Tacurong City

Tacurong, officially the City of Tacurong (Hiligaynon: Dakbanwa sang Tacurong; Tagalog: Lungsod ng Tacurong; Maguindanaon: Ingud nu Takurong), is a 4th class component city in the province of Sultan Kudarat, Philippines. According to the 2015 census, it has a population of 98,316 people.

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

History

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.^[1] 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.^[2]

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 “Tacurongnons” in a plebiscite held on September 18, 2000.^[2]^[3]

Security incidents

Tacurong City has the most number of bombing incidents in Southern Philippines since 2000,Template:Citation needed as the city reportedly has the presence of different extortion and terrorist groups like Abu Sayaff, 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.^[4]

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 on the terrorist attack.^[5]

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.^[6]

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. ^[7]

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.^[8]

Geography

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 City, 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.

Barangays

The city is politically subdivided into twenty (20) barangays.

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

Climate data for Tacurong City, Sultan Kudarat
Month	Jan	Feb	Mar	Apr	May	Jun	Jul	Aug	Sep	Oct	Nov	Dec	Year
Average high °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)
Average low °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

Demographics

Population census of Tacurong

Year	Pop.	±% p.a.
1960	15,051	—
1970	29,796	+7.06%
1975	37,255	+4.58%
1980	45,908	+4.26%
1990	58,785	+2.50%

Year	Pop.	±% p.a.
1995	69,822	+3.28%
2000	76,354	+1.94%
2007	82,546	+1.08%
2010	89,188	+2.86%
2015	98,316	+1.87%

Source: Philippine Statistics Authority

Economy

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

Infrastructure

Transportation

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:

Yellow Bus Line, Inc. (General Santos City/Koronadal City)
Mindanao Star (General Santos City)
Rural Transit Mindanao, Inc. (General Santos City/Cagayan de Oro City)
Husky Tours (Cotabato City)

Health care facilities

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

Private schools

Tertiary:

Good Shepherd's Vision for Excellent Education
Notre Dame of Tacurong College
Quezon Colleges of Southern Philippines
Southern Mindanao Institute Technology
Valdez Mother and Child City College
St. Francis Institute of Science and Technology, Inc.

Secondary:

Good Shepherd's Vision for Excellent Education
Notre Dame of Tacurong College - High School Department
Notre Dame - Siena School of Tacurong
St. John Learning Center
St. Michael School of Tacurong City
Tacurong Alliances Learning Center

Elementary:

Good Shepherd's Vision for Excellent Education
Notre Dame of Tacurong College - Basic Education Department
Tacurong SDA Elem. School
Tacurong Siloam ABC Learning Center

Primary:

Cherubim Methodist Learning Center
Children's Grace of Mary Tutorial and Learning Center, Inc.
Good Shepherd's Vision for Excellent Education, Inc.
Jean Piaget Center for Learning
Montesssori Learning Center-Tacurong
Notre Dame of Tacurong College - Basic Education Department
Rockford Preparatory School, Inc.
Tacurong St. Benedict Learning Center & Values School

Public schools