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BATAAN
Bataan, which has been called “Fruit Queen of the
Philippines,” is also the glory of Filipino bravery and
heroism. Even at the early phase of Bataan’s
development, the province had established its share of
significant historical events. In 1600, the invading
forces of Dutch Admiral Van Noort was repulsed in the
attempt to land on Mariveles by a detachment of Filipino
and Spanish soldiers led by Antonio de Morga. In 1664,
the second attempt to Dutch forces that had succeeded in
establishing a beachhead in Abucay was again repulsed by
Filipino and Spanish defenders.
And then, World War II catapulted the province to
historical fame and lasting symbol of courage, having
been the last fortress of Filipino and American
defenders against the invading Japanese forces.
Former Name: None
Land Area: 1,373 square kilometers
Capital: Balanga
Population: 323,254 (1980)
Principal Dialect: Tagalog
Income Classification: Second Class Province
No. of Cities: None
No. of Municipalities: 12 (Abucay, Bagac, Balanga,
Dinalupihan, Hermosa, Limay, Mariveles, Morong, Orani,
Orion, Pilar, and Samal)
No. of Municipal Districts: None
Topography: Eight of the municipalities of Bataan
lie along the eastern coast, one in the hinterland, and
three along the western shoreline. In between these
coastal towns are mountain ranges that allow for proper
drainage and irrigations.
No. of Principal Rivers: 4
No. of Mountains: 5(prominent are Mariveles and
Samat)
Climate: Dry season from November to April and wet
season the rest of the year. Heaviest rainfall is in
August. The coldest months are December and January; the
warmest are April and May.
Average Annual Rainfall: 100.58 inches
Principal products/crops: Rice, corn, sugarcane,
rootcrops, banana, caimito, and vegetables.
Industries: Rice farming and fishing
Mineral Resources: Iron ore and pyrite cinders
Forest Resources: Hardwood and timber
Tourist Attractions: Dambana ng Kagitingan,
Camaya Point, Pulong Bato Resort, Montemar Beach Resort,
Villa Carmen, and the Philippine-Japanese Friendship
Tower.
Governor: Leonardo B. Roman
Congressman: Felicito C. Payumo, Enrique T.
Garcia
BULACAN
The people of Bulacan have distinguished themselves for
their nationalism, and many natives of the province have
been honored as national heroes. The province was among
the first eight to take up arms against Spain in the
Philippine Revolution of 1896. The constitution of the
First Philippine Republic was drafted and ratified in
the historic Barasoain Church in Malolos in 1898.
Malolos was also the site of the founding of the First
Philippine Republic, also known as the Malolos Republic,
which was inaugurated in 1899 with Gen. Emilio Aguinaldo
as president.
Former Name: None
Land Area: 2,625 square kilometers
Capital: Malolos
Population: 1,096,046 (1980)
Principal Dialect: Tagalog
Income Classification: First Class Province
No. of Cities: None
No. of Municipalities: 24 ( Angat, Balagtas,
Baliuag, Bocaue, Bulacan, Bustos, Calumpit, Doña
Remedios Trinidad, Guiguinto, Hagonoy, Malolos, Marilao,
Meycauayan, Norzagaray, Obanda, Pandi, Paombong,
Plaridel, Pulilan, San Ildefonso, San Jose del Monte,
San Miguel, San Rafael. And Santa Maria)
No. of Municipal District: None
Topography: The terrain of the province is
generally flat, broken only by mountains near the
boundaries fronting the provinces of Nueva Ecija, Quezon,
and Rizal. From the elevated areas flow the rivers which
drain the province.
No. of Principal Rivers: 3 (Novaliches, Apo, and
Angat)
No. of Mountains: 16
Climate: The climate which is distinctly
tropical, consists of two seasons: wet from April to
November and dry the rest of the year. Bulacan is
protected from the northeast monsoon and the trade winds
by mountains on the north but is exposed to the
southwest monsoon and occasional storms.
Average Annual Rainfall: 100.58 inches
Principal products/crops: Rice
Industries: Cement manufacturing, textile and
steel manufacturing, poultry feed making, chemical and
tanning industries
Mineral Resources: Iron, andesite, limestone,
marble and quartz
Forest Resources: Timber, rattan, nipa and fiber
Tourist Attractions: Bustos Dam, Madlum Cave,
Sibul Springs, Biak-na-bato and Titilandong Falls
Governor: Roberto M. Pagdanganan
Congressman: Francisco B. Aniag Jr., Vicente C.
Rivera Jr., Jose de Leon Cabochan, Rogaciano M. Mercado
NUEVA ECIJA
Nueva Ecija is one of the oldest settlements in the
Philippines. It was originally part of Pampanga until
its creation as a separate province in 1705.
When the Philippine Revolution broke out in 1896, Nueva
Ecija was one of the first eight provinces to rally
behind the movement for Philippine Independence. The
Spaniards were driven out of the area and a
revolutionary government was established under the
leadership of Felino Cajucom. With the cessation of
hostilities on June 11, 1901, a civil government took
over with Jacob P. Krops becoming the first governor of
the province.
Dubbed as the “Rice Bowl of the Philippines”, Nueva
Ecija, until recently, was one of the seeding grounds of
agrarian unrest. It served as base of operations for the
Huk resurgence in 1965, and has been the site of many
encounters between government troops and insurgents.
Former Name: None
Land Area: 5,284.3 square kilometers
Capital: Palayan City
Population: 1,069,400 (1980)
Principal Dialect: Tagalog
Income Classification: First Class Province
No. of Cities: 3 (Cabanatuan, Palayan and San
Jose)
No. of Municipalities: 29 (Aliaga, Bongabon,
Cabiao, Carranglan, Cuyapo, Gabaldon, Gapan, Gen.
Mamerto Natividad, General Tinio, Guimba, Jaen, Laur,
Licab, Llanera, Lupao, Munoz, Nampicuan, Pantabangan,
Pernaranda, Quezon, Rizal, San Antonio, San Isidro, San
Leonardo, Santa Rosa, Santo Domingo, Talavera, Talugtog,
and Zaragosa)
No. of Municipal Districts: None
Topography: The mountains scattered along the
eastern portion protect the region
from monsoon winds. Six rivers drain the province.
No. of Principal Rivers: 6 (Pampanga, Rio Chico,
Diamman, Penaranda, Bongabon and Talavera)
No. of Mountains: 10 (along the Caraballo and
Sierra Madre Mountains)
Climate: In eastern part of the province, there
is a continuous even rainfall throughout the year. In
the northern and northeastern portions, it is relatively
dry from April to November. In the southwestern portion,
there are two pronounced seasons – dry from November to
April and wet during the remaining months.
Average Annual Rainfall: 100.58 inches
Principal products/crops: Rice, corn, mangoes,
water-melons, onion and garlic
Industries: Cottage industries such as
shoemaking, furniture making, pottery, handicraft,
needlework, poultry raising and piggery
Mineral Resources: Copper, gold, manganese,
limestone and marble
Forest Resources: Timber
Tourist Attractions: Pantabangan Dam, Central
Luzon State University and the Valdefuente River
Governor: Eduardo L. Joson
Congressman: Eduardo V. Joson Jr., Simeon F.
Garcia, Hermogenes D. Concepcion Jr., Nicanor G. de
Guzman Jr.
PAMPANGA
The province of Pampanga used to be a much larger
territory. The first political boundaries defined during
the Spanish era included a large part of the entire
Central Luzon plains. The province diminished in size
when various sections were cut off and added to the
surrounding provinces of Bulacan, Nueva Ecija, Bataan
and Tarlac.
Pampanga has been the focal point of rebellions during
Spaniards regime.
It was one of the first eight provinces which rose up in
arms against the Spaniards in 1896. The province has
also been the scene of social unrest in the 1950s and
the 1906s.
December 11 of every year has been set by Presidential
Proclamation No. 2226 as Pampanga Day to commemorate its
inauguration in 1571 as the first province of Luzon.
Former Name : None
Land Area :2,180.7 square kilometers
Capital: San Fernando
Population: 1,181,590(1980)
Principal Dialect: Pampango
Income classification: First Class Province
No. of Cities:1(Angeles)
No.of Municipalities: 21 ( Apalit, Arayat,Bacoor,
Candaba, Floridablanca, Guagua, Lubao, Mabalacat,
Macabebe, Magalang, Masantol, Mexico, Minalin, Porac,
San Fernando, San Luis, San Simon, Santa Ana, Santa
Rita, San Tomas, and Sexmoan)
No. of Municipal Districts: None
Topography: Terrain is extremely flat with
mountains breaking the horizon. Mt. Arayat, the highest
mountain in the province, is on the northwest.
No. of Principal Rivers: 3 (Pampanga River is the
largest)
No. of Mountains: 3 (Mt. Arayat is the highest)
Climate: Rainy season from May to October and dry
season from November to April.
Average Annual Rainfall: 90 inches
Principal products/crops: Rice, sugarcane and
watermelon
Industries: Poultry raising and fishing (major
industry)
Mineral Resources: Feldspar, silica sand, and
limestone
Forest Resources: Timber
Tourist Attractions: Mt. Arayat National Park in
Arayat and Magalang, Clark Air Base, and the churches of
Apalit, Lubao and Magalang.
Governor: Bren Z. Guiao
Congressman: Carmelo F. Lazatin, Emigdio L.
Lingad, Oscar S. Rodriguez, Marciano M. Pineda
TARLAC
The first coins of the Philippine Republic were first
issued in Tarlac, by Gen. Emilio Aguinaldo in 1900.
Prior to that in 1874, there were only five towns
comprising the province under the Spanish regime.
During the last part of 1899, Aguinaldo’s government,
being pursued by the American forces, escaped northward
and made Tarlac its provisional seat. It was then that
Apolinario Mabini was appointed foreign minister of the
Republic.
Later, in the same year, the first document concerning
the Philippine revolution was printed in Tarlac and
circulated in the form of a pamphlet. The document,
entitled “Rosena Veridica de la Revolution Filipina” by
Gen. Aguinaldo gained significance because of its
detailed indictment against the abuses of the American
expeditionary forces.
Former Name: None
Land Area: 3,053.4 square kilometers
Capital: Tarlac
Population: 688,457 (1980)
Principal Dialect: Ilocano, Pampango, and Tagalog
Income Classification: First Class Province
No. of Cities: None
No. of Municipalities: 17 (Anao, Bamban, Camiling,
Capas, Concepcion, Gerona, La Paz, Mayantoc, Moncada,
Paniqui, Pura, Ramos, San Clemente, San Manuel, Santa
Ignacia, Tarlac, and Victoria)
No. of Municipal Districts: None
Topography: Tarlac is located at the center of
the Central Plain of Luzon. Its terrain is one
continuous plain punctuated by mountain ranges on the
boundary between Zambales.
No. of Principal Rivers: 6 ( Pampanga, Agno, and Tarlac,
among others)
No. of Mountains: 3
Climate: Dry season from November to April and
rainy season from May to October.
Average Annual Rainfall: 97.58 inches
Principal products/crops: Rice, corn, sugarcane,
tobacco, fruits and tubers
Industries: Lumbering, poultry raising and sugar
milling
Mineral Resources: Manganese and iron
Forest Resources: Hardwood
Tourist Attractions: Bamban Park where the Grotto
of Our Lady of Lourdes is enthroned, the Capas Death
March Monument, Magsaysay Dam, and the Camiling Museum.
Governor: Mariano U. Ocampo III
Congressman: Jose S. Cojuangco Jr., Jose V. Yap,
Herminio S. Aquino
ZAMBALES
The aborigines of Zambales were the Negritos or Aetas
who fled to the mountains, upon the arrival of the
earliest known migrants believed to be the Malays from
Celebes. The old province included the coastal towns
from Cape Bolinao of Lingayen Gulf to Subic Bay.
However, due to physical difficulties in administration,
the province lost seven (7) towns to Pangasinan. These
were Alminos, Bolinao, San Isidro, Infanta, Anda, Bani,
and Agno. Among the earliest towns were Masinloc,
organized in 1607, Iba in 1611 and Sta. Cruz in 1612.
Masinloc was the capital of Zambales before the seat of
local government was transferred to Iba.
Former Name: None
Land Area: 3,714.4 square kilometers
Capital: Iba
Population: 444,037 (1980)
Principal Dialect: Ilocano and Tagalog
Income Classification: Third Class Province
No. of Cities: 1 (Olongapo)
No. of Municipalities: 13 (Botolan, Cabangan,
Candelaria, Castillejos, Iba, Masinloc, Palauig, San
Antonio, San Felipe, San Marcelino, San Narciso, Santa
Cruz, and Subic)
No. of Municipal Districts: None
Topography: The province has a very irregular
terrain and peninsula formed by the Zambales Mountain.
No. of Principal Rivers: 3
No. of Mountains: 48
Climate: Dry season from November to April and
rainy season from May to October. Zambales is open to
the southwest monsoon and cyclonic storms.
Average Annual Rainfall: 100.58 inches
Principal products/crops: Rice, monggo and mango
Industries: Mining and logging (major industry),
fishing, and cottage industries
Mineral Resources: Chromite
Forest Resources: Timber, rattan, and charcoal
Tourist Attractions: The coastal stretch from San
Antonio to Iba, Olongapo City known for its “night
life”, and the gleaming waterfalls in San Miguel and San
Felipe
Governor: Amor D. Deloso
Congressman: Katherine H. Gordon, Pacita Trinidad
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