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Tarlac: Origin Stories

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         Tarlac was traced from Malatarlak , believed to be an Aeta word, referring to the wild talahib weed that on the land. Aetas roamed the grounds in the earliest of days. They moved from place to place in search of food. One day, a group of foreigners approached the Aetas to ask them the name of the place they lived in. The Aetas could not understand so the strangers used sign language and pointed to the ground. It so happened that they pointed at the grass that the Aetas were cutting. The Aetas thought that the foreigners were asking for the name of the grass, so they answered, “Tarac” — the Aeta word for grass. The foreigners thought that “Tarac” was the name of the place. As time went by, the word became Tarlac.       The Tañedo-Estrada family has a version of the origin of the name Tarlac. From their forebears through family oral history, the story is that the name came from “Tañedo Rey de las Cañas” or TA (nedo) R(ey) LA(s) C(anas). The Tañedos owned tracks of sug
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Did you know? Planting beliefs in Tarlac

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      In the book Philippine Food & Life , the author Gilda Cordero-Fernando illustrated the planting rituals of Tarlac. The settlesrs were hardy, industrious and determined. " No awan anus, awan lamot ." No patience, no food they said. Most of the farmers and the women wove clothes and mats and the succeeding generations continued to do the work begun by the first immigrants and retained the old customs and traditions.     They had many planting beliefs such as:  The best time to plant is when the moon is bright and the sky is full of stars. Frequent lightning and thunder in May and June presage poor grain in the coming rice and corn harvest, but this can be avoided if it rains immediately before or after All Saints' Day (November 1st).   Sour things should not be eaten when planting palay  seedlings or the carabaos will break into the seedbeds. Budding fruits should not be pointed at pregnant women, or they will rot.   Plant root crops or fruit trees with a full s
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Tarlac: Trivia

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  TARLAC Tarlac is the province in Central Luzon with the most diverse population. This province is home to four distinct ethnic groups: Pampangos, Ilocanos, Pangasinenses, and Tagalogs. Living together has resulted in the province offering tourists the best cuisine of their ancestors' homelands, namely Bulacan, Nueva Ecija, Zambales, Pangasinan, and the Ilocos Region.     Did you know, Tarlac is a landlocked province of the Philippines in Central Luzon. Tarlac is surrounded by Pampanga at the south, Nueva Ecija at the east, Pangasinan at the north and Zambales at the west. It is a part of Central Luzon. Tarlac has its own rice and corn mills as well as sawmills and logging outfits. The name “Tarlac” is a Hispanized derivation of the Aeta word for a “talahib-like” weed called “Malatarlak. The economy of Tarlac is dominantly agricultural. Principal crops are rice and sugarcane. Other major crops are corn and coconut; vegetables such as eggplant, garlic, and onion; and fruit trees li
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Toponyms of Tarlac

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       Recollecting of the native beginning of Tarlac, the majority of its towns and towns are aboriginally named dependent on faunal, flower and geological nature. The spot names show the pre-memorable states of Tarlac. The names likewise give the resourcefulness of the early individuals of Tarlac as respects their lifestyle, traditions, customs, mores, and other social components that aided form their identity of what Tarlac is about these days. TARLAC     Tarlac  (Themeda Arundinacea(Roxb.) Ridl.) is a type of wild grass that grows in moist, sloping hilly areas selectively and abundantly. Tallak is the indigenous name for the reed, which is also known as tanglar among Ilocanos and malatarlak   among Kapampangans. The word Tarlac is an orthographic term that was most likely coined by Spaniards. The Filipinos' early orthography uses k, Tarlak, instead of c. The letter c came from the Spanish. Tarlac City     The capital of Tarlac, has a number of indigenous villages or barangays
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Tarlac: Languages

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Kapampangan  MASANTING A ALDO! PU KEKAYUNGAN (Good day Everyone!).           Kapampangan is an austronesian language and one of the Philippines' eight main languages. It is the primary and most widely spoken language in the provinces of Pampanga and Tarlac in southern Philippines. For decades, Kapampángan has served as the community's language of contact, integration, and social harmony. Kapampangan Semantics: Counting Numbers            Pronunciation                1 - Metung               1st person singular: I - ku,aku,yaku      2 - Adwa                    2nd person singular: You - ka,ika      3 - Atlu                      3rd person singular: He, She, Them - ya, iya,ila      4 - Apat                                         5 - Lima         6 - Anam     7 - Pitu       8 - Walu      9 - Syam/Siyam      10 - Apulu Ilocano NAIMBAG NGA  ALDAW (Good day!).         Ilocano or Ilokano is an Austronesian language spoken in the Philippines. It is the third most-spoken nat
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Tarlac: Malatarlak Festival

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In Tarlac City, the people celebrate a festival called the Malatarlak Festival which was named after the same type of "malahib" weeds that were present in the area during its early days. The plant itself is the main focus of the festival and is celebrated with festive designs that are inspired by the types of grass while dancing to traditional music. It is usually celebrated for a week every second week of January. The week-long event contains an opening ceremony with an appropriate trade fair, food and drink stalls, and live music and dance entertainment. The festivities can then contain either sports competitions, cooking demonstrations, dance competitions, and other live entertainment shows. The festival soon ends with fireworks and a grand procession. In 2011, the mayor of Tarlac City renamed the festival to Melting Pot Festival, however it is still remembered through its former name. Sources: (n.d.). Kulturang Pilipino,Tatak Tarlaqueno : Malatarlak Festival (a glimps
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Tarlac: Tourist Spots

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    Monasterio de Tarlac - If you are up for a religious and spiritual journey then this place one to visit. The Monasterio de Tarlac is a monastery on top of Mount Resurrection, a mountain that is part of the Zambales Mountain Range in San Jose, one of the municipalities of Tarlac. The monastery's construction was concluded in the year 2000, and within the vicinity we can find the colossal statue of the Risen Christ as well as Relic of the True Cross that is enshrined inside the monastery chapel. It was said that in 2007, a splinter of the said cross was brought from Germany to the Philippines which now resides at the white Baroque chapel. This place is perfect to slow down and to reflect because of its calming air and the silence brought by the surrounding trees.   Anzap Twin Falls - If you're feeling for nature and trekking then the Anzap Twin Falls is the route to go! Located in Barangay Bigabiga in Mayantac, it is a 200 feet waterfalls in which the volume of the water va
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