Barangays

Santa Rosa is politically subdivided into 33 barangays. Each barangay consists of seven puroks and some have sitios.

The Punong Barangay heads the Barangay Government and he/she is assisted by the Barangay Kagawads (Councilors). There is also a Barangay Secretary, Barangay Treasurer, Hepe ng Tanod (Chief), Barangay Tanods, Barangay Health Workers and BNS, Day Care Worker in every barangay. In 2018, SK Chairpersons and SK Kagawads were elected. The SK Chairperson became a member of the Sangguniang Barangay. There is a chapter of the Liga ng Barangay at Santa Rosa and it is currently headed by LNB President Marcial Rommel Marcelo. The present SK Federation President is Vera Liane Gabriel who is the SK Chairperson at Barangay Tramo. The BHWs and Day Care Workers have an organization at the municipal-level.

Originally, Santa Rosa had 3 barangays or barrios during the Spanish period: Soledad, La Fuente and Rajal. In 1903, the number of barrios became four with the addition of Poblacion. Later on, the number of barrios increased to 17, namely, Cojuangco, La Fuente, Liwayway, Malacanang, Maliolio, Mapalad, Rizal, Rajal Centro, Rajal Norte, Rajal Sur, San Gregorio, San Mariano, San Pedro, Santo Rosario, Soledad, Valenzuela and Zamora.

During the term of Mayor Juanito Bernardo (1988–1998), the 17 barangays became 33 barangays. Some barangays such as San Gregorio, San Mariano, La Fuente, Santo Rosario and San Pedro were subdivided. San Gregorio, for example, was divided into 5 barangays (Aguinaldo, Burgos, Mabini, Tramo and San Gregorio); San Mariano became four barangays (Del Pilar, Gomez, Luna and San Mariano); La Fuente became 3 barangays (La Fuente, San Joseph and Sapsap); Santo Rosario became two barangays (Inspector and Santo Rosario) and San Pedro became two barangays (San Isidro and San Pedro).

Climate

Local government

Santa Rosa municipal hall

Pursuant to the Local government in the Philippines,^[18][19] the political seat of the municipal government is located at the Municipal Town Hall. In the History of the Philippines (1521–1898), the Gobernadorcillo was the Chief Executive who holds office in the Presidencia. In 1895, the Spaniards changed the position of Gobernadorcillo to Capitan Municipal. (Local Government in the Philippines, Jose P. Laurel) During the American rule (1898–1946) (History of the Philippines (1898–1946)), the elected Mayor and local officials, including the appointed ones, held office at the Municipal Town Hall.

Under the Local Government Code of 1991 or Republic Act No. 7160, the Mayor acts as the Local Chief Executive and the different departments (Budget, Engineering, Treasury, Accounting, etc.) are under the supervision of the Mayor. The Vice Mayor, on the other hand, is the Presiding Officer of the Sangguniang Bayan/Sangguniang Panlungsod which enacts ordinances or issues Resolutions. The LGC of 1991, primarily authored by former Senator Aquilino "Nene" Pimentel Jr., gave local autonomy to local government units (LGUs) at the provincial, city/municipal and barangay level. The LGUs were provided with Internal Revenue Allotment (IRA) that gave them a substantial amount of public funds aside from the locally generated funds (real property tax, fees, charges). Functions and services formerly provided by national government agencies such as the Dept. of Agriculture, Dept. of Health, Dept. of Social Welfare and Development were devolved to the provincial and city/municipal LGUs.

During the last National and Local Elections in 2022, the following were elected as local officials of Santa Rosa: Mayor: Josefino Angeles; Vice Mayor: Atty. Ethel Catherine Jean Angeles-Roxas; Municipal Councilors: Ma. Cerissa Angeles, Ardee Santiago, Ramil Sumera, Antonio Romero, Claudine Baldazo, Dennis Dimacali, Irene Bernardo and Glenn Santos. ABC President Marcial Rommel Marcelo and SK Federation President Vera Gabriel are also members of the Sangguniang Bayan.

The local officials elected for 2019–2022 were Mayor Josefino M. Angeles while the Vice Mayor was Marie C. Evangelista. The Municipal Councilors were Romeo Angeles, Irene Bernardo, Dennis Dimacali, Roberto Jacinto, Armando Manuel, Marjorie Matias, Julian Mendoza and Glenn Santos. ABC President Rommel Marcelo and SK Federal President Vera Liane Gabriel were also members of the Sanggunang Bayan.

St. Rose of Lima Parish Church

The 1879 St. Rose Of Lima Parish Church belongs to the Roman Catholic Diocese of Cabanatuan (Dioecesis of Cabanatuanensi, Suffragan of Lingayen-Dagupan, comprising 16 towns of Southern Nueva Ecija, Cabanatuan, Palayan City and Gapan; Titular: St. Nicholas of Tolentine, September 10; Most Reverend Sofronio A. Bancud, SSS, DD).

The Church is located at Maharlika Hway, Poblacion, Santa Rosa, 3101 Nueva Ecija. It is part of the Vicariate of St. Rose of Lima (Titular: St. Rose of Lima, Feast, Aug 23). Its current Parish Priest is Rev. Fr. Edwin C. Dizon.

St. Rose of Lima, T.O.S.D., (April 20, 1586 – August 24, 1617) was the first person born in the Americas to be canonized by the Catholic Church.^[20]

1946 Holy Cross College and Chapel

The Holy Cross College was founded in 1946 by Rt. Rev. Msgr. Fernando C. Lansangan, parish priest of the town of Santa Rosa, as a secondary school with two first-year classes. In 1948, government recognition was granted to the school for its high school department. In 1981, the expansion of the school's curricular program was conceived. During SY 1982–1983, the MECS granted permit for the first and second year curriculum of the degree Bachelor of Arts and the first and second year curriculum for the Junior Secretarial Course were offered to the public In its 39th year of service to the community.^[21][22]

Dr. Raquel Tioseco Santa Ines, niece of the founder Priest took over the management of the college after his death. In all its 66 years of existence, HCC continues with additional TESDA programs in Restaurant Management, Computer Secretarial, and Electronic and Computer Technology; and six-month courses in Contact Call Center and Medical Transcription. HCC offers Masters in Education major in Mathematics and English.^[23]

San Mariano Chapel or "The Miraculous Round Chapel of San Mariano"

San Mariano Chapel

San Mariano Chapel is a round-shaped chapel located at the core of Barangay San Mariano Santa Rosa, Nueva Ecija. This serves as a landmark of the said Barangay. It was named after the patron saint of the barrio, "San Mariano". The land where it is located was privately owned by a devoted family. After total and complete renovation of the said chapel, the land title was donated to St. Rose of Lima Parish Church.

The Old Miraculous San Mariano Chapel was then reconstructed with the help of a devotee named Antonio M. Romero year 2000 after he recovered from paralysis in 1989. The said devotee religiously attended the mass held at San Mariano Chapel then miraculously recovered from such an illness as stated. He, later on, served as the Vice Mayor of the town and lost in his re-election due to black propaganda. People of San Mariano in the early 1900s used to kneel when passing by the old church including their carabaos or "kalabaw" before farming at dawn as a sign of respect in the said chapel.

The chapel was believed to be miraculous and famous as it was known to be visited by thousands of devotees of the Blessed Virgin Mary and Santo Niño during the 1960s and 1970s. Miracles were actually witnessed by the people who visited the chapel and attended the mass held by the parish priest at that time. Evidence of such miracles were collected and kept by groups of families and people.

The Feast of Santo Niño was celebrated in San Mariano Chapel every 25 February wherein a mass was held and simple gift-giving and feeding for the children were organized by certain groups.

1890 Ancestral House of Brgy. San Gregorio, Santa Rosa

An ancestral house built in 1890, this is a landmark known in the whole town of Santa Rosa. Its renovation was initiated in 1974 and finished in 1977. A house strongly founded out of tons of cement and copper steel. It comprises 4 balconies, 3 living room areas, 3 kitchens, 5 common bedrooms, and a master bedroom. The living room area had its traditional atmosphere through the marble design floors. During the Spanish era, the chandeliers illuminated the whole house. The majority of its wooden surface was made out of pure narra. The great descendants of Capt. Gregorio drl Barrio (founder of San Gregorio) had meaningful experiences full of love which are worth reminiscing up to the present generation. The house symbolizes a Filipino's resilience for it stood for more than a hundred years overcoming raging calamities like typhoons and earthquakes.