Nampicuan

The name Nampicuan stems from the word “Nagpicuan” which means a curve road. This refers to a trail called “curva”, as the inhabitants of Pangasinan used to call it. According to the first settlers, the site was a sitio named used “Surgue” or "Suli” situated in the eastern part of what eventually became the poblacion of Nampicuan. It was the point where the feeder road from Moncada, Tarlac turned abruptly north-east towards the town of Cuyapo, Nueva Ecija.

The first known settlers were Ilocanos from Paoay, Ilocos Region, Pangasinan and Zambales. In 1880, having found the soil productive for agricultural purposes, the early settlers cleared the place, cultivated the land and cut down the trees. The trees were sawed into lumber later used to construct their houses.

Before its formal creation and declaration as a municipality, Nampicuan was then a part and under the political jurisdiction of the town of Cuyapo. As time passed and as the population continued to grow, the demand for land and its resources grew such that, by the end of the 19th century, the barrio Nampicuan became a municipality and the first alcaldes mayores were Andres Tabilangan and Feliciano Cuaresma.

In 1903, while the Philippines was still under American rule, Nampicuan was reverted to the status of a barrio of Cuyapo. Upon proper presentation however of the prominent residents of this place, Nampicuan was again elevated to the status of municipality. In 1907, the first church was constructed led by Reverend Luis Corpuz and the establishment of Gabaldon Primary School under the first Principal/Teacher, Clodualdo Bringas. After a year, Nampicuan become a third class municipality of Nueva Ecija with the first leaders, President Laureano O. Gonzales and Vice – President Simeon Quiaoit.

Poverty incidence of Nampicuan

Source: Philippine Statistics Authority^{[12][13][14][15][16][17][18][19]}

The Nampicuan Schools District Office governs all educational institutions within the municipality. It oversees the management and operations of all private and public, from primary to secondary schools.^[20]