Zambales

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

Zambales Province Lalawigan ng Zambales
—  Province  —
Province of Zambales
Lalawigan Ng Zambales
Flag Seal
Motto: Sulong Zambales! Arangkada Zambaleño
Map of the Philippines with Zambales highlighted
Coordinates: 15°20′N 120°10′E
Country	Philippines
Region	Central Luzon (Region III)
Founded	1578
Capital	Iba
Government
• Type	Province of the Philippines
• Governor	Hermogenes E. Ebdane, Jr. (Reporma-LM)
• Vice Governor	Ramon G. Lacbain II (Independent)
Area
• Total	3,830.83 km2 (1,479.09 sq mi)
Area rank	36th out of 80
Population (2010)
• Total	534,443
• Rank	37th out of 80
• Density	Bad rounding here140/km2 (Bad rounding here360/sq mi)
• Density rank	43rd out of 80
	Excluding Olongapo City
Divisions
• Independent cities	1
• Component cities	0
• Municipalities	13
• Barangays	247 including independent cities:
• Districts	1st and 2nd districts of Zambales (shared with Olongapo City)
Time zone	PHT (UTC+8)
ZIP code	2200 - 2213
Dialing code	47
Spoken languages	Sambal, Ilocano, Pangasinan, Tagalog, Kapampangan, English
Website	www.zambalesnow.com

Zambales is a province of the Philippines located in the Central Luzon region. 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 km², 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 is served by the Subic Bay International Airport, which is located in Cubi Point in the Subic Bay Freeport Zone. The Freeport Zone is host to many tourist attractions which include casinos, beach resorts, parks, beachside huts and cottages and historical sites.

Geography

Physical

Zambales lies on the western shores of Luzon island along the South China Sea. Its shoreline is very ragged, and features many coves and inlets. The Zambales Mountains, the mountain range on the eastern part of the province occupies about 60% of its total land area. Subic Bay, in the southern end of the province, provides a natural harbor, and was chosen as the location of the U.S. Naval Base Subic Bay. The peak of Mount Pinatubo lies near the tripoint of Zambales, Pampanga, and Tarlac provinces. This volcano, once considered dormant, erupted violently in 1991 blowing off its summit, leaving a caldera (now filled with Lake Pinatubo), on the mountains of Botolan, Zambales. A vast portion of the province acquired desert-like features after being buried by more than 20 feet (6.1 m) deep of lahar.

Climate

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

Subdivisions

Zambales is subdivided into 13 municipalities and 1 city. Olongapo City is a highly urbanized city and administers itself autonomously from the province. Panatag Shoal (Scarborough Shoal) a Philippine-claimed EEZ, is a designated part of the province.

• Subic
• Castillejos
• San Marcelino
• San Antonio
• San Narciso
• San Felipe
• Cabangan
• Botolan
• Iba
• Palauig
• Masinloc
• Candelaria
• Santa Cruz

History

The area now occupied by Zambales was first explored by the Spanish in 1572, led by Juan de Salcedo. Among the earliest towns founded were Subic (1572), Botolan (1572), Masinloc (1607), Iba (1611), and Santa Cruz (1612). 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. The first civil governor of Zambales during the American era was the Honorable Potenciano Lesaca from 1901-1903.

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.

Zambales Day is celebrated every August 30.

Demographics

Population census of Zambales
Year	Pop.	±% p.a.
1990	369,665	—
1995	389,512	1.05%
2000	433,542	2.16%
2007	493,085	1.86%
2010	534,443	2.72%
Excluding Olongapo City Source: National Statistics Office

See also: Aeta, Sambal people, Tagalog people, Ilocano people, and Kapampangan people

The Aetas of Mount Pinatubo were the earliest inhabitants of what is now the province of Zambales. They were later displaced 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 Sambal, the Tagalogs, the Ilocanos, and the Kapampangans today constitute the four largest ethnic groups in Zambales; these identities may and do, however, overlap with one another due to intermarriage and other factors. Most of the people of southern Zambales are migrants from different parts of the country owing to 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 inhabitants, from their tastes in food, clothing, and style.

Respect for elders is still observed. Town fiestas honoring patron saints are practiced in each parish, and Zambaleños are very accommodating when it comes to feasts.

Languages

Main articles: Sambalic languages, Tagalog language, Ilocano language, and Kapampangan language

Languages Spoken (2000)
Language			Speakers in '000
Tagalog			164
Ilokano			119
Sambal			117

Sambal, Tagalog, and Ilocano are the three main languages of Zambales. Ilocano has 115,337 native speakers, Sambal has 114,637, and Tagalog has 250,637 (plus 24,995 non-native speakers). 119,126 spoke other languages as their mother tongue, such as Kapampangan, including non-Philippine languages such as English. About 75 percent of the population speaks and understands English to varying degrees of fluency, and road signs are 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.

Economy

Zambales is a rich source of Nickel & mountain.

Tourist attractions

Zambales has 173 kilometres (107 mi) of beaches, with coral reefs, dive spots, surfing areas, hotels and day-use beach huts. The province is approximately a 3 to 4 hour drive from Manila, depending on traffic.

• The "Fiesta Poon Bato" (literal translation is Feast of the Sacred Stone), held in January, is a religious festival that attracts over half a million people each year. The festival venerates Ina Poon Bato (literal translation is Mother of the Sacred Stone) also known as Nuestra Senora de la Paz y Buen Viaje (Our Lady of Peace and Good Voyage), the oldest known image of the Virgin Mary in Asia^{[citation needed]}. The Barrio of Poon Bato located in the Botolan that is host to the image and the fiesta, was completely destroyed during the 1991 Mount Pinatubo eruption. The icon was saved and moved, along with the barrio inhabitants, to nearby Loob Bunga Resettlement Area.

• The "Mango Festival" is held in the provincial capital of Iba every April, and the "Domorokdok" (Sambal word for Dance) Festival is held each May in Botolan. These include street dancing, agricultural shows, competitions like sand castle building and "bikini open" beauty pageants.

• The Capones Island Lighthouse in Barrio Pundaquit, San Antonio, is home to a Spanish Light House built during the 1800s.

External links

• Zambales mango remains to be sweetest, says DA official