Central Luzon (pop. 12,422,172) is one of 17 administrative regions that make up the Philippines. Central Luzon is a mountainous region with a large central plain. It is on Luzon, the northernmost major Philippine island. The region has a tropical climate. Manufacturing and agriculture serve as Central Luzon’s main industries.
Central Luzon consists of seven provinces: (1) Aurora, (2) Bataan, (3) Bulacan, (4) Nueva Ecija, (5) Pampanga, (6) Tarlac, and (7) Zambales. The region has two major cities—Angeles City in Pampanga and Olongapo City in Zambales. It also has a number of smaller cities, dozens of municipalities (towns), and over 3,000 barangays (villages or neighborhoods).
People
People.
Central Luzon is one of the most populated regions in the Philippines. Of Central Luzon’s provinces, Bulacan is the most heavily populated. Pampanga and Nueva Ecija also have large populations. Central Luzon’s regional center is in the city of San Fernando, in Pampanga.
Ancestry.
Most people of Central Luzon, like nearly all Filipinos, are of Malay ancestry. Malays are a group of Southeast Asian peoples, whose ancestors have lived in the Philippines and neighboring Indonesia and Malaysia for thousands of years. Indigenous groups in Central Luzon include the Aeta, Ilocano, Sambal, and Tagalog peoples. The Aeta were the earliest peoples to inhabit the Philippine archipelago (group of islands).
Language.
Most of the people of Central Luzon speak Filipino—a variation of Tagalog—and English. Indigenous languages spoken include Aeta languages, Kapampangan, Ilocano, Pangasinan, and Sambal. Tagalog is the primary language of Luzon. More than half the population in Central Luzon speaks Tagalog. The provinces of Aurora, Bataan, Bulacan, and Nueva Ecija speak Tagalog. People in Pampanga and Tarlac commonly speak Kapampangan. Aeta and Sambal are common in Zambales.
Religion.
Roman Catholics make up the majority of the population. Most other people are Protestant Christians or Muslims.
Culture and attractions.
Central Luzon has many cultural, religious, and historical sites. Visitors especially enjoy attending the many festivals held there. Bulacan hosts the annual Carabao Festival, to ensure a plentiful harvest. The festival honors Saint Isidro Labrador, the patron saint of farmers. Bulacan is also the site of an annual Catholic dance ritual called the Obando Fertility Rites. Zambales holds the annual Mango Festival to celebrate the province’s popular agricultural product and its harvest.
Pampanga is known for its Giant Lantern Festival, a Christmas festival that features the traditional star-shaped Philippine Christmas lanterns called parols. The festival takes place in San Fernando. Pampanga also hosts the Lenten Rights for Catholics and Christians, including a reenactment of the crucifixion of Jesus Christ.
Zambales is known for its black sand beaches and sweet dinamulag mangoes. A popular activity on the coast of Subic Bay in Zambales is wreck diving—recreational diving to explore the wreckage of ships and aircraft. Many people visit Aurora for its jungles and waterfalls. Popular activities in Aurora include surfing, scuba diving, and snorkeling.
In Pampanga, the making of guitars, furniture, lanterns, and wood carvings is an important industry. Pampanga is perhaps most known for its exotic cuisine and excellent chefs. The native cuisine combines influences from Chinese, indigenous, and Spanish dishes. Tocino (cured pork) and longanisa (spiced pork sausage) are two of the province’s most popular meat products. Another favorite Pampanga dish is buro (brined fish, meat, or vegetables fermented with rice). Other provincial specialties include tapa (dried meat), sisig (seasoned pig cheeks), and aligi (crab fat). Chefs in Pampanga also make special pastries and desserts.
Chicharon is a popular snack among people throughout Central Luzon. It is usually made of deep-fried pork rinds. It is also used as a topping or ingredient in other dishes.
Education.
Philippine national law requires children from 5 to 17 years old to go to school, from kindergarten through the 12th grade. The Department of Education provides free primary and secondary education. There are also many private schools. Teachers in the public elementary schools conduct classes in the local language for the first few years and then introduce English and Filipino. Most of the private schools teach in English. The high schools and universities mostly use English.
There are several universities in each of Central Luzon’s provinces. Public universities include Central Luzon State University in Nueva Ecija and Tarlac Agricultural University. Private universities include Ramon Magsaysay Technological University in Zambales and Holy Angel University in Angeles City.
Land and climate
Location and description.
Central Luzon is 8,458 square miles (21,906 square kilometers) in area. It extends across the central portion of the island of Luzon. The largest plain in the Philippines is in Central Luzon. Almost half of the region’s land is used for agriculture.
The largest province by area is Nueva Ecija, a hilly province with much agricultural land. Tarlac is also a major crop producer for the region. Forests cover almost half of the region, mostly in Aurora and Zambales.
The Sierra Madre Mountain Range is the country’s longest mountain chain. It runs from northern Luzon south into Central Luzon. The province of Zambales lies on the western shore of Luzon. It is bordered by the South China Sea to the west and Subic Bay to the south. The Zambales Mountains run down the eastern side of the province and cover more than half of its land.
Central Luzon has four volcanoes, three of which are inactive. The active volcano, Mount Pinatubo, is located in the Zambales Mountains. It is bordered by Pampanga, Tarlac, and Zambales. Mount Pinatubo erupted in 1991 in the second-largest volcanic eruption of the 1900’s. The largest eruption was that of Novarupta, a volcano in Alaska, southwest of Anchorage, in 1912. Earthquakes and other geologic hazards are common in Central Luzon because the region lies on active fault lines. Heavy rains and mountain slopes also contribute to mudslides and flooding. 
Rivers and lakes.
Notable rivers in Central Luzon include the Aug, Pampanga, Pasig-Potrero, Sacobia, Santo Tomas, and Tarlac rivers. The Pampanga River and its branches flow through Pampanga. One of the largest lakes in the Philippines, Pantabangan Lake, is in Nueva Ecija. Lake Uacon, a saltwater lake in Zambales, connects to the Philippine Sea through a river. Angat Lake is in Bulacan.
Following the 1991 eruption, the summit of Mount Pinatubo collapsed into a large crater, which is now a lake. The eruption also created the San Marcos and Tambo lakes in Tarlac.
Forests.
Forests cover Aurora, Bataan, and Subic Bay in Zambales. The forests host some of the world’s largest bats, called flying foxes. They are giant fruit bats. Mount Tapulao in Zambales is home to native species of insect-eating bats and rodents. Central Luzon has many national parks and forest reserves.
Climate.
Central Luzon, like the rest of the Philippines, has a tropical climate with high humidity and rainfall. The temperature varies slightly from month to month. The nights are generally mild because of land and sea breezes. The region’s dry season runs from November to May. The rest of the year is a wet season, with the heaviest rains from July to October. Typhoon season, from June to December, often brings damaging storms and flooding.
Economy
Central Luzon is one of the largest contributors to the nation’s agricultural production and to its economy as a whole. The region is rich in timber and agricultural land. It is the leading producer of rice in the Philippines. It is also a leading region in livestock, poultry, and fisheries production. Central Luzon is known for growing corn, palay (unhusked rice), mangoes, and onions. It also grows many root vegetables and additional tropical fruits.
Central Luzon’s economy also depends heavily on manufacturing and service industries. Most of the region’s people work in service industries, agriculture, manufacturing, and construction. 
Agriculture
is important in each province. Central Luzon produces most of the nation’s rice, earning the nickname rice granary of the Philippines. Other leading crops include abacá (a plant grown for the strong fibers obtained from its leaves), cassava, coffee, corn, eggplants, garlic, onions, palay, peanuts, string beans, sugar cane, sweet potatoes, tobacco, and tomatoes. Leading fruits include bananas, calamansi (Philippine lime), coconuts, jackfruits, mangoes, and pineapples.
Important livestock raised include carabao (water buffalo), cattle, goats, and hogs. The region also is a leading producer of such poultry as chickens and ducks, along with chicken and duck eggs. 
Most farms are small. The majority are in Nueva Ecija. Many farms grow trees and orchids and other flowers. The types of trees commonly planted include gemilina, grown for its wood, and ipil-ipil, used as hedgerows or for animal feed. Bee culture for honey production, sericulture (silk farming), and vermiculture (earthworm farming) are also common in Central Luzon.
Fishing industry.
Central Luzon is one of the country’s leading regions for fishing and aquaculture (fish farming). The industry’s leading products include milkfish, prawns, scad, seaweed, skipjack, tilapia, and tuna. Fishing is a main industry in Pampanga. The Pampanga River and aquaculture ponds yield carp, crabs, and shrimp. Aquaculture is a major industry in Bulacan.
Manufacturing and construction
account for a large portion of the region’s economy and employ almost a fourth of the region’s workers. Leading products include ceramics, furniture, home furnishings, and marble products. Textiles and fashion accessories are also produced, including jewelry, such shoes as wooden clogs, and handbags made of buntal fiber and rattan. Processing such foods as condiments, desserts, fruits, meats, and vegetables is also a major industry.
Manufacturing industries in Bulacan include making cement bags, ceramics, furniture, leather goods, processed foods, shoes, and textiles. Construction is also an important industry in Bulacan. The province has grown rapidly since the mid-1900’s. Much of its development stems from its location just north of the densely populated National Capital Region, where Manila, the capital of the Philippines, is located.
Pampanga is known for its handicrafts. Products include ceramics, furniture, jewelry, and woodcarvings. People in Pampanga make such textile products as gloves, hats, and mats. They also make Christmas lanterns.
Natural resources.
Central Luzon is rich in mineral deposits. It has profited from the production of marble in Bulacan, sand and gravel in Pampanga, and feldspar in Nueva Ecija. Tarlac has reserves of manganese and iron. Zambales has reserves of minerals such as chromite, copper, gold, and nickel. Central Luzon is also a large producer of timber, especially in Aurora.
Service industries
account for a large part of Central Luzon’s economy. More than half of the region’s workers are employed in service industries. Communication, finance, real estate, trade, and transportation contribute the most to the region’s economy. Tourism supports the region’s hotels, restaurants, and stores. Many people are also employed by banks, schools, and the government.
Tourism is particularly important in Zambales, which is popular for its beaches. Education and health services are major industries in Nueva Ecija. Pampanga is known for its restaurant industry. Bulacan has many service industries, including banks, businesses, hospitals, hotels, restaurants, and schools.
Transportation and communication.
Central Luzon has two international airports and an international seaport. It also has several domestic airports and seaports. The region is a major center for the transportation of products by land and sea. Regional newspapers published in Central Luzon include the Punto Central, Sunstar, and the Nueva Ecija Journal.
Government
Central Luzon, like other administrative regions of the Philippines, has a regional council for administrative management and developmental planning. Provinces are the main local government units within the region. Every province has an elected governor and vice governor and an elected legislative body called a sangguniang panlalawigan. An elected mayor and council govern each city or municipality. A few cities are governed independently of any province. Barangays are governed by elected barangay captains and councils.
Local governments are formally under the general supervision of the president. The people elect provincial, city, and municipal officials for three-year terms. These local officials may not serve more than three consecutive terms. Barangay officials serve a fixed term of office that is determined by law.
Every Philippine city has a court. Each municipality has a judge who serves as the local judicial officer. Judges hold office until they reach the age of 70 or become unable to carry out their official duties.
History
Scientists believe the ancestors of the Aeta people were the first known inhabitants of what is now Central Luzon. These early inhabitants lived by hunting and gathering for thousands of years before farming groups began to arrive and settle in the lowlands about 4,000 years ago. The newcomers probably came from what are now Indonesia, Malaysia, and Taiwan.
Spanish settlers began to colonize the Philippines in the mid-1500’s. Pampanga was created in 1571. It originally covered all of Central Luzon. Over time, Central Luzon’s other provinces were carved from its original area. The Spaniards built a naval base on Subic Bay in 1885
During the Spanish-American War (1898), Philippine rebels fought along with American troops against Spain. The rebels declared their independence from Spain. They wrote a constitution and officially proclaimed it at Malolos, in what is now the province of Bulacan, on Jan. 21, 1899. In the peace treaty, however, Spain ceded (surrendered) the Philippines to the United States. The Philippines became a colony and, later, a self-governing commonwealth, of the United States. The American military built bases in Pampanga.
During World War II (1939-1945), Japan invaded the Philippines on Dec. 8, 1941, the day after its attack on the United States at Pearl Harbor, Hawaii. In late December, U.S. and Philippine troops were forced to retreat from Manila to the Bataan Peninsula at the northwestern corner of Manila Bay. They held out there until April 9, 1942. Thousands of them died in the fighting and, following their surrender, during what became known as the Bataan Death March, a forced march to prison camps north of the peninsula. Central Luzon also experienced heavy fighting in 1944 and 1945, when American forces returned to retake Manila. In 1954, President Ramon Magsaysay of the Philippine Republic made the battlefield area of Bataan a national shrine.
The Philippines became independent in 1946. During the late 1940’s and early 1950’s, a militant Communist-led group called the Hukbong Magpapalayang Bayan (People’s Liberation Army) was active in Central Luzon. Many of its members, called Huks, had fought in guerilla groups against the Japanese. They now called for land reform that would break up the estates of wealthy landowners and distribute land to poor farmers. The Philippine government defeated the Huks in 1954.
In the early 1970’s, the Philippine government grouped the nation’s provinces into administrative regions, one of which was Central Luzon. Since then, some provinces have been shifted from one region to another.
The 1991 eruption of Mount Pinatubo damaged the large U.S. air force and naval bases in Central Luzon. In addition, the base leases were ending that year. The United States turned the bases over to the Philippine government in 1991 and 1992. Afterward, a tax- and duty-free zone called the Subic Bay Freeport was developed at the site of the former U.S. naval base.
