Provincial Profile

Sun, 4 Jun 2006 18:33:14 +0800

Brief Description Tarlac is the most multicultural of the Central Luzon provinces. A mixture of four distinct groups - the Pampangos, Ilocanos, Pangasinenses and Tagalogs - share this province and living together resulted in offering to the visitors the best cuisine of the places where their ancestors had come from, namely Bulacan, Nueva Ecija, Zambales, Pangasinan and the Ilocos Region. Tarlac is also best known for its fine foods and vast sugar and rice plantations. That it has fine cooking to offer is largely due to the fact that it is the melting pot of Central Luzon. Its myriad of historical sites, fine foods, vast sugar and rice plantations, and a beautifully landscaped golf course plus so many other attractions all make the province of Tarlac one of the best places to visit in Central Luzon. Brief History Originally, Tarlac was a part of the provinces of Pangasinan and Pampanga. It was the last Central Luzon province to be organized under Spanish regime in 1874. During the Philippine Revolution of 1896, Tarlac was one of the first eight provinces to rise in arms against Spain. It then became a seat of the first Philippine Republic in March 1899 when Emilio Aguinaldo abandoned Malolos, Bulacan, then the capital. It only lasted for a month, though, as the seat was moved to Nueva Ecija in Aguinaldo's attempt to elude the pursuing Americans. On October 23, 1899, Gregorio Aglipay, military vicar general of the Revolutionary Forces, called the Filipino clergy to a conference in Paniqui. There, they drafted the Constitution of the Philippine Independent Church. They called for the Filipinization of the clergy, which eventually led to a schism in the Roman Catholic Chuch in the Philippines. Tarlac was captured by American forces in November 1899. A civil government was established in the province in 1901. During World War II, Camp O' Donnell in Capas became the terminal point of the infamous "Death March", involving Filipino and American soldiers who surrendered in Bataan on April 9, 1942. The Camp was so overcrowded that many allied prisoners who survived the gruelling march died here of hunger and disease. In the early 1950s, Tarlac was the hotbed of the Huks, a local communist movement. It was suppressed later only to resurface again in 1965. Tarlac is the home province of former President Corazon C. Aquino and her husband, Benigno, whose assassination at the Manila International Airport in 1983 started the protest movement against the Marcos dictatorship, which culminated in the EDSA Revolution of 1986. Adventure Packages Sacobia Lake in Bamban, Tarlac. A once-bustling community in Bamban town was completely submerged in a huge body of water caused by lahar siltation of the Sacobia river channel. Witness how people in the area transformed a catastrophe into an opportunity by establishing a flourishing fishing village. Experience how life is moving in the Sacobia Valley among families displaced by the eruption of Mt. Pinatubo. Have an opportunity to share a little of your blessings with them. Climate Like the rest of Central Luzon, the province has two distinct seasons: dry from November to April and wet for the rest of the year. Famous For Bamban Caves, Hacienda Luisita, Capas National Shrine, Mt. Pinatubo Trek in Sta. Juliana, Capas, Sto. Domingo Death March Marker, Capas Death March Monument, Maria Clara Museum, Dolores Spring Well, Bueno Hot Spring, and Luisita Golf Course. Geography The province of Tarlac is situated at the center of Central Plains of Luzon, landlocked by four provinces namely: Nueva Ecija (east), Pangasinan (north), Pampanga (south), and Zambales (west). Approximately seventy-five percent of the province is plain while the rest is hilly to mountainous. How to get there All buses from Manila going to the Ilocos region and Baguio pass through Tarlac. Most of these buses make rest stops along the highway at the town's many restaurants. Philippine Rabbit in Manila has buses that leave for Tarlac every 10 to 30 minutes. For fast and convenient travel, take the North Luzon Expressway from Manila; exit NLEX spur road past the Dau Toll Plaza to take the Subic-Clark-Tarlac Expressway all the way to Tarlac City. Language/Dialect The people speak a number of dialects with ease. Ilocano is spoken by half of the population while Pampango is next with 41%. Everybody understands the Tagalog language. Major Industries The principal crops of the province are rice and sugarcane. Other major crops are corn and coconut; vegetables such as eggplant, garlic and onion; and fruit trees like mango, banana and calamansi. Because it is landlocked, the province?s fish production is limited to several fishponds. On the boundary with Zambales in the west, forestlands provide timber for the logging industry. Mineral reserves such as manganese and iron can also be found along th western section. Tarlac has its own rice and corn mills, as well as sawmills and logging outfits. It also has three sugar centrals. Other firms service agricultural needs such as fertilizer. Among its cottage industries, ceramics making has become important because of the abundant supply of clay. Political Subdivision Tarlac province is divided into three congressional districts with eighteen towns and aggregate of 510 barangays. It has one city: Tarlac City Population Tarlac has a population of 859, 222. Travel Tips Light casual clothes are recommended. An umbrella and a raincoat are must during the rainy season. Adopt to local customs and accept local differences (whether social or cultural). When shopping in a public market, haggle for the cheapest price. Always bring loose change when taking public transport to avoid inconvenience. Learn some local basic phrases. They may come very handy.
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