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Capas, officially the Municipality of Capas (; ), is a
municipality A municipality is usually a single administrative division having municipal corporation, corporate status and powers of self-government or jurisdiction as granted by national and regional laws to which it is subordinate. The term ''municipality' ...
in the
province A province is an administrative division within a country or sovereign state, state. The term derives from the ancient Roman , which was the major territorial and administrative unit of the Roman Empire, Roman Empire's territorial possessions ou ...
of
Tarlac Tarlac, officially the Province of Tarlac (; ; ; ; ), is a landlocked Provinces of the Philippines, province in the Philippines located in the Central Luzon Regions of the Philippines, region. It had a population of 1,503,456 people according to ...
,
Philippines The Philippines, officially the Republic of the Philippines, is an Archipelagic state, archipelagic country in Southeast Asia. Located in the western Pacific Ocean, it consists of List of islands of the Philippines, 7,641 islands, with a tot ...
, and one of the richest towns in the province. The town also consists of numerous subdivisions and exclusive villages. Capas is knon as the “Tourism Capital of Tarlac." Apart from being known as the final site of the infamous
Bataan Death March The Bataan Death March was the Death march, forcible transfer by the Imperial Japanese Army of around 72,000 to 78,000 American and Filipino prisoners of war (POWs) from the municipalities of Bagac and Mariveles on the Bataan Peninsula to Camp ...
, it is also known for
Mount Pinatubo Mount Pinatubo is an active stratovolcano in the Zambales Mountains in Luzon in the Philippines. Located on the tripoint of Zambales, Tarlac and Pampanga provinces, most people were unaware of its eruptive history before the pre-eruption volc ...
treks, where thousands of mountaineers and visitors go. The town has some industrial factories like the PilMiCo.


History

Originally a part of
Zambales Zambales, officially the Province of Zambales (; ; ; ; ), is a Provinces of the Philippines, province in the Philippines located in the Central Luzon Regions of the Philippines, region. Its capital is Iba, Zambales, Iba, which is located in t ...
and
Pampanga Pampanga, officially the Province of Pampanga (; ; ), is a province in Central Luzon in the Philippines. Lying on the northern shore of Manila Bay, Pampanga is bordered by Tarlac to the north, Nueva Ecija to the northeast, Bulacan to the east, ...
, its first settlers were the
Kapampangan Kapampangan, Capampañgan or Pampangan may refer to: *Kapampangan people, of the Philippines *Kapampangan language Kapampangan, Capampáñgan, or Pampangan, is an Austronesian language, and one of the eight major languages of the Philippines. ...
and the
Aeta Aeta (Ayta ), Agta and Dumagat, are collective terms for several indigenous peoples who live in various parts of Luzon islands in the Philippines. They are included in the wider Negrito grouping of the Philippines and the rest of Southeast A ...
. It was founded in the year 1710 by the Augustinian Friars. During the American Colonial period, the Americans built the Camp O'Donell for military installation until when the Japanese used it as a
concentration camp A concentration camp is a prison or other facility used for the internment of political prisoners or politically targeted demographics, such as members of national or ethnic minority groups, on the grounds of national security, or for exploitati ...
during the
Bataan Death March The Bataan Death March was the Death march, forcible transfer by the Imperial Japanese Army of around 72,000 to 78,000 American and Filipino prisoners of war (POWs) from the municipalities of Bagac and Mariveles on the Bataan Peninsula to Camp ...
as the last stop of the march. Capas as all other towns in Tarlac province was a part of vast wilderness inhabited by the Abelling tribes known as Aetas. The history of Capas dates back in the late 16th century when immigrants from Pampanga, Zambales, Pangasinan and the Ilocos region flock into the settlements.History of O'Donnell
in capastarlac.gov.ph It is considered the oldest town in Tarlac. Capas became a pueblo (town) in 1710 beginning as a sleepy settlement at a place between Cutcut River in Sitio Pagbatuan and Gudya (present site) founded by Kapitan Mariano Capiendo. Capas' patron saint is San Nicolas de Tolentino. September 9–10 is the Capas Town Fiesta. Tarlac province was founded on May 28, 1874. In the course of time, the townspeople of Capas were ordered by the Spanish authorities to change their family name of their own choosing on condition such family names begin with letter “C”, the first letter of Capas. Descendants of the early inhabitants still hold to this day such family names as Capiendo, Capuno, Capitulo, Capule, Capunpun, Cayabyab, Castañeda and Catacutan. In the 1850s, Capas was a part of the western Pampanga Commandancia Militar de Tarlac which includes the town of Bamban, Concepcion, Victoria, O’Donnell, Murcia, Moriones, Florida Blanca, Porac, Mabalacat, and Magalang. O’Donnell (Patling) was then a bustling pueblo established by the Augustinians Recolletos Mission in the 1800s, named in honor of Carlos O’Donnell y Abreu, the Spanish Minister of State who visited the Patling pueblo. O’Donnell was reverted as a barrio of Capas by the Philippine Commission of 1902 including Moriones reverted to Tarlac town and Murcia back to Concepcion. Capas is known in history as the site of the infamous death march concentration camp during World War II. Of the etymology of Capas, old folks believed it derived its name from a wild vine "Capas-capas" or it originated from a tree called Capas in the Aetas dialect, Bulak in Pampango or Capaz in Ilocano. The town has built the Capas National Shrine. It was built and is maintained by the Philippine government as a memorial to the Filipino and American soldiers who died in Camp O'Donnell at the end of the Bataan Death March, which totals to almost 70,000 soldiers and back-up civilians. This is a memorable site, for all Filipino and American veterans, that relates to Veterans Day in the Philippines. It was once a concentration camp subsequently serving as the burial grounds for thousands of Filipino and American soldiers who perished during World War II. The site was the ultimate destination point of the
Bataan Death March The Bataan Death March was the Death march, forcible transfer by the Imperial Japanese Army of around 72,000 to 78,000 American and Filipino prisoners of war (POWs) from the municipalities of Bagac and Mariveles on the Bataan Peninsula to Camp ...
involving Filipino and American soldiers who surrendered in Bataan on April 9, 1942. Camp O'Donnell was a facility of the United States Air Force in Capas, Tarlac,
Philippines The Philippines, officially the Republic of the Philippines, is an Archipelagic state, archipelagic country in Southeast Asia. Located in the western Pacific Ocean, it consists of List of islands of the Philippines, 7,641 islands, with a tot ...
. Before the facility was transferred to the Philippine Air Force, it was first a Philippine Constabulary post then a United States Army facility. Another site, Santo Domingo Death March Marker, which is located in Capas were about 60,000 Filipino soldiers who were camped and eventually unloaded to start the second phase of the Death March.


Development of New Clark City

New Clark City New Clark City is a planned community currently undergoing development, owned and managed by the Bases Conversion and Development Authority (BCDA). It is located within the Clark Freeport and Special Economic Zone in the municipalities of Bamb ...
ground broke in 2016 and is envisioned as a Business Contingency Hub of the National Government where it serves as a backup office should Metro Manila experience emergencies such as earthquakes, floods, and other calamities. It is located in the BCDA reservation in Capas that used to be a test site of military aircraft when
Clark Air Base Clark Air Base is a Philippine Air Force base in Luzon, located west of Angeles City, and about northwest of Metro Manila. It was previously operated by the U.S. Air Force and, before that, the U.S. Army, from 1903 to 1991. The base cov ...
was under control of the United States. NCC will also serve as the primary venue of the
2019 Southeast Asian Games The 2019 Southeast Asian Games, officially known as the 30th Southeast Asian Games, or the 30th SEA Games, and commonly known as Philippines 2019, were the 30th edition of the SEA Games, Southeast Asian Games, a biennial regional multi-sport ...
.


Geography

Capas has relatively high ground, hilly places near the mountain range are at an approximate 46 meters. It is bordered by San Jose to the north,
Tarlac City Tarlac City, officially the City of Tarlac (; ; ; ), is a component city and capital of the Provinces of the Philippines, province of Tarlac, Philippines. According to the 2020 census, it has a population of 385,398 people, making it the most p ...
to the north-east, Concepcion to the east, Botolan, Zambales, to the west and south-west, and
Bamban Bamban, officially the Municipality of Bamban (; ), is a municipality in the province of Tarlac, Philippines. According to the 2020 census, it has a population of 78,260 people. Etymology The municipality derives its name from the ''bamban'' pla ...
to south. The western side of the town is mountainous while the eastern side is a plain. The town is also known as "The Gateway to Pinatubo Volcano." The town also consists of Hot springs and several freshwater lakes like the Tambo Lake. Capas is north of Manila and is southwest of the provincial capital,
Tarlac City Tarlac City, officially the City of Tarlac (; ; ; ), is a component city and capital of the Provinces of the Philippines, province of Tarlac, Philippines. According to the 2020 census, it has a population of 385,398 people, making it the most p ...
. Many of the streams in the province contain small bits of petrified wood, fish, freshwater crabs, and other animals. Namria and Dingding creek merge as the two major tributaries to Lucong river in Concepcion. Most of Tarlac's waterways that originate from
Mount Pinatubo Mount Pinatubo is an active stratovolcano in the Zambales Mountains in Luzon in the Philippines. Located on the tripoint of Zambales, Tarlac and Pampanga provinces, most people were unaware of its eruptive history before the pre-eruption volc ...
pass through Capas, including the Bulsa Moriones River and Santa Lucia River that form Tarlac River.


Barangays

Capas is politically subdivided into 20
barangay The barangay (; abbreviated as Brgy. or Bgy.), historically referred to as ''barrio'', is the smallest Administrative divisions of the Philippines, administrative division in the Philippines. Named after the Precolonial barangay, precolonial po ...
s, as shown below. Each barangay consists of
purok A ''purok'' () is an informal division within a barangay in the Philippines. While not officially considered a local government unit (LGU), a ''purok'' often serves as a unit for delivering services and administration within a barangay. ''Pur ...
s and some have
sitios A ''sitio'' (Spanish language, Spanish for "site") in the Philippines is a territorial enclave that forms part of a barangay. Typically rural, a ''sitios location is usually far from the center of the barangay itself and could be its own bar ...
. *Aranguren — named after Archbishop Jose Aranguren (OAS), the Roman Catholic Administrator of this area during the Spanish mission and colonization time *Bueno *Cristo Rey (formerly known as ''Navy'') *Cubcub (
Poblacion ''Poblacion'' (from Spanish '' población'', meaning "population"), sometimes abbreviated as Pob., is a term used in the Philippines to refer to the administrative center, downtown, old town, or commercial area of a city or municipality. It ...
) *Cutcut 1st (Poblacion) *Cutcut 2nd (Poblacion) *Dolores (Poblacion) *Estrada (Calingcuan) *Lawy *Manga *Manlapig *Maruglu *
O'Donnell The O'Donnell dynasty ( or ''Ó Domhnaill,'' ''Ó Doṁnaill'' ''or Ua Domaill;'' meaning "descendant of Dónal") were the dominant Irish clan of the kingdom of Tyrconnell in Ulster in the north of medieval and early modern Ireland. Naming ...
*Santa Juliana *Santa Lucia *Santa Rita *Santo Domingo 1st (Poblacion) *Santo Domingo 2nd (Poblacion) *Santo Rosario (Poblacion) *Talaga The original Capas was Pagbatuan where the Aetas resides before the new settlers came to the now proper town of Capas. Barangay Cutcut, meaning "to bury", or "burial", is known for its landfill where garbage from other municipalities is disposed. Malutung gabun or Red soil has a replica of Capas National Shrine which is sometimes featured on Philippine maps. Barangay Santo Rosario (Holy Rosary) has Villa De Santo Rosario, Rosary-ville, Small Tokyo which was formerly a Japanese Garrison hence its name, Pascuala which has the most poultries and piggeries in Capas it also has one of the most polluted tributaries to Lucong river because surrounding piggeries have made it wastewaters for pig excrement, despite protests, the government has taken little to no action regarding the pollution caused by piggeries. Pinagpala which has a sugar-cane farm, mango plantations, etc. Santo Rosario is also the location of Capas Public Cemetery or Cabu Santu, the original Capas cemetery was once located where the entrance way to Small Tokyo near the Barangay Hall, as well as the San Nicolas De Tolentino Parish which is the town church that stands next to the Dominican College of Tarlac. Other schools in Capas include Capas East Central School, Capas High School (Formerly: Dolores High School), Gabaldon Elementary School, Montessori School of St. Nicholas among others. Wellspring High School and Capas Christian School are the new private schools. Cubcub, Cut-Cut II, Santo Domingo I, Santo Domingo II, and Santo Rosario are the town's
poblacion ''Poblacion'' (from Spanish '' población'', meaning "population"), sometimes abbreviated as Pob., is a term used in the Philippines to refer to the administrative center, downtown, old town, or commercial area of a city or municipality. It ...
and location of the public market. Santa Rita is among the smallest barrios (barangays) of the municipality but has a church and school. Barangay Talaga is known for its production of ''Tinapa'' or smoked fish, Barangay Dolores has its garden plants and Santo Domingo has the Capas Junction which also has fast-food chains like the town proper. Barangay Aranguren (aling goring) is home to Poet Laureate Renato Alzadon, who is also known as the current "Ari ning Parnasong Capampangan" or "King of Capampangan Literature", it is also the location of Capas National Shrine, Sitio Kasulukan, Calumpit, Dalang Baka, Aquino Page Village (Kamatis) and Bullhorn. Barangay Manlapig has rice fields and is among the liveliest barangays during the evening. Barangay Lawy is known for being a place for many of the first Ilocano settlers in the municipality. Barangay Mangga (Mango) used to be filled with the fruit-bearing tree or presumably. Barangay Estrada is the last stop before reaching Tarlac City through McArthur highway. Patling, Santa Lucia, Bueno, Maruglu and Santa Juliana are mountainous and hilly while filled with vast lands and forest, presumably the place where the earliest settlers of the town stayed.


Subdivisions and villages

As one of the richest towns in the province, it consists of numerous subdivisions and exclusive villages. *Dominican Hill Subdivision (Cut-Cut 1st) *Hilltop Subdivision (Cut-Cut 1st) *Regina Northview Subdivision (Cut-Cut 1st) *Villa San Jose (Cut-Cut 1st) *Doña Lutgarda Subdivision (Cut-Cut I) *Amaia Scapes (Estrada) *Villa Generosa (Estrada) *Villa De Concepcion (Talaga) *BellaVista (Santo Domingo II) *Vargas Subdivision (Santo Domingo II) *Villa Necita (Santo Domingo II) *Villa De Santo Rosario (Santo Rosario) *RosaryVille (Santo Rosario) *Saint Paul Homes (Santo Domingo I) *Robinson Homes Grand Tierra (Santo Domingo I) *Cenizal Subdivision (Santo Domingo II) *Kathrine Ville (Cut-Cut 1st)


Climate


Demographics

In the 2020 census, the population of Capas was 156,056 people, with a density of .


Languages

Kapampangan Kapampangan, Capampañgan or Pampangan may refer to: *Kapampangan people, of the Philippines *Kapampangan language Kapampangan, Capampáñgan, or Pampangan, is an Austronesian language, and one of the eight major languages of the Philippines. ...
is the main dialect of Capas because of the town’s close ties to
Pampanga Pampanga, officially the Province of Pampanga (; ; ), is a province in Central Luzon in the Philippines. Lying on the northern shore of Manila Bay, Pampanga is bordered by Tarlac to the north, Nueva Ecija to the northeast, Bulacan to the east, ...
. Ilocano is also used. Tagalog is also spoken, which is used for administrative functions by the local government, local media and in education. As the majority of the residents are Kapampangans, most of the Ilocanos speak Kapampangan as first language.


Religion

The town is also predominantly
Roman Catholic The Catholic Church (), also known as the Roman Catholic Church, is the largest Christian church, with 1.27 to 1.41 billion baptized Catholics worldwide as of 2025. It is among the world's oldest and largest international institut ...
but there are also Christian congregations of some sects, like
The United Methodist Church The United Methodist Church (UMC) is a worldwide mainline Protestant Christian denomination, denomination based in the United States, and a major part of Methodism. In the 19th century, its main predecessor, the Methodist Episcopal Church, was ...
,
Iglesia ni Cristo The (INC; ; ) is an independent Nontrinitarianism, nontrinitarian Christianity, Christian Christian denomination, church founded in 1913 and registered by Felix Manalo, Félix Manalo in 1914 as a corporation sole, sole religious corporation ...
,
The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, informally known as the LDS Church or Mormon Church, is a Nontrinitarianism, nontrinitarian Restorationism, restorationist Christianity, Christian Christian denomination, denomination and the ...
, Jehovah's Witnesses, Baptist and Jesus Miracle Crusade.


Economy


Tourism

Capas is the location of Mount Telakawa or Straw hat Mountain on the boundaries of Santa Juliana and Maruglu. It also provides access to
Mount Pinatubo Mount Pinatubo is an active stratovolcano in the Zambales Mountains in Luzon in the Philippines. Located on the tripoint of Zambales, Tarlac and Pampanga provinces, most people were unaware of its eruptive history before the pre-eruption volc ...
via the preferred route through Barangay Santa Juliana. Mount Bueno is the site of Bueno hot springs in Barangay Bueno. Malatarlak and Salay or
Lemon grass ''Cymbopogon'', also known as lemongrass, barbed wire grass, silky heads, oily heads, Cochin grass, Malabar grass, citronella grass or fever grass, is a genus of Asian, African, Australian, and tropical island plants in the grass family. Some ...
grow abundantly on Mor-Asia or Talahib mountain at Sitio Kalangitan. Mount Canouman is the largest in terms of surface area, known as the mountain of Spirits, it is a dangerous 10-hour walk from Sitio Salangui. The majority of mountains in Capas are relatively easy climbs. Mount Dalin, the smaller straw hat mountain is near a 300-meter peak called Prayer Mountain or Peniel where a few rooms are available for rent. *
Mount Pinatubo Mount Pinatubo is an active stratovolcano in the Zambales Mountains in Luzon in the Philippines. Located on the tripoint of Zambales, Tarlac and Pampanga provinces, most people were unaware of its eruptive history before the pre-eruption volc ...
*Mount Telakawa *Mount Canouman *Bueno Hot Springs *Tambo Lake *Peniel *Pinatubo Trail * Capas National Shrine *Hanging Bridge *War Museum at the old Capas PNR Station *Asia Golf and Spa The feast day of San Nicolas De Tolentino is held every 10 September; the origin of the name Capas is disputed but has two prominent sources, it is said that town was either named after the edible plant called Capas-Capas or was taken from the first three letters of the surnames Capitulo, Capunfuerza, Capunpue, Capili, Capongga, Capunpun, Capati, Capil and Capuno, etc. then adding the letters "a" and "s" hence forming "Capas".


Capas National Shrine

The municipality is home to the Capas National Shrine, an
obelisk An obelisk (; , diminutive of (') ' spit, nail, pointed pillar') is a tall, slender, tapered monument with four sides and a pyramidal or pyramidion top. Originally constructed by Ancient Egyptians and called ''tekhenu'', the Greeks used th ...
with a central bell, which was built and is maintained by the Philippine government as a memorial to the Filipino and American soldiers who died in
Camp O'Donnell Camp O'Donnell is a current military base and former United States military reservation in the Philippines located on Luzon island in the municipality of Capas in Tarlac. It housed the Philippine Army's newly created 71st Division and after t ...
at Barangay Aranguren. during the end of the
Bataan Death March The Bataan Death March was the Death march, forcible transfer by the Imperial Japanese Army of around 72,000 to 78,000 American and Filipino prisoners of war (POWs) from the municipalities of Bagac and Mariveles on the Bataan Peninsula to Camp ...
. This is an important site related to Veterans Day in the Philippines, every April 9, the anniversary of the surrender of the defending US and Philippine Commonwealth forces to the Japanese in 1942. When the raid at Capas on 1945, combined US and Philippine Commonwealth ground troops supporting local recognized guerrillas freed by few thousands of Filipino and American POW's on
Bataan Death March The Bataan Death March was the Death march, forcible transfer by the Imperial Japanese Army of around 72,000 to 78,000 American and Filipino prisoners of war (POWs) from the municipalities of Bagac and Mariveles on the Bataan Peninsula to Camp ...
and attacking Japanese forces. This is a memorable site, for all Filipino and Americans veterans. that relates to Veterans Day in the Philippines. It was once a concentration camp subsequently serving as the burial grounds for thousands of Filipino and American soldiers who perished during World War II. The site was the ultimate destination point of the infamous Death March involving Filipino and American soldiers who surrendered in Bataan on April 9, 1942.
Camp O'Donnell Camp O'Donnell is a current military base and former United States military reservation in the Philippines located on Luzon island in the municipality of Capas in Tarlac. It housed the Philippine Army's newly created 71st Division and after t ...
was a facility of the United States Air Force in Capas, Tarlac,
Philippines The Philippines, officially the Republic of the Philippines, is an Archipelagic state, archipelagic country in Southeast Asia. Located in the western Pacific Ocean, it consists of List of islands of the Philippines, 7,641 islands, with a tot ...
. Before the facility was transferred to the Air Force, it was first a Philippine Constabulary post then a United States Army facility. Another site, Santo Domingo Death March Marker, which is located in Capas were about 60,000 Filipino soldiers who were camped and eventually unloaded to start the second phase of the Death March.


Government


Local government

The following officials assumed their offices on the noon of the 30th day of June, 2022. Except the Ex-officios of the Sangguniang Bayan


Mayor

Atty. Roseller B. Rodriguez (PDPLaban)


Vice-Mayor

Alexander Espinosa (PDPLaban)


Sangguniang Bayan

# Jeff Ticsay (NPC) # Felipe Ong (NPC) # Estela Manlupig (NPC) # Jesus Lopez (NPC) # Alejandro Dueñas (PDPLaban) # Ariel Batican (PDPLaban) # Editha Yumul (PDPLaban) # Nestor Sicat (PDPLaban) Ex-Officio's * Arnold Arcilla - ABC President * Victor Valentin - Indigenous' People Representative * Reymart Catacutan - Federation of the Sangguniang Kabataan President


Notable personalities

* Brent Manalo - Actor, model, and singer under
Star Magic ABS-CBN Center for Communication Arts, Inc., doing business as Star Magic (formerly known as ABS-CBN Talent Center), is a Philippine talent agency owned by ABS-CBN Corporation based in Quezon City, Metro Manila. Founded in 1992, Star Magic ha ...
.


Gallery

File:CapasChurchjf4050 10.JPG, Santuario de San Nicolas de Tolentino of Capas church File:Capas,Tarlacjf4120 04.JPG, Public market File:Capas,Tarlacjf4120 09.JPG,
Mount Arayat Mount Arayat is an isolated, potentially active stratovolcano in the Central Luzon plains. Located within the vast agricultural lands of Pampanga, it rises to a height of above sea level. Its southern half lies within the municipality of A ...
as viewed from Capas fields File:Capas,Tarlacjf3989 03.JPG,
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 at the north. It is t ...
( N2) looking south, which serves as a main street of the town File:Capas,Tarlacjf4020 09.JPG, RCS supermarket File:Capas, Tarlac.jpg, Capas municipal hall during Christmas season


References


External links


Capas Profile at PhilAtlas.com
*
Philippine Standard Geographic Code The Philippine Standard Geographic Code (PSGC) is a systematic classification and coding for geographic areas in the Philippines. It classifies areas based on the country's four levels of administrative divisions: regions, provinces, municipalities ...
br>Philippine Census InformationLocal Governance Performance Management System
{{Authority control Municipalities of Tarlac