History of Tacloban City

Even I myself always wonder what is the history of my place (Tacloban City) even i was born here in Leyte honestly i don't know where the name Tacloban came from. After my mom gave birth to me she and my dad decided that it's better for us to go to Manila City (capital of the Philippines) because my father's business was there. When my  grandmother died she asked my mom to bury her body to Leyte thats why my mom decided that we move to Tacloban City for good. That time i was in grade 1, 7 years old. When i researched the history of Tacloban City this is what i found out.

Kahit dito ako ipinanganak sa Leyte sa totoo lang hindi ko alam ang kasaysayan ng Tacloban City, kung saan nangaling ang pangalan nito. Pag-katapos manganak nng aking ina napag-desisyunan  nila ng aking ama na sa Manila na manirahan(capital ng Pilipinas) dahil ang hanap buhay ng aking ama ay nandoon. Noong namantay ang aking lola hiniling nito na sa Leyte ilagak ang kanyang katawan don napag isipan ng aking ina na bumalik na ng Leyte nong panahon na yon ako ay nasa unang baitang at nasa edad na pitong taong gulang. Kaya ngayon napag isipan kung mag saliksik tungkol sa history ng aking lugar at ito ang nalaman ko.

 Tacloban was formerly known as Kankabatok, named after the first settler Kabatok who occupied the area around the present Sto. Nino Church. Other inhabitants who came later were Gumoda, Haranging and Huraw who settled in the nearby areas. The Kanhuraw Hill where the City Hall is presently situated was formerly Huraw’s domain. The whole settlement area was called Kankabatok, meaning Kabatok’s property.  Kankabatok was formerly under the political administration of Palo but under the parochial jurisdiction of Basey, Samar. The Augustinian Mission discovered Kankabatok in 1770 and the Franciscans came later in 1813. During this period, Kankabatok was changed to “Tarakluban” which means the place where the inhabitants used the “Taklub”, a bamboo contraption, to catch crabs, shrimps and fish. Later, the name of the place evolved from “Tarakluban” to its present name, Tacloban. 

Ang Tacloban ay dating kilala sa tawag na Kankabatok, unang dayuhan na nanirahan sa buong lugar ng kasalukuyang Sto. Niño Church.  Ang Kanhuraw Hill kung saan ang City Hall ay kasalukuyang nakatayo ay dating   teritryo ni Huraw.  Ang boung lugar ay tinawag na  Kankabatok, ibig sabihin ay pag mamayari ni Kabatok. Ang Kankabatok ay dtaing dating sa ilalim ng pampulitika administration ng Palo ngunit  sa ilalim ng parochial hurisdiksiyon ng Basey, Samar. Natuklasan ng Augustinian Mission ang Kankabatok noong 1770 at ang Franciscans ay dumating nong 1813. Nung panahong ito ang Kankabatok ay pinalitan ng "Tarakluban" na ang ibig sabihin ay lugar kung saan naninirahan ang mga tao na gumagamit ng "Taklub" kawayang ginagamit sa pagdakip ng alimango, hipon at isda. Ng di nagtagal ang pangalang "Tarakluban" ay naging "Tacloban" hangang sa kasalukuyan.

 Although no official records show, it is commonly believed that Tacloban was officially proclaimed a municipality in 1770, after the provinces Leyte and Samar were separated in 1768. Since then, Tacloban became a trading point between the two provinces because of its strategic location. On February 26, 1839, Tacloban became the capital of Leyte because of the ideal location of its port which is well sheltered and had adequate facilities.  Colonel Murray arrived in Tacloban in 1901 and became the first Military Governor of Leyte. He opened the Tacloban port to world commerce, especially for copra and abaca, which were exported in large quantities. Before World War II, Tacloban was the center of commerce, education, social and cultural activities in Leyte.

Kahit na walang opisyal na talaan naipakita pinapaniwalaan na ang Tacloban ay opisyal na ipinahayag ng isang bayan noong 1770, pagkatapos ng mahiwalay ang lalawigan ng Leyte sa Samar noong 1768. Simula noon ang Tacloban ay naging kalakalan sa pagitan ng dalawang lalawigan. Nong February 26, 1839, Tacloban ay naging ang kabisera ng Leyte dahil sa mga ideal na lokasyon ng kanyang port kung saan ay mahusay lukob at nagkaroon ng sapat na pasilidad. Si Colonel Murray ay dumating sa Tacloban noong 1901 at naging ang unang Military Governor of Leyte. Binuksan niya ang Tacloban port sa mundo ng komersyo, lalo na para sa kopra at abaca, na kung saan ay nai-export ng maramihan. Bago ang Ikalawang Digmaang Pandaigdig, Tacloban ay ang sentro ng komersyo, edukasyon, panlipunan at kultural na mga gawain sa Leyte.

 On June 20, 1952, Tacloban was proclaimed a chartered city virtue of Republic Act No. 760 which took effect on June 12, 1953. The charter was signed by President Elpidio Quirino and witnessed by then incumbent Mayor, Ildefonso Cinco, who apparently became the first City Mayor.  On June 30, 1954, on the Feast Day of Sr. Sto. Nino, the Patron Saint of Tacloban, Speaker of the House of Representatives Jose B. Laurel did the honor of laying the cornerstone for the Tacloban City Hall at Kanhuraw Hill. As a new city, Tacloban attracted businessmen looking for sound investment prospects while people from neighboring towns slowly began to look for opportunities and laid roots in the city. 

Noong June 20, 1952, Tacloban ay nagtanyag ng chartered city bisa ng Republic Act No. 760 na naging epektibo noong Hunyo 12, 1953. Ang charter ay nilagdaan ni Pangulong Elpidio Quirino at nasaksihan sa pamamagitan ng pagkatapos incumbent Mayor, Ildefonso Cinco, na naging unang City Mayor. Noong Hunyo 30, 1954, Pistang Araw ng Sr. Sto. Nino, ang Patron Saint ng Tacloban Ispiker ng Kapulungan ng mga Kinatawan Jose B. Laurel ang nagawad ng pagtula para sa pundasyon para sa Tacloban City Hall sa Kanhuraw Hill. Bilang isang bagong lungsod, Tacloban naaakit negosyante naghahanap ng magandang prospekto na mag iinvest habang ang mga kalapit na dahan-dahan ay nagsimulang upang tumingin para sa mga pagkakataon at pakapasok sa lungsod.

(source from: http://tacloban.gov.ph/about/history/#.WHJJw1N97IU)

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