Zambales, officially the Province of Zambales ( fil, Lalawigan ng Zambales; ilo, Probinsia ti Zambales; Pangasinan: ''Luyag/Probinsia na Zambales''; xsb, Probinsya nin Zambales), is a

province A province is almost always an administrative division within a country or state. The term derives from the ancient Roman ''provincia'', which was the major territorial and administrative unit of the Roman Empire's territorial possessions outsi ...

in the

Philippines The Philippines (; fil, Pilipinas, links=no), officially the Republic of the Philippines ( fil, Republika ng Pilipinas, links=no), * bik, Republika kan Filipinas * ceb, Republika sa Pilipinas * cbk, República de Filipinas * hil, Republ ...

located in the Central Luzon

region In geography, regions, otherwise referred to as zones, lands or territories, are areas that are broadly divided by physical characteristics (physical geography), human impact characteristics (human geography), and the interaction of humanity and t ...

. Its capital is Iba, which is located in the middle of the province. Zambales borders Pangasinan to the north and northeast, Tarlac to the east,

Pampanga Pampanga, officially the Province of Pampanga ( pam, Lalawigan ning Pampanga; tl, Lalawigan ng Pampanga ), is a province in the Central Luzon region of the Philippines. Lying on the northern shore of Manila Bay, Pampanga is bordered by Tar ...

to the southeast, Bataan to the south and the

South China Sea The South China Sea is a marginal sea of the Western Pacific Ocean. It is bounded in the north by the shores of South China (hence the name), in the west by the Indochinese Peninsula, in the east by the islands of Taiwan and northwestern Phil ...

to the west. With a total land area of (including the independent city of Olongapo), Zambales is the second largest among the seven provinces of Central Luzon after Nueva Ecija. The province is noted for its mangoes, which are abundant from January to April. Zambales does not have a functional airport - the closest functional airport is the Clark International Airport in

Angeles City , anthem = Himno ning Angeles (Angeles Hymn) , subdivision_type3 = District , subdivision_name3 = , established_title = Settled , established_date = 1796 , established_title1 = Charter ...

in the neighbouring province of Pampanga.

Subic Bay International Airport Subic Bay International Airport ( fil, Paliparang Pandaigdig ng Look ng Subic; ) serves as a secondary and diversion airport for Ninoy Aquino International Airport in Metro Manila and Clark International Airport in Pampanga. It also serves the i ...

, which is located in

Cubi Point U.S. Naval Air Station Cubi Point was a United States Navy aerial facility located at the edge of Naval Base Subic Bay and abutting the Bataan Peninsula in the Philippines. When the base closed, the air station became the Subic Bay Internation ...

(geographically located inside Morong, Bataan) in the

Subic Bay Freeport Zone The Subic Special Economic and Freeport Zone, often shorterned as Subic Bay or Subic, is a special economic zone and freeport area covering portions of the city of Olongapo and the town of Subic in Zambales, and the towns of Morong and Hermo ...

is no longer functional for domestic and international flights. The Freeport Zone ( SBFZ) is host to many tourist attractions which include casinos, parks, malls, beach-side huts, cottages and resorts, as well as historical sites.

Etymology

The province's name came from the word ''zambal'', which is a Hispanized term for ''Sambali''. Sambal refers to the

native language A first language, native tongue, native language, mother tongue or L1 is the first language or dialect that a person has been exposed to from birth or within the critical period. In some countries, the term ''native language'' or ''mother tong ...

spoken by the early

Austronesian Austronesian may refer to: *The Austronesian languages *The historical Austronesian peoples The Austronesian peoples, sometimes referred to as Austronesian-speaking peoples, are a large group of peoples in Taiwan, Maritime Southeast Asia, M ...

inhabitants of the area. 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; worshipping the spirits of their ancestors. It could also originate from the word "

Zambo Zambo ( or ) or Sambu is a racial term historically used in the Spanish Empire to refer to people of mixed Indigenous and African ancestry. Occasionally in the 21st century, the term is used in the Americas to refer to persons who are of mixe ...

", a term used by the Iberian (Spanish and Portuguese) empires to distinguish people of African ethnicity/descent. The province is home to the

Aeta The Aeta (Ayta ), Agta, or Dumagat, are collective terms for several Filipino indigenous peoples who live in various parts of the island of Luzon in the Philippines. They are considered to be part of the Negrito ethnic groups and share commo ...

s, the aboriginal people of the Philippines who share Afro-ethnic similarities.

History

Prior to colonization, the

Aeta people The Aeta (Ayta ), Agta, or Dumagat, are collective terms for several Filipino indigenous peoples who live in various parts of the island of Luzon in the Philippines. They are considered to be part of the Negrito ethnic groups and share common ...

became the first human population who inhabited what is now Zambales. Due to Malay migration waves, the Tagalog people displaced the

Sambal people The Sambal people are a Filipino ethnolinguistic group living primarily in the province of Zambales and the Pangasinense municipalities of Bolinao and Anda. The term may also refer to the general inhabitants of Zambales. In 1950s, hundreds ...

in southern Luzon, which led to the arrival of the

into present-day Zambales. The

Spanish Spanish might refer to: * Items from or related to Spain: ** Spaniards are a nation and ethnic group indigenous to Spain **Spanish language, spoken in Spain and many Latin American countries **Spanish cuisine Other places * Spanish, Ontario, Ca ...

first explored the area in 1572, led by

Juan de Salcedo Juan de Salcedo (; 1549 – March 11, 1576) was a Spanish- Novohispanic conquistador. He was born in Mexico in 1549 and he was the grandson of Miguel López de Legazpi and brother of Felipe de Salcedo. Salcedo was one of the soldiers who accom ...

. Off Cape Bolinao (now part of Pangasinan), he and his men liberated a Zambal chieftain and his followers from a Chinese pirate ship. This act gained the natives' goodwill. Shortly thereafter, the province was organized. Among the earliest towns founded were Subic (1572),

Botolan Botolan, officially the Municipality of Botolan, is a 1st class municipality in the province of Zambales, Philippines. According to the 2020 census, it has a population of 66,739 people. The municipality was founded by Spanish Governor-General J ...

(1572), Masinloc (1607), Iba (1611), and Santa Cruz (1612). During the Spanish period, a 1774 map was made, which clearly named Scarborough Shoals as ''Panacot Shoal'', a feature under complete sovereignty of Spanish Philippines, specifically of Zambales. The shoal's current name was chosen by Captain Philip D'Auvergne, whose

East India Company The East India Company (EIC) was an English, and later British, joint-stock company founded in 1600 and dissolved in 1874. It was formed to trade in the Indian Ocean region, initially with the East Indies (the Indian subcontinent and Sout ...

East Indiaman East Indiaman was a general name for any sailing ship operating under charter or licence to any of the East India trading companies of the major European trading powers of the 17th through the 19th centuries. The term is used to refer to vesse ...

''Scarborough'' briefly grounded on one of the rocks on 12 September 1784, before sailing on to China. When the Philippines was granted independence in the 19th century and 20th century, Scarborough Shoal was passed by the colonial governments to the sovereign Republic of the Philippines.W. Gilbert (1804) ''A New Nautical Directory for the East-India and China Navigation ..'', pp.480=482. Masinloc became the province's first capital. However, the capital was moved among the last three towns above during its history before finally settling in Iba, due to its strategic location. Seven of the province's original northern towns, which included Bolinao,

Infanta ''Infante'' (, ; f. ''infanta''), also anglicised as Infant or translated as Prince, is the title and rank given in the Iberian kingdoms of Spain (including the predecessor kingdoms of Aragon, Castile, Navarre, and León) and Portugal to ...

, San Isidro, now

Burgos Burgos () is a city in Spain located in the autonomous community of Castile and León. It is the capital and most populated municipality of the province of Burgos. Burgos is situated in the north of the Iberian Peninsula, on the confluence o ...

, Anda, Bani, Agno and Alaminos were later transferred under the jurisdiction of Pangasinan because of their distance from the capital. The first civil governor of Zambales during the colonial American era was

Potenciano Lesaca Potenciano Lesaca was a Filipino politician and businessman who became the first civil governor of Zambales, a province of the Philippines in the Central Luzon region. He served from 1901 to 1903, and was the first governor of the American era. Hi ...

from 1901 to 1903. During the dictatorship of Ferdinand Marcos, Zambales was one of the most militarized areas in the Philippines as majority of the people were against martial rule. Many opposition Sambals were detained, tortured, killed, electrocuted at the genitalia, or were listed as 'missing'. The province was one of the main supporters of the

People Power Revolution The People Power Revolution, also known as the EDSA Revolution or the February Revolution, was a series of popular Demonstration (people), demonstrations in the Philippines, mostly in Metro Manila, from February 22 to 25, 1986. There was a ...

in Manila, which topped the 21-year dictatorship and installed

Corazon Aquino Maria Corazon "Cory" Sumulong Cojuangco-Aquino (; ; January 25, 1933 – August 1, 2009) was a Filipina politician who served as the 11th president of the Philippines from 1986 to 1992. She was the most prominent figure of the 1986 People ...

as president, bringing back democracy to the country. The province was heavily affected by the

1991 eruption of Mount Pinatubo The 1991 eruption of Mount Pinatubo in the Philippines' Luzon Volcanic Arc was the second-largest volcanic eruption of the 20th century, behind only the 1912 eruption of Novarupta in Alaska. Eruptive activity began on April 2 as a series of ...

. Due to this, the economy of the province weakened for some time, but regained vitality a few years after the government ordered the revitalization of the province and established growth in its southern towns, which later became a significant economic zone in the country by 1995. The 2012

Scarborough Shoal standoff The Scarborough Shoal standoff refers to the tensions between the Republic of the Philippines and the People's Republic of China over the disputed Scarborough Shoal. Tensions began on April 8, 2012, after the attempted apprehension by the Philip ...

led to a situation where access to the shoal was restricted by the People's Republic of China. However, in 2016, following meetings between the Philippine president Duterte and his PRC counterparts, the PRC allowed Filipino fishermen to access the shoals for fishing. In 2018, it was revealed that for every 3,000 peso worth of fish catch by Sambal fisherfolks, China siphoned them in exchange for 'two bottles of mineral water' worth 20 pesos. The revelations led to public unrest against China and the Duterte-administered Philippine government. Filipino president

Rodrigo Duterte Rodrigo Roa Duterte (, ; born March 28, 1945), also known as Digong, Rody, and by the initials DU30 and PRRD, is a Filipino lawyer and politician who served as the 16th president of the Philippines from 2016 to 2022. He is the chairperson ...

fired back against his fellow Filipinos, including those from Zambales, saying that China's acts were 'fine' as they were 'only barter'. On June 14, 2018, China's destruction of Scarborough Shoal's reefs surged to an extent which they became visible via Google Earth and Philippine satellites, as confirmed by the

University of the Philippines Diliman , image = University of The Philippines seal.svg , image_size = 175px , caption = Official Logo of UP Diliman , motto = Honor and Excellence , established = February 12, 194 ...

Geography

Zambales lies on the western shores of

Luzon Luzon (; ) is the largest and most populous island in the Philippines. Located in the northern portion of the Philippines archipelago, it is the economic and political center of the nation, being home to the country's capital city, Manila, ...

island along the

. Its shoreline is rugged and features many coves and inlets. The Zambales Mountains in the eastern length of the province occupies about 60% of the total land area of Zambales.

Subic Bay Subic Bay is a bay on the west coast of the island of Luzon in the Philippines, about northwest of Manila Bay. An extension of the South China Sea, its shores were formerly the site of a major United States Navy facility, U.S. Naval Base Sub ...

, 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. The summit and

crater lake Crater Lake (Klamath: ''Giiwas'') is a volcanic crater lake in south-central Oregon in the western United States. It is the main feature of Crater Lake National Park and is famous for its deep blue color and water clarity. The lake partly fills ...

Mount Pinatubo Mount Pinatubo is an active stratovolcano in the Zambales Mountains, located on the tripoint boundary of the Philippine provinces of Zambales, Tarlac and Pampanga, all in Central Luzon on the northern island of Luzon. Its eruptive histo ...

lies within

municipality in Zambales, near the

tripoint A tripoint, trijunction, triple point, or tri-border area is a geographical point at which the boundaries of three countries or subnational entities meet. There are 175 international tripoints as of 2020. Nearly half are situated in rivers, l ...

of Zambales,

and Tarlac provinces. This volcano, once considered

dormant Dormant, "sleeping", may refer to: Science *Dormancy Dormancy is a period in an organism's life cycle when growth, development, and (in animals) physical activity are temporarily stopped. This minimizes metabolic activity and therefore helps ...

, erupted violently in June 1991. The former summit of the volcano was obliterated by the massive eruption and replaced by a wide

caldera A caldera ( ) is a large cauldron-like hollow that forms shortly after the emptying of a magma chamber in a volcano eruption. When large volumes of magma are erupted over a short time, structural support for the rock above the magma chamber ...

, within which Lake Pinatubo is situated. With an average depth of , Lake Pinatubo is the deepest lake in the Philippines. The highest point of the caldera rim is above sea level, some lower than the pre-eruption summit. A vast portion of the Zambales province acquired desert-like features in 1991, after being buried by more than of

lahar A lahar (, from jv, ꦮ꧀ꦭꦲꦂ) is a violent type of mudflow or debris flow composed of a slurry of pyroclastic material, rocky debris and water. The material flows down from a volcano, typically along a river valley. Lahars are extreme ...

Climate

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

Administrative divisions

Zambales comprises 13

municipalities A municipality is usually a single administrative division having corporate status and powers of self-government or jurisdiction as granted by national and regional laws to which it is subordinate. The term ''municipality'' may also mean the ...

and 1 highly urbanized city, which are divided into two

legislative districts An electoral district, also known as an election district, legislative district, voting district, constituency, riding, ward, division, or (election) precinct is a subdivision of a larger state (a country, administrative region, or other poli ...

. Olongapo City is a highly urbanized city and administers itself autonomously from the province. Panatag Shoal (

Scarborough Shoal Scarborough Shoal, also known as Bajo de Masinloc (in Spanish), Panatag Shoal ( fil, Kulumpol ng Panatag, lit=serene cluster), Huangyan Island (Mandarin zh, c=黄岩岛, p=Huáng Yán Dǎo, l=yellow rock island), and Democracy Reef, are two ro ...

) a Philippine-claimed territory, is a designated part of the province.

Barangays

The 13 municipalities and 1 city of the province comprise a total of 247

barangay A barangay (; abbreviated as Brgy. or Bgy.), historically referred to as barrio (abbreviated as Bo.), is the smallest administrative division in the Philippines and is the native Filipino term for a village, district, or ward. In metropolit ...

s, with ''Santa Rita'' in Olongapo City as the most populous in 2010, and ''Owaog-Nibloc'' in

as the least. If cities are excluded, ''Calapacuan'' in Subic has the highest population as of 2010.

Demographics

The population of Zambales in the 2020 census was 649,615 people, with a density of . When Olongapo City is included for geographical purposes, the province's population is 909,932 people, with a density of .

Inhabitants

The Aetas of

were the earliest inhabitants of what is now the province of Zambales. They were later displaced by the

Sambal Sambal is an Indonesian chilli sauce or paste, typically made from a mixture of a variety of chilli peppers with secondary ingredients, such as shrimp paste, garlic, ginger, shallot, scallion, palm sugar, and lime juice. ''Sambal'' is an I ...

, an

Austronesian people The Austronesian peoples, sometimes referred to as Austronesian-speaking peoples, are a large group of peoples in Taiwan, Maritime Southeast Asia, Micronesia, coastal New Guinea, Island Melanesia, Polynesia, and Madagascar that speak Austr ...

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 Ilocanos ( ilo, Tattao nga Iloko/), Ilokanos, or Iloko people are the third largest Filipino ethnolinguistic group and mostly reside within the Ilocos Region in the northwestern seaboard of Luzon, Philippines. The native language of the Ilo ...

, the

Kapampangans The Kapampangan people ( pam, Taung Kapampangan), Pampangueños or Pampangos, are the sixth largest ethnolinguistic group in the Philippines, numbering about 2,784,526 in 2010. They live mainly in the provinces of Pampanga, Bataan and Tarlac, as ...

, and the Pangasinans today constitute the five largest

ethnic groups An ethnic group or an ethnicity is a grouping of people who identify with each other on the basis of shared attributes that distinguish them from other groups. Those attributes can include common sets of traditions, ancestry, language, history ...

in Zambales; these identities may and do, however, overlap with one another due to

intermarriage Mixed marriage or intermarriage may refer to: * Exogamy, the act of marrying outside of one's own social group (the opposite of endogamy) ** Interracial marriage, between people of different races *** Miscegenation, a pejorative term for inter ...

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 ("Cradle of Freedom") , image_map = , mapsize = 220px , map_caption = Interactive map of San Antonio , subdivision_type = Country , subdivision_name = United States , subdivision_type1= State , subdivision_name1 = Texas , subdivision_t ...

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

The people of Zambales are predominantly

Roman Catholic Roman or Romans most often refers to: *Rome, the capital city of Italy *Ancient Rome, Roman civilization from 8th century BC to 5th century AD *Roman people, the people of ancient Rome *''Epistle to the Romans'', shortened to ''Romans'', a letter ...

(78.22%). A sizeable portion of the population also belongs to the Aglipayan Church (6.12%) and Iglesia ni Cristo (4.89%). The remaining are divided with other

Christian Christians () are people who follow or adhere to Christianity, a monotheistic Abrahamic religion based on the life and teachings of Jesus Christ. The words '' Christ'' and ''Christian'' derive from the Koine Greek title ''Christós'' (Χρ ...

groups such as

Born-again Christians Born again, or to experience the new birth, is a phrase, particularly in evangelicalism, that refers to a "spiritual rebirth", or a regeneration of the human spirit. In contrast to one's physical birth, being "born again" is distinctly and sepa ...

United Methodist Church The United Methodist Church (UMC) is a worldwide mainline Protestant denomination based in the United States, and a major part of Methodism. In the 19th century, its main predecessor, the Methodist Episcopal Church, was a leader in evangelica ...

The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, informally known as the LDS Church or Mormon Church, is a nontrinitarian Christian church that considers itself to be the restoration of the original church founded by Jesus Christ. The ...

Jehovah's Witnesses Jehovah's Witnesses is a millenarian restorationist Christian denomination with nontrinitarian beliefs distinct from mainstream Christianity. The group reports a worldwide membership of approximately 8.7 million adherents involved ...

Seventh-day Adventist The Seventh-day Adventist Church is an Adventist Protestant Christian denomination which is distinguished by its observance of Saturday, the seventh day of the week in the Christian (Gregorian) and the Hebrew calendar, as the Sabbath, a ...

United Church of Christ in the Philippines The United Church of Christ in the Philippines (Tagalog: ''Ang Nagkaisang Iglesia ni Cristo sa Pilipinas''; Ilokano: ''Nagkaykaysa nga Iglesia Ni Cristo iti Filipinas'') is a Christian denomination in the Philippines. Established in its present f ...

as well as Non Christians which is usually represented by

Muslims Muslims ( ar, المسلمون, , ) are people who adhere to Islam, a monotheistic religion belonging to the Abrahamic tradition. They consider the Quran, the foundational religious text of Islam, to be the verbatim word of the God of Abra ...

. Town fiestas honoring

patron saint A patron saint, patroness saint, patron hallow or heavenly protector is a saint who in Catholic Church, Catholicism, Anglicanism, or Eastern Orthodoxy is regarded as the heavenly advocacy, advocate of a nation, place, craft, activity, class, ...

s are practiced in each

parish A parish is a territorial entity in many Christian denominations, constituting a division within a diocese. A parish is under the pastoral care and clerical jurisdiction of a priest, often termed a parish priest, who might be assisted by one or ...

Languages

Tagalog Tagalog may refer to: Language * Tagalog language, a language spoken in the Philippines ** Old Tagalog, an archaic form of the language ** Batangas Tagalog, a dialect of the language * Tagalog script, the writing system historically used for Tagal ...

, 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 A foreign language is a language that is not an official language of, nor typically spoken in, a given country, and that native speakers from that country must usually acquire through conscious learning - be this through language lessons at school ...

). More than 119,126 spoke other languages as their parent tongue, such as Kapampangan and Pangasinan, including non-

Philippine languages The Philippine languages or Philippinic are a proposed group by R. David Paul Zorc (1986) and Robert Blust (1991; 2005; 2019) that include all the languages of the Philippines and northern Sulawesi, Indonesia—except Sama–Bajaw (languages ...

such as English and Hokkien Chinese. About 75 percent of the population speaks and understands English to varying degrees of fluency, and

road sign Traffic signs or road signs are signs erected at the side of or above roads to give instructions or provide information to road users. The earliest signs were simple wooden or stone milestones. Later, signs with directional arms were introduce ...

s are mostly written in that language.

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. Iba,Zambalesjf9268 05

Zambales is basically an agricultural province. The chief products are

rice Rice is the seed of the grass species '' Oryza sativa'' (Asian rice) or less commonly '' Oryza glaberrima'' (African rice). The name wild rice is usually used for species of the genera '' Zizania'' and ''Porteresia'', both wild and domestica ...

, mangoes,

corn Maize ( ; ''Zea mays'' subsp. ''mays'', from es, maíz after tnq, mahiz), also known as corn ( North American and Australian English), is a cereal grain first domesticated by indigenous peoples in southern Mexico about 10,000 years ago. ...

vegetable Vegetables are parts of plants that are consumed by humans or other animals as food. The original meaning is still commonly used and is applied to plants collectively to refer to all edible plant matter, including the flowers, fruits, stems ...

s, and root crops. Major industries include

farming Agriculture or farming is the practice of cultivating plants and livestock. Agriculture was the key development in the rise of sedentary human civilization, whereby farming of domesticated species created food surpluses that enabled peop ...

fishing Fishing is the activity of trying to catch fish. Fish are often caught as wildlife from the natural environment, but may also be caught from stocked bodies of water such as ponds, canals, park wetlands and reservoirs. Fishing techniques ...

, and

mining Mining is the extraction of valuable minerals or other geological materials from the Earth, usually from an ore body, lode, vein, seam, reef, or placer deposit. The exploitation of these deposits for raw material is based on the economic ...

Festivals and events

* Feast Day of Ina Poon Bato — January24. 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 — 3rd Week of February * Town Fiesta — * Pundakit Festival of the Arts — FebruaryJuly * Zambales Multi Sports Festival Senakulo — 3rd Week of March * Panagkakadua-an Festival - 1st Week of April * Good Friday — April * Foundation Day Celebration — April10 * Grand Fiesta — * The Dinamulag Festival "Zambales Mango Festival" — 3rd Tuesday of April The Dinamulag Festival also known as the Zambales Mango Festival is an annual festival held in the province of Zambales in the Philippines to celebrate or encourage bountiful harvest of the province's mangoes. The festival was first held in 1999. * Paynawen Festival — 3rd Week of April Paynauen ‘Duyan’ Festival is held every April 25 – May 1 in Iba, Zambales. It commemorates the provincial capital's founding anniversary (founded in 1611) traces its origin from a Zambal word which means rest or pahingahan – the ancient name of Iba before the Spanish conquistadores founded the village on the shore of the Bancal River in 1611. The festival features photo competition and exhibit, sand sculpture competition, skate boarding, 2-cock derby, carabao race, beauty pageant, kite flying, banca race, boxing tournament, street dancing / Duyan Parade, among other activities. * Marunggay Festival and Town Fiesta — Last Week of April * Domorokdok Festival — May4 * Laruk Laruk Festival — Last Week of October * Binabayani Festival and Town Fiesta — November30 The Binabayani Festival occurs every November in the city of Masinloc in Zambales. . A dance/play depicting the clash between the Spanish and the Natives of Masinloc or the triumph of Christianity over Paganism. The war dance starts with a procession in the afternoon of November 29 and opens in a mass on November 30. This annual religious festival is celebrated with day long activities in honor of San Andres, the patron saint of Masinloc. Binabayani is a war dance that portrays the battle between the Christian and the Aetas in the town of Masinloc. It is a word that means “bravery”. It is usually featured at the town plaza on the 30th day of November for the public to witness. * Kaligawan Ha Mayanan — * Olongapo Mardigras — Last Week of October

Education

There are a number of higher educational institutions in the province. The President Ramon Magsaysay State University (PRMSU), the first state university in the province can be found in Iba. It has also satellite campuses in the municipalities of Santa Cruz, Candelaria, Masinloc, Botolan, San Marcelino, and Castillejos. 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

* AIE College International ''( Olongapo City)'' *

AMA Computer College AMA Computer University, also known as AMA University or simply AMA, is a private, nonsectarian, for-profit higher education institution in Quezon City, Philippines. AMA is currently the largest information technology and computer education sys ...

''( Olongapo City)'' * AMA Computer Learning Center ''( Olongapo City)'' * Asian Institute of Computer Studies ''( Olongapo City)'' * Best Freeport Colleges Inc. ''(

)'' * Polytechnic College of Botolan ''(

)'' * Capstone Institute of Business and Arts ''( Olongapo City)'' * Central Luzon College of Science and Technology ''( Olongapo City)'' * College of Subic Montessori Subic Bay ''(

)'' * Collegio de Castillejos ''( Castillejos)'' * Columban College - Barreto Campus ''( Olongapo City)'' * Columban College - Santa Cruz Campus ''( Santa Cruz)'' * Columban College - Main Campus ''( Olongapo City)'' * Comteq Computer and Business College ''(

)'' * Don Bosco College of Zambales ''( Castillejos)'' * Don Luis Orin Junior College of Criminology, Inc. ''( Iba)'' * First EDT Learning Center, Inc. ''(

)'' * Freeport SBLC Inc. ''(

)'' * GIS Institute of Technology Phils Inc. ''( San Marcelino)'' * Global City Innovative College Subic ''( Olongapo City)'' *

Gordon College Gordon College may refer to: * Gordon State College, a public college in Barnesville, Georgia * Gordon College (Massachusetts), a Christian college in Wenham, Massachusetts * Government Gordon College, a Christian college in Rawalpindi, Pakistan * ...

''( Olongapo City)'' * Holy Infant Jesus College''( Olongapo City)'' * Hopeful Beginnings Institute ''( Iba)'' * Keystone Subic International Language Center ''(

)'' * Kolehiyo ng Subic ''( Subic)'' * Lorraine Technical School ''( Olongapo City)'' * Lyceum of Subic Bay ''(

)'' *

Magsaysay Memorial College Ramon del Fierro Magsaysay Sr. (August 31, 1907 – March 17, 1957) was a Filipino statesman who served as the seventh president of the Philippines, from December 30, 1953, until his death in an aircraft disaster on March 17, 1957. An automo ...

''( San Narciso)'' * Metro Subic Colleges ''( Olongapo City)'' * Micro Asia College of Science and Technology ''( Santa Cruz)'' * Micro Asia College of Science and Technology ''( Iba)'' * Mondrian Aura College ''(

)'' * Network Computer and Business Colleges ''( Olongapo City)'' * Northern Zambales College ''( Masinloc)'' * Philippine Merchants Marine Academy ''( San Narciso)'' * President Ramon Magsaysay State University - Candelaria ''( Candelaria)'' * President Ramon Magsaysay State University - Castillejos ''( Castillejos)'' * President Ramon Magsaysay State University - Main Campus ''( Iba)'' * President Ramon Magsaysay State University - Masinloc ''( Masinloc)'' * President Ramon Magsaysay State University - Western Luzon Agricultural College ''( San Marcelino)'' * San Antonio Institute of Commerce and Technology ''(

)'' * Sand Valley Institute of Arts and Trades ''( Iba)'' * St. Benilde Center for Global Competence ''( Olongapo City)'' *

St. Joseph College Saint Joseph's College or Saint Joseph College may refer to: Africa * St Joseph's College, Kgale, Botswana * St. Joseph's College, Sasse, Cameroon * St Joseph's College, Curepipe, Mauritius * St Joseph's Marist College, Rondebosch, South Africa ...

''( Olongapo City)'' * St. Nicolas Systeq College ''( Palauig)'' * St. Theresa's College - ''( San Marcelino)'' * STI College ''( Olongapo City)'' * Subic Bay Foreign Language Center ''(

)'' * Subic Bay Metropolitan Authority Law Enforcement Academy ''(

)'' * Subic Bay Colleges Inc. - ''( Iba)'' * Subic Institute of International Studies ''(

)'' * Technological College of San Felipe ''( San Felipe)'' * The Thomasites Center for International Studies ''(

)'' * University of the Philippines - Extension Program in Olongapo ''(

)'' * Virgen de los Remedios College ''( Olongapo City)'' * Virgin de los Remedios College of Criminology ''( Iba)'' * Zambales Academy ''( San Narciso)'' * Zambales Lifesaving Inc. PCG Accredited Lifeguard training organization ''(

)'' ;President Ramon Magsaysay State University (PRMSU): The

President Ramon Magsaysay State University President Ramon Magsaysay State University, commonly referred to as PRMSU is a state university in Zambales established in 1910. The university is named after the province's greatest son and former President of the Republic of the Philippines, P ...

, commonly referred to as PRMSU, is a state university/government-funded higher education institution in Iba, established in 1910. The university is named after former President

Ramon Magsaysay Ramon del Fierro Magsaysay Sr. (August 31, 1907 – March 17, 1957) was a Filipino statesman who served as the seventh president of the Philippines, from December 30, 1953, until his death in an aircraft disaster on March 17, 1957. An automo ...

, 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. ; Columban College, Olongapo: The

Columban College Columban College (Filipino: ''Dalubhasaang Columban'') is a Catholic basic and higher education institution run by the Roman Catholic Diocese of Iba in Olongapo City, Zambales, Philippines. It was founded in 1961. It is dedicated to serve the e ...

, is a private-catholic educational institution in Zambales that was established in 1961. the college was founded by the missionaries from

Ireland Ireland ( ; ga, Éire ; Ulster Scots dialect, Ulster-Scots: ) is an island in the Atlantic Ocean, North Atlantic Ocean, in Northwestern Europe, north-western Europe. It is separated from Great Britain to its east by the North Channel (Grea ...

under the Missionary Society of St. Columban until they turn over the institution to the Diocese of Iba. the institution's main campus is situated at the heart of Olongapo City, other campuses situated at Bo. Barretto, Olongapo which focuses on the southern part of Zambales, and Santa Cruz, Zambales which focuses on the northern part of Zambales. they value Christian Character like any other Catholic Schools as a Christ-centered but competing institution. they offer academic programs within their reach.

Notable people

* Gerald Anderson *Norman Balbuena a.k.a. Boobay * Megan Young *

Elmer Borlongan Elmer Misa Borlongan (born January 7, 1967) is a prominent contemporary Filipino painter best known for his distinctive use of figurative expressionism. He rose to prominence as a recipient of the Cultural Center of the Philippines' Thirteen Arti ...

Rafael Corpus Rafael Corpus (October 24, 1880 – July 21, 1960) was a Philippine economist, politician, and statesman who served as both chairman and president of the Philippine National Bank. Corpus was born in San Antonio, Zambales, Philippines, and finished h ...

* Hermogenes Ebdane *

Loi Ejercito Luisa Pimentel Ejército (; born June 2, 1930), commonly known as Dra. Loi Ejército, is a Filipino politician and physician who last served as a Senator of the Philippines from 2001 to 2007. She is the wife of former Philippines, Philippine Pr ...

* Richard J. Gordon * Luz Magsaysay * Mitos Magsaysay *

* Ramon Magsaysay Jr. *

Lou Diamond Phillips Louis Diamond Phillips (born Upchurch; February 17, 1962) is a Filipino-American actor and film director. His breakthrough came when he starred as Ritchie Valens in the biographical drama film '' La Bamba'' (1987). For ''Stand and Deliver'' (198 ...

* Isabel Rivas * Dennis Roldan * Ruben Torres *

Teodoro R. Yangco Teodoro "Theo" Rafael Arguelles Yangco (November 9, 1861 – April 20, 1939) was a Filipino businessman who served in a variety of public and civic offices and was considered to be the foremost Filipino philanthropist of his time. He served as the ...

* Freddie Aguilar * K Brosas * Gladys Guevarra * Wowie de Guzman *

Kristofer Martin Kristoffer Martin Roach Dangculos (born November 20, 1994) is a Filipino actor. His career started when he joined the talent TV show ''Little Big Superstar'' where he was eliminated on the second week. He appeared in a couple of TV shows in ABS- ...

Blakdyak Blakdyak (July 25, 1969 – November 21, 2016) was a Filipino actor, comedian and reggae singer. He was known as "The King of Pinoy Reggae". Early life Blakdyak was born Joseph Amoto Formaran on July 25, 1969 in Olongapo City, Zambales. His A ...

* Willie Miller * Topex Robinson * Arnel Pineda *

Angelee delos Reyes Angelee Claudett Francisco delos Reyes (born October 14, 1987) is a Filipino beauty pageant titleholder and Miss Philippines Earth 2013. Prior to her win at Miss Philippines Earth 2013, she was a contender in several national beauty pageants i ...

Lauren Young Lauren Anne Young (born November 8, 1993), simply known as Lauren Young, is a Filipino-American actress, singer, and model. She is the younger sister of actress and Miss World 2013 Megan Young. Biography Career Young was one of the 20 new t ...

* Tom Rodriguez *

Angelu de Leon Maria Luisa Angela Martinez de Leon-Rivera (born August 22, 1979), better known as Angelu de Leon, is a Filipino actress and politician. Early and personal life Angelu de Leon is the youngest daughter of Luis and Flora de Leon. She attended S ...

* Raikko Mateo * Ruby Rodriguez * Jay Washington * Rico Barrera *

Bea Alonzo Phylbert Angelli Ranollo Fagestrom (born October 17, 1987), professionally known as Bea Alonzo (), is a Filipino actress. Alonzo first gained recognition for the 2002 teleserye ''Kay Tagal Kang Hinintay''. She is best known for her portrayals ...

References

External links

* *
Baluate Ng Sambal

Olongapo city news archive] {{Authority control Zambales, Provinces of the Philippines States and territories established in 1578 1578 establishments in the Philippines