Tacurong

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Tacurong
Component city
City of Tacurong
Other transcription(s)
• Jawi	تكروڠ
Tacurong Road to Isulan
Flag Seal
Nickname:  City of Goodwill
Motto:  Uswag Tacurong! (Progress Tacurong!)
Map of Sultan Kudarat with Tacurong highlighted
OpenStreetMap
Tacurong Location within the Philippines
Coordinates: 6°41′N 124°40′E / 6.68°N 124.67°E / 6.68; 124.67
Country	Philippines
Region	Soccsksargen
Province	Sultan Kudarat
District	1st district
Founded	August 3, 1951
Cityhood	August 16, 2000
Barangays	20 (see Barangays)
Government  [2]
• Type	Sangguniang Panlungsod
• Mayor	Joseph George L. Lechonsito
• Vice Mayor	Lina O. Montilla
• Representative	Bai Rihan M. Sakaluran
• City Council	Members [1] Ralen T. Bernardo Lalaine J. Montilla Jose A. Lim V Harvey P. Legas Carlos Borromeo P. Segura Jr. Geronimo P. Arzagon Bernardino L. Umadhay Jr. Geraldine L. Collado Nestor D. Casador Remo Y. Flores
• Electorate	60,960 voters (2022)
Area [3]
• Total	153.40 km2 (59.23 sq mi)
Elevation	71 m (233 ft)
Highest elevation	1,663 m (5,456 ft)
Lowest elevation	7 m (23 ft)
Population  (2020 census)[4]
• Total	109,319
• Density	710/km2 (1,800/sq mi)
• Households	25,261
Demonym(s)	Tacurongnon Takurungen Takur
Economy
• Income class	4th city income class
• Poverty incidence	15.40 % (2021)[5]
• Revenue	₱ 780.5 million (2020)
• Assets	₱ 1,802 million (2020)
• Expenditure	₱ 193.1 million (2020)
• Liabilities	₱ 315.5 million (2020)
Service provider
• Electricity	Sultan Kudarat Electric Cooperative (SUKELCO)
• Water	Sultan Kudarat Water District (SKWD)
• Cable TV	Sultan Cable System Inc. (SULCASI)
Time zone	UTC+8 (PST)
ZIP code	9800
PSGC	126511000
IDD : area code	+63 (0)64
Native languages	Maguindanao Hiligaynon Tagalog
Website	www.tacurong.gov.ph

Tacurong, officially the City of Tacurong (Hiligaynon: Dakbanwa sang Tacurong; Maguindanaon: Kuta nu Takurung, Jawi: كوت نو تكروڠ; Filipino: Lungsod ng Tacurong), is a 4th class component city in the province of Sultan Kudarat, Philippines. According to the 2020 census, it has a population of 109,319 people.^[4]

Tacurong has a total land area of 15,340 hectares, the smallest in land area among the province's 12 municipalities but the most populous. Tacurong became a component city of Sultan Kudarat in 2000 by virtue of Republic Act No. 8805 in September 2000.^[6]

Tacurong was originally a barangay of the Municipality of Buluan. On August 3, 1951, it was created into a municipality by Executive Order Number 462 signed by the President Elpidio Quirino.^[7] At that time Tacurong had an estimated area of 40,000 hectares and 14 barangays. In 1961, the southern portion of Tacurong was separated to form the municipality of Tantangan, and in 1973, Tacurong lost some of its eastern portions when the municipality of President Quirino was created.^[8]

Following the efforts of Angelo O. Montilla, the Congressman of the Legislative District of Sultan Kudarat, Tacurong was made the first component city in the Province of Sultan Kudarat in 2000 by virtue of House Bill No. 6497 and Republic Act 8805. This was confirmed by the “Takurs” in a plebiscite held on September 18, 2000.^[8][9]

Tacurong City has the most number of bombing incidents in Southern Philippines since 2000,^{[citation needed]} as the city reportedly has the presence of different extortion and terrorist groups like Abu Sayyaf, BIFF and NPA.

New Year's Eve bombing

December 31, 2017, 11:05 PM, 2 casualties and 17 hurt during the Improvised Explosive Device blast in Villa Garde KTV Bar National Highway, Barangay Buenaflor.^[10]

April 3, 2017 bombing

Eight persons, mostly workers of an electric cooperative, were injured after an improvised bomb went off along the national highway in Tacurong City on Monday morning (Apr. 3), Bangsamoro Islamic Freedom Fighters (BIFF) is the suspected group who is responsible on the terrorist attack.^[11]

Twin bombing

Seven people were hurt after two explosions rocked Tacurong City on April 17, 2017, the first explosion took place at 6:40 p.m. on the rooftop of Dragon Gas Station along National Highway in Barangay Isabela. Minutes later, or at 7:10 p.m., another explosion occurred, this time at the gas station's compound.^[12]

February 2, 2016 bombing

Improvise explosive device (IED) rocked Tacurong City two hours after the convoy of vice presidential candidate Leni Robredo left the city on Tuesday afternoon. The bomb exploded around 2 p.m. near the national highway along Jose Abad Santos Street in Tacurong City. Three people were reportedly wounded.^[13]

Yellow bus bombing attempt

The powerful bomb fashioned from two 60 mm mortars as main charge and mobile phone as trigger mechanism was found at 10:50 a.m. April 2015 inside Yellow Bus Line unit with body number 9208 at a police checkpoint in Barangay Dos along the Tacurong-Isulan highway. The bus was heading toward Isulan from Tacurong City when subjected to inspection by police after Army and policemen received a report about the suspected bomb inside the bus.^[14]

November 6, 2022 bombing

A homemade bomb went off in a bus as it was approaching a transport terminal in Tacurong City. The explosion killed a passenger and wounded 10 others.^[15]

Tacurong is in South Central Mindanao and the only city in the province of Sultan Kudarat. It is 92 kilometres (57 mi) from General Santos, 96 kilometres (60 mi) from Cotabato City and 178 kilometres (111 mi) from Davao City. It is situated at the crossroads of Davao-GenSan-Cotabato highways.^[16]

Tacurong is politically subdivided into 20 barangays. Each barangay consists of puroks while some have sitios.

Maguindanaons are the native inhabitants of Tacurong city while Hiligaynons are originally from Iloilo in Visayas.

Poverty incidence of Tacurong

Tacurong City is the commercial hub of the province of Sultan Kudarat, catering the needs of nearby municipalities and the province of Maguindanao.

Tacurong held the 8th "Sultan Kudarat Bird Festival" at the 2.5-hectare Baras Bird Sanctuary, the largest nesting site of 20,000 bird species, especially egrets and herons, on May 10-11, 2024.^[29]

The city has an integrated terminal which vans and buses currently assigned on designated place. Tacurong to the far side places in their curriculums and places.

Bus companies operating in Tacurong City:

• Yellow Bus Line, Inc. (General Santos/Koronadal City/Davao City/Isulan)
• Rural Transit Mindanao, Inc. (General Santos/Cagayan de Oro)
• Husky Tours (Cotabato City/General Santos City)

Tacurong serves as the premier Health Care Center in the province of Sultan Kudarat and nearby provinces.

St. Louis Hospital is a modern tertiary hospital in the city, equipped with modern facilities such as 16-Slices CT Scan and the first and only Gamma Camera in Region 12.

Other notable facilities include:

• Tomboc - Salayog Hospital
• Quijano Clinic and Hospital
• Sandig Medical Clinic and Hospital
• Sultan Kudarat Doctors Hospital
• Medical Mission Group Hospital and Health Services Cooperative
• Lu Clinic and Hospital

Tacurong City is also a center of education in Sultan Kudarat. Learners and Student from neighboring towns and municipalities, even from outside the Sultan Kudarat like Tantangan in South Cotabato and the municipalities in Maguindanao will go in the city to attend school.

Table below is the list of private schools in the Tacurong City offering different curriculum levels.

Table below is the list of public schools and university in the Tacurong City

• Iloilo City^[31]
• Cotabato City^[32]

Wikimedia Commons has media related to Tacurong.

Wikivoyage has a travel guide for Tacurong.

• Official website
• Tacurong Profile at the DTI Cities and Municipalities Competitive Index
• Philippine Standard Geographic Code
• Philippine Census Information
• Local Governance Performance Management System