Tacurong City is a 4th class city in the province of Sultan Kudarat, Philippines. According to the 2000 census, it has a population of 76,354 people in 14,950 households. 86% of the Population are Roman Catholics, 9% are other Christian denomination and 5% are Muslims. Hiligaynon (Ilonggo) is the mother-tongue of the City. On its north, the Municipality of Lambayong (Sultan Kudarat). On its west, the Municipality of Isulan (the capital town of Sultan Kudarat). On its east, the Municipality of Pres. Quirino (Sultan Kudarat), and on its south, the Municipality of Tantangan (South Cotabato). In 2001, Tacurong was converted into a component city making it the first and only city in the province of Sultan Kudarat.

History and other facts

Tacurong City used to be a barangay of the Municipality of Buluan which belonged to the Province of Cotabato. The city was originally called as "Pamansang". During 1940's, the place became a bridgeway or a staying point of the tourists, travelers and Catholic Missionaries traveling to the different parts of the Cotabato Province.

Barangay Pamansang was changed to Barangay Talakudong. Talakudong stands for Maguindanaon term for head covering (popularly called as Salakot and Sadok as of today) which had been worn by the settlers and people in the place. Years past, the name Talakudong was later changed to Tacurong. However, Talakudong still remain as a significant word in the city since Tacurong's foundation anniversary is called Talakudong Festival.

The city was separated from the Municipality of Buluan and was created a municipality by virtue of Executive Order 462 by President Elpidio Quirino on the 3rd day of August in the year 1951. The city is dominated of mostly Ilonggo settlers from the province of Iloilo, Negros Occidental and Capiz.

The city had an estimated area of 40,000 hectares comprising 14 barangays when the beginning years of being a neophyte municipality. When Barangay Tantangan created as a municipality, some areas of Tacurong became territories of Municipality of Tantangan in the year 1961. The area of Tacurong was further reduced when Municipality of Pres. Quirino was created from the city on November 22, 1973. Tacurong has now a total of 15,340 hectares land area, the smallest place among the 12 municipalities of the Province of Sultan Kudarat yet it is the most progressive.

When the Province of Cotabato was divided into four provinces, North Cotabato, Maguindanao, South Cotabato and Sultan Kudarat in 1973, Tacurong fought for its image and capability to become the capital of the newly creates Province of Sultan Kudarat by the virtue of Presidential Decree No. 341 in Nov. 22, 1973. Although Municipality of Isulan became the capital town, Tacurong remained a first class municipality and became the trade & commerce center of the province.

Politically, Tacurong has been served by eleven elected and appointed mayors from its creation in 1951 to the present who represented various sectors. Ricardo Soriano and Serafin Limbungan were farmers; Quirino Mercado, a lawyer; Jose Escribano, a military man; Jose P. Barroquillo, a medical practitioner; Benjamin Eliseo, a contractor and a businessman; Fernando O. Bayquin, a government employee (DILG); Teodoro Subido, a dental practitioner; Angelo O. Montilla, a farm manager; Geronimo P. Arzagon, an educator; and the present mayor, Lino O. Montilla, an electrical engineer.

Tacurong became the first city in the Province of Sultan Kudarat through the effort of Sultan Kudarat lone district Rep. Angelo O. Montilla who passed the House Bill No. 6497 or "An Act Converting the Municipality of Tacurong Province of Sultan Kudarat into a component city of the Province of Sultan Kudarat to be known as City of Tacurong" which became a Republic Act 8805 when it was signed by President Joseph Ejercito Estrada on August 16, 2000 and confirmed by the people in the city on a plebiscite held on September 18, 2000.

After it became a City, September 18 became also the Foundation Anniversary of the City. On the other hand, August 3 declared by the first city council as Barangay Day.

When the First City Council of Tacurong passed a resolution which increases the taxes and the amount of the basic services in the city, many residents and businessmen reacted on it negatively. When it was signed by Mayor Lino O. Montilla and became an ordinance, businessmen were disappointed. Now, it is considered as the Most Expensive Business Area in the province.

 

Climate
Tacurong falls under the fourth type of climate characterized by an even distribution of rainfall. The average annual rainfall is 127.64 millimeters. The average temperature ranges from 27.36 to 27.56 degrees Celsius. Relative humidity averages 80 percent.

Economy
Commerce and industry

Years ago, the city depended for its source of Livelihood from agricultural and only part of the town income from a Commercial establishments. However, the influx of migrant part of the archipelago and evacuees from the neighboring place due to Sporadic disturbance caused by lawless elements, changed the Course of the city in its struggle for economic development From agriculture to commerce and industry. The increase of small Investors engaged in small scale industries such as furniture making, Candy factory, balut making, candy factory and vInegar making is a visible proof of a commercial and industrial trends of the city.

Presently; Tacurong has thirteen (13) banking institutions serving the financial/monetary needs of the residents of the locality and neighboring areas. These banks are 1. ALIIED BANK, 2. BPI-FAMILY BANK, 3. DBP, 4. FEBTC, 5. LAND BANK, 6. METROBANK, 7. PCI-Equitable Bank, 8. RURAL BANK OF TACURONG, 9. PENBANK, 10. Rizal Commercial Banking Corporation (RCBC), 11. RURAL BANK OF PRES. QUIRINO, 12. RURAL BANK OF PIGCAWAYAN., and 13. NETWORK

The main industry found in the city is rice and corn milling and trading. There are nineteen (19) medium to large scale rice mills operating thirty units and two corn mills operating three units in the locality including the giant National Food Authority-Southern Philippines Grains Complex (NFA-SPGC) silo (Mechanical Drier) and rice mill, the second largest in Asia.

The NFA-SPGC includes a number of large warehouses and has a milling capacity of twenty tons per hour. It also has a daily palay dispersal volume of 52,345 or 50-kg bags per day. The city has an agricultural crop production of 47,237.97 metric tons for all crops with 6,167.25 hectares planted. The annual rice production is 21,240 metric tons on 3,728 hectares planted, some 48% of which are irrigated. The annual corn production is 3,556.7 metric tons on 855.75 hectares planted.

The city also produces African palm oil, which is shipped to Manila to be used in the plastics and soap making industry and other chemical industries. The annual yield is 22,980 metric tons on 1,034 hectares planted.

There are also various small-scale industries like metal craft, food processing, furniture, ceramics, handicrafts, garments, pottery, vinegar making and balut making.

There are at present 1,041 registered business establishments in the community. Among these are the big shopping malls including the Tacurong Fit Mart, MS City Corporation, Kimsan Plaza Corporation, Kennedy Shopping Center and Swana Mercantile. There are also a number of large to medium scale hardware/convenience stores, specialty/novelty shops, restaurants/refreshments, parlors, fast food and other types of business establishments. These establishments cater to the needs of both the residents of the locality and the neighboring areas. There are also eleven (11) large appliance centers including the branches of some big-name ones such as EMCOR Appliance, Imperial Appliance Plaza, Quality Home Appliances and Better Homes Appliances Corporation.

The city has also five gasoline stations to cater to the needs of the motorists and the riding public.

There is also the nearly completed construction of the Integrated Bus Terminal which sits on a 2.5- hectare lot in Barangay New Isabela and also a plan for the construction of a modern and integrated slaughter house and auction market.

The new public market, which was completed last December 5, 1996, replaced the old public market, which was razed by fire last December 1989 resulting to the destruction of 75% of the market. The construction was made possible through a P 29 Million Loan from the World Bank through the Program for Essential Municipal Infrastructure Utilities, Maintenance and Engineering Development (PREMIUMED) and a grant of P 14 Million from the National Government. The new 10-Million Peso wet market (agora type) which was completed earlier was financed by the local government with assistance from the national government.

Transportation
Due to its strategic location, there are present five big bus companies serving the riding public, there are also a large number of other transport systems present including the air-conditioned vans and jeepneys which ply the routes to and from the city. The main transport system inside the locality is the pedicab (tricycle) which now numbers about 2,000 units. The people of the city also own a large number of private vehicles of all sizes and makes. The local government is about to open the Integrated Public Terminal later this year, the first of its kind to put up in Central Mindanao. Existing Utility Vehicles, Year 2000 T Y P E Number Percent (%) 1. Bus 48 3 0.7% 2. Public Utility Vans (L300, FX, Urvan) 153 2.4% 3. Public Utility Multicabs 105 1.6% 4. Public Utility Jeepneys 285 4.4% 5. Tricycles 2,493 38.4% 6. Motorcycles 2,803 43.2% 7. Trucks 60 9.3% TOTAL 6,490 100%.

* Long Distance Travel
* Yellow Bus Line, Inc.
* Rural Transit
* Husky Bus
* Grand Transport Corporation
* M&S Transit
* Airconditioned Van
* Within the borders
* Jeepney
* Multi-cab
* Van
* Within the city
* Tricycle

Agriculture
Tacurong stands among other municipalities of Sultan Kudarat as an agriculture area. Out of its total area, 81.25 or 12,987 hectares are devoted for agricultural crops. Major crop produced in the city is rice, which covers about 4,836 hectares. Total irrigated land area planted to rice is 2,206. The rest are rainfed with 2,630 hectares. Corn is the second staple crop to rice. It occupies an area of 1,976 hectares. Another viable crop in the field of Agriculture is the African Palm oil tree. Sugar is another sources of the city’s income. It is produce locally over 113 hectares of land found in Barangays San Emmanuel, Tina, Kalandagan and New Passi. Coconut occupies 53.0 Hectares of land, but is not developed as compares to rice and corn, root crops, vegetable and other crops are among the tangible proofs of the people’s support to the program on green revolution. Aside from the Agricultural crops already maintained, citrus, mango, rubber, tee, cacao and soybeans are also planted in the city to help boost agricultural production.

 

Source:

Wikipedia