| Flag Size: | 120x80px | ||
| Seal Size: | 100x80px | ||
| Image Map1: |
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| Pushpin Map: | Philippines | ||
| Pushpin Label Position: | left | ||
| Pushpin Map Caption: | Location within the | ||
| Subdivision Type: | Country | ||
| Subdivision Name: | Philippines | ||
| Subdivision Type1: | Region | ||
| Subdivision Type2: | Province | ||
| Nickname: | Old Lady in the Northwestern Province of Tarlac | ||
| Motto: | Camiling Magaling | ||
| Subdivision Type3: | District | ||
| Established Title: | Founded | ||
| Established Date: | 1838 | ||
| Parts Type: | Barangays | ||
| Parts Style: | para | ||
| P1: | (see Barangays) | ||
| Leader Name: | Erlon C. Agustin | ||
| Leader Title1: | Vice Mayor | ||
| Leader Name1: | Noel B. Dela Cruz | ||
| Leader Name2: | Jaime D. Cojuangco | ||
| Leader Title3: | Municipal Council | ||
| Leader Name4: | voters (electorate_point_in_time}}|) | ||
| Elevation Max M: | 73 | ||
| Elevation Min M: | 12 | ||
| Population Density Km2: | auto | ||
| Population Blank1 Title: | Households | ||
| Timezone: | PST | ||
| Utc Offset: | +8 | ||
| Postal Code Type: | ZIP code | ||
| Demographics Type1: | Economy | ||
| Demographics1 Title2: | Poverty incidence | ||
| Demographics1 Info2: | % | ||
| Demographics1 Title3: | Revenue | ||
| Demographics1 Title4: | Revenue rank | ||
| Demographics1 Title5: | Assets | ||
| Demographics1 Title6: | Assets rank | ||
| Demographics1 Title7: | IRA | ||
| Demographics1 Title8: | IRA rank | ||
| Demographics1 Title9: | Expenditure | ||
| Demographics1 Title10: | Liabilities | ||
| Demographics Type2: | Service provider | ||
| Demographics2 Title1: | Electricity | ||
| Demographics2 Title2: | Water | ||
| Demographics2 Title3: | Telecommunications | ||
| Demographics2 Title4: | Cable TV | ||
| Blank1 Name Sec1: | Native languages | ||
| Blank2 Name Sec1: | Crime index | ||
| Blank1 Name Sec2: | Major religions | ||
| Blank2 Name Sec2: | Feast date | ||
| Blank3 Name Sec2: | Catholic diocese | ||
| Blank4 Name Sec2: | Patron saint | ||
Camiling, officially the Municipality of Camiling, (Pangasinan: Baley na Camiling; Iloko: Ili ti Camiling; Tagalog: Bayan ng Camiling) is a 1st class municipality in the province of Tarlac in the Philippines. 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.[1]
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 the Romulo Highway (formerly Highway 13). It is also known for its famous "Iloko: chicharon Camiling" and its green native rice cake called Pangasinan: nilubyan.
Camiling began its history as a settlement located near the Camiling River.[2]
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 of Caboloan was 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 pirate Limahong attacked 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-day San Carlos, Pangasinan). It was later on incorporated into the Spanish Empire.
Early in the 18th century, the community was a sitio of Paniqui; before and after, Paniqui was also part of Bayambang. The town's name is derived from "Pangasinan: camiring" or "camiling", the Pangasinan name for the Semecarpus cuneiformis tree, 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 the Zambales mountain ranges. A wide river cut through it. The early inhabitants of the place were the Aetas who make a living by gathering fruit from fruit trees, hunting, and fishing. With the coming first of the Pangasinenses and later the Ilocanos from 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 with Saint Michael as the patron saint.
Camiling became a District Commission from 1834 to 1837 founded by Don Francisco Soriano, the then Cabeza de Barangay who 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 first Gobernadorcillo. 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 in Jose 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 and Leonor Rivera were all real-life inspiration to the novel.
Camiling is north-north-west of Manila, and from provincial capital Tarlac 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 61 barangays. Each barangay consists of puroks and some have sitios.
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 NaNPD/km2NaNPD/km2.
Many old town's districts are based on the Pangasinan language like Anoling, Cayaoan (Bamboo), Libueg, Lasong, Tuec (to nod), Pindangan, Telbang. Others are named after towns of Ilocos where the other settlers originally came from. Hence, Caviganan for Vigan, Ilocos Sur, Cacabugaoan (now Cayaoan) for Cabugao, Ilocos Sur, Cabatacan for Batac City, Ilocos Norte, Capaoayan for Paoay, Ilocos Norte, Casarratan for Sarrat, Ilocos Norte.
Pangasinan and Ilocano are the main dialects of Camiling. Kapampangan and Tagalog are also widely understood and spoken.
Aside from rice cakes and Iloko: chicharon, the municipality is also known for its freshwater fish produce, like tilapia; Tagalog: dalag (or mudfish, Channa striata); catfish, including the native Tagalog: hito, Clarias macrocephalus; and Tagalog: [[bangus|bangús]], the milkfish.
Camiling's "one town, one product" is the Pangasinan: [[bagnet]] (also called Iloko: chicharon by the Ilocano people of Ilocos Sur) and the sweet green native cakes called Pangasinan: [[Kalamay|iniruban]] or Pangasinan: dirimin of Pangasinan origin. The municipality is also known for other native rice cakes such as Tagalog: tupig, Tagalog: pinais, and Pangasinan: [[patupat]]. Established in 2000, the festival includes colorful and artistic presentations and a street dancing competition amongst the different schools in Camiling.
See main article: Sangguniang Bayan.
Municipal council (2022–2025):
| Position | Name | Party | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Mayor | Erlon C. Agustin | Nationalist People's Coalition | |
| Vice Mayor | Noel B. Dela Cruz | Probinsya Muna Development Initiative | |
| Sangguniang Bayan Members | Gladys T. Agustin | Kilusang Bagong Lipunan | |
| Benicio B. Delos Reyes II | |||
| Mahalia M. Mateo | Nationalist People's Coalition | ||
| Jesus A. Corpuz | Nationalist People's Coalition | ||
| Kristine Anne S. Legaspi | Nationalist People's Coalition | ||
| Raul G. Mangrobang | Nationalist People's Coalition | ||
| Jherwin D. Corpuz | Nationalist People's Coalition | ||
| Ernesto C. Toralba | Nationalist People's Coalition | ||
| Ex-Officio Members | |||
| ABC President | Albert B. Jose (from Barangay Bilad) | ||
| SK President [Ex-Officio Provincial Councilor] | Luke Corinth Q. Pagarigan (from Barangay Surgui 3rd) | ||
| SK Vice-President [Ex-Officio Municipal Councilor] | Argel Garcillano (from Barangay Poblacion B) | ||
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 Santo 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: