BARANGAY SAN RAFAEL HISTORY

Barangay San Rafael is also part of the South District Division of Barangays in Tarlac City. Barangay San Sebastian bound it on the North, Barangay San Vicente on the West, Barangay San Miguel on the South, and Barangay Suizo on the East.

It is approximately 3.2 kilometers away from city proper.  It has a total land area of 455.80 hectares. The 39.05 hectares corresponds to agricultural area and 416.03 hectares designate to commercial, industrial and residential area.

Barangay San Rafael classified as Urban Barangay, it has a total population of twenty thousand nine hundred ninety nine (20, 999) as of 2020, and a household population of five thousand ninety two (5,092).

Barangay San Rafael was both commercial and agricultural barangay. Commerce is their major source of livelihood. Different kinds of business firms situated here. These are gasoline station, videoke bars, auto supply, ceramic tiles, ref-aircon, carwash, and so on. Some residents were laborers, employees, contruction workers and so on. Other residents were farmers. They cultivate palay, corn, vegetables and so on. And some have their own business such as sari-sari stores, canteen and others.

Before its establishment as the barangay, San Rafael was a part of the Hacienda Luisita and Francisco Flores who own this land. Thru the help of the land reform undersecretary Ernesto Valdes and Conrado Estrella, San Rafael was distributed to Soliman with 100 hectares of land and to other residents of this barangay. And it was separated to Residents of this barangay were devoted to their Patron. Because of this, they decided to name their place after the name of their patron.

Among the pinoneers of this barangay were Soliman, De Leon and Cruz family.

Eighty percent of the total populations are Pampango, and the rest are Tagalog, Bisaya, Pangasinense, and Ilocano.

Barangay San Rafael celebrates their feast day every October 24 as a thanksgiving to their patron San Raphael the Archangel. St. Michael the archangel Michael is one of the principal angels in Abrahamic tradition; his name was said to have been the war-cry of the angels in the battle fought in heaven against Satan and his followers.