Tacloban

History

Originally named Kankabatok, the name change came about in this manner: Kankabatok was a favorite haunt of fishermen. They would use a bamboo contraption called a "taklub" to catch crabs, shrimps or fish.

The 1800s census by Manuel Buzeta recorded 2,290 native families in Tacloban and they co-existed with 11 Spanish-Filipino families.

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 20, 1952, Tacloban was proclaimed a chartered city by virtue of Republic Act No. 760.

In November 1912, a typhoon swept through the central Philippines and "practically destroyed" Tacloban. In Tacloban and Capiz on the island of Panay, the death toll was 15,000, half the population of those cities at the time.

On May 25, 1942, Japanese forces landed in Tacloban, signalling the beginning of their two-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 incidence of torture among civilians, including the elderly. In response, guerrilla groups operated in Leyte – the most notable of which was the group of Nieves Fernandez. The Japanese established a "comfort station" in the city, where they kidnapped local girls, teenagers and young adults whom they then forced into becoming sex slaves under the gruesome "comfort women" system.

Three days later, on October 23, at a ceremony at the Capitol Building in Tacloban, MacArthur, accompanied by President Sergio Osmeña, made Tacloban the temporary seat of the Commonwealth Government and 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.

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

On January 8, 1960, MacArthur made his "sentimental" journey to Leyte. He was greeted with cheers by locals when he visited Tacloban.

The city was proclaimed as a highly urbanized city by President Gloria Macapagal Arroyo on October 4, 2008 and ratified by the people on December 18, 2008. Tacloban was officially declared an HUC at 10:40PM of that day.

2013 Typhoon Haiyan

On November 8, 2013 (PST), Tacloban was hit by the full force of Typhoon Haiyan, causing massive destruction across the city. Dead bodies were scattered on the streets, trees were uprooted, and a 13 ft (4 m) storm surge largely destroyed the airport, though it functioned soon after as a makeshift command and evacuation center. After taking a helicopter flight over the city, US Marine Brigadier General Paul Kennedy was quoted as saying, "I don't believe there is a single structure that is not destroyed or severely damaged in some way – every single building, every single house." Widespread looting and violence is reported to have taken place and local government virtually collapsed, as many city officials were victims. President Aquino declared a state of emergency in Tacloban. The official final death toll stood at 6,201.

2015 Papal visit

On January 17, 2015, Pope Francis, the leader of the Roman Catholic Church, arrived in Tacloban to celebrate Mass with the survivors of Haiyan (Yolanda). The pope arrived at Daniel Z. Romualdez Airport on a flight operated by Philippine Airlines.

2026 San Jose National High School shooting

On June 22, 2026, a school shooting happened in Tacloban City by two juveniles known under the aliases of "Rod" and "Nash".

Geography

Tacloban is located on the northeastern tip of Leyte Island, with its easternmost part facing Cancabato Bay. The bay is at the east mouth of San Juanico Strait. The Tacloban territory follows the length of the strait, along with Babatngon municipality north of the city. The strait divides the islands of Leyte and Samar.

Barangays

Tacloban is politically subdivided into 138 barangays. Each barangay consists of puroks and some have sitios.

Climate

Tacloban has a tropical rainforest climate (Köppen: Af) but due to the numerous cyclones present in the area, the climate is not equatorial. Tropical rainforest climates are tropical climates in which there is no dry season – all months have mean precipitation values of at least 60 millimetres (2.4 in). Tropical rainforest climates have no pronounced summer or winter; it is typically wet throughout the year and rainfall is both heavy and frequent. One day in an equatorial climate can be very similar to the next, while the change in temperature between day and night may be larger than the average change in temperature between "summer" and "winter".

The average high (daytime) temperature for the year in Tacloban is 31.1 °C (88.0 °F). The warmest month on average is May with an average daytime temperature of 32.3 °C (90.1 °F). The coolest months on average are January and February, with an average (nighttime) temperature of 23.4 °C (74.1 °F).

The highest recorded temperature was 38.0 °C (100.4 °F), recorded on April 6, 1924, and in August. The lowest recorded temperature in Tacloban is 17.5 °C (63.5 °F) which was recorded in December.

The average rainfall for the year is 2,659.3 millimetres (104.7 in), with the most rainfall on average in December with 386.0 millimetres (15.2 in) and the least on average in April with 115.2 millimetres (4.5 in).

Demographics

According to the 2024 census, Tacloban has a population of 259,353 inhabitants.

Tacloban is predominantly a Waray-speaking city. The language is also officially called Lineyte-Samarnon ("Leyte-Samarnon") and is spoken by more than 90% of the total city population. Waray-Waray, aside from being the native language of the city, is also the lingua franca used in the city among Filipinos of various ethnic groups.

Tacloban is culturally and linguistically diverse. A decade before the end of Spanish sovereignty, it was largely 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 mix of Spanish and Chinese mestizos, foreign expatriates and native Leyteños.

Other Filipino ethnic groups who migrated to the city are the Cebuano/Kana/Visayan speaking populace accounts for 6.08% of the total population, 0.80% are Tagalog, 0.10% are Ilocano, 0.07% are Kapampangan, and 2.95% come from other ethnic origins, including Hiligaynon, Maguindanaon, Maranao and Tausug.

88.52% of the residents of Tacloban City are Roman Catholic; 6.12% are Muslims (most are Maranao migrants from Mindanao); 0.83% are of the indigenous Christian denomination, Iglesia ni Cristo; 0.94% are Evangelicals (born-again Christians); Baptists 0.80%; 0.49% Seventh-Day Adventists. Others comprise 3.10%.

Economy

Poverty incidence of Tacloban (%)

Source: Philippine Statistics Authority

Tacloban is the economic center of the entire Eastern Visayas, with an economy largely focused on agriculture, commerce, and tourism. Proximal to the city proper is the 237-hectare Eastern Visayas Agri-Industrial Growth Center (EVRGC), which was approved and accredited by the Philippine Economic Zone Authority by virtue of Presidential Proclamation No. 1210 on April 23, 1998. EVRGC serves as an eco-industrial hub with the Tacloban city government as its developer and operator. The Daniel Z. Romualdez Airport also makes the city a key regional transportation hub.

Tacloban is one of the fastest-growing cities in the Philippines, and has one of the lowest poverty incidence rates in the country (at roughly 9%, while the national poverty incidence stands at 30%). After its massive devastation on November 8, 2013, Tacloban was declared by its local government as a start-up city, which meant everything had to start back from scratch. Currently the city is experiencing a rapid economic recovery.

Government

The executive power of the City Government is vested in 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 elected councillors and certain numbers of ex officio and sectoral representatives. It is presided over by the vice mayor, the mayor and the elected city councillors who are elected-at-large every three years. The current city mayor is Alfred Romualdez.

The city government ceased to be under the supervision of the provincial government after it became a highly urbanized city in 2008. The city is now under direct supervision of the national government.

Tacloban City is part of the 1st District of Leyte, alongside seven other municipalities: Alangalang, Babatngon, Palo, San Miguel, Santa Fe, Tanauan, and Tolosa. The district is currently represented by Congressman Martin Romualdez.

Official seal

The official Seal of Tacloban is the symbol of the city's identity 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:

• Left Portion - Symbolizes the province of Samar (Santa Rita), 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 landed in the island of Homonhon, Eastern Samar, the first Philippine island he sighted during the historic circumnavigation of the world
• Right Portion - Leyte side, where Tacloban City is located

Elected Officials

Culture

The week-long celebrations peaks on June 30, the Grand fiesta of Tacloban celebrated with the traditional turn-over ceremonies of the "Teniente" made by the immediate past Hermano Mayor to the incoming Hermano Mayor. This is accompanied by the ritual of giving the medallion containing the names of all Hermanos Pasados and the Standartes. Fireworks and grand parades mark the occasion. Every house in the city prepares a feast and opens its doors to guests and well wishers.

Subiran Regatta

Subiran Regatta is a race of one-man native sailboats with outriggers locally called "subiran" along scenic and historic Leyte Gulf. The race is done without using a paddle but only with skills and techniques to manoeuver the sail. The Subiran Regatta is now in its 32nd year and counting. This contest is done annually during the weeklong celebration of the Tacloban City Fiesta. The race aims to preserve the art of sailing with the wind alone, and to showcase the mastery of this art by local boatmen.

Balyuan

Organized by the Department of Tourism and the city government, this activity which only started in 1975 is supposedly a re-enactment of a purported exchange of images between Barrio Buscada of Basey and Sitio Kankabatok, now Tacloban City. A local story which only saw print in the 20th century purports that in the old days, Sitio Kankabatok was a small barrio under the jurisdiction of Basey town in Samar. During the Feast of Santo Niño, the residents of Sitio Kankabatok would borrow the bigger image of the saint from the chapel of Barrio Buscada in Basey. Santo Niño is the revered patron saint of both Kankabatok and Barrio Buscada. The image was returned promptly after the festivities. When Kankabatok grew into a barrio of its own, the local Catholic authorities decided that the bigger Santo Niño image be retained in the prospering village. However, because of its highly questionable anthropological and historical basis, the story can be best understood as simply etiological. It gives witness to the cultural, ethnographical and historical relationship between the people of south Samar and the eastern seaboard of Leyte. Likewise, stories of the image missing in Buscada and turning up in Kankabatok aided to this decision of honoring this relationship. The Basey Flotilla bearing the church and government leaders goes on a fluvial procession along San Pedro Bay. A budyong (shell) call announces the sight of the flotilla off Kankabatok Bay.

Sangyaw Festival

Sangyaw is an archaic Waray word which means to herald the news. The Sangyaw Festival was created by Imelda Marcos in the 1980s. The festival was revived in 2008 by her nephew, current city mayor Alfred Romualdez. The Sangyaw Festival invites contingents of different performing groups of various festivals in the country to compete in this side of the region. Cash prizes and trophies are at stake as the Sangyaw Festival grooms itself to be a big festival to watch out in the succeeding years.

Transportation

Tacloban is served by air, multicabs, taxis, jeepneys, buses, tricycles and pedicabs. The city host the Daniel Z. Romualdez Airport. The New Transport Terminal of Tacloban City or New Bus Terminal located in Abucay district serves as the land transportation hub to and from various points in the region. The San Juanico Bridge connects the city to the town of Santa Rita in Samar.

Healthcare

As the regional center of Eastern Visayas, Tacloban offers a range of healthcare services. There are a number of hospitals and other medical institutions serving the city's population.

• Public hospitals
  • Eastern Visayas Medical Center (EVMC)
  • Tacloban City Hospital
• Private hospitals
  • ACE Medical Center Tacloban (near Robinsons Marasbaras)
  • Divine Word Hospital (owned by the Benedictine Sisters)
  • Our Mother of Mercy Hospital (owned by the Religious Sisters of Mercy)
  • Remedios Trinidad Romualdez Hospital (owned by the RTR Medical Foundation)
  • Tacloban Doctors Medical Center (owned by a group of locally prominent doctors)

Education

Tacloban has a variety of educational institutions both public and private.

Notable institutions include:

• UP Tacloban
• Leyte Normal University
• Eastern Visayas State University
• Holy Infant College
• Holy Spirit Foundation College, Inc.
• Holy Virgin of Salvacion Foundation College, Inc.
• ABE International Business College Tacloban
• ACLC College of Tacloban
• AMA College Tacloban (currently located in nearby Palo, Leyte)
• Asia Pacific Career College
• Asian Development Foundation College
• CIE British School Tacloban
• Colegio De La Salle Fondation de Tacloban, Inc.
• Dr. Vicente Orestes Romualdez Educational Foundation (College of Law)
• JE Mondejar Foundation College
• Leyte Colleges
• Leyte National High School
• National Maritime Polytechnic
• Remedios Trinidad Romualdez Medical Foundation
• Sacred Heart College of Tacloban
• St. Scholastica's College, Tacloban (currently located in nearby Palo, Leyte)
• St. Benedict College of Tacloban, Inc.
• Liceo del Verbo Divino (formerly "Divine Word University of Tacloban")
• St. Therese Educational Center of Leyte (STECL)
• St. Therese Christian Development Center Foundation, Inc. (STCDCFI)
• St. Therese Educational Foundation of Tacloban, Inc. (STEFTI)
• Saint Arnold Janssen College of Tacloban, Inc.
• Tacloban Angelicum Learning Center. (TALC)

Media

Radio Stations

AM

• DYVL 819 - Aksyon Radio Tacloban (MBC Media Group)
• DYTH 990 - DZRH Tacloban (MBC Media Group)

FM

• DYAW 89.5 - Lamrag Radio Tacloban (Aliw Broadcasting Corporation)
• DYTM 91.1 - Love Radio Tacloban (MBC Media Group)
• DYTY 93.5 - Brigada News FM Tacloban (Baycomms Broacasting Corporation/Brigada Group)
• DYTX 95.1 - Bombo Radio Tacloban (Newsounds Broadcasting Network/Bombo Radyo Philippines)
• DYCJ 96.1 - One FM Tacloban (Radyo Pilipino Corporation)
• DYFE 97.5 (Far East Broadcasting Company)
• DYXV 98.3 - Magik FM Tacloban (Century Broadcasting Network)
• DYXY 99.1 - iFM RMN Tacloban (Radio Mindanao Network)
• DYDR 100.7 - FM Radio (Philippine Collective Media Corporation)
• DYTG 103.1 - K5 News FM Tacloban (Tagbilaran Broadcasting System)
• DYAB 104.7 - Dream Radio (Allied Broadcasting Center/Prime Media Services, affiliate)
• B 107.9 Tacloban (Prime Media Services)

TV

Broadcast stations

• (PA) Channel 2 (ALLTV, formerly ABS-CBN DYAB) - Advanced Media Broadcasting System (formerly from ABS-CBN Corporation)
• DYPN Channel 8 (PTV) - People's Television Network, Inc. (off-air)
• DYCL Channel 10 (GMA)/Digital channel 34 (GMA/GTV/Heart of Asia/I Heart Movies) - GMA Network, Inc.
• DYPR Channel 12 (A2Z)/Digital channel 50 (PRTV/TV5/A2Z) - Philippine Collective Media Corporation
• DYBJ Channel 26 (GTV) - GMA Network, Inc.
• (PA) Digital channel 28 (PRTV Prime Media/Knowledge Channel/Bilyonaryo News Channel/D8TV) - Broadcast Enterprises and Affiliated Media, Inc./Sphere Entertainment, Inc.
• (PA) Channel 40 (TV5) - Palawan Broadcasting Corporation/Prime Media Services (affiliate)

Cable Providers

• Filproducts Service TV
• Leyte Cable TV Network
• Cignal
• G Sat

Sister cities

International

Fukuyama, Hiroshima, Japan

Notable personalities

• Merlie Alunan - poet and instructor
• Gina Apostol - writer
• Toni Rose Basas - former professional volleyball player for the Cignal HD Spikers
• Norberto Castillo - 91st Rector Magnificus of the University of Santo Tomas
• Andres Centino - 57th Chief of Staff of the Armed Forces of the Philippines
• Kim Chiu - Pinoy Big Brother Teen Edition winner; television and movie star (has roots and partly grew up in Tacloban)
• Dennis Daa - professional basketball player
• Dino Daa - professional basketball player
• Bullet Dumas - indie and contemporary folk singer-songwriter
• Karla Estrada - actress and singer
• Ted Failon - news anchor, TV and radio personality, former Representative of the 1st District of Leyte
• Nieves Fernandez - World War II guerrilla fighter
• Jose Mari Gonzales - actor, father of former mayor Cristina Gonzales-Romualdez
• Xyza Gula - volleyball player for the UST Golden Tigresses
• Ruby Ibarra - Filipina-American rapper
• Iluminado Lucente - the "grand old man of Waray letters"; poet, playwright, and former mayor of Tacloban
• Carlo Francisco Manatad - filmmaker and film editor
• AZ Martinez - actress and beauty queen
• Joanné Nugas - Filipina-Swedish music artist and current member of a cappella group The Real Group
• Daniel Padilla - actor and singer
• Dan Palami - businessman, former manager of the Philippines national football team
• Joel Porlares – 14th Supreme Bishop of the Philippine Independent Church
• Rudy Robles - actor
• Benjamin Romualdez - former governor of Leyte; former ambassador to the US, China and Saudi Arabia
• Cristina Romualdez - former actress, former mayor of Tacloban City
• Ferdinand Martin Romualdez - Representative of the 1st District of Leyte; incumbent Speaker of the House of Representatives of the Philippines
• Imelda Romualdez-Marcos - former First Lady and former Representative for Leyte's 1st District
• Lou Salvador - basketball player
• Mark Swainston - footballer
• Jean-Paul Verona - award-winning producer and recording engineer best known for his work on Ben&Ben's Limasawa Street and Pebble House, Vol. 1: Kuwaderno albums and the band version of SB19's "Mapa" single
• Nimfa C. Vilches - judge and Supreme Court deputy administrator
• Aira Villegas - flyweight boxer and Olympic bronze medalist