Tacurong, officially the City of Tacurong (Hiligaynon: Dakbanwa sang Tacurong; Maguindanaon: Kuta nu Takurung, Jawi: كوت نو تكروڠ; Filipino: Lungsod ng Tacurong), is a 4th class component city in the province of Sultan Kudarat, Philippines. According to the 2020 census, it has a population of 109,319 people.[4]

Tacurong
City of Tacurong
Other transcription(s)
 • Jawiتكروڠ
Tacurong Road to Isulan
Tacurong Road to Isulan
Flag of Tacurong
Official seal of Tacurong
Nickname: 
City of Goodwill
Motto: 
Uswag Tacurong! (Progress Tacurong!)
Map of Sultan Kudarat with Tacurong highlighted
Map of Sultan Kudarat with Tacurong highlighted
OpenStreetMap
Map
Tacurong is located in Philippines
Tacurong
Tacurong
Location within the Philippines
Coordinates: 6°41′N 124°40′E / 6.68°N 124.67°E / 6.68; 124.67
CountryPhilippines
RegionSoccsksargen
ProvinceSultan Kudarat
District 1st district
FoundedAugust 3, 1951
CityhoodAugust 16, 2000
Barangays20 (see Barangays)
Government
[2]
 • TypeSangguniang Panlungsod
 • mayor of Tacurong[*]Joseph George L. Lechonsito
 • Vice MayorLina O. Montilla
 • RepresentativeBai Rihan M. Sakaluran
 • City Council
Members
 • Electorate60,960 voters (2022)
Area
 • Total153.40 km2 (59.23 sq mi)
Elevation
71 m (233 ft)
Highest elevation
1,663 m (5,456 ft)
Lowest elevation
7 m (23 ft)
Population
 (2020 census)[4]
 • Total109,319
 • Density710/km2 (1,800/sq mi)
 • Households
25,261
Demonym(s)Tacurongnon
Takurungen
Takur
Economy
 • Income class4th city income class
 • Poverty incidence
15.40
% (2021)[5]
 • Revenue₱ 780.5 million (2020)
 • Assets₱ 1,802 million (2020)
 • Expenditure₱ 193.1 million (2020)
 • Liabilities₱ 315.5 million (2020)
Service provider
 • ElectricitySultan Kudarat Electric Cooperative (SUKELCO)
 • WaterSultan Kudarat Water District (SKWD)
 • Cable TVSultan Cable System Inc. (SULCASI)
Time zoneUTC+8 (PST)
ZIP code
9800
PSGC
IDD:area code+63 (0)64
Native languagesMaguindanao
Hiligaynon
Tagalog
Websitewww.tacurong.gov.ph

Tacurong has a total land area of 15,340 hectares, the smallest in land area among the province's 12 municipalities but the most populous. Tacurong became a component city of Sultan Kudarat in 2000 by virtue of Republic Act No. 8805 in September 2000.[6]

History

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Tacurong was originally a barangay of the Municipality of Buluan. On August 3, 1951, it was created into a municipality by Executive Order Number 462 signed by the President Elpidio Quirino.[7] At that time Tacurong had an estimated area of 40,000 hectares and 14 barangays. In 1961, the southern portion of Tacurong was separated to form the municipality of Tantangan, and in 1973, Tacurong lost some of its eastern portions when the municipality of President Quirino was created.[8]

Cityhood

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Following the efforts of Angelo O. Montilla, the Congressman of the Legislative District of Sultan Kudarat, Tacurong was made the first component city in the Province of Sultan Kudarat in 2000 by virtue of House Bill No. 6497 and Republic Act 8805. This was confirmed by the “Takurs” in a plebiscite held on September 18, 2000.[8][9]

Security incidents

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Tacurong City has the most number of bombing incidents in Southern Philippines since 2000,[citation needed] as the city reportedly has the presence of different extortion and terrorist groups like Abu Sayyaf, BIFF and NPA.

New Year's Eve bombing
December 31, 2017, 11:05 PM, 2 casualties and 17 hurt during the Improvised Explosive Device blast in Villa Garde KTV Bar National Highway, Barangay Buenaflor.[10]
April 3, 2017 bombing
Eight persons, mostly workers of an electric cooperative, were injured after an improvised bomb went off along the national highway in Tacurong City on Monday morning (Apr. 3), Bangsamoro Islamic Freedom Fighters (BIFF) is the suspected group who is responsible for the terrorist attack.[11]
Twin bombing
Seven people were hurt after two explosions rocked Tacurong City on April 17, 2017, the first explosion took place at 6:40 p.m. on the rooftop of Dragon Gas Station along National Highway in Barangay Isabela. Minutes later, or at 7:10 p.m., another explosion occurred, this time at the gas station's compound.[12]
February 2, 2016 bombing
Improvise explosive device (IED) rocked Tacurong City two hours after the convoy of vice presidential candidate Leni Robredo left the city on Tuesday afternoon. The bomb exploded around 2 p.m. near the national highway along Jose Abad Santos Street in Tacurong City. Three people were reportedly wounded.[13]
Yellow bus bombing attempt
The powerful bomb fashioned from two 60 mm mortars as main charge and mobile phone as trigger mechanism was found at 10:50 a.m. April 2015 inside Yellow Bus Line unit with body number 9208 at a police checkpoint in Barangay Dos along the Tacurong-Isulan highway. The bus was heading toward Isulan from Tacurong City when subjected to inspection by police after Army and policemen received a report about the suspected bomb inside the bus.[14]
November 6, 2022 bombing
A homemade bomb went off in a bus as it was approaching a transport terminal in Tacurong City. The explosion killed a passenger and wounded 10 others.[15]

Geography

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Tacurong is in South Central Mindanao and the only city in the province of Sultan Kudarat. It is 92 kilometres (57 mi) from General Santos, 96 kilometres (60 mi) from Cotabato City and 178 kilometres (111 mi) from Davao City. It is situated at the crossroads of Davao-GenSan-Cotabato highways.[16]

Barangays

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Tacurong is politically subdivided into 20 barangays. Each barangay consists of puroks while some have sitios.

Name PSGC
Baras 126511001
Buenaflor 126511002
Calean 126511003
Carmen 126511004
D'Ledesma 126511005
Gansing 126511006
Kalandagan 126511007
Lancheta 126511023
Lower Katungal 126511008
New Isabela 126511010
New Lagao 126511011
New Passi 126511012
Poblacion 126511013
Rajah Muda 126511014
San Antonio 126511015
San Emmanuel 126511016
San Pablo 126511019
San Rafael 126511022
Tina 126511021
Upper Katungal 126511020

Climate

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Climate data for Tacurong
Month Jan Feb Mar Apr May Jun Jul Aug Sep Oct Nov Dec Year
Mean daily maximum °C (°F) 31
(88)
31
(88)
32
(90)
32
(90)
31
(88)
30
(86)
30
(86)
30
(86)
30
(86)
30
(86)
30
(86)
31
(88)
31
(87)
Mean daily minimum °C (°F) 23
(73)
23
(73)
23
(73)
24
(75)
24
(75)
24
(75)
24
(75)
24
(75)
24
(75)
24
(75)
24
(75)
23
(73)
24
(74)
Average precipitation mm (inches) 64
(2.5)
45
(1.8)
59
(2.3)
71
(2.8)
140
(5.5)
179
(7.0)
192
(7.6)
198
(7.8)
163
(6.4)
147
(5.8)
113
(4.4)
66
(2.6)
1,437
(56.5)
Average rainy days 12.2 10.3 12.7 15.7 26.0 27.4 28.1 28.2 26.0 26.7 22.9 16.6 252.8
Source: Meteoblue (modeled/calculated data, not measured locally)[17]

Demographics

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Population census of Tacurong
YearPop.±% p.a.
1960 15,051—    
1970 29,796+7.06%
1975 37,255+4.58%
1980 45,908+4.26%
YearPop.±% p.a.
1990 58,785+2.50%
1995 69,822+3.28%
2000 76,354+1.94%
2007 82,546+1.08%
YearPop.±% p.a.
2010 89,188+2.86%
2015 98,316+1.87%
2020 109,319+2.11%
Source: Philippine Statistics Authority[18][19][20]

Maguindanaons are the native inhabitants of Tacurong city while Hiligaynons are originally from Iloilo in Visayas.

Economy

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Poverty incidence of Tacurong

5
10
15
20
25
30
2006
19.60
2009
18.47
2012
22.15
2015
16.35
2018
10.30
2021
15.40

Source: Philippine Statistics Authority[21][22][23][24][25][26][27][28]

Tacurong City is the commercial hub of the province of Sultan Kudarat, catering the needs of nearby municipalities and the province of Maguindanao.

Culture

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Baras Bird Sanctuary

Tacurong held the 8th "Sultan Kudarat Bird Festival" at the 2.5-hectare Baras Bird Sanctuary, the largest nesting site of 20,000 bird species, especially egrets and herons, on May 10-11, 2024.[29]

Infrastructure

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Transportation

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The city has an integrated terminal which vans and buses currently assigned on designated place. Tacurong to the far side places in their curriculums and places.

Bus companies operating in Tacurong City:

Health care facilities

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Tacurong serves as the premier Health Care Center in the province of Sultan Kudarat and nearby provinces.

St. Louis Hospital is a modern tertiary hospital in the city, equipped with modern facilities such as 16-Slices CT Scan and the first and only Gamma Camera in Region 12.

Other notable facilities include:

  • Tomboc - Salayog Hospital
  • Quijano Clinic and Hospital
  • Sandig Medical Clinic and Hospital
  • Sultan Kudarat Doctors Hospital
  • Medical Mission Group Hospital and Health Services Cooperative
  • Lu Clinic and Hospital

Education

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Tacurong City is also a center of education in Sultan Kudarat. Learners and Student from neighboring towns and municipalities, even from outside the Sultan Kudarat like Tantangan in South Cotabato and the municipalities in Maguindanao will go in the city to attend school.

Private schools

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Table below is the list of private schools in the Tacurong City offering different curriculum levels.

Name of School Curriculum Offerings
Primary Elementary /

Grade School

Secondary Tertiary
Notre Dame of Tacurong College
Good Shepherd's Vision for Excellent Education
VMC Asian College Foundation, Inc.
Southern Mindanao Institute Technology
STI College Tacurong ✔ (Senior High Only)
Quezon Colleges of Southern Philippines
Southcentral Mindanao Institute of Science and Technology, Inc.
St. John Learning Center, Inc.
Notre Dame - Siena College of Tacurong
Siloam ABC Learning Center
Rockfort Preparatory School Inc.
Children's Grace of Mary Tutorial and Learning Center, Inc.
Jean Piaget School Inc.
Tacurong Alliances Learning Center
Tacurong St. Benedict Learning Center & Values School
Tacurong SDA Elementary School
Montessori Learning Center - Tacurong
I-Up School of Isulan - Tacurong
Cherubim Methodist Learning Center

Public schools

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Table below is the list of public schools and university in the Tacurong City

Public Tertiary College / University
Campus University Barangay Address
Tacurong City Sultan Kudarat State University Poblacion
ACCESS EJC Montilla
Public Elementary Schools[30]
District / Cluster School Barangay Address
Central Tacurong Tacurong Pilot Elementary School Poblacion
North Tacurong Dr. Manuel J. Griño Memorial Central School Griño
Maria A. Montilla Memorial Elementary School EJC Montilla
Abang-Suizo Elementary School Buenaflor
Buenaflor Elementary School
San Antonio Elementary School San Antonio
New Lagao Elementary School New Lagao
West Tacurong New Isabela Central Elementary School New Isabela
J. Hector Lacson Elementary School Calean
Maria Z. Bayya Elementary School New Carmen
Kalandagan Elementary School Kalandagan
South Tacurong Josue Alcasid Elementary School
Rajah Muda Elementary School Rajah Muda
Rajah Muda Elementary School - BEAM Life
Upper Katungal Elementary School Upper Katungal
Elisa P. Bernardo Memorial Elementary School - Main Baras
Elisa P. Bernardo Memorial Elementary School - BEAM
Lourdes Pama Elementary School
Lancheta - Magallon Elementary School Lancheta
East Tacurong Amado Fernandez Sr. Central School San Pablo
Tina Elementary School Tina
Pedregosa-Acosta Elementary School
San Rafael Elementary School San Rafael
Victorina P. Dasmariñas Elementary School D'Ledesma
Casilda P. Venus Elementary School Katungal
San Emmanuel Elementary School San Emmanuel
Public Secondary Schools[30]
School Barangay Address
Virginia F. Griño National High School

( formerly Virginia F. Griño Memorial National High School)

Griño
Tacurong National High School New Isabela
San Emmanuel National High School San Emmanuel
Apolinario S. Bernardo National High School Baras
Rajah Muda Elementary School Rajah Muda
San Pablo National High School

(formerly San Emmanuel National High School - San Pablo Annex)

San Pablo
Upper Katungal National High School

(formerly Tacurong National High School - Upper Katungal Annex)

Upper Katungal

Sister cities

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References

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  1. ^ "2022 Election Results:City of Tacurong". ABS-CBN News. Retrieved August 17, 2022.
  2. ^ City of Tacurong | (DILG)
  3. ^ "2015 Census of Population, Report No. 3 – Population, Land Area, and Population Density" (PDF). Philippine Statistics Authority. Quezon City, Philippines. August 2016. ISSN 0117-1453. Archived (PDF) from the original on May 25, 2021. Retrieved July 16, 2021.
  4. ^ a b Census of Population (2020). "Region XII (Soccsksargen)". Total Population by Province, City, Municipality and Barangay. Philippine Statistics Authority. Retrieved July 8, 2021.
  5. ^ "PSA Releases the 2021 City and Municipal Level Poverty Estimates". Philippine Statistics Authority. April 2, 2024. Retrieved April 28, 2024.
  6. ^ NSCB - 2001 Factsheet - 12 New Cities Created, July–December 2000.
  7. ^ "Executive Order No. 462, s. 1951 - Creating the Municipalities of Tacurong and M'lang in the Province of Cotabato". Official Gazette of the Republic of the Philippines. Retrieved May 31, 2018.
  8. ^ a b "Tacurong City Profile" (PDF). sultankudaratprovince.gov.ph. Province of Sultan Kudarat. Retrieved May 31, 2018.
  9. ^ "Republic Act No. 8805 - An Act Converting the Municipality of Tacurong into a Component City of the Province of Sultan Kudarat, To Be Known as the City of Tacurong". www.chanrobles.com. Chan Robles Virtual Law Library > Philippine Laws, Statutes & Codes. August 16, 2000. Retrieved May 31, 2018.
  10. ^ url=https://newsinfo.inquirer.net/956620/news-mindanao-bomb-blast-tacurong-city-sultan-kudarat-new-year
  11. ^ Fernandez, Edwin O. "8 hurt in Tacurong City blast". Philippine Daily Inquirer. Retrieved October 24, 2019.
  12. ^ "7 hurt as twin blasts rock Tacurong City | News". GMA News. Retrieved October 24, 2019.
  13. ^ Karlo Paolo R. Pates (February 2, 2016). "Bomb explodes in Tacurong City". SunStar. Retrieved October 24, 2019.
  14. ^ "Mindanao Daily News – Army, PNP foil bus bombing in Tacurong City". www.mindanaodailynews.com. Archived from the original on January 2, 2018. Retrieved January 17, 2022.
  15. ^ "Bus bomb kills 1, wounds 10 others in southern Philippines". AP. November 6, 2022. Retrieved November 8, 2022.
  16. ^ "Profile | Tacurong City". Tacurong.gov.ph. Retrieved October 24, 2019.
  17. ^ "Tacurong: Average Temperatures and Rainfall". Meteoblue. Retrieved May 15, 2020.
  18. ^ Census of Population (2015). "Region XII (Soccsksargen)". Total Population by Province, City, Municipality and Barangay. Philippine Statistics Authority. Retrieved June 20, 2016.
  19. ^ Census of Population and Housing (2010). "Region XII (Soccsksargen)" (PDF). Total Population by Province, City, Municipality and Barangay. National Statistics Office. Retrieved June 29, 2016.
  20. ^ Censuses of Population (1903–2007). "Region XII (Soccsksargen)". Table 1. Population Enumerated in Various Censuses by Province/Highly Urbanized City: 1903 to 2007. National Statistics Office.
  21. ^ "Poverty incidence (PI):". Philippine Statistics Authority. Retrieved December 28, 2020.
  22. ^ "Estimation of Local Poverty in the Philippines" (PDF). Philippine Statistics Authority. November 29, 2005.
  23. ^ "2003 City and Municipal Level Poverty Estimates" (PDF). Philippine Statistics Authority. March 23, 2009.
  24. ^ "City and Municipal Level Poverty Estimates; 2006 and 2009" (PDF). Philippine Statistics Authority. August 3, 2012.
  25. ^ "2012 Municipal and City Level Poverty Estimates" (PDF). Philippine Statistics Authority. May 31, 2016.
  26. ^ "Municipal and City Level Small Area Poverty Estimates; 2009, 2012 and 2015". Philippine Statistics Authority. July 10, 2019.
  27. ^ "PSA Releases the 2018 Municipal and City Level Poverty Estimates". Philippine Statistics Authority. December 15, 2021. Retrieved January 22, 2022.
  28. ^ "PSA Releases the 2021 City and Municipal Level Poverty Estimates". Philippine Statistics Authority. April 2, 2024. Retrieved April 28, 2024.
  29. ^ Bacungcco, Keith (May 3, 2024). "Tacurong City hosts 2-day Bird Festival". Manila Bulletin. Retrieved May 3, 2024.
  30. ^ a b "About Us". Department of Education - City Schools Division of Tacurong. Retrieved June 28, 2021.
  31. ^ Tayona, Glenda; Silubrico, Ruby (August 25, 2018). "Iloilo to showcase culture to 'sister cities' tonight". Panay News. Archived from the original on April 9, 2019. Retrieved April 9, 2019.
  32. ^ "Resolution Sisterhood Cities in Region12". Facebook. Archived from the original on February 26, 2022.
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