The City of Tagbilaran: An Introduction |
Location
Tagbilaran is the capital and a component city of the island
paradise province of Bohol. It is situated some 630 kilometers southeast
of Manila and 72 kilometers south of
Cebu City. Tagbilaran
lies on the southwestern part of the province, and has a total
land area of 3,270 hectares, including about thirteen kilometers
of coastline. [The Land]
Form
The City forms an elongated strip, with ridges and rolling
hills, two peaks rise on both ends, Elley Hill (100-meters)
on the north and Banat-i (145-meters) on the south.
There are 15 barangays comprising Tagbilaran, with an estimated
population of 94,137 (OCPDC estimate) for the year 2007, with an annual growth
rate of 3.2%. However, 41% of the entire population reside
in the 4 urban barangays where trade and commerce are concentrated.
The Origin of the Name
By the way, the origin of the name TAGBILARAN was derived
from the word TAGUBILAAN, a contraction then of two local
dialect terms TAGU, which means "to hide" and BILAAN, which
refers to a Muslim marauder tribe or Moros who were feared
by the early settlers because they pillaged and looted the
place. In brief, TAGBILARAN means "to hide from the Moros."
Establishment of the Town of Tagbilaran
On February 9, 1742, Governor-General Gaspar dela Torre signed
a decree establishing the separate town of San Jose de Tagbilaran
from the town of Baclayon. Since then, this once unheralded
town has been under the mantle of the Province of Bohol until
it became a Chartered City on July 1, 1966 by virtue of Republic
Act No. 4660, that she made a name of her own.
[History of Tagbilaran] |
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