Tarlac is a landlocked province of Central Luzon, Philippines.
Profile of Tarlac Province (Geography)
Location –> Central Luzon, Philippines (See map below)
Neighboring Provinces –> Pangasinan, Nueva Ecija, Pampanga, and Zambales
Capital –> Tarlac City
Area –> 3,053.60 km2 (1,179.00 sq mi)
Population –> 1,366,027 (2015 census)
Terrain –> High mountains in the west and lowland in the eastern part
Industries –> Agriculture, Manufacturing
Major Products –> Rice, Sugarcane, Electronics, Furniture, Chicharon
People/Language –> Ilocano, Kampampangan, Pangasinense, Tagalog
Governor –> Susan A. Yap
Predecessor –> Victor A. Yap
Vice Governor –> Carlito S. David
Representative (1st District) –> Carlos O. Cojuangco
Predecessor –> Enrique M. Conjuangco
Representative (2nd District) –> Victor A. Yap
Predecessor –> Susan A. Yap
Representative (3rd District) –> Noel Villanueva
Predecessor –> Jeci A. Lapus
City –> Tarlac
Municipalities (Towns) –> Anao, Bamban, Camiling, Capas, Concepcion, Gerona, La Paz, Mayantoc, Moncada, Paniqui, Pura, Ramos, San Clemente, San Jose, San Manuel, Santa Ignacia, Victoria
Tarlac Province History
The Aetas were the original settlers of the area now occupied by the province. Tarlac Province was the last to be created by the Spanish regime sometime in 1874. It was carved out of the southern part of Pangasinan and the northern part of Pampanga.
During the Philippine-American War, President Emilio Aguinaldo made Tarlac the temporary capital of the revolutionary government but it had to be evacuated to elude the pursuing American forces.
Camp O’Donnel in Capas Municipality was the terminus of the infamous Death March during World War II where some 60,000 Filipino and 9,000 American prisoners of war (POW) were housed. Thousands of them died due to hunger and disease.
Post-war politics in Tarlac saw the emergence of the Aquino-Cojuangco Clan as a political force not only in the province but also in the national arena. Two former presidents of the Philippines are members of the family namely: President Corazon Aquino and her son, Benigno Aquino III.
Go here to see all the candidates and results of the 2019 election in Tarlac Province.
Go here to see all the candidates and results of the 2022 election in Tarlac Province.
Go here to see all the famous people from Tarlac.
Read the history of Tarlac in Tagalog here.
Economy of Tarlac Province
Tarlac Province is pre-dominantly agricultural with rice and sugarcane as the primary products. Manufacturing and trading however, are slowly gaining ground. Aside from sugar milling, the province is home to several large factories located in some industrial estates in the province. Electronics, rubber tire and other industrial products are produced.
Tarlac is fast becoming the transportation hub of Central Luzon with three expressways passing through it: NLEX, SCTex, and TPLex. Another one is under construction connecting the province with Nueva Ecija. These expressways has brought massive boost to the economy of Tarlac especially the capital city where large shopping malls and real estate companies are located.
A new road is also being constructed to connect Tarlac directly to Zambales. This will have a direct impact on trade and tourism between the two provinces.
The Clark Green City is a 9,450-hectare (23,400 acres) planned development located in Capas. When completed, it will become the next economic hub not only in the region but also in the whole country.
RELATED: Profile of La Union Province
See also: List of Philippine Provinces and Capital by Region
Map Of Tarlac Province