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, Do�a 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 and Ilocano

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: Pampanga and Tagalog

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,Tagalog and Zambal

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 Gonzales

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