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It’s the 150th Founding Anniversary of the province of Tarlac, as May 28 is Araw ng Lalawigan ng Tarlac, or Day of the Province of Tarlac! This northern neighbor of Pampanga and fellow (half-)Kapampángan province is known as the Melting Pot of Central Luzon due to its multicultural setting comprising four main ethnic groups: the Kapampángans, Pangasinans, Ilocanos, and Tagalogs!

TARLAC • (tuhr-LUHK)
A province in the Central Luzon region of the Philippines, known as the Melting Pot of Central Luzon with its mix of Kapampángan, Pangasinan, Ilocano, and Tagalog peoples


Etymology of “Tarlac”
According to Philippine Studies professor and Tarlaqueño Lino L. Dizon, the name of Tarlac comes from tarlak, an Aeta term for a certain tall grass related to the talahib or wild sugarcane.


Origins of Tarlac


Tarlac was originally inhabited by the indigenous Aeta peoples of Central Luzon.


During the Spanish colonial period, its northern part was part of the province of Pangasinan while its southern part was part of Pampanga.


It was the last province of Central Luzon to be organized and was started as a Spanish comandancia-militar from the Upper Pampanga towns of Concepcion, Capas, Bamban, Mabalacat, Porac, Floridablanca, Victoria, and Tarlac.


Further reorganization returned some of these towns to Pampanga while the Pangasinan towns of Anao, Gerona, Camiling, and Paniqui were added.


Tarlac was inaugurated as an alcaldía or a regular province on May 28, 1873.


Presently, Kapampángans populate the southern half of the province of Tarlac, mainly the towns of Bamban, Capas, Concepcion, La Paz, and Tarlac City.


You may want to read:

  • Tarlac Population