Santa Rosa, municipality of the Philippines in the province of Nueva Ecija
Santa Rosa is a municipality in Nueva Ecija on the Philippines, situated in the southwestern part of the province with flat terrain. The town spreads across farmland and fields, with the Pampanga River flowing near its center, supporting rice cultivation and fishing.
Santa Rosa was officially founded in 1878 through a Spanish decree and was originally a barrio of Cabanatuan called Banga-banga. The community gained municipality status in 1879 and took its present name after residents requested separation from Cabanatuan.
Santa Rosa is named after a saint whose image was discovered in an abandoned Spanish headquarters during the town's early development. The name replaced the original Banga-banga, which referred to the clay water jars that residents used daily.
Santa Rosa is accessible via the Maharlika Highway and is located about 92 kilometers from Manila, making it reachable by bus or car. Within the town, motorcycles and tricycles are the common way to move around the flat terrain.
The original name Banga-banga came from a humorous misunderstanding between Spanish missionaries and local women who thought they were being asked about their water jars. This wordplay became the town's name and is a rare example of a place named through misinterpretation.
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