The Summer Capital of Tarlac
Entering Mayantoc today, a visitor to the town is greeted by a huge
concrete billboard proclaiming "Welcome Mayantoc, the Summer Capital of Tarlac."The title has basis, in fact, as a local teacher has written: "On the northwestern tip of Tarlac has a vast emerald stretch of plains, valleys and hills. Mayantoc, the picnickers paradise"...and a land traversed by sparkling streams and rivers, ringed by a rugged splendor of towering mountains. The poblacion itself offer much to the discerning eye. The first thing that catches the visitors attention upon entering the town is the municipio (Town Hall), the seat of the municipal leadership is on a hill crest over-vista of serene and imposing rustic beauty. The northern hillside sloping from the municipio is the "Governor Aquino Park" a well tended acreage with ornamental hedges, flowering plants and playground facilities. Shade trees afford park visitors welcome respite from the heat of the sun.
One looks down from the park to the town plaza, a spacious enough to hold the affairs with a bandstand and throne and the scene of countless civic, social, religious or political gatherings. And as if in constant watch over the affairs of the towns people, the two churches, Catholic and Aglipayan stand one behind the other at the rear fence of the public plaza, facing the town hall. Other Mayantoc institutions are clustered arounf the area; the puericulture center, public market, open tennis court, covered backetball court, Don Francisco P. Santos Memorial Auditorium, among others.
From any point of Governor Aquino Park, one looks upon a vista of unspoiled rustic beauty, panorama of rolling areas of farmlands and gently contoured hills dipping in to unseen valleys and the lush growth of varied vegetation by which one can trace the meandering course of streams, rivers and irrigation canals. And in the distance loom is the silence peak of Zambales mountain ranges, forests and cloud capped or sharply etched against the azure dome of the sky. The mountain stand in an unbroken and craggy line from the south-west to the northeast, awesome in their bulk, imposing in their silence, seeming guardians to the plains, valleys and hamlets huddled in their shadows.
Speak of Mayantoc and you bring to mind the picture of the Magsaysay Dam in Barangay Nambalan for the southwest from the town proper. The dam site in Nambalan is truly made of idylls. Indeed, there one finds himself transported to another world, a world removed from frenzy and din of town life.
From more venturesome, the mountains and the forest pose a challenge. The wild-life is there for them to hunt for leisure. And for those of tamer and more aesthetic bent, the flora of the area offer hours of enchantment for those who merrily seek in generous help.
Mayantoc is not a rich town, materially. The wealth lies in its natural endowment and beauty. The people raise enough food for their needs and a little more. Some of them own cattles because the area has extensive grazing lands. Nowadays, almost all roads going to the barangays are concreted, have electricity, and some have water systems connected to the residential houses.
Hospitality, like natural beauty is never found wanting in Mayantoc, the "Summer Capital of Tarlac".
That is why Filipinos all over the world are coming back to their small hometown called Mayantoc because of its unfading beauty and tradition that the townpeople celebrating every year, their Mayantoc Town Fiesta.
A Brief History
The first known settlers of Mayantoc before the coming of the Christian migrants were the Negritos of the abiling tribe. As the former arrived in great numbers, the natives were soon forced to move deeper into the forest areas of the Zambales Mountain ranges.The Christian settlers, mostly from the Ilocos region notably the towns of Cabugao, Tagudin, Sarrat, Paoay, Sinait and Bacarra settled in villages in the southern portion of a then thriving Christian town Camiling, now acknowledged as the mother town of Mayantoc. These villages later formed the barrio (barangay) Mayantoc under the township of Camiling. The place was still then a forested area where there was abundance of Rattan Palm, known by visitors and ambulant traders as "YANTOC', so that in time, the barrio became known as the place "NA MARAMING YANTOC", which still later become known as "MA-YANTOC". As the barrio progressed and grew in size and population, the inhabitants retained "MAYANTOC" as its official name. Even though the majority of the inhabitants were Ilocanos, it was surprisingly why "MAYANTOC", which is a Tagalog word, was selected.
Mayantoc, the Summer Capital of Tarlac is located in Central Luzon, Philippines. This town has 24 barangays and lead by a Mayor, Vice Mayor, 12 Councilors and a Sangguniang Kabataan(Youth Council).