Tarlac (Kapampangan: Lalauígan ning Tarlac; Pangasinan: Luyag na Tarlac; Ilocano: Probinsia ti

Tarlac; Tagalog: Lalawigan ng Tarlac) is a landlocked province located in the Central

Luzon region of the Philippines. It is bounded on the north by the province of Pangasinan, Nueva
Ecija on the east, Zambales on the west and Pampanga in the south. The province comprises three
congressional districts and is subdivided into 17 municipalities and one city, Tarlac City, which is the
provincial capital.
The province is situated in the heartland of Luzon, in what is known as the Central Plain also
spanning the neighbouring provinces of Pampanga, Pangasinan, Nueva Ecija and Bulacan. Tarlac
covers a total land area of 3,053.45 km2 (305,345 ha).
Early in history, what came to be known as Valenzuela Ranch today was once a thickly-forested
area, peopled by roving tribes of nomadic Aetas who are said to be the aboriginal settlers of the
Philippines, and for a lengthy period, it was the remaining hinterland of Luzon's Central Plains.
Today, Tarlac is the most multi-cultural of the provinces in the region for having a mixture of four
distinct ethnic groups: the Kapampangans, the Pangasinans, the Ilocanos and the Tagalogs. It is
also known for its fine food and vast sugar and rice plantations in Central Luzon.[4]

Contents

 1History
o 1.1Military testing ground
 2Geography
o 2.1Administrative divisions
o 2.2Barangays
o 2.3Climate
 3Demographics
o 3.1Language
o 3.2Religion
 4Economy
 5Culture
o 5.1Belenismo sa Tarlac
o 5.2Melting Pot Festival
o 5.3Chicharon Iniruban Festival
 6Provincial capitol
 7See also
 8References
 9External links

History[edit]
Tarlac's name is a Hispanized derivation from a talahib weed called Malatarlak. Tarlac was originally
divided into two parts: the southern division belonging to Pampanga and the northern division
belonging to Pangasinan. It was the last province in Central Luzon to be organized under the
Spanish colonial administration in 1874.
During the Philippine Revolution of 1896, Tarlac was among the first eight provinces to rise against
Spain, alongside neighbouring Pampanga. It became the new seat of the first Philippine Republic in
March 1899 when General Emilio Aguinaldo abandoned the former capital, Malolos, Bulacan. This
lasted only for a month before 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
separation from the Roman Catholic Church in the Philippines.
Tarlac was captured by American forces on 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 Bataan
Death March of Filipino and American soldiers who surrendered at Bataan on April 9, 1942. Many
prisoners died of hunger, disease and/or execution. The general headquarters of the Philippine
Commonwealth Army was established from January 03, 1942 to June 30, 1946 and the 3rd
Constabulary Regiment of the Philippine Constabulary was founding again from October 28, 1944 to
June 30, 1946 and military stationed in the province of Tarlac and some parts in Central Luzon due
to Japanese Occupation.[further explanation needed] Local troops of the Philippine Commonwealth Army units
has sending the clearing military operations in the province of Tarlac and Central Luzon from 1942 to
1945 and aided them by the recognized guerrilla groups including Hukbalahap Communist fighters
and attacking Japanese Imperial forces.[incomprehensible] But in the aftermath, some local guerrilla
resistance fighters and Hukbahalap groups are became retreating Imperial Japanese troops around
the province and before the liberation from the Allied forces.[incomprehensible]
In early 1945, combined American and Filipino military forces with the recognized Aringay Command
guerillas liberated Camp O'Donnell. The raid in Capas resulted in the rescue of American, Filipino
and other allied Prisoners of War.
From January 20, 1945 to August 15, 1945, Tarlac was recaptured by combined Filipino and
American troops together with the recognized guerrilla fighters against the Japanese Imperial
forces dur