Camiling

Camiling, officially theMunicipality of Camiling, (Pangasinan:Baley na Camiling;Ilocano:Ili ti Camiling;Tagalog:Bayan ng Camiling), is a municipality in theprovinceofTarlacin thePhilippines. According to the 2020 census, it has a population of 87,319 people.
Camiling is one of the fastest-growing towns of Tarlac when it comes to income and economy. It is also considered one of the richest when it comes to cultural heritage in the entire province. The town is also dubbed to be the "Old Lady in the Northwestern province of Tarlac", because it is one of the oldest municipalities created by the Spanish government under the province of Pangasinan where it previously included the former barrio of Mayantoc, San Clemente, and Santa Ignacia. The municipality also features cultural antiquity such as its churches, ancestral houses, and ruins. However, the baroque church of Camiling has yet to be restored after 20 years since a fire burned its interior. The inside of the church, one of the only two Spanish churches left in Tarlac, has become a cesspool for human waste, while the facade (front) and buttresses (side supports) have been occupied by business establishments. One buttress has been converted by a business store into a toilet. Heritage advocates and Camiling locals have been campaigning for the restoration of the church after the reports came out in March 2018.
Camiling is the major municipality in north-western Tarlac. It is the commercial center of an area composed of about eight towns, and borders the province of Pangasinan. It is the gateway to central and western Pangasinan through theRomulo Highway(formerly Highway 13). It is also known for its famous "chicharonCamiling" and its green native rice cake callednilubyan.
Camiling began its history as a settlement located near the Camiling River.
During the classical era, the area used to be lush in tropical rainforest and was used mainly by the local Pangasinense people. When the polity ofCaboloanwas established in 1406, the area was incorporated as part of the kingdom.It was ruled by a series of native huangs (kings/queens), namely,Urduja, Kamayin, Taymey, and Liyu.Majority of its rulers are unnamed as no document of them were properly recorded. For a short period, an emperor in China became an honorary ruler as well.
In 1575, the Chinese pirateLimahongattacked the polity and declared himself as ruler of the Caboloan realms. The kingdom was eventually abolished in 1576, when the Spanish attacked and ransacked the kingdom's capital of Binalatongan (present-daySan Carlos, Pangasinan). It was later on incorporated into the Spanish Empire.
Early in the 18th century, the community was asitioofPaniqui; before and after, Paniqui was also part ofBayambang. The town's name is derived from "camiring" or "camiling", the Pangasinan name for theSemecarpus cuneiformistree, which at that time grew abundantly in the wilderness.
The community was originally a vast area of Cogon growth interposed with thick forestalls areas stretching into theZambalesmountain ranges. A wide river cut through it. The early inhabitants of the place were theAetaswho make a living by gathering fruit from fruit trees, hunting, and fishing. With the coming first of thePangasinensesand later theIlocanosfrom the north, the Aetas who used to roam freely in the wilderness obliged themselves to move into the interior.
The new settlers first occupied the swampy land, now known as "Cacamilingan" on the right side of the river. In time, these settlers began moving to the left opposite shore because of more frequent disastrous floods. To this new location, the residents therein built a small church withSaint Michaelas the patron saint.
Camiling became a District Commission from 1834 to 1837 founded by Don Francisco Soriano, the thenCabeza de Barangaywho became the town's first District Commissioner. In 1838, Camiling became an independent town, formally separated from the mother town of Paniqui and with Don Vicente Galsim, as the firstGobernadorcillo. Thirty-eight others followed him. Don Jose Sabado, the last to serve under the Spanish regime and the first Presidente Municipal under the Revolutionary Government by Aguinaldo.
Camiling was a first-class municipality during the 1970s but was reclassified when the Local Government Code went into effect in the early 1990s. It became again a first-class municipality again on November 20, 2001, by virtue of the Latest Income Class Classification (L.I.C.C.) initiated by the Department of Finance; the Local Government Unit of Camiling was reclassified from a second class municipality to a first-class municipality, having attained an annual income of 50,942,508.51 pesos. In 2008, Camiling's income was more than 72,463,893,00 pesos with average growth of more than 5.164% per year (2001–2008).
The town of San Diego inJose Rizal's 1887 novel,Noli Me Tángere, is the municipality of Camiling in real life. The old Saint Michael the Archangel Parish Church of Camiling andLeonor Riverawere all real-life inspiration to the novel.
Camiling is 160 kilometres (99 mi) north-north-west ofManila, and 36 kilometres (22 mi) from provincial capitalTarlac City. It borders San Clemente on the west, Bayambang from the north, Santa Ignacia and Mayantoc to the south and Paniqui and Moncada by the east.
Mostly of plain topography but some parts are hilly to mountainous in which the barangays of Papaac, Bacsay, Birbira and Cayasan, to name a few. The deeper part of the mountains can be described as a place where wild animals live, such as deer, Toddy cat (Musang), wild boar (Baboy ramo), Monitor lizard (Bayawak).
Camiling is politically subdivided into 61barangays.Each barangay consists ofpuroksand some havesitios.
It has the most barangays in all of the municipalities of Tarlac while the city of Tarlac has 76 barangays.
In the 2020 census, the population of Camiling, Tarlac, was 87,319 people,with a density of 620 inhabitants per square kilometre or 1,600 inhabitants per square mile.
IlocanoandPangasinanare the main dialects of Camiling.KapampanganandTagalogare also widely understood and spoken.
Poverty Incidence of Camiling
Aside from rice cakes andchicharon, the municipality is also known for its freshwater fish produce, liketilapia;dalag(or mudfish,Channa striata);catfish, including the nativehito,Clarias macrocephalus; andbangús, the milkfish.
Camiling's"one town, one product"is thebagnet(also calledchicharonby theIlocano peopleof Ilocos Sur) and the sweet green native cakes calledinirubanordiriminof Pangasinan origin. The municipality is also known for other native rice cakes such astupig,pinais, andpatupat. Established in 2000, the festival includes colorful and artistic presentations and a street dancing competition amongst the different schools in Camiling.
Municipal council (2022–2025):
Camiling has three hospitals and a health center at the Municipal Hall. The health center serves the poor by giving free medicines and other health service. There are numerous private clinics scattered throughout the town. Hospitals in Camiling are Señor Sto. Niħo Tertiary Hospital at Poblacion, Camiling District Hospital at Malacampa, and Salvador General Hospital at Palimbo.
In Camiling Central:
In Camiling East:
In Camiling West: