Tacloban ( ; ), officially the City of Tacloban (; ), is a highly urbanized city in the Eastern Visayas region of the Philippines. According to the 2024 census, it has a population of 259,353, making it the most populous city in Eastern Visayas. The city is located southeast of Manila.
Tacloban is the regional center of Eastern Visayas and the largest city and capital of Leyte. Although geographically situated within Leyte and grouped with the province by the Philippine Statistics Authority, it is administratively independent.
Tacloban briefly served as the capital of the Philippines under the Commonwealth government from October 20, 1944, to February 27, 1945. In a survey released by the Asian Institute of Management Policy Center in 2010, it ranked fifth among the country's most competitive cities and second among emerging cities. The city was devastated by Typhoon Haiyan on November 8, 2013, having previously suffered similarly destructive typhoons in 1897 and 1912. On January 17, 2015, Pope Francis visited Tacloban during his apostolic visit to the Philippines and celebrated Mass at Barangay San Jose and Daniel Z. Romualdez Airport.
Etymology The area got its name from the word taklub, a bamboo tray used to catch crabs or shrimp.
History
Originally named Kankabatok, the name change 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.
The 1800s census by Manuel Buzeta recorded 2,290 native families in Tacloban and they co-existed with 11 Spanish-Filipino families.
The capital of Leyte was transferred from one town to another with Tacloban as the last on February 26, 1830. The decision to make Tacloban the capital was based on the following reasons: 1) ideal location of the port and 2) well-sheltered and adequate facilities. On June 20, 1952, Tacloban was proclaimed a chartered city by virtue of Republic Act No. 760.
In November 1912, a typhoon swept through the central Philippines and "practically destroyed" Tacloban. In Tacloban and Capiz on the island of Panay, the death toll was 15,000, half the population of those cities at the time.
On May 25, 1942, Japanese forces landed in Tacloban, signalling the beginning of their two-year occupation of Leyte. They fortified the city and improved its airfield. Since San Pedro Bay was ideal for larger vessels, the Japanese Imperial Naval Forces made Tacloban a port of call and entry. This time was considered the darkest in the history of Tacloban and the country due to the incidence of torture among civilians, including the elderly. In response, guerrilla groups operated in Leyte – the most notable of which was the group of Nieves Fernandez. The Japanese established a "comfort station" in the city, where they kidnapped local girls, teenagers and young adults whom they then forced into becoming sex slaves under the gruesome "comfort women" system.
Three days later, on October 23, at a ceremony at the Capitol Building in Tacloban, MacArthur, accompanied by President Sergio Osmeña, made Tacloban the temporary seat of the Commonwealth Government and temporary capital of the Philippines until the complete liberation of the country.
The city was proclaimed as a highly urbanized city by President Gloria Macapagal Arroyo on October 4, 2008Proclamation No. 1637 dated October 4, 2008 and ratified by the people on December 18, 2008. Tacloban was officially declared an HUC at 10:40PM of that day.
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 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 school shooting happened in Tacloban City by two juveniles known under the aliases 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.
+ Number Name1Libertad2Jones3 Upper Nulatula4Libertad5T. Claudio5-AT. Claudio66-ASto. Nino78T. Claudio8-A12GE Palanog13Salazar/J. Romualdez1415161718192021P. Burgos222323-A242526P.Gomez272829P.Gomez30 Burgos31323334Real3535-A36Sabang36-ASabang37Sea Wall37-AG.E. Palanog Gawad Kalinga Village38Calvary Hill39Calvary Hill40Calvary Hill41Calvary Hill42-AQuarry42-BQuarry43-AQuarry43-BQuarry44-AQuarry44-BQuarry4546Imelda/Juan Luna4748-A48-B49Youngfield50Youngfield50-AYoungfield50-BYoungfield5151-A52Lucban Magallanes53Magallanes54Magallanes54-AMagallanes55El Reposo56El Reposo56-AEl Reposo57Whitelane Sampaguita5859Sagkahan Picas59-ASampaguita59-BSampaguita59-ESagkahan Picas60Sagkahan Aslum60-ASagkahan61Sagkahan62Sagkahan Saging62-ASagkahan Ilong62-BSagkahan Picas63Sagkahan Mangga64Sagkahan Bliss65Paseo de Legaspi66Anibong66-AAnibong67Anibong68Anibong69Anibong, Happy Land70Anibong, Rawis71Naga-naga72PHHC Seaside73PHHC Mountainside74Lower Nula-Tula75Fatima Village76Fatima Village77Fatima Village78Marasbaras79Marasbaras80Marasbaras81Marasbaras82Marasbaras83Paraiso83-ABurayan83-BSan Jose, Cogon83-CSan Jose84San Jose85San Jose86San Jose87San Jose88San Jose89San Jose, Baybay90San Jose91Abucay92Apitong93Bagacay94Tigbao94-ABasper95Caibaan95-ACaibaan96Calanipawan97Cabalawan98Camansihay99Diit100San Roque101New Kawayan102Kawayan103Palanog103-ASan Paglaum104Salvacion105Suhi106Santo. Niño107Santa Elena108Tagapuro109V&G Subdivision109-AV&G Subdivision110Utap
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 . 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 . The warmest month on average is May with an average daytime temperature of . The coolest months on average are January and February, with an average (nighttime) temperature of .
The highest recorded temperature was , recorded on April 6, 1924, and in August. The lowest recorded temperature in Tacloban is which was recorded in December.
The average rainfall for the year is , with the most rainfall on average in December with and the least on average in April with .
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
Elected Officials