Leaders and settlers from Bacolor, Pampanga formally founded Tarlac City in 1788.

The land
was cleared, the soil fertilized, and a settlement was established, and other settlers from Pampanga,
Zambales, Bataan, and other provinces soon followed. Tarlac is derived from the Ilokano word
"Malatarlak," which refers to a talahib weed. Tarlac was once a part of the Pampanga and Pangasinan
provinces. In 1874, it was the last province in Central Luzon to be organized under Spanish rule.
Tarlac was one of the first eight provinces to rise up against Spain during the Philippine Revolution of
1896. In November 1899, American forces seized Tarlac. In 1901, the province created a civil
government. During World War II, Camp O'Donnell in Capas was the final stop on the notorious
"Bataan Death March," which included Filipino and American soldiers who surrendered on April 9, 1942
in Bataan. Many allied prisoners who had survived the arduous march died of starvation and disease in
this overcrowded camp.

Many of the famous historical figures were born in Tarlac City. The former President of the
Philippines Corazon C. Aquino and her husband, former Senator Benigno S. Aquino, Jr., who is the
President-elect of the Philippines and will take office on June 30, 2010. General Carlos P. Romulo was
born in the province of Tarlac, in the town of Camiling. He is the president of the University of the
Philippines and the Philippine ambassador to the United Nations, as well as the president of the
General Assembly and the chairman of the Security Council. Onofre D. Corpuz also born from the town
of Camiling. He served as president of the University of the Philippines and secretary of education.

Sources:

About Tarlac Province, Philippines. (n.d.). Retrieved April 28, 2021, from
https://www.islandsproperties.com/places/tarlac.htm#:~:text=Tarlac%20was%20originally
%20a%20part,rise%20in%20arms%20against%20Spain.

https://www.islandsproperties.com/places/tarlac.htm#:~:text=Tarlac%20was%20originally%20a
%20part,rise%20in%20arms%20against%20Spain.

Tarlac city, Tarlac. (n.d.). Retrieved April 28, 2021, from https://philippinescities.com/tarlac-
city-tarlac/

https://philippinescities.com/tarlac-city-tarlac/