Tacloban

Etymology

The area got its name from the word taklub, a bamboo tray used to catch crabs or shrimp.

History

Tacloban was first known as Kankabatok, an allusion to the first inhabitants – Kabatok. They established their dwellings in the vicinity of the present-day Santo Niño Church. Others who came later were Gumoda, Haraging, and Huraw who erected their settlements on nearby sites. Huraw's domain is the hill where the city hall now sits. The combined settlements acquired the name Kankabatok, meaning "Kabatok's property."

The constant threat of pirates due to its lack of a natural barrier hindered the development and progress of the settlement. And so the place never figured out the early centuries of the Spanish colonization of Leyte. When the Jesuits (the first evangelizers of Leyte) left in 1768, the Augustinians took over, and in 1770 they established the barrio with a chapel (visita) of Tacloban under the jurisdiction of Palo.

The Augustinians who came from the Province of the Holy Name of Jesus based in Cebu were also responsible in introducing the devotion to the Santo Niño becoming therefore the heavenly patron of the settlement. With the Moro raids in check, the place became a hub for commercial activity and soon after the place was renamed Tacloban becoming an independent municipality and then capital of the province of Leyte. In 1843, the Augustinians ceded the administration of the parish to the Franciscans. The 1800s census by Manuel Buzeta recorded 2,290 native families in Tacloban and they co-existed with 11 Spanish-Filipino families.

The change of the name 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. When asked where they were going, the fishermen would answer, "(to) tarakluban", which meant the place where they used the device to catch these marine resources. Eventually, the name Tarakluban or Tacloban took prominence.

It is not known when Tacloban became a municipality because records supporting this fact were destroyed during a typhoon. It is commonly believed that Tacloban was officially proclaimed a municipality in the 1770s. In 1768, Leyte and Samar were separated into two provinces, each constituting a politico-military province. Due to its strategic location, Tacloban became a vital trading point between the two provinces.

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 shooting happened in Tacloban city by two juveniles known under the Alias 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

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

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.

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:

Media

Radio Stations

DYVL 819 - Aksyon Radio Tacloban (MBC Media Group)

DYTH 990 - DZRH Tacloban (MBC Media Group)

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

(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)

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