Tabuk, officially the City of Tabuk (Ilocano: Siudad ti Tabuk; Filipino: Lungsod ng Tabuk), is a 5th class component city and capital of the province of Kalinga, Philippines. According to the 2020 census, it has a population of 121,033 people making it the most populous in the province.[3]
Etymology
The term Tabuk comes from the word Tobog which refers to a living stream that flows from Sitio Paligatto in Barangay Balawag to the Chico River. The lands passed by this watercourse were also known as Tobog.[5]Tabuk arose from misunderstanding letter G for C (Tobog to Toboc) and letter A for letter O, resulting in Taboc. Finally, in later years, they preferred to spell the letters oc as uk, resulting in the current Tabuk.
History
Early history
Tabuk was previously known as the "Valley of Gamonangs" after the Kalinga tribe that ruled Northern Kalinga centuries ago, according to one of the early Spanish missionaries. They lived in the huge valleys and densely forested plains between the Chico and Cagayan River, and their epic military exploits are recounted in the Kalinga Ullalim. According to historical records, they repelled every attempt by the Spaniards to lodge their claims in the alley. Kalinga owes them the fact that it was never subjected to foreign rule.
Repopulation started just before the First World War. The American government dispatched six volunteer pioneers from Sitio Tobog and Lubuagan to repopulate the area. The Lubuagan locals died from malaria, leaving only Tobog newcomers to cultivate the soil in Laya. They were then joined by their cousins from Tobog. Between 1922 and 1923, the second wave of settlers arrived from Bontoc. They then set up a colony at Bantay. Another group from Bontoc and Cervantes, Ilocos Sur, was taken to Tuga and given the required farm implements, such as mosquito nets and kitchen utensils. They were later joined by migrants from La Union.
Establishment
The Bureau of Land Survey Party arrived in the early 1930s, ushering in a new era for the community. Tabuk was ruled by four groups of municipal executives before becoming a legal municipality on June 16, 1950, under a congressional act. Republic Act No. 533, which was approved on June 16, 1950, turned the former municipal district of Tabuk into a regular municipality.[6]
Tabuk became the Cordillera's second city after Baguio on June 23, 2007, when 17,060 voters ratified Republic Act No. 9404.
On November 18, 2008, the Supreme Court voted 6–5 to revert Tabuk, among other 15 cities', status back to municipalities. However, on December 21, 2009, the court reversed its first decision, returning Tabuk and the 15 other municipalities back to cities again. It contended that these cities were not covered by Republic Act 9009 – the law enacted in June 2001 that increased the income requirement for cities from P20 million to P100 million – as proven by transcripts of Senate debates while crafting RA 9009.
But on August 24, 2010, the court made a reversal again, reinstating its November 2008 decision, making Tabuk and the other 15 cities regular municipalities again. It concluded that the Local Government Code as amended by RA 9009 should be followed, without exception.
Finally, on February 15, 2011, Tabuk and the 15 municipalities became cities again after the court made a third reversal. This time the court acknowledged, among others, that the 16 cityhood laws amended RA 9009, effectively amending the Local Government Code itself.
After six years of legal battles, in its board resolution, the League of Cities of the Philippines acknowledged and recognized the cityhood of Tabuk and 15 other cities.
As of 2007, Tabuk is the only city in Kalinga, located in the eastern part of the Central Cordillera Mountain Range. It is widely regarded as the Cordillera's rice granary due to its extensive agricultural area, which produces enormous quantities of rice that is distributed to other areas. For the past two decades, it has produced exceptional farmers on a national scale.
In the 2020 census, the population of Tabuk was 121,033 people,[3] with a density of 170 inhabitants per square kilometre or 440 inhabitants per square mile.
The road networks connecting Tabuk to the Cagayan Valley and Baguio via Bontoc attracted additional residents and investments, accelerating the economic development of the city. The economy is entirely agro-based, and the Chico River Irrigation System's completion accelerated its growth even more. The city is also suggested as the location of the Cordillera's Regional Agro-Industrial Center. This is projected to help Tabuk become the region's leading agri-industrial metropolis.
Tabuk, belonging to the lone congressional district of the province of Kalinga, is governed by a mayor designated as its local chief executive and by a city council as its legislative body in accordance with the Local Government Code. The mayor, vice mayor, and the councilors are elected directly by the people through elections which are held every three years.
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