Region 3

Central Luzon

A. Background

Location • located north of Manila, the nation's

capital

• Bordering the region are the regions of Ilocos, Cordillera Administrative Region and Cagayan Valley regions to the north;

• National Capital Region and CALABARZON to the south;

• and of waters of Manila Bay to the south;

• South China Sea to the west; and The Philippine Sea to the east

Resources

• Central Luzon has both timber and mineral resources. Both metallic and non-metallic resources are found in the region.

• Bataan is known for its copper deposits while refractory chromite, gold and marble may be extracted from Zambales and Bulacan.

• Fertile rice lands, melon patches and fishponds can be found along rivers and tributaries.

• It has a long coastline rich with marine resources in western Bataan and Zambales.

• The region accounts for the third largest aquaculture production in the Philippines.

Ethnic groups:

Kapampangans

• or Pampangos or are the sixth largest Filipino ethnolinguistic group, numbering about 2,890,000.

• The province of Pampanga is traditional homeland of the Kapampangans.

Aeta

• Agta or Ayta are an indigenous people who live in scattered, isolated mountainous parts of Luzon, Philippines.

• They are considered to be Negritos, who are dark to very dark brown-skinned and tend to have features such as a small stature, small frame, curly to kinky afro-like textured hair with a higher frequency of naturally lighter hair color (blondism) relative to the general population, small nose, and dark brown eyes.

Tagalogs

• The name Tagalog comes from either the native term tagá-ilog, meaning 'people living along the river', or another native term, tagá-alog, meaning 'people living along the ford', a ford being a shallow part of a river or stream where people, animals, or vehicles can cross it.

• The prefix taga- means "coming from" or "native of", while the word ilog means 'river'. Translated, tagá-ilog means 'coming from the river' or 'native of the river', and tagá-alog means 'coming from the ford' or 'native of the ford' with 'the' being implied in both cases.

• Either way, the original name has been contracted to become simply Tagalog.In more recent times, the people of this ethnolinguistic group rarely refer to themselves as "Tagalog", and instead, refer to themselves simply as "Filipino".

Trivia:

• The event is a celebration of a bountiful harvest of mangoes and other agricultural products which the province is so known for. It is aimed to highlight the must-see attractions and places of interest in all its towns. 

Economy

• It supplies food for almost the entire Manila area and is the nation's major rice-producing region and its second (after Negros island) sugarcane-producing area.

• the Bicol peninsula is known for its extensive coconut plantations; the Cagayan River valley for its tobacco and corn

• Other major crops are fruits, vegetables, and cacao. Luzon has important lumbering and mining industries; there are gold, chromite, nickel, copper, and iron deposits, and the bamboo on Bataan peninsula has many commercial uses.

• Manufacturing is centered in the Manila metropolitan area, where the major industries produce textiles, chemicals, and metal products.

• Scattered throughout the island are fertilizer plants, an occasional oil refinery, cement factories, and plywood mills and wood product plants.

B. Provinces, Cities and Municipalities:

Provinces:

• Aurora

• Bataan

• Bulacan

• Nueva Ecija

• Pampanga

• Tarlac

• Zambales

Municipalities and Cities of Aurora:

municipalities: 8

• Baler – capital

• Casiguran 

• Dilasag 

• Dinalungan 

• Dingalan 

• Dipaculao 

• Maria Aurora 

• San Luis 

City: 0

HISTORY

• The Province of Aurora, with Baler as its capital, was founded by President Ferdinand E. Marcos in August 13, 1979 by virtue of Batas Bambansa Blg. 7.

• This act was the fulfillment of the prayers of the people of the former Municipalities of Baler and Casiguran to be truly independent from the Province of Quezon for the first time since the Spanish occupation.

Land AreaAurora Province has a total land area of 323,954 hectares, representing about one percent of the country's total land area.

LocationAurora Province is located on the East-Central side of Luzon Island.

• Agriculture is the primary industry in Aurora, employing approximately half of the population. About 49,991 hectares, or 15% of the provincial land area, consist of cultivated land. Major crops include rice, coconut, coffee, bananas, root crops, corn, citrus fruits, peanuts and abaca.

• The town of Casiguran produces some of Philippine's best tasting virgin coconut distilled wine, also known as "lambanog".

• Casiguran's "lambanog" is made from the dripping sap or "tuba" of coconut tree flowers.

• The sweet and frothy "tuba" - a rejuvenating drink by itself - is cooked through a strict process of natural fermentation and distillation that produces the chemical-free "lambanog".

Delicacies:• “Suman” is a

vernacular term for rice cake which made this place popular in the region. With that, the people of Baler mark these days as a great Suman Festival for this part of Aurora.

tourist attractions:

• Aurora Quezon MarkerNot far from the Lt. Gilmore Marker and the

Baler Catholic Church is the historic marker built in honor of Doña Aurora Aragon Quezon, the wife of Commonwealth President Manuel L. Quezon. Aurora Quezon was known for her untiring efforts in social welfare, especially for the benefit of the people of Aurora province. Like her husband, she was born in the town of Baler. She died in an ambush on the mountain roads of Nueva Ecija leading to the province that now bears her name.

Baler Catholic Church• The structure is an old church with

a simple facade. Here, the last Spanish garrison of four officers and 50 men was besieged by Filipino insurgents from June 27, 1898 to July 2, 1899. This was the last pocket of resistance of the Spanish Armed Forces to surrender to American troops. This is also where the La Campana de Baler, an ancient bell, was used and later stored as a relic.

•

Quezon House

Tariktik Point

Tariktik Point is located in Dilasag, Aurora Philippines. If you're looking for a place to snorkel while in Dilasag, Tariktik Point is the perfect spot in Aurora.

Municipalities and Cities of Bataan:

municipalities: 11

• Abucay Bagac Dinalupihan Hermosa Limay Mariveles Morong 

• Orani 

• Orion 

• Pilar 

• Samal 

City: 1

• Balanga City

• Bataan is now proving to be a tourist haven boasting a multitude of exciting places to visit, and interesting things to do. The province has much to offer – a rich culture and history, the beauty of unspoilt beaches, and a warm hospitality that is truly Filipino. 

• The climate consists of two distinct seasons: dry from November to April and wet during the rest of the year. 

• The population of Bataan for the year 2000 was 552,000 based on the growth rate of 2.12% in Central Luzon.

• Tagalog is the main language and is widely used, followed by Pampango and Ilocano. English is used mostly as the medium of transaction in business. 

MAJOR INDUSTRIES

• Bataan remains basically an agricultural province in spite of the rapid industrialization during the last decade.

• Mariveles is the site of an export-processing zone that accounts for heavy industry in the province.

• Cattle and carabao fattening, hog raising, and poultry industry, especially broilers and ducks and egg production, are some of the promising livelihood programs in the province.

•

delicacies:

• Ukoy

Ukoy is the Filipino version of Shrimp Fritters. This dish can be eaten as a snack or an appetizer.

ginataang laing

• is taro leaves cooked in coconut milk plus other flavorsome ingredients and seasonings

tourist spots:• is a mountain in

the town of Pilár, Province of Bataan, in the Republic of the Philippines. Located on the summit of the mountain is Dambana ng Kagitingan (Shrine of Valour), a memorial shrine complex built to honor and remember the gallantry of Filipino and American soldiers who fought duringWorld War 2.

Bataan white corals beach resort and hotel

Camaya Coast/Point

Montemar Beach Resort Villa Carmen

Philippine Japanese Friendship Tower

• located at Bagac, Bataan, was built to commemorate the reconciliation, peace, and friendship between the once warring nations of Philippines and Japan during the World War II.

Municipalities and Cities of Bulacan:

• Angat Balagtas Baliuag Bocaue Bulacan Bustos Calumpit Doña Remedios Trinidad Guiguinto 

• Hagonoy 

• Marilao 

• Norzagaray 

• Obando 

• Pandi 

• Paombong 

• Plaridel 

• Pulilan 

• San Ildefonso 

• San Miguel 

• San Rafael 

• Santa Maria 

cities: 3

• Malolos City - capital

• Meycauayan City 

• San Jose del Monte City

delicacies:

• Puto bumbongBulacan, home of

numerous delicious recipes, has made Philippine delicacies more flavorful. Thanks to its people who are very good in cooking.

Suman bulacan

• made up of glutinous rice

Yema pastillas

• Yema is another favorite for those who have a sweet tooth. Bulacan is the home of this tasty and sweet candy.

Meringue

• Meringue is a great treat for the sweet tooth. It is a delicacy loved and enjoyed by both young and old but most especially the kids. 

tourist spots:

• biak na bato Biyak na Bato is a national park. It was declared so by President Manuel L. Quezon in 1937. History has it that Filipino revolutionaries like Emilio Aguinaldo used the numerous caves of Biak na Bato as refuge when they fought against the spaniards.

Climate• The climate of Bulacan is dry from November to

April and wet from April to November.

Language/Dialect• Majority of the people of Bulacan speak

Tagalog. About 42 percent are bilingual, with English as a second language. The townfolks use other dialects such as Waray, Ilocano, Bicolano and Kapampangan.

Major Industries• The nearness of the province of Bulacan to

Manila gives it the superiority of being a preferred place of industrial establishments such as food processing, cement manufacturing, leather tanning, shoe making, ready-made garment manufacturing, rope making, weaving, ceramic textiles, pottery and many more.

• On the other hand, the majority of the rural areas are yet relying on agriculture for their livelihood. Rice is the chief crop, followed by corn, sugar, mango, chico and watermelon.

Municipalities and Cities of Nueva Ecija:

municipalities: 28

• Aliaga 

• Bongabon 

• Cabiao 

• Carranglan 

• Cuyapo 

• Gabaldon 

• General

• Mamerto Natividad 

• General Tinio 

• Guimba 

• Jaen 

• Laur 

• Licab 

• Llanera 

• Lupao 

• Nampicuan 

• Pantabangan 

• Peñaranda 

• Quezon 

• Rizal 

• San Antonio 

• San Isidro 

• San Leonardo 

• Santa Rosa 

• Santo Domingo 

• Talavera 

• Talugtug 

• Zaragoza 

cities: 5

• Cabanatuan City 

• Gapan City 

• Palayan City - capital

• San Jose City 

• Science City of Muñoz 

• The province of Nueva Ecija was created in 1705 by the Spanish Governor General Don Fausto Cruzar y Gongora.

• Nueva Ecija is considered the main rice growing province of the country, thus it is often referred to as the “Rice Granary of the Philippines.

• Education is very well established as a major industry in the province.

• health services is a notable industry and a number of hospitals cater to patients from within Nueva Ecija and some coming from neighbouring provinces.

delicacies:

• Suman sa lihiyaSuman sa Lihiya

originated in Nueva Ecija. It is made of glutinous rice, water and lihiya. Sugar and grated coconut can be added as desired.

Duro-duro

• Duro-duro is a delicacy made from rice that originated in Nueva Ecija. It only has three simple ingredients: glutinous rice, cooking oil, and brown sugar. But it surely has a great taste.

tourist spots:

• Church of Penaranda

The church of Penaranda was erected in 1869 by Fr. Florentino Samonte. Construction was continued by Fr. Candicho San Miguel from 1879–1881 and by Fr. Santos Vega from 1887-1889. From 1889 to 1891, the parochial house of bricks and wood was built by Fr. Valentin Gatode la Fuente. Fr. Alvaro Callega built the original church with thatch-roof and stone walls

Minalungao Park

• Declared as a national park, it features a breathtaking view of the narrow but deep Penaranda River. On both sides of the river bank are 16 meter high limestone walls. The ridge formation of white sculptured limestone walls shows the might of the great river.

Gapan

• The first Augustinian mission in lowland Nueva Ecija was founded in Gapan in 1595. It is home to a Roman Catholic church of Byzantine architecture built from 1856 to 1872.

Municipalities and Cities of Pampanga:

municipalities: 20

• Apalit 

• Arayat 

• Bacolor 

• Candaba 

• Floridablanca 

• Guagua 

• Lubao 

• Mabalacat 

• Macabebe 

• Magalang 

• Masantol 

• Mexico 

• Minalin 

• Porac 

• San Luis 

• San Simon 

• Santa Ana 

• Santa Rita 

•  

• Santo Tomas 

• Sasmuan

• The name "Pampanga" comes from the word pangpang meaning riverbank, a fitting name for a flat country crisscrossed by a hundred small branches of the Pampanga River.

• The Pampangos share the general culture and traditions of the lowland Christian Filipinos, especially of their Tagalog neighbors to the east and south. However, they speak a distinct language, which is a source of ethnic pride.

• the province has always been a net exporter of food products like rice, sugar, vegetables and fruits as well as poultry, livestock and inland fish products. It is also richly blessed with a highly skilled and highly educated resource pool of manpower.

MAJOR PRODUCTS

• Farming and fishing , sugarcane, rice, corn rootcrops, vegetables and fruit trees, bangus, carps, shrimps, crabs and other marine products

NATURAL RESOURCES

• Clay, gravel, sand, copper, agricultural lands, wetlands

delicacies:

Bulanglang Kapampangan

•A healthy soup perfect for any fried dishes to liven up your meal. It was introduced by the province of Pampanga.

Pastillas de leche Pastillas de mocha

tourist spots:

• Mt Arayat National park in Arayat

Mount Arayat is a dormant volcano with an area of 3, 715.28 hectares situated in Pampanga. Legend says it is the home of Mariang Sinukwan, a fairy who safeguard the mountain’s foliage and wildlife. At the foot of the mountain is Mt. Arayat National Park

Municipalities and Cities of Tarlac:

Cities:• Tarlac City - capital

Municipalities: 17• Anao• Bamban• Camiling• Capas• Concepcion• Gerona• La Paz

• Mayantoc• Moncada• Paniqui• Pura• Ramos• San Clemente• San Jose• San Manuel• Santa Ignacia• Victoria

• The terrain formerly belonging to Pangasinan and Pampanga makes the territory of what is now the Tarlac province. This Central Luzon province was the last to be organized under the Spanish Regime. 

• Early in the dawn, of history,what come to be know as Tarlac today once a thickly-forested area, people by roving tribes of nomadic Aetas said to be the aboriginal settlers of the Philippines.The name 'Tarlac' was derived from a 'Talahib'like weed called by by the Aetas"Matarlac". Along the year, the word 'MALA' was removed and shotened to 'TARLAC'

• The economy of Tarlac is dominantly agricultural. Principal crops are rice and sugarcane. Other major crops are corn and coconut; vegetables such as eggplant, garlic, and onion; and fruit trees like mango, banana, and calamansi.

• Tarlac has its own rice and corn mills as well as sawmills and logging outfits. It has three sugar centrals. Other firms service agricultural needs such as fertilizer. Among its cottage industries, ceramics making has become important because of the abundant supply of clay

delicacies:

• pancit malabon, palabok

tourist spots:• Hacienda Luisita• Tarlac City, Tarlac• The Cojuangco-

owned hacienda in Tarlac City houses the famous Tarlac Industrial Park where a growing lists of international export producing companies are located

Magsaysay Dam

• Mayantok, Tarlac• This dam, named

after the late Pres. Ramon Magsaysay, boasts of crystal-clear water from the mountain and a scenic view of surrounding areas.

Camiling Museum• Maria Clara Museum, in Camiling, Tarlac,

was built in honor of Leonor Rivera, sweetheart of Dr. Jose Rizal the Philippine national hero, immortalized as the heroine Maria Clara in his novels Noli Me Tangere and El Filibusterismo. Preserved inside are the priceless mementos of Leonora like pieces of embroidered box, jewelry music box and wigs where Rizal's letters were meticulously kept. Ornate pieces of furniture that was used by the heroine can be seen inside.

Municipalities and Cities of Zambales:

Cities:• Olongapo CityMunicipalities: 13• Botolan• Cabangan• Candelaria• Castillejos• Iba• Masinloc• Palauig• San Antonio

• San Felipe

• San Marcelino

• San Narciso

• Santa Cruz

• Subic

• The name of the province is derived from its earliest inhabitants, the Zambals. They worship spirits called "anitos", thus they were reffered to as "Sambali" from the Malay word samba, meaning "to worship". The term was later Hispanicized to "Zambal".

• Zambales was one of the earliest provinces created during the Spanish rule. As founded in the 16 th century. 

• The inhabitants are composed of three principal ethnic groups: the Ilocanos, Tagalogs and Zambals.

• Zambales is basically an agriculture province. The chief products are rice, corn, vegetables and rootcrops. Major industries include farming, fishing and mining.

• The province's mineral resources include gold, copper and chromite.

• Olongapo, once the site of the biggest US naval base in Asia, is fast developing into an industrial and tourism zone under the Subic Bay Metropolitan Authority.

delicacies:

• Bagnet Meticulously prepared by the locals

of San Felipe, this Zambales version of chicharon is crispy and too delicious to describe. Matched perfectly with a bowl of chili and vinegar, a bowl of hot steaming rice and local pinakbet, this dish will truly give one a taste of bliss. Bagnet is available at the San Felipe Public Market, best bought from 8 till 10 in the morning everyday. 

Ginipang of Sta. Cruz 

• Ginipa is a native delicacy of the northernmost town of Zambales, made of conspicuously dried rice grains flavored with a uniquely sweet concoction to taste. With its prices pegged affordably, this is a favorite pasalubong treat of visiting tourists. 

Botolan - Linga 

• Popular dubbed by locals as linga, this is actually sesame candies. Zambales is one the very few producers of sesame seeds and Zambalenos in Botolan have created their own adaptation of sesame seeds at its ideal sweetest. Linga is always nutritiously preferred over regular sweet candies. 

tourist spots:

coastal stretch from San Antonio to Iba

• The coastal stretch from San Antonio to Iba, Olongapo City known for its “night life”