Zambales

This article is about the Philippine province. For other uses, see Zambales (disambiguation).
Zambales
Province
Province of Zambales

Provincial Capitol in Iba, decorated for the Mango Festival

Flag
Seal
Nickname(s): Chromite Capital of the Philippines[1]

Location within the Philippines
Coordinates: 15°20′N 120°10′E / 15.33°N 120.17°E / 15.33; 120.17Coordinates: 15°20′N 120°10′E / 15.33°N 120.17°E / 15.33; 120.17
Country Philippines
Region Central Luzon (Region III)
Founded 1578
Capital Iba
Government
 • Type Sangguniang Panlalawigan
 • Governor Amor Deloso (Partido Galing at Puso)
 • Vice Governor Angel Magsaysay-Cheng (Partido Galing at Puso)
Area[2]
 • Total 3,645.83 km2 (1,407.66 sq mi)
Area rank 35th out of 81
  (excluding Olongapo City)
Population (2015 census)[3]
 • Total 590,848
 • Rank 50th out of 81
 • Density 160/km2 (420/sq mi)
 • Density rank 54th out of 81
  (excluding Olongapo City)
Divisions
 • Independent cities
 • Component cities 0
 • Municipalities
 • Barangays
 • Districts 1st and 2nd districts of Zambales (shared with Olongapo City)
Demographics
 • Ethnic groups
 • Languages
Time zone PHT (UTC+8)
ZIP code 2200–2213
IDD : area code  +63 (0)47
ISO 3166 code PH-ZMB
Website www.zambalesnow.com

Zambales is a province in the Philippines located in the Central Luzon region in the island of Luzon. Its capital is Iba. Zambales borders Pangasinan to the north, Tarlac and Pampanga to the east, Bataan to the south and the South China Sea to the west. With a land area of 3,830.83 square kilometres (1,479.09 sq mi), Zambales is the second largest among the seven provinces of Central Luzon. The province is noted for its mangoes, which are abundant from January to April.

Zambales does not have a functional airport - the closest airport is Clark International airport. Subic Bay International Airport, which is located in Cubi Point in the Subic Bay Freeport Zone is no longer functional for international or domestic flights.[4]

The Freeport Zone (SBMA) is host to many tourist attractions which include casinos, beach resorts, parks, beachside huts and cottages and historical sites.

Etymology

The province's name came from the word zambal, which is a Hispanized term for Sambali. Zambal refers to the language spoken by the early Austronesian inhabitants of the place. A contending version states that the name was derived from the word samba, meaning worship, because the Spanish supposedly found the native inhabitants to be highly superstitious; worshiping the spirits of their ancestors.[5]

It could also originated from the word "Zambo" a term used by the Spanish and Portuguese empires to distinguish people with african descent. The province is home to the Aetas, the aboriginal people of the Philippines who share afro-ethnic similarities.

History

Zambales map in 1918

The area now occupied by Zambales was first explored by the Spanish in 1572, led by Juan de Salcedo.[5] Among the earliest towns founded were Subic (1572), Botolan (1572), Masinloc (1607), Iba (1611), and Santa Cruz (1612).[6]

Masinloc became the province's first capital. However, the capital was moved among the last three towns above during its history before settling in Iba, due to its strategic location. Seven of the province's original northern towns, which included Bolinao, Infanta and Alaminos were later transferred under the jurisdiction of Pangasinan because of their distance from the capital.[5] The first civil governor of Zambales during the American era was Potenciano Lesaca from 1901-1903.

Geography

Western coastline of the province featuring several coves
The Zambales Mountains seen from San Antonio

Zambales lies on the western shores of Luzon island along the South China Sea. Its shoreline is rugged and features many coves and inlets. The Zambales Mountains in the eastern part of the province occupies about 60% of the total land area of Zambales. Subic Bay, at the southern end of the province, provides a natural harbor, and was the location of the U.S. Naval Base Subic Bay until its closure in 1992.[5]

The summit and crater lake of Mount Pinatubo lies within Botolan municipality in Zambales, near the tripoint of Zambales, Pampanga, and Tarlac provinces.[7] This volcano, once considered dormant, erupted violently in 1991. The former summit of the volcano was obliterated by the eruption and replaced by a 2.5 km (1.6 mi) wide caldera, within which Lake Pinatubo is situated. With an average depth of 800 m (2,600 ft), Lake Pinatubo is the deepest lake in the Philippines. The highest point of the caldera rim is 1,485 m (4,872 ft) above sea level, some 260 m (850 ft) lower than the pre-eruption summit. A vast portion of the Zambales province acquired desert-like features in 1991,[5] after being buried by more than 20 feet (6.1 m) of lahar.

Climate

Zambales has two pronounced seasons: dry from October to June, and wet from July to September.

Administrative divisions

Zambales comprises 13 municipalities and 1 highly urbanized city, which are divided into two legislative districts.[8] Olongapo City is a highly urbanized city and administers itself autonomously from the province. Panatag Shoal (Scarborough Shoal) a Philippine-claimed territory, is a designated part of the province.

Political map

Disputed territory — Scarborough shoal, locally known as Panatag Shoal or Bajo Masinloc, is designated under Masinloc municipality. Internationally disputed. Claimed by the People's Republic of China, Philippines, and Republic of China (Taiwan). De facto controlled by the People's Republic of China since 2012.
6 Botolan
7 Cabangan
2 Candelaria
12 Castillejos
5 Iba
3 Masinloc
14 Olongapo
4 Palauig
11 San Antonio
8 San Felipe
10 San Marcelino
9 San Narciso
1 Santa Cruz
13 Subic

  •  †  Provincial capital
  •      Municipality
  •  ‡  Highly urbanized city (geographically within but independent from the province)
City or municipality District[8] Population ±% p.a. Area[8] Density Brgy. Coordinates[A]
(2015)[3] (2010)[9] km2 sq mi /km2 /sq mi
Botolan 2nd 9.8% 57,707 54,434 1.12% 735.28 283.89 78 200 31 15°17′20″N 120°01′29″E / 15.2889°N 120.0247°E / 15.2889; 120.0247 (Botolan)
Cabangan 2nd 4.3% 25,163 23,082 1.66% 175.29 67.68 140 360 22 15°09′32″N 120°03′20″E / 15.1589°N 120.0555°E / 15.1589; 120.0555 (Cabangan)
Candelaria 2nd 4.6% 27,174 25,020 1.58% 333.59 128.80 81 210 16 15°37′38″N 119°55′45″E / 15.6271°N 119.9291°E / 15.6271; 119.9291 (Candelaria)
Castillejos 1st 11.0% 64,841 48,845 5.54% 92.99 35.90 700 1,800 14 14°55′48″N 120°12′18″E / 14.9301°N 120.2051°E / 14.9301; 120.2051 (Castillejos)
Iba † 2nd 8.5% 50,506 46,761 1.48% 153.38 59.22 330 850 14 15°19′35″N 119°58′43″E / 15.3264°N 119.9786°E / 15.3264; 119.9786 (Iba)
Masinloc 2nd 8.1% 47,719 44,342 1.41% 331.50 127.99 140 360 13 15°32′16″N 119°57′06″E / 15.5379°N 119.9516°E / 15.5379; 119.9516 (Masinloc)
Olongapo ‡ 1st — 233,040 221,178 1.00% 185.00 71.43 1,300 3,400 17 14°49′53″N 120°17′01″E / 14.8314°N 120.2835°E / 14.8314; 120.2835 (Olongapo)
Palauig 2nd 5.9% 34,947 33,286 0.93% 310.00 119.69 110 280 19 15°26′03″N 119°54′30″E / 15.4343°N 119.9084°E / 15.4343; 119.9084 (Palauig)
San Antonio 2nd 5.9% 34,661 34,217 0.25% 188.12 72.63 180 470 14 14°56′56″N 120°05′20″E / 14.9488°N 120.0889°E / 14.9488; 120.0889 (San Antonio)
San Felipe 2nd 3.9% 23,183 22,020 0.98% 111.60 43.09 210 540 11 15°03′40″N 120°04′13″E / 15.0610°N 120.0702°E / 15.0610; 120.0702 (San Felipe)
San Marcelino 1st 5.7% 33,665 31,879 1.04% 416.86 160.95 81 210 18 14°58′31″N 120°09′24″E / 14.9754°N 120.1566°E / 14.9754; 120.1566 (San Marcelino)
San Narciso 2nd 4.8% 28,360 26,966 0.96% 71.60 27.64 400 1,000 17 15°00′54″N 120°04′44″E / 15.0149°N 120.0789°E / 15.0149; 120.0789 (San Narciso)
Santa Cruz 2nd 9.8% 58,151 53,867 1.47% 438.46 169.29 130 340 25 15°45′45″N 119°54′36″E / 15.7626°N 119.9100°E / 15.7626; 119.9100 (Santa Cruz)
Subic 1st 17.7% 104,771 89,724 3.00% 287.16 110.87 360 930 16 14°52′39″N 120°14′04″E / 14.8774°N 120.2344°E / 14.8774; 120.2344 (Subic)
Total[B] 590,848 534,443 1.93% 3,645.83 1,407.66 160 410 230 (see GeoGroup box)
  1. ^ Coordinates mark the city/town center, and are sortable by latitude.
  2. ^ Total figures exclude the highly urbanized city of Olongapo.

Barangays

Further information: List of barangays in Zambales

The 13 municipalities and 1 city of the province comprise a total of 247 barangays, with Santa Rita in Olongapo City as the most populous in 2010, and Owaog-Nibloc in Botolan as the least. If cities are excluded, Calapacuan in Subic has the highest population as of 2010.[9]

Demographics

Population census of
Zambales
YearPop.±% p.a.
1990 369,665—    
1995 389,512+0.98%
2000 433,542+2.32%
2007 493,085+1.79%
2010 534,443+2.97%
2015 590,848+1.93%
(excluding Olongapo City)
Source: National Statistics Office[3][9][9]

The population of Zambales in the 2015 census was 590,848 people,[3] with a density of 160 inhabitants per square kilometre or 410 inhabitants per square mile. When Olongapo City is included for geographical purposes, the province's population is 823,888 people, with a density of 215/km2 (557/sq mi).

Inhabitants

The Aetas of Mount Pinatubo were the earliest inhabitants of what is now the province of Zambales.[5] They were later displaced[5] by the Sambal, an Austronesian people after whom the province is named. Many Sambal still believe in superstitions and mysteries that have been handed down through the generations.

The Tagalogs, the Ilocanos, the Sambal, the Kapampangans and the Pangasinenses today constitute the five largest ethnic groups in Zambales; these identities may and do, however, overlap with one another due to intermarriage[10] and other factors. Most of the people of southern Zambales are migrants from different parts of the country owing the influx of job opportunities brought on by the U.S Subic Naval Base (San Antonio and Subic) during the American regime of the country. Many people found jobs and permanently settled there. The presence of the Americans greatly influenced the culture and way of life of the inhabitants.

Religion

National Shrine of Our Lady of Poon Bato in Botolan

The people of Zambales are predominantly INC with 80% composition in religious adherence while Aglipayan is a significant minority religious group like in most province in Northern and Central Luzon. The remaining proportions are divided with other Christian groups such as Born-again Christians, United Methodist Church, Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints, Jehovah's Witnesses, Seventh-day Adventist as well as Non Christians which is usually represented by Muslims.

Town fiestas honoring patron saints are practiced in each parish.

Further information: Roman Catholic Diocese of Iba

Languages

Languages Spoken (2000)[11]
Language Number of speakers
Tagalog
  
 164,000
Ilokano
  
 119,000
Sambal
  
 117,000

Sambal, Tagalog, and Ilokano are the three main languages of Zambales.[5] Ilokano has 115,337 native speakers, Sambal has 114,637, and Tagalog has 250,637 (plus 24,995 non-native speakers).[12] More than 119,126 spoke other languages as their parent tongue, such as Kapampangan and Pangasinense, including non-Philippine languages such as English.[12] About 75 percent of the population speaks and understands English to varying degrees of fluency, and road signs are mostly written in that language.

Education

There are a number of higher educational institutions in the province. The Ramon Magsaysay Technological University, the first state university in the province can be found in Iba. It has also satellite campuses in the municipalities of Sta. Cruz, Candelaria, Masinloc, Botolan, San Marcelino, Castillejos, and in the city of Olongapo. St. Joseph College-Olongapo, a college run by the Roman Catholic Church can be found in Olongapo City. The Columban College, run by the Catholic Church can be found also in Olongapo. The Magsaysay Memorial College is also run by the Roman Catholic Church and can be found in San Narciso.

Colleges and universities

Ramon Magsaysay Technological University (RMTU), Iba

The Ramon Magsaysay Technological University, commonly referred to as RMTU, is a state university/government-funded higher education institution in Zambales established in 1910. The university is named after former President Ramon Magsaysay, a native of the province. Its main campus is situated in the capital town of Iba, while satellite campuses are located in Santa Cruz, Candelaria, Masinloc, Botolan, San Marcelino, and Castillejos. The university also offers nursing courses at the Mondriaan Aura College in Subic Bay Freeport Zone, Business Administration at the Wesleyan College of Manila under a consortium program.

Mangoes from Zambales

Economy

Tourism plays a large role in the economy of Zambales. Local and foreign tourist flock its many beaches creating many job opportunities and contributing to the economy. Most of the province is still agricultural but there are considerable industrial zones that provide jobs not just for residents of Zambales but also for neighboring provinces. Mining has recently been booming in Zambales where there is an abundant deposit of Nickel and other minerals.[5]

Zambales is basically an agricultural province. The chief products are rice, corn, vegetables, and root crops. Major industries include farming, fishing, and mining.

Festivals and events

  • Feast Day of Ina Poon Bato (Botolan) — January 24. The Ina Poón Bató is a purportedly miraculous, syncretised image of the Blessed Virgin Mary. Legend has it that before the arrival of the Spanish in the area sometime in the 17th century, local Aeta peoples had discovered a carved wooden statue on a large rock that they called Apo Apang ("Little Queen") and began worshipping the image. On the arrival of Recollect missionaries in 1607, the natives associated the statue with the Roman Catholic depictions of the Virgin Mary, and the image was subsequently Christianised as Ina Poón Bato ("Mother of the Lord Rock").
  • Singkamas Festival and Town Fiesta (San Marcelino) — 3rd Week of February
  • Town Fiesta (San Narciso) — February 19–25
  • Pundakit Festival of the Arts (San Antonio) — February‑July
  • Zambales Multi Sports Festival Senakulo — 3rd Week of March
  • Good Friday (Castillejos) — April
  • Foundation Day Celebration (Palauig) — April 10
  • Grand Fiesta (Cabangan) — April 21–25
  • Zambales Mango Festival (Iba) — 3rd Tuesday of April
  • Paynawen Festival (Iba) — 3rd Week of April
  • Marunggay Festival and Town Fiesta (San Antonio) — Last Week of April
  • Domorokdok Festival (Botolan) — May 4
  • Laruk Laruk Festival (Candelaria) — Last Week of October
  • Binabayani Festival and Town Fiesta (Masinloc) — November 30
  • Kaligawan Ha Mayanan (Candelaria) — December 29–30

Notable people from Zambales

References

  1. ↑ "Mining Firms Seek to Export Black Sand Thru Subic Port". Dean Alegado Reality. PIA Press Release. 14 March 2011. Retrieved 23 March 2016. The miners told Salonga that Zambales was known before as the chromite capital of the Philippines, but with big developments in China today, magnetite iron ore has become more important than chromite.
  2. ↑ "List of Provinces". PSGC Interactive. Makati City, Philippines: National Statistical Coordination Board. Retrieved 13 February 2013.
  3. 1 2 3 4 "Region III (CENTRAL LUZON)". Census of Population (2015): Total Population by Province, City, Municipality and Barangay (Report). PSA. Retrieved 20 June 2016.
  4. ↑ Orejas, Tonnette (7 March 2012). "It's more fun than an airport in Subic". Inquirer. Retrieved 15 May 2014.
  5. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 Lancion, Jr., Conrado M.; de Guzman, Rey (cartography) (1995). "The Provinces". Fast Facts about Philippine Provinces (The 2000 Millenium ed.). Makati, Metro Manila: Tahanan Books. pp. 162–163. ISBN 971-630-037-9. Retrieved 7 February 2015.
  6. ↑ "Municipalities". Zambales Now, Official Website of Zambales. Retrieved on 2012-05.24.
    ** The year of 1542 in the founding of Subic is a misprint and should be the year 1572 like in Botolan as Salcedo was born in 1549.
  7. ↑ U.S. Army Corps of Engineers (1955). "Tarlac map". University of Texas in Austin Library. Retrieved on 2012-05-24.
  8. 1 2 3 "Province: Zambales". PSGC Interactive. Quezon City, Philippines: Philippine Statistics Authority. Retrieved 8 January 2016.
  9. 1 2 3 4 "Region III (CENTRAL LUZON)". Census of Population and Housing (2010): Total Population by Province, City, Municipality and Barangay (Report). NSO. Retrieved 29 June 2016.
  10. ↑ Iba travel guide
  11. ↑ Zambales: Dependency Ratio Down by Five Persons
  12. 1 2 Zambales
 Pangasinan
South China Sea Tarlac
Pampanga
   Zambales  
Bataan
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