Tacloban City
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Image:Ph locator leyte tacloban.png Tacloban City [tα'kloubən] is the largest city and regional center of the Eastern Visayas region of the Philippines. It is also the capital city of Leyte. It is the center of commerce, tourism, education, culture, and government in the region. Tacloban is located on Cancabato Bay, in the San Juanico Strait which divides the islands of Leyte and Samar. According to the 2000 census, it has a population of 178,639 people in 34,758 households.
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Demographics
Although Waray is generally spoken, big business establishments and hospitals use Tagalog for communication and English at government offices. Some Cebuano can be heard at grocery stores and supermarkets.
Economy
Economically, Tacloban is one of the fastest growing cities in the Philippines. It is the site of the region's biggest airport, and has a sheltered natural harbor. Its major export product is copra. The government has established an economic zone, the Eastern Visayas Regional Growth Center (EVRGC) to take advantage of its large pool of skilled and educated workers. Investors in the EVRGC are given a package of tax exemptions and incentives, as well as other privileges, by the national and local governments.
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 biggest fertilizer factory in Asia, and the Philippine Associated Smelter and Refining Company, the country's biggest copper processing plant.
Education
The City is the site of large state run educational institutions like the University of the Philippines Tacloban, 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 UP School of Health Sciences (actually located in Palo, a municipality which is almost like a Tacloban suburb), the RTR Foundation (the largest medical school in the region), the Asian Development College, Holy Infant College, Leyte Colleges, St. Paul's Business Schools (also in Palo, one of the biggest, in terms of student population, business schools outside Manila), AMA Computer School, STI, Sercon Technical School, the St. Scholastica's College, Alpha-Omega Learning Center, and UCFLP Pre-elementary School. Divine Word University, formerly owned by the Society of Divine Word, was closed down (circa 1990) as a result of an ongoing labour dispute between management and the faculty union.
Tourism
The longest bridge in the Philippines connects Tacloban to the third largest island of the Philippines, Samar. The 2.1 kilometer bridge is one of the major tourist spots in the city. Other attractions include the Palo Cathedral, Imelda Marcos's Versailles-inspired palatial mansion, the MacArthur National Park, World War II sites and memorials, and several black sand beaches around 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.
Barangays
Tacloban City is politically subdivided into 138 barangays.
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History
Tacloban developed from a small fishing village, a barrio of Basey, Samar. The word Tacloban evolved from "Taklub", 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 flamboyant former Philippine First Lady 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. Another proof of their influence was the naming of the city's premier airport after Daniel Z. Romualdez, uncle of the former first lady and who once served as the Speaker of the Philippine House Representatives shortly before Ferdinand E. Marcos rose into prominence in the national political landscape.
External links
- Official Website of Tacloban
- Official Forum of Tacloban City
- Unofficial Website about Tacloban City
- Philippine Standard Geographic Code
- 2000 Philippine Census Information
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