Bamban, Tarlac

Long before settlers came, the place which was to become the town of Bamban, was a vast track of wild land extending eastward; and on the west side, composed of foothills and mountains lush with vegetation and tall trees extending deep into the Zambales ranges. The thick forest and mountains were then inhabited by the Aetas (locally known as Baluga), and the Zambal, both of whom subsisted only on fishing and native or wild animals which abounded in the place. Occasionally, daring traders from Pampanga and the Tagalog province, mostly enterprising Chinese, braved the wilderness to go northward to Capas and Tarlac.

Before the advent of the Spanish era, small settlers came, attracted by the fertile land and the glittering silver of the river that cut through the mountain to spill down the flat land, making it fertile. The settlers started small clearings in the thick growth of bamban plants which covered vast portions of the land bordering the river a small distance from the foothills.(because of these plants, the place was eventually named Bamban).

Settlers upon settlers came to carve clearings in the land, and soon a small community was formed. About 1700, Agustinian Recollects came and established the Mission de Pueblos de Bamban. But the pueblo was then a part of Pampanga. In 1837, a new boundary line was established, thereby permanently making Bamban part of the province of Tarlac.

Official recognition as a town was sanctioned by the gobernadorcillo in the town of Tarlac. Don Martín Sibal was subsequently appointed head and commissioned with the rank of "Capitán". Among the first settlers were the Sibal, Lugtu, Dayrit, Macale, Vergara, Manipon, and de la Cruz clans.

Children on roof of a school in Bamban, that was buried by lahars during the 1991 eruption of Mt. Pinatubo.

During the revolution of 1896, Bamban was one of the first towns to take up arms against the Spaniards. Northwest of the town situated among the hills are remnants of strongholds built by brave bands of Bambanenses who joined Gen. Servilliano Aquino in the uprising in Tarlac. Up to this time, a portion of the foothills in the area is called "Batiawan" or look-out point. Many a brave son died in this movement for liberation.

When the Americans came in 1900, the small pueblo gradually grew into a teeming town. The Bamban Sugar Central was established and further gave impetus to its growth. Don Pablo Lagman was the first to be appointed presidente and Don Laureano Campo as vice-presidente under the American military government. Other prominent families then took over the helm of government. During the Commonwealth era, the Sibals, the Lumboys, the Santoses, the Punsalangs, to mention a few, enjoyed political power until the outbreak of World War II.

Bamban was like the legendary phoenix, which locals felt must be resurrected from its ashes. The whole población was devastated and burned during the liberation. Undaunted, the people returned from hiding and began rebuilding even while the campaign was raging deep in the mountains. Growth was fast because of proximity of Clark Air Base. But Bamban can not be the same again. The aftermath of the war was felt for a long time. Consequently, prominent families left the town for the city to establish big business and names for themselves.

The 1991 Mount Pinatubo volcanic eruption and the subsequent flow of lava and mud to the lowlands of Bamban forced residents to move out or to stay at the Dapdap Resettlement Area, which is on higher grounds.

Dolores Grotto view of the Bamban bridge and barangays

Bamban is politically subdivided into 15 barangays. [2]

In the 2015 census, the population of Bamban, Tarlac, was 69,466 people,[3] with a density of 280 inhabitants per square kilometre or 730 inhabitants per square mile.

Santo Niño Parish Church

• At the center of the town is the heritage (F-1812) Santo Niño Parish Church of Bamban[9] (Vicariate of San Nicolas de Tolentino; Vicar Forane: Msgr. Francisco Tañedo[10]
  • Titular: Santo Niño, Feast, Last Saturday of January
  • Parish priest: Father Claro Lacson
  • Parochial vicar: Father Melvin Baldos.[11][12] - San Nicolas, Bamban, Philippines beside the[13] Santo Niño Academy (Bamban, Tarlac)[14][15][16][10][17][18][19] ].[20] It belongs to the Roman Catholic Diocese of Tarlac.[21]
• Grotto of Our Lady of Lourdes of Bamban at Dolores
• Bamban Caves and the Matayumtayum well was used by General Francisco Macabulos and his troops against the Spaniards and later on by Filipino guerrillas during the Second World War.

• 
  Bamban municipal hall
• 
  Municipal library, town plaza and police station
• 
  Public market
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  Bamban Bridge
• 
  Highway

• Dapdap High School
• List of bridges in the Philippines

Wikimedia Commons has media related to Bamban, Tarlac.

• Bamban Profile at PhilAtlas.com
• Philippine Standard Geographic Code
• Philippine Census Information
• Local Governance Performance Management System
• Bamban, Tarlac history, folk lore, photos