Tacloban City

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City of Tacloban Siyudad han Tacloban Lungsod ng Tacloban
Seal
Nickname: "The Heart of Eastern Visayas and the Gateway to Region VIII."
Map of Leyte showing the location of Tacloban City.
Country	Philippines
Region	Eastern Visayas (Region VIII)
Province	Leyte
Districts	1st District of Leyte
Barangays	138 Barangays
Incorporated (city)	June 12, 1953
Government
- City Mayor	Hon. Alfred Romualdez (2007-present)
- Vice Mayor	Hon. Arvin Antoni (2007-present)

The City of Tacloban (Waray: Siyudad han Tacloban , Tagalog: Lungsod ng Tacloban , Cebuano: Dakbayan sa Tacloban) is a port city approximately 360 miles southeast of Manila. It is the capital of Philippine province of Leyte. It is the largest city in terms of population ^[1] and considered as the regional center of the Eastern Visayas or Region VIII. It briefly became the seat of the Philippine Commonwealth Government from October 23, 1944 to February 27, 1945.

[edit] History

Tacloban was known as Kankabatok, an allusion to the first inhabitants of the place – Kabatok. They established their dwelling in the vicinity of the present day Sto. Niño Church. Others who came later were Gumoda, Haraging and Huraw who erected their own settlements in nearby sites. Huraw’s domain is the hill where the city hall now sits. The combined settlements acquired the name Kankabatok, meaning Kabatok’s property.

By the end of the 16th century, Kankabatok was under the political administration of Palo and part of the parish of Basey, Samar. It was discovered in 1770, by the Augustinian Mission, who were superseded by the Franciscans in 1813. During this period, Kankabatok was renamed to Tacloban.

The change of the name came about in this manner: Kankabatok was a favorite haunt of fishermen. They would use a bamboo contraption called "Taklub" to catch crabs, shrimps or fish. When asked where they were going, the fishermen would answer, "(to) Tarakluban", which meant the place where they used the devise to catch these marine resources. Eventually, the name Tarakluban or Tacloban took prominence.

It is not known when Tacloban became a municipality because records supporting this fact were destroyed during a typhoon. It is commonly believed that Tacloban was officially proclaimed a municipality in 1770. In 1768, Leyte and Samar were separated into two provinces, each constituting as a politico-military province. Due to its strategic location, Tacloban became a vital trading point between the two provinces.

The capital of Leyte was transferred from one town to another with Tacloban as the last on February 26, 1830. The decision to make Tacloban the capital was based on the following reasons: 1) ideal location of the port and 2) well-sheltered and adequate facilities. On June 12, 1952, Tacloban was proclaimed a chartered city by virtue of Republic Act No. 760.

The arrival of Colonel Murray in 1901 made him the first military governor of Leyte. His first official act was the opening of Tacloban port to world commerce. Before World War II, Tacloban was the commercial, education, social and cultural center of the Province of Leyte. Copra and abaca were exported in large quantities. The leading institutions were: The Leyte Normal School, Leyte High School, Leyte Trade School, Holy Infant Academy and the Tacloban Catholic Institute.

On May 25, 1942, Japanese forces landed in Tacloban - signalling the beginning of their three-year occupation of Leyte. They fortified the city and improved its airfield. Since San Pedro Bay was ideal for larger vessels, the Japanese Imperial Naval Forces made Tacloban a port of call and entry. This time was considered the darkest in the history of Tacloban and the country due to the incidences of torture among civilians, including the elderly. In response, guerilla groups operated in Leyte - the most notable of which was the group of Colonel Ruperto Kangleon.

Leyte was the first to be liberated by the Filipino and American troops. General Douglas MacArthur’s assault troops landed in the Tacloban and Palo beaches (White Beach and Red Beach, respectively) and in the neighboring town of Dulag (Blue Beach) on October 20, 1944. These landings signaled the eventual victory of the Filipino and American forces and the fulfillment of MacArthur’s famous promise: "I Shall Return."

Three days later, on the 23rd, at a ceremony at the Capitol Building in Tacloban, General MacArthur accompanied by President Sergio Osmeña made Tacloban the temporary seat of the Commonwealth Government and subsequently the temporary capital of the Philippines until the complete liberation of the country. The provincial government of Leyte and the municipal government of Tacloban were re-established.

Atty. Paulo Jaro was the Liberation Mayor of Tacloban. The first mayor of this capital upon inauguration of the Philippine Republic was Hon. Epifanio Aguirre.

On January 8, 1960, General Douglas MacArthur made his "sentimental" journey to Leyte.

Landmarks in the area include the Joseph Price Mansion where General MacArthur set up headquarters in 1944 and the Redoña Residence. These two structures in Tacloban played a vital role during the liberation of the Philippines.

[edit] Geography

Tacloban is located on Cancabato Bay, in the San Juanico Strait which divides the islands of Leyte and Samar.

[edit] Economy

It is the regional center of commerce, tourism, education, culture, and government in the region. It is one of the few first class cities in the Philippines (cities with an annual income of more than PhP300 million) and is slated to be declared as a highly urbanized city in 2008 (having exceeded the minimum qualfying standards in terms of income and population). ^[2]

[edit] Demography

Based on the official results of the August 1st, 2007 National Census, Tacloban City has a Population of 217,199 ^[3] inhabitants, up from 178,639 in the year 2000.

Tacloban is a dominantly Waray speaking city. The language is also officially called Lineyte-Samarnon ("Leyte-Samarnon"). A decade before the end of the Spanish sovereignty, the place was dominantly a typical colonial community. Most of its residents were either pure Iberian families or the new generations of Spanish-Filipino blood. Today’s population consists of a healthy mix of Spanish and Chinese mestizos, foreign expatriates and the native Leyteños.

[edit] Government

Tacloban is governed by the central government and 3 subnational entities namely: the provincial government, city government and the barangays. The Local Government Code of 1991 granted greater autonomy, power and responsibilities to the local government units.

Tacloban is a component city of province of Leyte. Unlike an independent city, Tacloban is under the administrative supervision of the province. However, its constituents can elect provincial officials.

The executive power of the city government is vested on the mayor. The Sangguniang Panlungsod or the city council has the legislative power to create city ordinances. It is a unicameral body composed of ten (10) elected councilors and certain numbers of ex officio and sectoral representatives. It is presided by the vice-mayor. The city mayor, vice mayor and the elected city councilors are elected-at-large every three (3) years.

The barangays are the villages within the city.

[edit] Official Seal of The City of Tacloban

The Official Seal of Tacloban City is the Symbol of the City's identity where its meaning is inscribed when it became a City under Republic Act No. 760 on June 20, 1952.

The City's emblem stands for the following physical attributes and character:

Right Portion - Leyte side, where Tacloban City is Located

Left Portion - Symbolizes the province of Samar, major supplier of agricultural and marine products to the city, stabilizing its volume of business and trade.

Center - Stands for the beautiful and scenic San Juanico Strait

The Galleon - Illustrates the ship of Ferdinand Magellan who discovered the island of Limasawa where the first Christian mass was held in Philippine soil.

[edit] City Officials (2007-present)

- Mayor -

• Hon. Alfred Romualdez

- Vice Mayor -

• Hon. Arvin Antoni

- City Councilors -

• Hon. Cristina "Kring-kring" Gonzales-Romualdez
• Hon. Ranulfo "Bob" S. Abellanosa
• Hon. Robert "Bobby" Andrade
• Hon. Bianco F. Mate
• Hon. Nofredo "Rindo" C. Lagonoy
• Hon. Wilson S. Uy
• Hon. Rufino A. Pacanan
• Hon. Eden C. Pineda
• Hon. Rachelle Erica C. Pineda
• Hon. Robert Hernandez
• Hon. Jerry T. Yaokasin
• Hon. Cristeta "Tita" Pedrosa

[edit] Barangays

The City of Tacloban is politically subdivided into 138 barangays.^[4]

[edit] Education

One of Tacloban's strongest^{[citation needed]} 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 41,000. Some of the schools of the city are the University of the Philippines Visayas-Tacloban College (UPVTC), University of the Philippines School of Health Sciences, St. Scholastica's College of Health Sciences(SSCHS), Philippine Science High School,Remedios Trinidad Romualdez Medical Foundation(RTRMF), Eastern Visayas State University, Leyte National High School, Leyte Normal University, Eastern Visayas College Preparatory School [EVCPS],Sto. Niño SPED Center[SNSC],Sacred Heart College [SHC],Liceo del Verbo Divino [LVD] formerly called Divine Word University [DWU],ST. Paul's Business School [SPBS], National Maritime Polytechnic, among others.

[edit] Transportation

[edit] Going to Tacloban

By air, The Philippine Airlines (PAL) and Cebu Pacific Air has 3 daily flights each between The City of Manila and Tacloban City; travel time is 1 hour and 10 minutes. Air Philippines also has four flights per week between Cebu and Tacloban City.

By sea, Sulpicio Lines takes approximately 36 hours to reach Tacloban, the ship departs from Manila three times a week. The days of departure are fixed a week before.

[edit] Getting Around the City

Jeepney, tricycles, and pedicabs are readily available to ferry the tourists to the various attractions in and around the city. Hotels can arrange for rental cars with drivers for their guests.

When running around town, you'll see many people using modified pedicabs as freight haulers. The passenger seats are replaced with a flat sheet of metal and a short fence.

[[Image:tacloban city.jpg|right|200px|thumb|Downtown Tacloban.]

[edit] Landmarks

Historical Sites

• Provincial Capitol of Leyte
• Daniel Z. Romualdez Airport
• Tacloban City Hall
• San Pedro Bay
• Price Mansion (CAP Building)
• Redoña Residence
• Madonna of Japan

Places of Interest

• Sto. Niño Shrine and Heritage Museum
• People's Center And Library
• San Juanico Bridge
• The Crucified Christ
• San Juanico Strait
• Family Park
• Sto. Niño Church
• Rizal Plaza (Rizal Park)

Malls and Shopping Centers

• Gaisano Tacloban
• Dynasty Square
• Kevin's
• Robinsons Malls Tacloban - Soon to open on December 2008
• Gaisano Capital Mall Tacloban - Opening soon

San Juanico Bridge	Daniel Z. Romualdez Airport (Tacloban Airport)	Tacloban City Hall	The Provincial Capitol of Leyte
Leyte Landing Memorial Park	Tacloban City Convention Center	Tacloban Supermarket	Tacloban Seaport
New Bus Terminal	Hotel 'D Angelo	Rizal Avenue	Zamora Street
Santo Niño Parish Church of Tacloban	Palo Cathedral	Leyte Progressive High School	Liceo del Verbo Divino (formerly The Divine Word University of Tacloban)
Eastern Visayas State University	University of the Philippines in the Visayas - College of Tacloban	TESDA	National Maritime Polytechnic
Santo Niño Shrine and Heritage Museum

[edit] References

1. ^ National Statistics Office http://www.census.gov.ph/data/census2007/index.html
2. ^ Joey A. Gabieta, "Tacloban seeks new status as highly urbanized city", Philippine Daily Inquirer, First Posted 11:25pm (Mla time) 04/30/2008 http://newsinfo.inquirer.net/breakingnews/regions/view_article.php?article_id=133768
3. ^ National Statistics Office http://www.census.gov.ph/data/census2007/index.html
4. ^ Philippine Standard Geographic Code listing for Tacloban City - National Statistical Coordination Board

• [http:/www.tacloban.gov.ph]

[edit] External links

• Official Website of Tacloban
• Philippine Department of Tourism
• Parish of St. Joseph, San Jose, Tacloban City

Coordinates: 11°15′N, 125°00′E