Tarlac City, officially the City of Tarlac (; ; ; ), is a 1st class component city and capital of the province of Tarlac, Philippines. According to the 2020 census, it has a population of 385,398 people.
History
Tarlac's first settlers came from Bacolor, Pampanga. 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, Pampanga and Zambales moved into the area. The Kapampangan language, which is the dialect of Pampanga, 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 in 1872, Tarlac was designated as the capital of the new province.
Cityhood
On June 21, 1969, President Ferdinand Marcos 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 km2 (106.05 sq mi) area.
Finally, on March 12, 1998, Republic Act 8593 was signed by President Fidel V. Ramos, making Tarlac as the component city of the province of Tarlac. On April 18, 1998, its residents approved the conversion of the municipality into a city. Tarlac was proclaimed as the component city by COMELEC on the next day, on April 19, 1998.
Highly urbanized city
On October 27, 2005, President Gloria Macapagal Arroyo 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, along the Tarlac River. To its north is Gerona and Santa Ignacia, west is San Jose, south is Capas and Concepcion and eastern boundaries are Victoria and La Paz. Tarlac City is located north of Central Luzon's regional center San Fernando, Pampanga, 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. 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.
Barangays
Tarlac City is politically subdivided into 76 barangays. Each barangay consists of puroks and some have sitios.
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
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 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 and Pangasinan 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.