Anao, Tarlac

Anao is 34 kilometres (21 mi) east of the provincial capitol and nestling on the Tarlac-Nueva Ecija border. Located in the north-eastern part of Tarlac, it is bound on the north by San Manuel, in the east by Nampicuan, on the south by Ramos and on the west by Paniqui and Moncada.

The area where Anao is located was inhabited before 1800 by people from the Ilocos Region. In 1835, a group of immigrants from Paoay, Ilocos Norte reached the region and first settled near a creek on the bank where there were balete trees. These immigrants called their settlement Balete. The immigrants found the region where they settled to have many agricultural prospects and this attracted more immigrants who came from the north, especially from the town of Paoay.

The settlement expanded and later changed its name to "Barrio Anao" (deriving authentically from the Ilocano word danao which means creek). By that time, balete trees were extinguished and the barrio was adjacent in all directions by creeks.

Paniqui had a road extended towards the east to Anao. Paniqui claimed Anao as its barrio and the people of the barrio accepted the claim. Years went by and Anao expanded. In 1870, a petition was made and approved that Anao be made a municipality.

In the 2015 census, the population of Anao, Tarlac, was 11,528 people,[3] with a density of 480 inhabitants per square kilometre or 1,200 inhabitants per square mile.

Anao is predominantly an Ilocano-speaking town although most are fluent in Tagalog. Other languages like Kapampangan and Pangasinan are spoken by about 10% of the population.

Aglipayan and Roman Catholicism are two of the predominant religions in the municipality. Other groups having a large number of members in the municipality are The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, Iglesia ni Cristo, and Protestantism.

The Saint John Nepomucene Parish Church of Anao[9] can be found on the center of the town near the municipal hall. It belongs to the Roman Catholic Diocese of Tarlac.[10]

The Ylang Ylang Festival is celebrated by the municipality every 16 March to take pride of their main local products, which are perfumes and essentials oils made from the ylang-ylang flower.[11] The town has over 10,000 ylang-ylang trees, many of them lined on the local main road, which are harvested and highly-valued for its perfume.[12]

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  Saint John Nepomucene Parish Church of Anao
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  Ylang-ylang trees line all the streets
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  Multi Purpose Covered Court
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  Iglesia Filipina Independiente Church
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  Anao Municipalm Building
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  Municipal Open Field
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  Municipal Auditorium
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  Barangay Bantog ARC
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  Anao, Welcome ARC at Barangay San Francisco West

Wikimedia Commons has media related to Anao, Tarlac.

• Anao Municipal Government Website
• Anao Profile at PhilAtlas.com
• Amor Village
• Anao town
• Town of Ilang-Ilang flowers
• ANAO: SERENE TOWN OF ILANG-ILANG BLOSSOMS
• Philippine Standard Geographic Code
• Philippine Census Information
• Local Governance Performance Management System
• Pasyalan Tarlac