Tacloban City
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
| Location | |
 |
|
| Government | |
| Region | Eastern Visayas (Region VII) |
| Province | Leyte |
| District | 1st district of Leyte |
| Barangays | 138 |
| Income class: | 1st class city |
| Mayor | |
| Cityhood | |
| Physical characteristics | |
| Area | 101 km² |
| Population | 178,639 1,769/km² |
Tacloban City [tack low bun] is a port town and the capital of Leyte. Leyte is a province in the Visayan Islands that lies between Samar, Cebu, Bohol and Mindanao. The San Juanico Bridge, which is over two km long and joins the islands of Leyte and Samar across the San Juanico Strait, is the longest bridge in Asia. The bridge was a project of then President Ferdinand Marcos. According to the 2000 census, Tacloban has a population of 178,639 people in 34,758 households.
Contents |
[edit] Demographics
Tacloban has an excellent harbor with facilities for handling large ships and overseas trade. The colorful market at the western end of the wharf is full of life. It is culturally and linguistically diverse as it is a center for the region. The main language in and around Tacloban is Waray-Waray. But the languages used as a medium of instruction in schools, communications in big business and institutions, and correspondence with government offices are the national language of Tagalog, and English the international language of the Philippines. Cebuano is spoken in the northwest and southern parts of Leyte.
[edit] Economy
Economically, Tacloban is one of the fastest growing cities in the Philippines. It has one of the lowest poverty incidence in the country (at roughly 9%, the national poverty incidence stands at 30%), and is the richest local government unit in Eastern Visayas. The Romualdez Airport located here is the region's largest airport, with plans for expansion into an international standard facilty underway. Copra is Leyte's most important export product. More than 30% of the cultivatable land is planted with coconut palms. Other important agricultural exports are rice, maize, sugar cane and abaca. These are mostly shipped directly from Tacloban, making it unnecessary to send exports via Manila.
A major selling point for investors is that the city draws power primarily from the large Tongonan Geothermal Power Plant, which produces plenty of power that is relatively unaffected by global oil prices. Water resources are also abundant. Tacloban is also the gateway to the Leyte Industrial Development Estate in Isabel, home of the Philippine Phosphate Fertilizer Plant, the largest fertilizer factory in Asia, and the Philippine Associated Smelter and Refining Company, the country's biggest copper processing plant.
[edit] Education
One of Tacloban's strongest selling suit is the fact that the schools located in the city are considered some of the best within the region and the country overall. The student population of the city is approximately 40,000.
The City is the site of large state run educational institutions like the University of the Philippines Tacloban, the UP School of Health Sciences (actually located in Palo, a municipality which is almost like a Tacloban suburb, the Leyte Normal University, the Eastern Visayas State University (formerly known as the Leyte Institute of Technology), and the Leyte National High School (commonly known as Leyte High). Private schools include ) the RTR Foundation (the largest medical school in the region), the Asian Development College,the St. Therese Educational Foundation Of Tacloban Inc.(STEFTI),the St. Therese Educational Center Of Leyte(STECL) the St. Therese Christian Development Center FGLC-FCI,Tacloban Angelicum Learning Center,Holy Infant College, Leyte Colleges, ABE International College of Business & Accounting (the only International College in the city), St. Paul's Business Schools (also in Palo, one of the biggest, in terms of student population, business schools outside Manila), AMA Computer College-Tacloban Campus, STI, Sercon Technical School, the St. Scholastica's College, Alpha-Omega Learning Center, UCFLP Pre-elementary School. Another government funded high school located nearby the Government Center is the Philippine Science High School (1998). The 10 hectare Divine Word University, formerly owned by the Society of Divine Word, was closed down in 1995 as a result of a labor dispute between management and the faculty union. The university has reopened in 2006 as the Liceo Del Verbo Divino. There are two private Chinese schools in the city - Leyte Progressive High School (run by the local Chinese Chamber of Commerce) and Sacred Heart College (run by a congregation of priests and nuns from Taiwan). Sacred Heart College now has extended and has the best quality of education in the region. Sacred Heart College has the complete school apparatus in Tacloban, it is the only private Chinese Catholic school in the region. These schools are at par with the other Chinese schools located in Manila.
UP Tacloban is one of the top 3 accountancy school in the Philippines (in its category: 20-30 examinees) that consistently registers a high passing rate (at least 80%) with a number of its graduates consistently in the top 20. Its humanities courses are taught by academically renowned scholars, poets, literary artists, who are respected in their field (e.g. Dr. Merlie Alunan, Prof. Dulce Anacion, Prof. Victor Sugbo, Dr. David Genotiva, Prof. Stephen Lagarde, etc.)
The National Maritime Polytechnic is the Philippines' premiere and most modern maritime school. Set in a sprawling campus at the foot of the San Juanico Bridge, it has one of the most modern navigations equipment in Asia.
The Eastern Visayas State University, which was formerly known as the Leyte Institute of Technology, is the biggest and best performing engineering school in Eastern Visayas; it is a center of excellence in Engineering in the region.
The St. Paul's Business School is the region's biggest business school and its performance in the board exams is above the national average.
The Leyte Normal University, which was formerly known as Leyte State University, is renowned for its Education courses, a center of excellence in the region, and its laboratory high school.
The Remedios T. Romualdez Medical Foundation and the St. Scholastica's College are among the best performing medical schools in the country, with a very high passing percentage in the nursing board exam.
The Don Vicente Orestes Romualdez Educational Foundation is the best college of law in the region.
The Philippine Science High School is one of the most competitive secondary school in the country. While the Leyte National High School is the biggest secondary school in the region.
[edit] Tourism
If you are keen on history, you should visit MacArthur Park on Red Beach in Palo, where General Douglas MacArthur completed his promise of "I shall return" on 20 October 1944 after a major naval battle. He liberated the country from Japanese occupation roughly two years after fleeing from the island fortress of Corregidor in Manila Bay. The Palo Cathedral, built in 1596 with an altar covered in gold leaf, was temporarily converted to a hospital by the Americans in 1944. Nature lovers will enjoy a day trip to Sohoton National Park near Basey on the Island of Samar. The museum in Tacloban's Divine Word University has rare and priceless artifacts from Leyte and Samar, which date from the early trade with China, and from the Sohoton Cave diggings. Another good museum is the colonial-style Santo Nino Shrine and Heritage Museum, which was developed by first lady Imelda Marcos and houses a collection of art and antiquity from around the world; it also has a swimming pool behind it. Next door is the equally large People's Center, with a library for Samar and Leyte.
Other attractions include World War II sites and memorials. You can get to the Statue of Christ from the market along Torres Street. As a reward for climbing the many steps decorated with 14 staues representing the stations of the cross, you will get a beautiful view over Tacloban and its busy port. You can also get a good view over San Pedro Bay from the veranda cafe of the exclusive Leyte Park Hotel, which has two swimming pools, one of them heart-shaped. The city is also famous for the pristine, sandy beaches that surround the city and nearby localities.
The Sto. Niño Church houses a miraculous image of the Child Jesus that reportedly saved the city in the 19th century from a diarrhea epidemic. A religious festival, called "Pintados" (meaning painted all over) and celebrated every June 30, commemorates the said event. A day before the festival is held, a ceremony is conducted wherein the image housed in the church is exchanged with that of the image of the Child Jesus belonging to the coastal municipality of Basey, Samar in a fluvial procession. The ceremony is called the "Balyuan" (Waray word meaning "exchange"). The image that belongs to the city is returned to the church after the ceremony. The faithful who cannot join the fluvial procession watch the proceedings from a tower located near the church.
Tacloban is further bolstered with the recent opening of the city's Convention Center, a domed facility with a seating capacity of 5,000 set in the scenic Cancabato bay. Although Sohoton National Park is on the island of Samar, the simplest way to get there is from Tacloban directly, or thru Basey. It has waterfalls, underground waterways and a labyrinth of caves, which are also called "wonder caves" because of their glittering stone formations. The biggest and most beautiful are Panhulugan I, Bugasan III and Sohoton. A park ranger lives at the entrance to the park and will, on request, guide you through the caves with a kerosene lamp. You can stay overnight with the ranger, but you have to take your own provisions. The best time to see the caves is from March to July, as you can only visit them when the water level is low, not after prolonged rainfall. Basey is known for its colorful mats and other woven goods, which are sold at the markets in Tacloban.
[edit] Barangays
Tacloban City is politically subdivided into 138 barangays.
|
|
|
|
[edit] History
Tacloban developed from a small fishing village, a barrio of Basey, Samar. The word Tacloban evolved from "Taklub" (to be covered) which is also is the capital city of Leyte. A basket-like contraption for catching fish. It became a major trading town in the late 18th century. The city is well-known for its role in World War II, being a major base for the US forces and the first town liberated by Douglas MacArthur's forces from the Japanese Imperial Forces. For a time, it served as the capital of the Philippines while Manila was under Japanese control.
The city is also known for being the hometown of the former Philippine First Lady, and most recently a member of the House of Representatives Imelda Marcos, whose Romualdez family still commands a large political following in the area. The current city mayor, Alfredo "Bejo" Romualdez, Sr., is the younger brother of Imelda Marcos. The city's airport is named after Daniel Z. Romualdez, uncle of Imelda and who once served as the Speaker of the Philippine House Representatives shortly before Ferdinand E. Marcos rose to national prominence.
HistoryContributed by Mila Ragot
Tacloban City, was formerly known as Kankabatok, named after the first settler Kabatok who occupied the area around the present Sto. Niño Church. Other inhabitants who came later were Gumoda, Haranging and Huraw who settled then in nearby areas. The Kanhuraw Hill where the City Hall is presently situated was formerly Huraw`s domain. The whole settlement area was called Kankabatok, meaning Kabatok`s property.
Kankabatok was formerly under the political administration of Palo but under the parochial jurisdiction of Basey, Samar. The Augustinian Mission discovered Kankabatok in 1770 and the Franciscans came later in 1813. During this period, Kankabatok was changed to `Tarakluban` which means the place where the inhabitants used the `Taklub`, a bamboo contraption, to catch crabs, shrimps and fish. Later, the name of the place evolved from `Tarakluban` to its present name, Tacloban.
Although no official records show, it is commonly believed that Tacloban was officially proclaimed a municipality in 1770, after the provinces in Leyte and Samar were separated in 1768. Since then Tacloban became a trading point between the two provinces because of its strategic location. On February 26, 1830, Tacloban became the capital of Leyte because of the ideal location of its port which is well sheltered and had adequate facilities.
Colonel Murray arrived in Tacloban in 1901 and became the first Military Governor of Leyte. He opened the Tacloban port to world commerce, especially for copra and abaca, which were exported in large quantities. Before World War II, Tacloban was the center of commerce, education, social and cultural activities in Leyte. The educational institutions were: Leyte Normal School now the Leyte Normal University, Leyte High School, now the Leyte National High School, Leyte Trade School now Leyte Institute of Technology, Holy Infant Academy now, Holy Infant College and the Tacloban Catholic Institute.
On May 25, 1942, Japanese Forces landed in Tacloban and started a three-year Japanese occupation of Leyte. The Japanese forces fortified Tacloban, improved its airfield and established San Pedro Bay as a port of call and entry for the Japanese Imperial Naval Forces. During the Japanese occupation, many guerilla forces were organized and the most famous was the group of Colonel Ruperto Kangleon.
On October 20, 1944, General Douglas MacArthur and his troops landed on the Tacloban-Palo beaches (White Beach and Red Beach) and in the neighboring town of Dulag (Blue Beach) and liberated Leyte from the Japanese Forces. October 23,1944, General MacArthur, accompanied by President Sergio Osmeña made Tacloban the temporary seat and temporary capital of the Commonwealth Government until final liberation of the country. Famous landmarks during the liberation were the Joseph Price Mansion where General MacArthur set up his headquarters and the Redoña Residence. Then the provincial government of Leyte and the municipal government of Tacloban were re-established.Atty. Paulo Jaro was the Liberation Mayor of Tacloban and Mr. Epifanio Aguirre was the first mayor upon the inauguration of the Philippine Republic.
On June 20, 1952, Tacloban was proclaimed a chartered city by virtue of Republic Act No. 760 which was effected on June 12, 1953. The charter was signed by President Elpidio Quirino and witnessed by the incumbent Mayor, Ildefonso Cinco, who apparently became the first City Mayor.
On June 30, 1954, on the Feast Day of Sr. Sto. Nino, the Patron Saint of Tacloban, Speaker of the House of Representatives Jose B. Laurel did the honor of laying the cornerstone for the Tacloban City Hall at Kanhuraw Hill. As a new city, Tacloban attracted businessmen looking for sound investment prospects while people from neighboring towns slowly began to look for opportunities and laid roots in the city.
Succeeding Hon. Ildefonso Cinco when he became Governor of Leyte was Artemio E. Mate who became the second City Mayor of Tacloban City. The decade of the 60`s ushered in developments particularly so that Imelda Romualdez Marcos, the new First Lady of the Philippines, a Leyteño loved Tacloban City.
During the late 60`s and the early 70`s Tacloban City was gradually changing from a less obvious to a remarkable city. Government institutions and cultural awareness were created and established such as the National Maritime Polytechnic, UP Tacloban, Sto. Niño Shrine and the People`s Center and Library in Tacloban City and others which were established in the Province of Leyte. All these, were in addition to the construction of the San Juanico Bridge, the longest span of bridges in the Philippines that links Leyte and Samar, the construction of the Maharlika Highway, the improvement of the DZR Airport and the Tacloban Sea Port and many other infrastructure projects that promoted Tacloban City to the business sector and to the national and foreign investors.
On September 24, 1972, Tacloban became a part of the of the Integrated Reorganization Plan by virtue of Presidential Decree No. 1 of the New Society under Proclamation 1081 declaring Martial Law in the Philippines. During the time, Mayor Filomeno Arteche was the incumbent mayor.
On May 12, 1976, President Marcos appointed Obdulia R. Cinco as Mayor of Tacloban City and was returned to the seat when she won in the local elections on January 30, 1980 becoming the first elected lady mayor of Tacloban City.
In 1986, after Corazon Aquino was placed into the presidency by the EDSA Revolution, Mayor Cinco was replaced by Emmanuel K. Veloso who stayed until the elections of 1988. This time, another Mate was elected as Mayor. The younger brother of former mayor Artemio E. Mate, Uldarico E. Mate won in the elections and he became the first elected mayor after the EDSA Revolution. Mayor Mate was given a mandate of three terms as mayor of Tacloban City. During his term, Tacloban was now evolving in terms of economic, social and infrastructure development as Tacloban was categorized as a First Class City. The business sector`s confidence in the economic standing of the city boosted its prospects and local and international entrepreneurs became interested to put up business in the city.
In the mid portion of the 90`s, Tacloban City worked out for the acquisition of 237 hectares for its Economic Zone, which was finally realized and approved by the Philippine Economic Zone Authority, by virtue of Presidential Proclamation No. 1210 on April 23, 1998. The Eastern Visayas Agri-Industrial Growth Center (EVRGC) was then officially registered as an Eco-Zone with the City Government of Tacloban as the developer/operator.
On June 12, 2003, Tacloban City celebrated its Golden Anniversary with fitting rites and activities with Mayor Alfredo T. Romualdez at its helm. Celebrating the 50th anniversary of Tacloban`s cityhood showed the long trail of significant activities leading to the present status of Tacloban by which economic, infrastructural and social gains were achieved.
From its modest beginning, Tacloban City has grown to be the premier city of Eastern Visayas, gateway of the region and the center of trade and industry, culture, education, communication and tourism, keeping abreast with the modern technology that would link Tacloban City to all destinations in the world.
[edit] External links
- Tacloban Leyte current Photos
- Official Website of Tacloban
- Official Forum of Tacloban City
- Philippine Standard Geographic Code
- 2000 Philippine Census Information
| Cities and Municipalities of Leyte | |
| Cities: | Ormoc | Tacloban |
| Municipalities: | Abuyog | Alangalang | Albuera | Babatngon | Barugo | Bato | Baybay | Burauen | Calubian | Capoocan | Carigara | Dagami | Dulag | Hilongos | Hindang | Inopacan | Isabel | Jaro | Javier | Julita | Kananga | La Paz | Leyte | MacArthur | Mahaplag | Matag-ob | Matalom | Mayorga | Merida | Palo | Palompon | Pastrana | San Isidro | San Miguel | Santa Fe | Tabango | Tabontabon | Tanauan | Tolosa | Tunga | Villaba |
