Tacloban

Tacloban ( tak-LOH-ban; Tagalog pronunciation: [tɐkˈloban]), officially the City of Tacloban (Waray: Syudad han Tacloban; Filipino: Lungsod ng Tacloban), is a highly urbanized city in the Eastern Visayas region of the Philippines. According to the 2024 census, it has a population of 259,353, making it the most populous city in Eastern Visayas. The city is located 360 miles (580 km) southeast of Manila. Tacloban is the regional center of Eastern Visayas and the largest city and capital of Leyte. Although geographically situated within Leyte and grouped with the province by the Philippine Statistics Authority, it is administratively independent. Tacloban briefly served as the capital of the Philippines under the Commonwealth government from October 20, 1944, to February 27, 1945. In a survey released by the Asian Institute of Management Policy Center in 2010, it ranked fifth among the country's most competitive cities and second among emerging cities. The city was devastated by Typhoon Haiyan on November 8, 2013, having previously suffered similarly destructive typhoons in 1897 and 1912. On January 17, 2015, Pope Francis visited Tacloban during his apostolic visit to the Philippines and celebrated Mass at Barangay San Jose and Daniel Z. Romualdez Airport.