Taft, officially the Municipality of Taft (; ), is a municipality in the province of Eastern Samar, Philippines. According to the 2024 census, it has a population of 18,692 people.
It is bounded on the north by the town of Can-avid and on the south-southeast by the town of Sulat.
The municipality was named in honor of former United States President William Howard Taft, who served as Governor-General of the Philippines during the first decade of the 20th century.
History Taft is one of the ancient pueblos in Samar situated in the eastern coast which was called Tubabao or Tubabaw in early times. This town was originally named after the river called Malinaw, but since the river causes heavy floods during rainy season, people began calling the place Tubig, which means water in Waray-Waray.Kobak, Cantius (2002). Historical Sketches of the Pueblos of Samar and Leyte: 1580-1900. Milwaukee, Wisconsin: Unpublished. p. 724 - 760.
On October 23, 1903, the municipalities of Paric (present-day Dolores), San Julian, and Sulat were merged into Tubig, which was also renamed Taft after the Governor-General of the Philippines at the time, William Howard Taft. These three municipalities were separated from Taft and restored to their independent statuses on October 31, 1906.
In 1965, following the Samar division plebiscite, Taft became part of the newly established province of Eastern Samar.
Geography
Barangays Taft is politically subdivided into 24 barangays. Each barangay consists of puroks and some have sitios.
Batiawan Beto Binaloan Bongdo Dacul Danao Del Remedios Gayam Lomatud (Burak) Mabuhay Malinao Mantang Nato Pangabutan Poblacion Barangay 1 Poblacion Barangay 2 Poblacion Barangay 3 Poblacion Barangay 4 Poblacion Barangay 5 Poblacion Barangay 6 (Bliss) Polangi San Luis San Pablo San Rafael
Climate
Demographics
The population of Taft, Eastern Samar, in the 2024 census was 18,692 people, with a density of .
Economy
Notable personalities
Marcelino Libanan - Filipino politician Andres Pagaran - poet and songwriter
References
External links
[ Philippine Standard Geographic Code] Philippine Census Information Local Governance Performance Management System