It is a 2nd class municipality in the province of Nueva Ecija, Philippines.

According to the story passed on from one generation to another, the town got its name because of miscommunication between the natives and the Spanish colonizers. A native settler when asked by a Spanish soldier "Llama el pueblo?" kindly replied "Papaya" referring to the particular fruit tree growing abundantly in the place (not understanding the Spanish language). The name stuck to the Spanish colonizers and the place from then on was called "PAPAYA".

Papaya was a sitio of Bo. Mapisong which was then a barrio of Gapan, Nueva Ecija (now Gapan City). Bo. Mapisong became a town in 1851 changing its name to Peñaranda after a 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.

 

Source:

Wikipedia.org

Generaltinio.gov.ph