530
034914002	Linao	4.7%	1,388	1,210	▴	1.38%	356	880	390	1,000
034914003	Poblacion Norte	4.8%	1,393	1,336	▴	0.42%	77	191	1,800	4,700
034914004	Poblacion Sur	8.8%	2,565	2,483	▴	0.33%	88	216	2,900	7,600
034914005	San Casimiro	11.2%	3,268	2,868	▴	1.31%	407	1,005	800	2,100
034914006	San Cristobal	12.7%	3,721	3,532	▴	0.52%	491	1,214	760	2,000
034914007	San Jose	5.0%	1,449	1,328	▴	0.88%	356	881	410	1,100
034914008	San Juan	12.4%	3,641	3,297	▴	1.00%	932	2,303	390	1,000
034914009	Santa Maria	14.5%	4,249	3,992	▴	0.63%	1,663	4,108	260	660
034914011	Tabing Ilog	3.5%	1,031	869	▴	1.72%	336	829	310	800
034914012	Villarosa	10.5%	3,073	2,980	▴	0.31%	819	2,023	380	970
	Total		29,269	26,187	▴	1.12%	6,737	16,647	430	14

Climate

Climate data for Licab, Nueva Ecija
Month	Jan	Feb	Mar	Apr	May	Jun	Jul	Aug	Sep	Oct	Nov	Dec	Year
Mean daily maximum °C (°F)	29 (84)	30 (86)	32 (90)	34 (93)	33 (91)	31 (88)	30 (86)	29 (84)	30 (86)	30 (86)	30 (86)	29 (84)	31 (87)
Mean daily minimum °C (°F)	19 (66)	20 (68)	20 (68)	22 (72)	24 (75)	24 (75)	24 (75)	24 (75)	24 (75)	22 (72)	21 (70)	20 (68)	22 (72)
Average precipitation mm (inches)	4 (0.2)	6 (0.2)	7 (0.3)	12 (0.5)	61 (2.4)	89 (3.5)	96 (3.8)	99 (3.9)	81 (3.2)	88 (3.5)	37 (1.5)	13 (0.5)	593 (23.5)
Average rainy days	2.5	3.0	4.1	6.3	15.8	19.4	22.5	21.6	20.1	17.5	9.6	4.0	146.4
Source: Meteoblue (modeled/calculated data, not measured locally)[9]

Demographics

Population census of Licab

Year Pop. ±% p.a. 1903 6,323 —     1918 7,047 +0.73% 1939 8,348 +0.81% 1948 7,854 −0.68% 1960 8,371 +0.53% 1970 12,193 +3.83% 1975 13,374 +1.87% 1980 14,543 +1.69%	Year Pop. ±% p.a. 1990 17,202 +1.69% 1995 21,555 +4.32% 2000 21,593 +0.04% 2007 23,675 +1.28% 2010 26,187 +3.74% 2015 28,254 +1.46% 2020 29,269 +0.70%
Source: Philippine Statistics Authority[10][8][11][12]

Economy

Poverty incidence of Licab

10 20 30 40 50 2000 49.76 2003 27.61 2006 22.20 2009 25.52 2012 16.33 2015 18.62 2018 7.65 2021 11.72 Source: Philippine Statistics Authority[13][14][15][16][17][18][19][20]

Vast ricefields of Licab

Agriculture has remained the prime industry of the municipality. Agricultural lands devoted to various agricultural activities cover about tens of thousands hectares out of the total provincial area of 550,718 hectares. Rice is still the prime crop of agricultural development and programs. Palay production in the town is boosted by a large network of irrigation facilities and other appurtenant structure.

Live stock production of piggery and poultry were the second agricultural income source in this municipality. Most of the residence were considered to be backyard raisers. Meat products sold in the public market were produced and raised locally.

Notable personalities

• Vic Manuel, basketball player
• Manuel Tinio, army brigade gerenral