Camiling, Tarlac

Infobox Philippine municipality
name = Municipality of Camiling
infoboxtitle = Municipality of Camiling
sealfile =
locatormapfile = Ph_locator_tarlac_camiling.png caption = Map of Tarlac showing the location of Camiling.
region = Central Luzon (Region III)
province = Tarlac
districts = 1st District of Tarlac
barangays = 61
class = 1st class municipality
mayor = Mayor Neil Tan Agustin(NPC)
founded = 1838
areakm2 = 140.50
pop2000 = 145,523
popden2000 = 1035.75
languages = Ilocano, Tagalog official website = [http://www.camiling.gov.ph]

Camiling is a 1st class municipality in the western part of the province of Tarlac in the Philippines. It is about 150 kilometers north-northwest of Manila, and about 50 kilometers south-southwest of Dagupan City in Pangasinan. It is the commercial center of an area composed of about 8 towns, and borders the province of Pangasinan. It is the gateway to central and western Pangasinan through the Romulo Highway (formerly Highway 13). It borders San Clemente on the west, Bayambang from the north, Sta. Ignacia and Mayantoc to the south and Paniqui by the east.

According to the 2007 census, Camiling has a population of 145,523 people in 24,231 households. It has a land area of 140.50 square kilometers. The density is 1035.75 people per sq.km.

Name

The town's name is derived from a tree called "Camiring" which grew abundantly in the wilderness. The letter "R" in "Camiring" was changed to "L" for its liquid sound.

History

Early in the 18th century, the community was sitio of Paniqui, contrary to the popular belief that it was a part of Bayambang, Pangasinan.

The community was originally a vast area of cogon growth interposed with thick forestalls areas stretching into the Zambales mountain ranges. A wide river cut through it. The early inhabitants of the place were the Aetas who make a living by fruit trees, hunting, and fishing. With the coming of the Pangasinenses and Ilocanos from the north, the Aetas who used to roam freely in the wilderness obliged themselves to move in to the interior. The new settlers first occupied the swampy land, now known as "Cacamilingan" on the opposite side of the river. With the passage of time, these settlers moved to the opposite shore in view of the fact that most often disastrous floods are visiting the present site. To this new location, the residents therein built a little church with the villagers taking Saint Michael as the Patron Saint.

As this settlement progressed, Camiling became a District Commission from 1834 to 1837. It was founded by Don Francisco Soriano, an adventurous barangay leader who became the town's first District Commissioner. In 1838, Camiling became an independent town, formally separated from the mother town of Paniqui and with Don Vicente Galsim, the first Governadorcillo. Thirty-eight others followed him. Don Buenaventura Torres, the last to serve under the Spanish regime and the first Presidente Municipal under the Revolutionary Government by Aguinaldo.

Advancements on 21st century

Today, Camiling boasts of 9 banks, 5 communication towers/cell sites, 2 telephone companies, a water district, among other amenities found in a progressive medium-sized city. It is only in the90's that the big banks discovered the large economy of Camiling. Because Ilocanos are kuripot and not showy, these bankers mistook this as an indication of the town's wealth and stayed away for a long time.

Camiling has been undergoing a boom for the past almost a decade. We have seen a lot of infrastructure development. The backside to this is if the people of Camiling, specially those in the municipal government, fail to properly regulate this Camiling will experience soon the problems associated with highly urbanized cities. These include traffic congestion, criminality, air and water pollution, narrow streets, social incohesion, etc. On the brighter side, there's still time to prevent these happening by enacting the proper regulatory environment and having the community's will to implement this.

Camiling was a first class municipality even way back during the 1970's but was reclassified when the Local Government Code went into effect in the early 1990's. It became again a first class municipality on November 20, 2001, by virtue of the latest income class classification initiated by the Department of Finance, the Local Government Unit of Camiling was reclassified from a second class municipality to a first class municipality having attained an annual income of 50,942,508.51 Pesos. With an aggregate area of 14,050 hectares (140.50 square kilometers) representing 4.6% of the province’s total land mass. From its establishment as an independent town in 1838 and through the musty and evolutionary pages of its checkered history can be gleaned Camiling’s rich cultural heritage. Camilng was the most populous town in Tarlac when the province was created in the late 1800's. It is again the most populous municipality of the province Tarlac that in the future Camiling could be the next city of Tarlac province.

Aerial View

Historical Sites

Catholic Church of Camiling

A historical building built around 1700s, was destroyed and rebuilt in 1880's after a surge of major earthquake. The centuries old Roman Catholic Church and Convent have been declared historical site by National Historical Commission in 1994. The Church was the death place of General Pedro Pedroche and his men in the hands of Francisco Makabulos and high revolutionary troops on orders of General Luna on charges of rebellion. Having served as concrete testimonies to the unfolding of historical drama during the Spanish Revolution before being burned on 1997 that have affected even it's constituent Camiling Catholic School. Now their ruins stand and being restored painfully slow. The current church had been transferred to the then Camiling Catholic School's Gymnasium.

Camiling Independent Catholic Church

Had been built after the Philippine revolution by the revolutionaries attempt to Filipinize the Church.

Maria Clara Museum

A part of a house where Leonor Rivera dwells. Several priceless artifacts belonging to hers, immortalized by Noli Me Tangere as Maria Clara and even her late admirer, the national hero Jose Rizal had been exhibited on glass.

Festivities

Camiling currently hosts Iniruban and Chicharon Festival. Held every last week of October (October 26) , it is coupled with colorful and artistic presentations and street dances by different schools in Camiling. It is the only 1st class town of Tarlac with such a unique product. As we know Camiling, Tarlac is the Chicharon and Iniruban capital of the Philippines.

Dialects

Ilocano is predominantly understood and spoken in Camiling by majority of the population. Tagalog is widely spoken.

Demographics

Most Camilinues trace their origins from the Ilocos provinces though most probably the original settlers, after the Aetas, were Pangalatoks from Pangasinan. This can be seen from the traditional names of the town's districts which are named after the original towns of the settlers of each specific district. These districts are Capaoayan (Paoay, Ilocos Norte); Caviganan (Vigan, Ilocos Sur); Cabatacan (Batac, Ilocos Norte); Casarratan (Sarrat, Ilocos Norte); Cacabugaoan (Cabugao, Ilocos Sur), now Cayaoan; among others. Due to the openness of Camilinues, Capampangan, Tagalog Moro and Visayan migrants have made the town their new home.

Barangays

Camiling is politically subdivided into 61 barangays.

ister city

* Juneau, Alaska, United States. [http://www.juneau.lib.ak.us/cbj/siscity/siscity.htm]

Notable Persons of Camiling

* Carlos P. Romulo - former UN President and Foreign Affairs Secretary
* Cesar Bengzon - former Chief Justice of the Supreme Court of the Philippines and first Filipino Justice of the International Court of Justice
* Paulino Santos - founder of Penal Colonies and Chief of Staff of The Philippine Army
* Onofre Corpuz - former President of the University of the Philippines, & former Secretary of Education, Culture and Sports.
* Alberto Romulo - former Senator of the Republic of the Philippines, Executive Secretary of President Gloria Macapagal Arroyo.
* Leonor Rivera - Jose Rizal's girlfriend which is related to his famous book Noli Metangere and El Felibusterismo. But Leonor is also his cousin.

External links

* [http://www.pasyalan.net/tarlac/ Pasyalan Tarlac]
* [http://www.nscb.gov.ph/activestats/psgc/default.asp Philippine Standard Geographic Code]
* [http://www.t-macs.com/kiso/local/ 2000 Philippine Census Information] (Chinese)
* [http://www.camiling.gov.ph/ Municipality of Camiling]
* [http://www.ilocano.org/community/ Ilocano Community]