Papaya, Philippines
Heneral Tinio
Papaya is a town of 38,640 people in Central Luzon, Philippines, founded in 1921.
Why visit Papaya
Townapedia lists 11 museums and landmarks, 7 parks and trails, 62 places to eat, 13 places to stay and 3 attractions in and around town.
Highlights include The Founding of HUKBALAHAP.
Weather in Papaya
Forecast from MET Norway (CC BY 4.0). Full forecast
About Papaya
General Tinio, officially the Municipality of General Tinio (Tagalog: Bayan ng Heneral Tinio, Ilocano: Ili ti Heneral Tinio), is a first-class municipality in the province of Nueva Ecija, Philippines. According to the 2024 census, it has a population of 58,093 people. It was known as Papaya until 1957.
From the Wikipedia article General Tinio (this version), under CC BY-SA 4.0.
Things to do3
Museums and landmarks11
Parks, trails and playgrounds7
Restaurants and cafes62
50 more on the map.
History
According to the story passed on through generations, the town got its name because of a miscommunication between the natives and the Spanish colonizers. A native settler, when asked by a Spanish soldier, "Llama el pueblo?"(“what is the name of this town?”) replied, not understanding the Spanish language, "Papaya," referring to the particular fruit tree growing abundantly in the place. The name stuck with the Spanish colonizers, and the place from then on was called "Papaya."
Papaya was a sitio of Mapisong, which was then a barrio of Gapan. Mapisong became a town in 1851, changing its name to Peñaranda after Spanish engineer Jose Maria Peñaranda. Papaya became one of its barangays. Papaya became a town on January 1, 1921, through the collaborative efforts of Capitan Mamerto Padolina, who was then the Secretary of the Governor of the Province, Judge Segundo Bernardo, and Francisco Padolina.
Congressman Celestino Juan sponsored a congressional act changing the name of Papaya to General Tinio in honor of General Manuel Tinio, a revolutionary leader against the Spaniards who hailed from Nueva Ecija. The act was signed into law on June 20, 1957, as Republic Act No. 1665. The new name of the town was inaugurated days later, on August 19, 1957.
From the History section of General Tinio on Wikipedia, under CC BY-SA 4.0.
Where to stay13
Churches and places of worship51
Back To Christ
Place of worship · Christian · 5.4 km
2422 Pantok/Hacienda Street, San Antonio, Nueva Ecija
Iglesia ni Cristo
Church · Iglesia Ni Cristo · 11.1 km
Zaragoza - San Antonio Road
Iglesia ni Cristo - Lokal ng Mapaco
Church · Iglesia Ni Cristo · 12.3 km
Mapaco-Escaler Road
Lokal ng San Isidro
Church · Iglesia Ni Cristo · 7.9 km
San Isidro-Pulo Arterial Road
San Isidro Parish Church
Church · Roman Catholic · 7.7 km
Jose Abad Santos Avenue
Seventh-day Adventist Church
Church · Seventh Day Adventist · 8.7 km
Jose Abad Santos Avenue
Brgy.San Roque Chapel
Place of worship · 9.1 km
brgy san roque, jaen, nueva ecija
Iglesia Ni Cristo Local ng Alua
Place of worship · 6.3 km
Jose Abad Santos Avenue
Shopping30
Embuscado hardware and Construction Supplies
Hardware store · 8.4 km
15, Nueva Ecija
Gas and EV charging48
Schools, colleges and libraries137
Jaen National High School Annex — San Pablo
School · 11.5 km
Jaen - Santa Rosa Arterial Road
Juan R. Liwag Memorial National High School
School · 12.2 km
Maharlika Highway, Gapan
Healthcare35
Map of Papaya
250 places. The map loads OpenStreetMap tiles when you open it.
Getting there and nearby towns
Clark International Airport (CRK) is the nearest airport with scheduled flights listed in OpenStreetMap, 33 km away.
- San Antonio 3 km southeast, about 3 min by car
- Cabiao 8 km south, about 8 min by car
- Jaen 9 km east, about 9 min by car
- Gapan 12 km east, about 12 min by car
- San Leonardo 15 km east, about 15 min by car
- Zaragoza 15 km north, about 15 min by car
- Santa Rosa 16 km northeast, about 16 min by car
- La Paz 18 km northwest, about 18 min by car
- Concepcion 19 km west, about 19 min by car
- Arayat 20 km south, about 20 min by car
Drive times are estimates from straight-line distance, not routes.
Local news
Headlines from INDB.
Reviews, tips and questions
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Sources and licences
- GeoNames (CC BY 4.0): population, coordinates, regions and time zone
- OpenStreetMap contributors (ODbL 1.0): places, airports, map data
- Wikidata (CC0 1.0): elevation, founding date, time zone, website, landmarks and historic places
- Wikimedia Commons (see each image): photos
- Wikipedia (CC BY-SA 4.0): overview and history text
Photo credits
- Tiniojf, Ramon FVelasquez, CC BY-SA 3.0
- Divina pastora shrine, Ronald Ocampo Bunag, CC BY-SA 3.0
- 2017-NHC-Ang Pagkakatatag ng HUKBALAHAP, Andre Ryan Maceda, CC BY-SA 4.0
- Old Gapan Municipal Hall, RaywollesenFortes, CC BY-SA 4.0
- San Antonio Welcome Arch, Nueva Ecija, Nov 2026, Ralff Nestor Nacor, CC BY-SA 4.0
Page built November 7, 2026. Spotted a mistake? Tell us or suggest a place.