HISTORY OF THE PROVINCE OF TARLAC

Tarlac's name is a Hispanized derivation from a talahib weed called Malatarlak. Tarlac was originally
divided into two parts: the southern division belonging to Pampanga and the northern division
belonging to Pangasinan. It was the last province in Central Luzon to be organized under the Spanish
colonial administration in 1874.
During the Philippine Revolution of 1896, Tarlac was among the first eight provinces to rise against
Spain, alongside neighbouring Pampanga. It became the new seat of the first Philippine Republic in
March 1899 when General Emilio Aguinaldo abandoned the former capital, Malolos, Bulacan. This
lasted only for a month before the seat was moved to Nueva Ecija in Aguinaldo's attempt to elude the
pursuing Americans.
On October 23, 1899, Gregorio Aglipay, military vicar general of the revolutionary forces, called the
Filipino clergy to a conference in Paniqui. There, they drafted the constitution of the Philippine
Independent Church. They called for the Filipinization of the clergy, which eventually led to a
separation from the Roman Catholic Church in the Philippines.
Tarlac was captured by American forces on November 1899. A civil government was established in
the province in 1901.
During World War II, Camp O'Donnell in Capas became the terminal point of the infamous Bataan
Death March of Filipino and American soldiers who surrendered at Bataan on April 9, 1942. Many
prisoners died of hunger, disease and/or execution. The general headquarters of the Philippine
Commonwealth Army was established from January 03, 1942 to June 30, 1946 and the 3rd
Constabulary Regiment of the Philippine Constabulary was founding again from October 28, 1944 to
June 30, 1946 and military stationed in the province of Tarlac and some parts in Central Luzon due to
Japanese Occupation. Local troops of the Philippine Commonwealth Army units has sending the
clearing military operations in the province of Tarlac and Central Luzon from 1942 to 1945 and aided
them by the recognized guerrilla groups including Hukbalahap Communist fighters and attacking
Japanese Imperial forces. But in the aftermath, some local guerrilla resistance fighters and
Hukbahalap groups are became retreating Imperial Japanese troops around the province and before
the liberation from the Allied forces.
In early 1945, combined American and Filipino military forces with the recognized Aringay Command
guerillas liberated Camp O'Donnell. The raid in Capas resulted in the rescue of American, Filipino and
other allied Prisoners of War.
From January 20, 1945 to August 15, 1945, Tarlac was recaptured by combined Filipino and American
troops together with the recognized guerrilla fighters against the Japanese Imperial forces during the
liberation and beginning for the Battle of Tarlac under the Luzon Campaign.

Source: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tarlac