Tarlac City, officially the City of Tarlac ( pam, Lakanbalen ning Tarlac; pag, Siyudad na Tarlac; ilo, Siudad ti Tarlac; fil, Lungsod ng Tarlac ), is a 1st class
component city
A city ( fil, lungsod/siyudad) is one of the units of local government in the Philippines. All Philippine cities are chartered cities ( fil, nakakartang lungsod), whose existence as corporate and administrative entities is governed by their own ...
and capital of the
province
A province is almost always an administrative division within a country or sovereign state, state. The term derives from the ancient Roman ''Roman province, provincia'', which was the major territorial and administrative unit of the Roman Empire ...
of
Tarlac
Tarlac, officially the Province of Tarlac ( pam, Lalawigan ning Tarlac; pag, Luyag/Probinsia na Tarlac; ilo, Probinsia ti Tarlac; tgl, Lalawigan ng Tarlac; ), is a landlocked province in the Philippines located in the Central Luzon region. It ...
,
Philippines
The Philippines (; fil, Pilipinas, links=no), officially the Republic of the Philippines ( fil, Republika ng Pilipinas, links=no),
* bik, Republika kan Filipinas
* ceb, Republika sa Pilipinas
* cbk, República de Filipinas
* hil, Republ ...
. According to the 2020 census, it has a population of 385,398 people.
The city was proclaimed as a highly urbanized city by the former
President
President most commonly refers to:
*President (corporate title)
*President (education), a leader of a college or university
*President (government title)
President may also refer to:
Automobiles
* Nissan President, a 1966–2010 Japanese ful ...
Gloria Macapagal Arroyo
Maria Gloria Macaraeg Macapagal Arroyo (, born April 5, 1947), often referred to by her initials GMA, is a Filipino academic and politician serving as one of the Deputy Speaker of the House of Representatives of the Philippines, House Deputy Spe ...
,
but the decision was opposed by the provincial government.
History
![Jose Rizal 1861-1896 Tarlak, Tarlak NHCP Historical Marker](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/0/09/Jose_Rizal_1861-1896_Tarlak%2C_Tarlak_NHCP_Historical_Marker.png)
Tarlac's first settlers came from
Bacolor
Bacolor, officially the Municipality of Bacolor ( pam, Balen ning Bakúlud; tgl, Bayan ng Bacolor), is a 3rd class municipality in the province of Pampanga, Philippines. According to the 2020 census, it has a population of 48,066 people.
Bacolor ...
,
Pampanga
Pampanga, officially the Province of Pampanga ( pam, Lalawigan ning Pampanga; tl, Lalawigan ng Pampanga ), is a province in the Central Luzon region of the Philippines. Lying on the northern shore of Manila Bay, Pampanga is bordered by Tarlac ...
. They cleared the area, fertilised the soil, and then established their settlement here in 1788. This small community of settlers experienced rapid population growth, as settlers from
Bataan
Bataan (), officially the Province of Bataan ( fil, Lalawigan ng Bataan ), is a province in the Central Luzon region of the Philippines. Its capital is the city of Balanga while Mariveles is the largest town in the province. Occupying the entir ...
,
Pampanga
Pampanga, officially the Province of Pampanga ( pam, Lalawigan ning Pampanga; tl, Lalawigan ng Pampanga ), is a province in the Central Luzon region of the Philippines. Lying on the northern shore of Manila Bay, Pampanga is bordered by Tarlac ...
and
Zambales
Zambales, officially the Province of Zambales ( fil, Lalawigan ng Zambales; ilo, Probinsia ti Zambales; Pangasinan: ''Luyag/Probinsia na Zambales''; xsb, Probinsya nin Zambales), is a province in the Philippines located in the Central Luzon re ...
moved into the area. The
Kapampangan language
Kapampangan or Pampangan is an Austronesian language, and one of the eight major languages of the Philippines. It is the primary and predominant language of the entire province of Pampanga and southern Tarlac, on the southern part of Luzon's c ...
, which is the dialect of
Pampanga
Pampanga, officially the Province of Pampanga ( pam, Lalawigan ning Pampanga; tl, Lalawigan ng Pampanga ), is a province in the Central Luzon region of the Philippines. Lying on the northern shore of Manila Bay, Pampanga is bordered by Tarlac ...
, became the native language of this town. Roads and barrios were built over the following decades through hard work of its residents. Following the foundation of the province of
Tarlac
Tarlac, officially the Province of Tarlac ( pam, Lalawigan ning Tarlac; pag, Luyag/Probinsia na Tarlac; ilo, Probinsia ti Tarlac; tgl, Lalawigan ng Tarlac; ), is a landlocked province in the Philippines located in the Central Luzon region. It ...
in 1872, Tarlac was designated as the capital of the new province.
Cityhood
On June 21, 1969, President
Ferdinand Marcos
Ferdinand Emmanuel Edralin Marcos Sr. ( , , ; September 11, 1917 – September 28, 1989) was a Filipino politician, lawyer, dictator, and kleptocrat who was the 10th president of the Philippines from 1965 to 1986. He ruled under martial ...
signed and approved the Republic Act 5907, converting this municipality into a city. However, its plebiscite was unsuccessful, showing their voters rejected cityhood.
On April 21, 1990, the barangays of Burgos, David, Iba, Labney, Lawacamulag, Lubigan, Maamot, Mababanaba, Moriones, Pao, San Juan de Valdez, Sula, and Villa Aglipay, originally part of the then-municipality of Tarlac, separated and formed to be the part of
San Jose. Tarlac now retains its 274.66 km
2 (106.05 sq mi) area.
Finally, on March 12, 1998, Republic Act 8593 was signed by President
Fidel V. Ramos
Fidel Valdez Ramos (, ; March 18, 1928 – July 31, 2022), popularly known as FVR and Eddie Ramos, was a Filipino general and politician who served as the 12th president of the Philippines from 1992 to 1998. He was the only career military ...
, making Tarlac as the component city of the province of
Tarlac
Tarlac, officially the Province of Tarlac ( pam, Lalawigan ning Tarlac; pag, Luyag/Probinsia na Tarlac; ilo, Probinsia ti Tarlac; tgl, Lalawigan ng Tarlac; ), is a landlocked province in the Philippines located in the Central Luzon region. It ...
. On April 18, 1998, its residents approved the conversion of the municipality into a city. Tarlac was proclaimed as the component city by
COMELEC COMELEC or Comelec may refer to any of the following:
* Commission on Elections (Philippines) (Comelec)
* North African Power Pool
The Comité Maghrébin de l'Electricité (COMELEC), also Maghreb Electricity Committee and North African Power Poo ...
on the next day, on April 19, 1998.
Highly urbanized city
On October 27, 2005, President
Gloria Macapagal Arroyo
Maria Gloria Macaraeg Macapagal Arroyo (, born April 5, 1947), often referred to by her initials GMA, is a Filipino academic and politician serving as one of the Deputy Speaker of the House of Representatives of the Philippines, House Deputy Spe ...
signed the Proclamation No. 940, making Tarlac City into a highly urbanized city (HUC) in the province.
However, the provincial government opposed the city's campaign for conversion into HUC. The majority of voters rejected the conversion in the plebiscite on February 11, 2006.
Geography
The city is situated at the centre of the province of
Tarlac
Tarlac, officially the Province of Tarlac ( pam, Lalawigan ning Tarlac; pag, Luyag/Probinsia na Tarlac; ilo, Probinsia ti Tarlac; tgl, Lalawigan ng Tarlac; ), is a landlocked province in the Philippines located in the Central Luzon region. It ...
, along the
Tarlac River. To its north is
Gerona and
Santa Ignacia
Santa Ignacia, officially the Municipality of Santa Ignacia ( pag, Baley na Santa Ignacia; ilo, Ili ti Santa Ignacia; tl, Bayan ng Santa Ignacia), is a 2nd class municipality in the province of Tarlac, Philippines. Santa Ignacia has a total land ...
, west is
San Jose, south is
Capas
Capas, officially the Municipality of Capas ( pam, Balen ning Capas;
tgl, Bayan ng Capas), is a 1st class municipality in the province of Tarlac, Philippines, and one of the richest towns in the province. The town also consists of numerous su ...
and
Concepcion and eastern boundaries are
Victoria
Victoria most commonly refers to:
* Victoria (Australia), a state of the Commonwealth of Australia
* Victoria, British Columbia, provincial capital of British Columbia, Canada
* Victoria (mythology), Roman goddess of Victory
* Victoria, Seychelle ...
and
La Paz
La Paz (), officially known as Nuestra Señora de La Paz (Spanish pronunciation: ), is the seat of government of the Bolivia, Plurinational State of Bolivia. With an estimated 816,044 residents as of 2020, La Paz is the List of Bolivian cities ...
. Tarlac City is located north of
Central Luzon
Central Luzon ( pam, (Reyun ning) Kalibudtarang Luzon, pag, (Rehiyon na) Pegley na Luzon, tgl, (Rehiyon ng) Gitnang Luzon, ilo, (Rehion/Deppaar ti) Tengnga ti Luzon), designated as Region III, is an administrative region in the Philippines, ...
's regional center
San Fernando, Pampanga
San Fernando, officially the City of San Fernando ( pam, Lakanbalen ning Sampernandu; fil, Lungsod ng San Fernando), is a 1st class Cities of the Philippines#Legal classification, component city and capital of the Provinces of the Philippines, ...
, and north of Manila.
Tarlac City is approximately above sea level on some parts but reaching even on large western portions. Tarlac City was historically a part of what is now
Porac, Pampanga
Porac, officially the Municipality of Porac ( pam, Balen ning Porac; fil, Bayan ng Porac), is a 1st class municipality in the province of Pampanga, Philippines. According to the 2020 census, it has a population of 140,751 people.
The Subic–Cl ...
. Parts of Tarlac City are claimed to be among the few portions of land in the province which was not created by ancient eruptions from
Mount Pinatubo
Mount Pinatubo is an active stratovolcano in the Zambales Mountains, located on the tripoint boundary of the Philippine provinces of Zambales, Tarlac and Pampanga, all in Central Luzon on the northern island of Luzon. Its eruptive history w ...
.
Barangays
Tarlac City is politically subdivided into 77
barangay
A barangay (; abbreviated as Brgy. or Bgy.), historically referred to as barrio (abbreviated as Bo.), is the smallest administrative division in the Philippines and is the native Filipino term for a village, district, or ward. In metropolitan ...
s.
* Aguso
* Alvindia
* Amucao
* Armenia
* Asturias
* Atioc
* Balanti
* Balete
* Balibago I
* Balibago II
* Balingcanaway
* Banaba
* Bantog
* Baras-baras
* Batang-batang
* Binauganan
* Bora
* Buenavista
* Buhilit
* Burot
* Calingcuan
* Capehan
* Carangian
* Care
* Central
* Culipat
* Cut-cut I
* Cut-cut II
* Dalayap
* Dela Paz
* Dolores
* Laoang
* Ligtasan
* Lourdes
* Mabini
* Maligaya
* Maliwalo
* Mapalacsiao
* Mapalad
* Matatalaib
* Paraiso
*
Poblacion
''Poblacion'' (literally "town" or "settlement" in Spanish language in the Philippines, Spanish; ) is the common term used for the administrative center, central, downtown, old town or central business district area of a Philippines, Philippi ...
* Salapungan
* San Carlos
* San Francisco
* San Isidro
* San Jose
* San Jose de Urquico
* San Juan Bautista (''formerly'' Matadero)
* San Juan de Mata (''formerly'' Malatiki)
* San Luis
* San Manuel
* San Miguel
* San Nicolas
* San Pablo
* San Pascual
*
San Rafael, Tarlac City
* San Roque
* San Sebastian
* San Vicente
* Santa Cruz
* Santa Maria
* Santo Cristo
* Santo Domingo
* Santo Niño
* Santo Rosario
* Sapang Maragul
* Sapang Tagalog
* Sepung Calzada (Panampunan)
* Sinait
* Suizo
* Tariji
* Tibag
* Tibagan
* Trinidad
* Ungot
* Villa Bacolor
Climate
Demographics
In the 2020 census, the population of Tarlac City was 385,398 people, with a density of .
Languages
Being at the meeting point of both
Kapampangan Kapampangan, Capampañgan or Pampangan may refer to:
*Kapampangan people of the Philippines
*Kapampangan language
Kapampangan or Pampangan is an Austronesian language, and one of the eight major languages of the Philippines. It is the primary ...
and
Pangasinan
Pangasinan, officially the Province of Pangasinan ( pag, Luyag/Probinsia na Pangasinan, ; ilo, Probinsia ti Pangasinan; tl, Lalawigan ng Pangasinan), is a coastal province in the Philippines located in the Ilocos Region of Luzon. Its capit ...
languages, cultures, and ethnicities, both languages are predominantly spoken in the city and environs.
Ilocano and
Tagalog are also used by a few city dwellers, especially those with
Ilocano and/or
Tagalog ethnicity/ancestry, respectively, with the latter language also serving as a medium for inter-ethnic communications.
Religion
According to statistics compiled by the Philippine government, the most dominant religion in the city is Christianity. The majority of Christians are Roman Catholics followed by a large concentration of
Iglesia ni Cristo (Church of Christ). Other Christian groups belong to various Protestant denominations. There are some being non-Christian such as Muslims, etc.
Economy
Shopping malls
There are several shopping malls established within the city. To name a few, there is the
SM City Tarlac, which is the first
SM Supermall
SM Supermalls, also simply known as SM, owned by SM Prime, is a chain of shopping malls in the Philippines that as of November 18, 2022 has #Exiting malls, 82 malls located across the country and #Future malls, 20 more scheduled to be opened for ...
in the Tarlac Province, located along McArthur Highway in San Roque; Plaza Luisita Mall, which is the first shopping center in Central Luzon (now Robinsons Luisita); the Magic Star Mall along Romulo Blvd. in Barangay Cut-cut; My MetroTown Mall in Barangay Sto Cristo; Palm Plaza Mall located along McArthur Highway corner F. Tanedo St. Barangay Matatalaib; CityWalk also located in Barangay San Roque and
CityMall
CityMall Commercial Centers, Inc. is a subsidiary of DoubleDragon Properties
DoubleDragon Corporation (formerly, Injap Land Corporation and DoubleDragon Properties Corporation) is a Philippine real estate development company based in Makati, ...
located in Barangay San Rafael.
Education
As the educational center of Tarlac, Tarlac City houses the main campus of
Tarlac State University
Tarlac State University (TSU; fil, Pamantasang Pampamahalaan ng Tarlac) is a public university located in Tarlac City, Philippines. Established in 1906, it is the flagship academic institution of higher education in the province offering differ ...
, as well as other higher educational institutions.
The Tarlac City Schools Division of the Department of Education operates 87 elementary schools and 13 high schools as of 2013.
Some private schools in Tarlac City are the
Don Bosco Technical Institute
Don Bosco Technical Institute (commonly called "Bosco Tech" or "The Tech") is an all-male (grades 9-12), private, Catholic high school in Rosemead, California, combining college-preparatory academic courses and technological education. The acade ...
,
College of the Holy Spirit
The College of the Holy Spirit Manila, or simply CHSM, was a private, Catholic education institution founded and ran by the Missionary Sisters Servants of the Holy Spirit in Manila, Philippines.
Founded in 1913, College of the Holy Spirit Manila ...
, Kian Tiak School, and the Ecumenical Christian College.
Tourism
Festivals
The Malatarlak Festival, celebrated every January in Tarlac City, is one of the most remarkable festivals in the province. In 2011, the City Mayor then changed the name of the festival to Melting Pot Festival, but it is still remembered by its former name. The festival is a commemoration to the first people who built civilization in the province, the Aetas. The names and themes of the festivals in Tarlac City have changed over the years depending on the city's leadership. For the current administration (since July 2016), the local fiesta or festival has been called Kaisa Festival derived from the word ''magkaisa'' (to unite).
Transportation
![Tarlac City 2](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/e/e0/Tarlac_City_2.JPG)
Tarlac City is the usual bus stop for commuters traveling from the South to the
Ilocos Region
Ilocos Region ( ilo, Rehion/Deppaar ti Ilocos; pag, Sagor na Baybay na Luzon/Rehiyon Uno; tl, Rehiyon ng Ilocos) is an administrative region of the Philippines, designated as Region I, occupying the northwestern section of Luzon and part of ...
and
Cordillera provinces. Bus companies that take a route through the city include
Pangasinan Solid North Transit, Inc.,
Dagupan Bus Company
Dagupan Bus Co., Inc. or simply known as Dagupan Bus was a provincial bus company based from Dagupan City, Pangasinan. This company was a sister company of Saulog Transit up until the company's management was transferred to JAC Liner Inc., and G ...
,
Philippine Rabbit
Philippine Rabbit Bus Lines, Inc. (PRBL) is a provincial bus company in the Philippines. It was founded in 1946 and is one of the oldest bus companies in the country. The company's area of coverage extends from Metro Manila to Baguio and northern p ...
,
Victory Liner
Victory Liner Inc. (VLI) is one of the largest provincial bus companies operating in the Philippines, servicing routes mainly to the provinces of Central Luzon which includes Zambales, Pampanga, Bulacan and Northern Luzon which includes Benguet ...
,
Five Star
Five Star (also styled as 5 Star) are a British pop group, formed in 1983 and comprising siblings Stedman, Lorraine, Denise, Doris and Delroy Pearson. Between 1985 and 1988, Five Star had four top 20 albums and 15 top 40 singles in the UK ...
,
First North Luzon Transit
First North Luzon Transit, Incorporated (FNLT), or simply known as First North Luzon (former Royal Eagle) is a bus company in the Philippines. They started their operations in Hagonoy, Bulacan, and expanded to San Isidro, Nueva Ecija, Bulacan, Pa ...
, Luzon Cisco Transport, Genesis, Santrans,
Viron Transit
Viron Transportation Company or Viron Transit is a bus company servicing the Ilocos Region, Philippines. The bus company is owned by millionaire Santiago Rondaris' daughter. It formerly operated as far as the second district of Ilocos Sur but has ...
,
Partas
Partas Transportation Co., Inc. is a bus transportation company in the Philippines. It operates a 24/7 service for passengers and freight (known as "waybills") between Metro Manila and northwest Luzon (the Ilocos corridor), with services also ru ...
, and many others. Many of the bus companies' rest stops can be found along MacArthur Highway including Siesta and Motorway.
The
MacArthur Highway
The MacArthur Highway, officially the Manila North Road (MNR or MaNor), is a , two-to-six lane, national primary highway and tertiary highway in Luzon, Philippines, connecting Caloocan in Metro Manila to Aparri in Cagayan. It is the second longe ...
goes from the southern to the northern end of the city. There are a series of roads leading to
Zambales
Zambales, officially the Province of Zambales ( fil, Lalawigan ng Zambales; ilo, Probinsia ti Zambales; Pangasinan: ''Luyag/Probinsia na Zambales''; xsb, Probinsya nin Zambales), is a province in the Philippines located in the Central Luzon re ...
and
Pangasinan
Pangasinan, officially the Province of Pangasinan ( pag, Luyag/Probinsia na Pangasinan, ; ilo, Probinsia ti Pangasinan; tl, Lalawigan ng Pangasinan), is a coastal province in the Philippines located in the Ilocos Region of Luzon. Its capit ...
as well as
Baguio
Baguio ( ,
), officially the City of Baguio ( ilo, Siudad ti Baguio; fil, Lungsod ng Baguio), is a 1st class highly urbanized city in the Cordillera Administrative Region, Philippines. It is known as the "Summer Capital of the Philippines", ...
. Most buses passing through the town of
Camiling
Camiling, officially the Municipality of Camiling, ( pag, Baley na Camiling; ilo, Ili ti Camiling; tl, Bayan ng Camiling) is a 1st class municipality in the province of Tarlac in the Philippines. According to the 2020 census, it has a populati ...
onwards to Pangasinan usually take the Romulo Highway which forks from MacArthur Highway along Barangay San Roque.
Subic–Clark–Tarlac Expressway
The Subic–Clark–Tarlac Expressway (SCTEX), signed as E1 and E4 of the Philippine expressway network and R-8 of the Metro Manila arterial road network, is controlled-access toll expressway in the Central Luzon region of the Philippines. From ...
(SCTEx) connects with
Tarlac–Pangasinan–La Union Expressway
The Tarlac–Pangasinan–La Union Expressway (TPLEX), signed as E1 of the Philippine expressway network and R-8 of the Metro Manila arterial road network, is a controlled-access toll expressway that connects the Central Luzon region with the I ...
(TPLEx) and
Central Luzon Link Expressway
The Central Luzon Link Expressway (CLLEX), also known as the Central Luzon Link Freeway, is a partially operational Controlled-access highway, expressway in the Central Luzon region of the Philippines. It will connect the Subic–Clark–Tarlac ...
(CLLEx) within the capital of the province. The 3 expressways serves as an alternate route for motorists going to the other parts of Northern Luzon area such as
Cagayan Valley
Cagayan Valley ( ilo, Tanap ti Cagayan; fil, Lambak ng Cagayan), is an administrative region in the Philippines, located in the northeastern section of Luzon Island. It is composed of five Philippine provinces: Batanes, Cagayan, Isabela, Nue ...
,
Aurora
An aurora (plural: auroras or aurorae), also commonly known as the polar lights, is a natural light display in Earth's sky, predominantly seen in high-latitude regions (around the Arctic and Antarctic). Auroras display dynamic patterns of bri ...
,
Nueva Ecija
Nueva Ecija, officially the Province of Nueva Ecija ( tgl, Lalawigan ng Nueva Ecija , also ; ilo, Probinsia ti Nueva Ecija; pag, Luyag/Probinsia na Nueva Ecija; Kapampangan: ''Lalawigan/Probinsia ning Nueva Ecija''), is a landlocked province i ...
,
Pangasinan
Pangasinan, officially the Province of Pangasinan ( pag, Luyag/Probinsia na Pangasinan, ; ilo, Probinsia ti Pangasinan; tl, Lalawigan ng Pangasinan), is a coastal province in the Philippines located in the Ilocos Region of Luzon. Its capit ...
,
La Union
La Union (), officially the Province of La Union ( ilo, Probinsia ti La Union; Kankanaey'': Probinsyan di La Union;'' Ibaloi'': Probinsya ne La Union;'' pag, Luyag/Probinsia na La Union; Tagalog'': Lalawigan ng La Union),'' is a province in th ...
and
Baguio
Baguio ( ,
), officially the City of Baguio ( ilo, Siudad ti Baguio; fil, Lungsod ng Baguio), is a 1st class highly urbanized city in the Cordillera Administrative Region, Philippines. It is known as the "Summer Capital of the Philippines", ...
while in the Marcos Highway via TPLEX and Kennon Road from McArthur Highway.
Sister cities
*
Angeles City
, anthem = Himno ning Angeles (Angeles Hymn)
, subdivision_type3 = District
, subdivision_name3 =
, established_title = Settled
, established_date = 1796
, established_title1 = Chartere ...
*
Cabanatuan
Cabanatuan, officially the City of Cabanatuan ( fil, Lungsod ng Cabanatuan; ilo, Siudad ti Cabanatuan), is a 1st class component city in the province of Nueva Ecija, Philippines. According to the 2020 census, it has a population of 327,325 peop ...
*
Taguig
Taguig (), officially the City of Taguig ( fil, Lungsod ng Taguig), is a 1st class highly urbanized city in Metro Manila, Philippines. According to the 2020 census, it has a population of 886,722 people. Located in the northwestern shores of ...
*
Baguio
Baguio ( ,
), officially the City of Baguio ( ilo, Siudad ti Baguio; fil, Lungsod ng Baguio), is a 1st class highly urbanized city in the Cordillera Administrative Region, Philippines. It is known as the "Summer Capital of the Philippines", ...
*
Bauan
Bauan, officially the Municipality of Bauan ( tgl, Bayan ng Bauan), is a 1st class municipality in the province of Batangas, Philippines. According to the 2020 census, it has a population of 90,819 people.
History
Religious attribution and mi ...
, Batangas
References
External links
*
Philippine Standard Geographic Code
The Philippines (; fil, Pilipinas, links=no), officially the Republic of the Philippines ( fil, Republika ng Pilipinas, links=no),
* bik, Republika kan Filipinas
* ceb, Republika sa Pilipinas
* cbk, República de Filipinas
* hil, Republ ...
br>
Tarlac Province Official PortalPhilippine Statistics Authority
{{Authority control
Populated places in Tarlac
Cities in Central Luzon
Provincial capitals of the Philippines
Populated places established in 1788
1788 establishments in the Philippines
Component cities in the Philippines