Tampakan was once a barangay of the municipality of Tupi, South Cotabato. It was a forested area inhabited by the natives called B’laans. The place by that time was still diverse in terms of flora and fauna.
Tampakan was derived from the word “Tamfaken”, a native language of B’laan which means spring, for the place has plenty of it. Abundant springs spread at the center of the barrio and flowed out to streams traversing almost the entire area and served as the main source of potable water to the inhabitants.
Mid-year of 1940 when the first batch of landless pioneer settlers was brought in from Luzon, Leyte and Panay in search for a greener pasture. Determination coupled with courage, the settlers crossed the ocean to a place unknown to them.
Settlers abode on a bunkhouse built of round logs during that time. The building was big enough to accommodate a hundred families and once stood at where the present Petron Gas Station is situated. Dwelling unit condition continued that way until home lots were distributed to each of the family settlers to build their own with the facilitation of the National Land Settlement Administration (NLSA).
Not long enough, in December 1940 World War II broke out and has lasted for about 4 years of struggle. An allied landing strip was constructed in July of 1941. During the midst of the war a US plane has dropped 13 bombs in Tampakan. Months later, the Japanese Imperial Forces came in to confiscate settlers’ working animals and carts. They used it to carry their ammunitions and other war weapons from Koronadal to Tacurong of Sultan Kudarat.
Despite the disturbance of war, development effort continued. There were settlers who went back to their origins due to a very hard physical and economic condition of the place. Too determined, many of them chose to stay and established a place to live.
When more and more Christian settlers came in to settle, the natives who felt out-numbered and inferior had gradually transferred their living on the uplands of the locality. The once abundant spring eventually vanished as the settlers making the spring a dumping place for garbage. Hence at present “tamfaken”, a spring is no longer visible.
Years passed and Tampakan gradually has turned agriculturally promising. From the once forested area, it has become an ideal place to live in for the settlers and their families and even their grand children. Through years of dedication and hard work Tamfaken was changed to Tampakan and became a municipality in the Province of South Cotabato, by virtue of Republic Act No.5661 as approved in the House of Senate and House of Representatives on June 21, 1969.