Bataan

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Template:Short description Template:About Template:Use dmy dates Template:Infobox settlement Bataan (Template:IPAc-en, Template:IPAc-en, Template:IPA),<ref>Template:Langx, Template:IPA; Template:Langx</ref> officially the Province of Bataan, is a province in the Central Luzon region of the Philippines. Its capital is the city of Balanga while Mariveles is the largest town in the province. Occupying the entire Bataan Peninsula on Luzon, Bataan is bordered by the provinces of Zambales and Pampanga to the north. The peninsula faces the South China Sea to the west and Subic Bay to the north-west, and encloses Manila Bay to the east.

The Battle of Bataan is known in history as one of the last stands of American and Filipino soldiers before they were overwhelmed by the Japanese forces in World War II. The Bataan Death March was named after the province, where the infamous march started.

History

Aeta peoples

The first inhabitants of the Bataan peninsula are the Ayta Magbeken people. The next group of inhabitants were Kapampangans, who settled on eastern Bataan.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>

Tagalog migration

Later on, Tagalogs from southern Luzon, most specifically Cavite, migrated to parts of Bataan. The Ayta Magbeken migrated towards the mountain areas of Bataan by the end of the 16th century.Template:Citation needed

Spanish rule

Several villages in the coastal plains of Bataan were already thriving communities when Spanish missionaries found them in 1570s. Bataan, then known as Vatan, was part of the vast Capampangan Empire that included provinces known as Pampanga, Nueva Ecija, Tarlac and some portions of Bulacan, Zambales and Pangasinan. These coastal villages were inhabited by natives who were predominantly fishermen, farmers and craftsmen. Meanwhile, the hillsides were peopled by Aeta tribes.

In 1647, Dutch naval forces landed in the country in an attempt to seize the islands from Spain. The Dutch massacred the people of Abucay in Bataan.Template:Citation needed

Historian Cornelio Bascara documents that the province of Bataan was established on 11 January 1757, by Governor-General Pedro Manuel Arandia out of towns (San Juan de Dinalupihan, Llana Hermosa, Orani, Samal, Abucay, Balanga, Pilar and Orion/Udyong) belonging to Pampanga and the corregimiento of Mariveles which, at that time, included Morong, Bagac, and Maragondon across Manila Bay. Limay, initially a barrio of Orion/Udyong, is the twelfth town of Bataan created only in 1917.<ref>Cornelio R. Bascara. 2010. A History of Bataan (1587–1900). UST Publishing</ref><ref name=FastFactsPhilProv-Bataan /> Tagalogs migrated to east Bataan, where Kapampangans assimilated to the Tagalogs. Kapampangans were displaced to the towns near Pampanga by that time, along with the Aetas. By the end of the 1700s, Bataan had 3,082 native families and 619 Spanish Filipino families.<ref name="Estadismo1">ESTADISMO DE LAS ISLAS FILIPINAS TOMO PRIMERO By Joaquín Martínez de Zúñiga (Original Spanish)</ref>Template:Rp<ref name="Estadismo2">ESTADISMO DE LAS ISLAS FILIPINAS TOMO SEGUNDO By Joaquín Martínez de Zúñiga (Original Spanish)</ref>Template:Rp

Japanese invasion

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File:BataanWWII.jpg
March 1942: burning houses after a Japanese bombing raid in Bataan

Bataan featured prominently during World War II. Prior to the 1941 Japanese invasion, Bataan was a military reservation for the purpose of defending the fortress island of Corregidor.<ref>"Fall of the Philippines," Louis Morton</ref> The US Army stored nearly Template:Convert of gasoline there, along with various munitions. At the southern tip of the peninsula the U.S. Navy had established a small base at the port of Mariveles.

Shortly after the Japanese Army invaded the country in December 1941, the combined US and Filipino forces were being gradually overrun and General Douglas MacArthur moved his troops to the Bataan Peninsula in an attempt to hold out until a relief force could be sent from the US. Japanese forces started a siege of the peninsula on 7 January 1942, and launched an all-out assault on 3 April, a few months after the Battle of the Points, Battle of the Pockets, the attack down Trail Number Two, and a half-dozen other brutal battles.<ref>"Bataan: Our Last Ditch," Lt. Col. John Whitman, USA.</ref> The Bataan campaign was the last time a regular cavalry unit of the U.S. Army, the Philippine Scouts 26th Cavalry, was used as a horse mounted fighting unit. On the morning of 16 January 1942, Lt. Edwin Ramsey led the last cavalry charge into the town of Morong, routing the advancing Japanese infantry.<ref>"The Battle of Bataan," Donald Young, p.66</ref> As the troops on Bataan were continually reduced in rations, the horses were eventually slaughtered to feed the starving soldiers.<ref>Intereviews 26th Cavalry, Jerry Kruth, researching Bataan, 2001.</ref>

The majority of the American and Filipino forces surrendered on 9 April and were forced to march more than Template:Convert from Bataan to Capas, Tarlac, which became known as the Bataan Death March.

Postwar era

Postwar reconstruction in the province of Bataan was generally slow, although there were efforts to pursue industrialization projects in the area, most notably the establishment of the NASSCO (National Shipyard and Steel Corporation) in Mariveles which was inaugurated in 1953 during the Quirino administration.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> It would later be bought by the Bataan Shipping and Engineering Company in 1964.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>

Marcos dictatorship

Template:Main The beginning months of the 1970s marked a period of turmoil and change in the Philippines, as well as in Bataan.<ref name="Robles2016">Template:Cite book</ref><ref name="GazetteHistoryProtest">Template:Cite web</ref> During his bid to be the first Philippine president to be re-elected for a second term, Ferdinand Marcos launched an unprecedented number of foreign debt-funded public works projects. This caused<ref name=Balbosas1992>Template:Cite journal</ref><ref name="Balisacan&Hill2003">Template:Cite book</ref> the Philippine economy took a sudden downwards turn known as the 1969 Philippine balance of payments crisis, which in turn led to a period of economic difficulty and a significant rise of social unrest.<ref name="Cororaton1997">Template:Cite journal</ref><ref name="Celoza1997">Template:Cite book</ref><ref>Template:Cite book</ref><ref name="Kessler1989">Template:Cite book</ref>Template:Rp

Just as this was happening, it was revealed that the site of two communities where the workers of NASSCO lived - Barrio NASSCO and Barrio Camaya - would be torn down for conversion into the new Bataan Export Processing Zone in 1969, compelling the relocation of the residents who in turn launched protests until the BEPZ was finally built in 1972.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>

With only a year left in his last constitutionally allowed term as president, Ferdinand Marcos placed the Philippines under Martial Law in September 1972 and thus retained the position for fourteen more years.<ref name ="Kasaysayan9ch10">Template:Cite book</ref> This period in Philippine history is remembered for the Marcos administration's record of human rights abuses,<ref name="McCoy199909202">Template:Cite web</ref><ref name="Abinales&Amoroso20052">Template:Cite book</ref> particularly targeting political opponents, student activists, journalists, religious workers, farmers, and others who fought against the Marcos dictatorship.<ref name="Rappler">Template:Cite news</ref>

By this time, the social unrest of the pre-martial law period and the Marcos' violent responses to the protests of the time led many of the Philippines' youth, who previously held moderate positions calling for political reform, to be radicalized. Some were convinced to joined the newly-formed New People's Army as a last desperate way to resist Marcos' authoritarianism,<ref name="Rodis">Template:Cite news</ref><ref name="Lacaba 1982 11–45, 157–178">Template:Cite book</ref> including Catalino Blas, Amado Bugay, and Delia Cortez, who were all idealistic activists killed in encounters with Marcos' forces in various locations in Bataan.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref><ref>Template:Cite web</ref><ref>Template:Cite web</ref> But many noncombatants were killed as well, such as Social Worker and Catholic lay worker Puri Pedro, who had been wounded as part of the collateral damage during one encounter in 1977, but was assassinated in cold blood by a soldier who identified himself as Col. Rolando Abadilla while she was recovering at the Bataan Provincial Hospital.<ref>Template:Cite journal</ref><ref name="BantayogProfilePuriPedro">Template:Cite web</ref>

It was also during Martial Law that construction on the Bataan Nuclear Power Plant began in Morong, in 1976.<ref name="wise">Template:Cite web</ref> Marcos had announced an intention to build a nuclear power plant in July 1973, not long after the declaration of Martial Law,<ref name=wise/> and a presidential committee was set up to review proposals, of which there were two - one each from General Electric and Westinghouse Electric. The committee preferred the proposal of General Electric's bid although it cost more, because it contained detailed specifications for the plant. But Marcos, in a deal brokered by crony Herminio Disini, overrode then and signed a letter of intent awarding the project to Westinghouse, despite the absence of any specifications on their proposal.<ref name="kasaysayan9" /> The project was plagued with problems throughout construction, including location, welding, cabling, pipes and valves, permits, and kickbacks, as well as setbacks such as the decline of Marcos's influence due to bad health and PR fallout from the incident at the Three Mile Island nuclear reactor.<ref name="fortune">Template:Cite web</ref> A subsequent safety inquiry into the plant revealed over 4,000 defects.<ref name=wise/> Another issues raisead regarding it was the proximity of a major geological fault line and of the then-dormant Mount Pinatubo.<ref name="kasaysayan9">Template:Cite book</ref> By March 1975, Westinghouse's cost estimate ballooned to US$1.2 billion without much explanation. The final cost was $2.2 Billion for a single reactor producing half the power of the original proposal.<ref name="kasaysayan9" /> Many problems identified in earlier stages remained throughout construction, as reported by inspectors though denied by Westinghouse.<ref name="fortune" /> The power plant was responsible for generating 10% of the country's external debt, despite never actually operating.<ref name="NBER 1989">Template:Cite journal</ref>

Contemporary era

On 14 March 2020, Bataan recorded one of the earliest cases of COVID-19 infection outside of Metro Manila, with a male patient from Orani being the 64th recorded case in the Philippines.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> Bataan later became one of the provinces under the Enhanced community quarantine in Luzon.<ref>Template:Cite news</ref><ref>Template:Cite news</ref>

Geography

File:Manila Bay Landsat 2000.jpg
Bataan peninsula's strategic location in the west of Manila Bay, directly across Metro Manila

Bataan lies in the southwestern part of the Central Luzon region. It is a peninsular province with an area of Template:Convert.Template:PSGC detail The province is bounded in the west by the South China Sea, in the south by the Corregidor Island, and in the east by Manila Bay - the gateway to the Philippines' political, social and economic center. It is bounded inland by the city of Olongapo in the north and by the provinces of Pampanga and Bulacan in the northeast. Its capital, the City of Balanga, is about 31.3 nautical miles from Manila across Manila Bay.<ref name=pemsea.org>The Bataan sustainable development strategy Template:Webarchive pemsea.org</ref>

Topography

Bataan, a peninsula, is composed of 11 municipalities and one city. All except the northernmost municipality of Dinalupihan, are coastal areas. The province's coastline is approximately 177 kilometers from Hermosa in the northeastern portion of the province, looping up to Morong in the northwest.

Bataan is divided by two mountain groups of volcanic origins. The northern side is composed of the Mount Natib (elevation Template:Convert), Mount Sta. Rosa and Mount Silangan. The southern group is composed of Mount Mariveles, Mount Samat, and Mount Cuyapo. A narrow pass separates these two mountain groups.<ref name=FastFactsPhilProv-Bataan>Template:Cite book</ref> The topography of the province is classified generally as hilly and mountainous with a narrow plain on the eastern side. The highest elevation is in the Mariveles mountains at 1,388 meters above sea level.<ref name=pemsea.org/>

Bataan has abundant water resources in the form of rivers, streams, creeks, waterfalls and springs. There are more than 100 rivers in the province radiating from the two aforementioned mountain groups. These are important not only for irrigation but also for navigation and fishing as well. The Talisay and Almacen Rivers are the two major rivers in the province. Talisay has its headwater in the Mariveles mountain group extending down to Pilar and Balanga into Manila Bay. Almacen River has its headwater in the Natib mountains extending down to Hermosa and exits through the Orani Channel to Manila Bay. Some of the smaller rivers are Abo-abo River, Bantalan River, Lamao River, Saysayin River, Agloloma River, Mamala River.<ref name="pemsea.org"/>

Coastline

A view of the Bataan Peninsula from Manila Bay
Bataan as seen from the entrance of Manila Bay

Muddy tidal flats along the alluvial sandbars characterize the coastline along Manila Bay. Mangrove areas can be observed from Orani to Orion, along with seaweed areas and seagrass patches areas from portions of Balanga and Pilar down to Mariveles. The deeper portions are the coastal areas of Orion to Mariveles where most seaports are operating. Poor coral reef patches, mixed with sandy-rocky bottom can be found in Mariveles area, where the coastline begin to take on a rocky character looping from the mouth of Manila Bay to the western side of the province. The coastline facing the South China Sea is interspersed with pristine beaches with rocky portions and fringes of coral reef in good condition from Bagac to Morong, which is a haven for sea turtles and other marine animals.<ref name="pemsea.org"/> Template:Clear left

Climate

Bataan has distinct dry and wet seasons categorized as Type I in the Philippines' Modified Coronas' Climate Classification (Climate of the Philippines). The dry season begins in November and ends in April, while the rainy season starts in May and ends in October. The most rains come in June to August. Mean average rainfall in August is the heaviest at 633mm. Bataan is often visited by typhoons. Farming systems in the province follow these climatic cycles.<ref name="pemsea.org"/>

Administrative divisions

Bataan is administratively subdivided into 11 municipalities and one component city.

File:Ph fil bataan.png
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City Template:Small municipality DistrictTemplate:PSGC detail Population Template:PSGC rubric AreaTemplate:PSGC detail Density Template:Abbr CoordinatesTemplate:Ref label
Template:SmallTemplate:PH census Template:SmallTemplate:PH census km2 Template:Nowrap /km2 Template:Nowrap
Abucay 1st Template:Percent and number 39,880 Template:PAGR Template:Convert Template:Convert 9 Template:Coord
Bagac 3rd Template:Percent and number 26,936 Template:PAGR Template:Convert Template:Convert 14 Template:Coord
Balanga † 2nd Template:Percent and number 96,061 Template:PAGR Template:Convert Template:Convert 25 Template:Coord
Dinalupihan 3rd Template:Percent and number 106,371 Template:PAGR Template:Convert Template:Convert 46 Template:Coord
Hermosa 1st Template:Percent and number 65,862 Template:PAGR Template:Convert Template:Convert 23 Template:Coord
Limay 2nd Template:Percent and number 68,071 Template:PAGR Template:Convert Template:Convert 12 Template:Coord
Mariveles 3rd Template:Percent and number 127,536 Template:PAGR Template:Convert Template:Convert 18 Template:Coord
Morong 3rd Template:Percent and number 29,901 Template:PAGR Template:Convert Template:Convert 5 Template:Coord
Orani 1st Template:Percent and number 66,909 Template:PAGR Template:Convert Template:Convert 29 Template:Coord
Orion 2nd Template:Percent and number 56,002 Template:PAGR Template:Convert Template:Convert 23 Template:Coord
Pilar 2nd Template:Percent and number 41,823 Template:PAGR Template:Convert Template:Convert 19 Template:Coord
Samal 1st Template:Percent and number 35,298 Template:PAGR Template:Convert Template:Convert 14 Template:Coord
Total 853,373 760,650 Template:PAGR 1,372.98 Template:Convert Template:Sigfig Template:Convert 237 Template:Small

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Income classification

Republic Act (RA) No. 11964, otherwise known as the “Automatic Income Classification of Local Government Units Act”, was signed by the Philippine President Ferdinand “Bongbong” Marcos Jr. on October 26, 2023.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref><ref>Template:Cite web</ref> The law classifies municipalities and cities into five (5) classes, according to their income ranges, based on the average annual regular income for three fiscal years preceding a general income reclassification.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref><ref>Template:Cite PH act</ref> The classifications are as follows:

Updated Income Classification for Cities

Cl Template:Nowrap
First > 1,300,000,000
Second 1,000,000,000 – 1,300,000,000
Third 800,000,000 – 1,000,000,000
Fourth 500,000,000 – 800,000,000
Fifth < 500,000,000

Updated Income Classification for Municipalities

Cl Template:Nowrap
First > 200,000,000
Second 160,000,000 – 200,000,000
Third 130,000,000 – 160,000,000
Fourth 90,000,000 – 130,000,000
Fifth < 90,000,000
  • City of Balanga - 2nd class Component City (upgraded from 4th class)
  • Abucay - 2nd class Municipality (upgraded from 3rd class)
  • Bagac - 2nd class Municipality (upgraded from 3rd class)
  • Dinalupihan - 1st class Municipality (retains its previous classification)
  • Hermosa - 1st class Municipality (retains its previous classification)
  • Limay - 1st class Municipality (retains its previous classification)
  • Mariveles - 1st class Municipality (retains its previous classification)
  • Morong - 1st class Municipality (upgraded from 3rd class)
  • Orani - 1st class Municipality (retains its previous classification)
  • Orion - 1st class Municipality (upgraded from 2nd class)
  • Pilar - 2nd class Municipality (upgraded from 3rd class)
  • Samal - 2nd class Municipality (upgraded from 4th class)

Demographics

Template:Philippine Census

The population of Bataan in the 2020 census was 853,373 people,Template:PH census with a density of Template:Convert. The demonym for natives of the province is Bataeño.

Languages

Tagalog and English are two of the predominant languages spoken in the province, as are the Philippines as a whole. The Tagalogs and Kapampangans speak both of these with their respective accents. Kapampangan is spoken in towns near the boundary with Pampanga, specifically Dinalupihan, Hermosa, and Orani. Ilocano is spoken by descendants of Ilocano settlers in southeastern areas, specifically Orion, Limay, and Mariveles.<ref>Profile of Bataan in Visit My Philippines website</ref><ref>Discovering BataanTemplate:Webarchive in phinder.ph</ref>Template:Better source needed.

Ethnicity

The three most prominent ethnic groups in Bataan are the Tagalogs, the Kapampangans and the Ayta Magbeken, though the third group has a lower population despite being the province's first inhabitants. The second group is mainly present at the northeast of the province, as well as in the provincial capital to a lesser extent. Some Bataeños are descendants of Ilocano settlers. Non-native residents in Bataan include Pangasinans, Bicolanos, several Cordillera tribes, Cebuanos, Hiligaynons, Maranaos, Maguindanaons and Tausugs.

Religion

Catholicism

Roman Catholicism is the predominant religion, comprising 85.46% of the Bataan population.Template:Citation needed

Others

Various religious groups are present in the province, which include the second majority religion in the province Iglesia Ni Cristo (5.1%), Members Church of God International (MCGI),<ref>Template:Cite news</ref> Evangelicals (2.06%), Aglipayans (1.60%), and others.

Human development

Bataan is amongst the provinces in the Philippines with high Human Development Index. The 2015 HDI of the province is 0.793.<ref>2020-2021 Philippine Human Development Report hdn.org.ph</ref>

Economy

Economic significance

Bataan is one of the most progressive provinces of Luzon and Manila Bay Region, and a key contributor to the region's overall economic productivity. Its 2024 Provincial Product Account (PPA) also known as Provincial GDP (Gross Domestic Product) stands at PhP300-billion. It registered a growth rate of 9.3% which is the fastest in Central Luzon region. Also, the Philippine Statistics Authority estimates that Bataan leads all other provinces in the Philippines in terms of per capita GDP at PhP 337,218. The 2024 per capita GDP is derived by dividing the GDP of the province/ HUC by its total population based on the 2024 Census of Population (2024 POPCEN).<ref name="auto">Template:Cite web</ref><ref>Template:Cite web</ref> The province is strategically located right in the middle of the country's growth triad corridor of Subic Special Economic and Freeport Zone, Clark Freeport and Special Economic Zone and Metro Manila. It is one of the Philippines' industrial centers owing to the presence of heavy industries, two freeport zones and several special manufacturing zones. Due to these factors plus the province's competitive incentives offered to new business locators, the Philippine Chamber of Commerce and Industry adjudged Bataan as the most business friendly province in the country during the 49th Philippine Business Conference Expo held last 25 and 26 October 2023. This is the third time the province had received such recognition, the first one was in 2018, while the second in 2021.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>

In 2020, Bataan registered the third highest locally sourced income among all the provinces in the Philippines as certified by the Department of Finance - Bureau of Local Government Finance (BLGF).<ref>2021 Top performing provinces, cities and municipalities blgf.gov.ph</ref>

Industries and manufacturing

File:Petron Bataan Refinery facing Manila Bay.jpg
The 180,000 bpsd Petron Bataan Refinery in Limay, Bataan is a full conversion refinery and the sole integrated oil refinery and petrochemical complex in the Philippines
File:Freeport Area of Bataan October 2022.jpg
The Freeport Area of Bataan, formerly known as Mariveles Free Trade Zone (June 21, 1969 – November 20, 1972), and Bataan Export Processing Zone/Bataan Economic Zone (November 20, 1972 – July 2010), is the fastest growing freeport in the country in terms of investments<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>
File:Marine Scout Sniper Rifles on display at GA-DND booth, AFAD Defense & Sporting Arms show 2016.jpg
Government Arsenal made sniper rifles on display

Bataan hosts various industries, ranging from light to heavy. These industries are producing diverse products for domestic distribution and export such as refined petroleum products, petrochemicals, ammunitions, industrial grade explosives, marine cargo vessels, luxury yachts, pre-cast concrete, cement, steel building materials, animal feeds, fertilizers, fiberglass products, electronic components, automotive parts, medical personal protective equipment, paper, plastic products, optical lenses, textile and leather products, and sporting goods and apparels.<ref name="pemsea.org"/> Industrial productions account to 64% of the province's GDP valued at PhP192.41-billion as of 2024.<ref name="auto">Template:Cite web</ref>

The largest industrial complexes operating in the province are listed below.

  • Petron Bataan Refinery or PBR (Limay) - is the only integrated oil refinery and petrochemical complex in the Philippines with rated capacity of 180,000 barrels per stream day (bpsd), capable of supplying approximately 40% of the country's total fuel requirements. In 2016, PBR commissioned its $2-Billion Upgrade Project dubbed the Refinery Master Plan Phase 2 (RMP-2). It is a full conversion refinery capable of processing crude oil into a range of white petroleum products such as naphtha, gasoline, diesel, liquified petroleum gas, jet fuel, kerosene, and petrochemical feedstock such as benzene, toluene, mixed xylene and propylene. It also made Petron capable of locally producing fuels that meet global Euro IV and Euro VI emission standards. It has a Nelson Complexity Index of 13 making it among the most modern and complex refineries in Asia<ref>Template:Cite web</ref><ref>Template:Cite web</ref>
  • Philippine National Oil Corporation (PNOC) Industrial Park (Limay and Mariveles) - previously known as PNOC-Philippine Petrochemical Development Complex, it is one of the largest industrial complexes in the province housing various petrochemical manufacturers producing polyvinyl chloride (PVC), polyethylene (PE), and polypropylene (PP); and industrial explosives manufacturer Orica Philippines.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>
  • The Freeport Area of Bataan (FAB) (Mariveles) - is formerly known as Mariveles Free Trade Zone from 21 June 1969 to 20 November 1972, and Bataan Export Processing Zone (BEPZ) and Bataan Economic Zone (BEZ) from 20 November 1972 to July 2010 under Philippine Economic Zone Authority (PEZA). This was later amended on 30 August 2019, through Republic Act 11453, giving powers to the freeport to expand its territory anywhere within the bounds of the province Bataan except the Hermosa and Morong portions of Subic Special Economic and Freeport Zone which is under Subic Bay Metropolitan Authority (SBMA), another freeport zone located within the province.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> It is operated and managed by AFAB, a government agency under the Office of the President of the Philippines, since the effectivity of RA 9728 in July 2010 that turned over the zone from PEZA, converted BEPZ/BEZ to FAB, and abolished the said former names. FAB is the third largest freeport zone in the country based in the number of investors and employment created, behind Clark Freeport and Subic Freeport. Currently, there are 95 companies operating in the freeport with half of these engaging in manufacturing and employing roughly 40,000 personnels and producing various products such as leather goods, electronics, textile, rubber and plastic products, medical PPE, fabricated metals, animal feeds, marine vessels and lenses. The total annual export value for these products reached more than US$1.05-billion in 2023. Dunlop Slazenger Philippines Inc., a locator in this freeport, specially takes pride as the exclusive producer of tennis balls used in The Championships, Wimbledon.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> FAB is also an emerging hub for fintech and blockchain businesses hosting a number of these companies.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref><ref>Template:Cite web</ref>
  • Government Arsenal (Limay) - is an agency of the Philippine government under the Department of National Defense, responsible for the production of basic weaponry and ammunition for the Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP), and the Philippine National Police (PNP), among others, and for the sale and export of products in excess of AFP/PNP requirements. On 27 June 2022, the Department of National Defense (Philippines) signed an agreement with the Authority of the Freeport Area of Bataan to set-up the country's first Defense Industry Economic Zone.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>
  • Hermosa Ecozone and Industrial Park (Hermosa) - or shortened as HEIP is a 162-hectares industrial estate component of a 478-hectare mixed-use property development in the province of Bataan by the Hermosa Ecozone Development Corporation an arm of the Science Park of the Philippines, Incorporated. The project is a registered Special Economic Zone (Ecozone) under the Philippine Economic Zone Authority (PEZA).<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>
  • Bataan 2020, Inc. (Samal) - Bataan 2020 is a leading manufacturer of fine quality paper, board and tissue in the Philippines. The company is among the most diversified paper mills in the industry, with a capacity of over 100,000 metric tons of paper annually.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>
  • Subic Special Economic and Freeport Zone - commonly shortened as Subic Bay, Subic Freeport, or Subic (but should no be mistaken for the municipality of Subic, Zambales), is a special economic and freeport zone covering portions of Olongapo and Subic in Zambales, and Morong and Hermosa in Bataan.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> It is operated and managed by Subic Bay Metropolitan Authority (SBMA). The relatively developed and fenced area is called the Subic Bay Freeport Zone (SBFZ). This was the only freeport zone in Bataan from 13 March 1992 until the conversion of Bataan Export Processing Zone (BEPZ)/Bataan Economic Zone (BEZ) into Freeport Area of Bataan (FAB) in Mariveles in July 2010.
  • Bataan Technology Park Inc. (Morong) - the 365-hectare property, is once the site of the Philippine Refugee Processing Center, which offered shelter to some 400,000 refugees from Vietnam, Laos and Cambodia. The property is now administered by Bases Conversion and Development Authority and is planned for an industrial and tourism development.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>
  • Tipo Hightech Eco Park (Hermosa) - or shortened as THEP is a 209-hectare mixed-use development located inside Subic Bay Freeport Zone expansion area straddling the municipality of Hermosa in Bataan and City of Olongapo. THEP development will include 101.47 hectares for light industries, 17.99 hectares for a commercial complex, 7.11 hectares for mixed use, 23.16 hectares for residential buildings, and 23.16 hectares for a nature and environment conservation park.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref><ref>Template:Cite web</ref>
  • Bataan Harbor City (Pilar) - is a 75.5-hectare mixed-use development with a neighboring port facility that is currently being built in the town of Pilar.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>

Bataan is also a strategic transport route and transshipment point linking the Subic Special Economic and Freeport Zone and the rest of the western part of Central Luzon region to Metro Manila. Several private ports, dry docks and ship yards, and oil terminals are operating along its long eastern coast facing Manila Bay. Among these are San Miguel Corporation Shipping and Lighterage, Petron Corporation Limay Terminal, PNOC jetty, Planters Products Inc. Bulk Handling Terminal, Seasia-Nectar Terminal, Oilink Terminal, Jetti Petroleum Terminal, Orion Dockyard, Herma Shipyard, Seafront Terminal and Shipyard, Liquigaz Philippines LPG Terminal and Filoil/Total Philippines Terminal.

Agriculture and fisheries

Agriculture and fishery productions are major sources of income for the people of Bataan. Productions range from crops, fruits, fish, shellfish and other marine species. About 44,000 hectares of land are utilized for farming. The top five agricultural crops produced by the province are palay (rice), corn, coconuts, mangoes and bananas.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> The municipalities of Dinalupihan, Hermosa, Orani, Samal, Abucay, Pilar and Orion are the main contributors for agricultural output of the Province.

Poultry Production

Bataan is frequently included in the top ten poultry and poultry product producers in the country,<ref>Chicken annual situation report psa.gov.ph</ref> it hosts modern poultry dressing and processing plants owned by San Miguel Corporation and Bounty Fresh Chicken. Currently, San Miguel Food and Beverage is building a $100-million mega-poultry facility that can house 80-million birds in Brgy. Lucanin, Mariveles.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>

Fisheries

Being a peninsula, Bataan is one of the major sources of various marine products in Luzon, that include good quality tilapia, bangus (milkfish), tiger prawns, mud crabs, and bivalves such as mussels, oysters and capiz shells.<ref name="pemsea.org"/>

Commerce and services

File:Capitol Drive in the City of Balanga.png
The Capitol Drive in Balanga is one of the busy commercial zones in the province.
File:SM City Bataan.png
The SM City Bataan is one of the primary shopping centers located in the City of Balanga.

Bataan is in a process of accelerated growth in commercial sector driven mainly by young entrepreneurs and the advent of online commerce. Based from the Philippine Statistics Authority, commerce and services account to 32.7%, equivalent to PhP 98.42-billion, of the province's economy.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> In addition, more than 10,000 micro, small and medium enterprises (MSME) are operating in the province.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> With an average of 126 enterprises available per 10,000 people, Bataan is considered as the most enterprising province in Central Luzon.

The City of Balanga, the capital of Bataan, is the prime commercial hub in the province and hosting several shopping centers notably SM City Bataan, Vista Mall Bataan, Waltermart Balanga, Capitol Square, Galeria Victoria, Center Plaza Mall, Recar Commercial Complex and Ocampo's Megastore. The municipalities of Morong, Dinalupihan, Hermosa, Orani, Mariveles and Orion are considered as secondary commercial hubs. The rest of the municipalities have established smaller business district enough to support the local demand.

Information technology and business process outsourcing

File:Genpact THH logo.png
Genpact is the largest Business Process Outsourcing (BPO) company operating in the province of Bataan of Bataan.

The City of Balanga is one of the twenty-five (25) emerging digital hubs identified by The Digital Cities 2025 program by the Department of Information and Communications Technology (DICT), Information Technology and Business Process Association of the Philippines (IBPAP), and Leechiu Property Consultants, Inc. (LPC).<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> It hosts several outsourcing companies such as Genpact, Boston-based start-up Botkeeper, and Australia-based Yoonet. While in the town of Mariveles, the Freeport Area of Bataan is now hosting several blockchain and fintech firms.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> The town of Abucay is also being groomed as the province's next Business Process Outsourcing (BPO) hub thru its First Abucay Freeport Inc. which is a declared expansion area of the Authority of the Freeport Area of Bataan and with Cognizant as its first locator.

Banking and finance

Bataan is served by most of the leading universal and commercial banks in the Philippines. Based from the Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas (BSP) statistics, as of September 2021, there are 41 universal and commercial bank branches, 36 thrift bank branches, and 31 rural and cooperative bank branches scattered around the province but with the most numbers in the City of Balanga and towns of Dinalupihan and Mariveles.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>

Tourism

Bataan is rich in natural wonders and is also a popular heritage and historical destination especially due to its role during the beginning of the Pacific Theater of the Second World War.

Cultural and historical sites

File:Umagol River in Las Casas Filipinas de Acuzar.jpg
Umagol River in Las Casas Filipinas de Acuzar
  • Mount Samat National Shrine or Dambana ng Kagitingan in Pilar is the most notable historical landmark in the province. The shrine was commissioned in 1966 to commemorate the soldiers who fought during the Battle of Bataan. It is composed of a marble colonnade and a memorial cross towering 555 meters above sea level.
  • The First Line of Defense Marker located in Layac, Hermosa marks the first strong line of defense of the USAFFE forces against the Imperial Japanese Army during the Second World War.
  • The Bataan Death March marker, also known as 0-kilometer markers, are monuments located in towns of Mariveles and Bagac indicating the points of origin of the infamous Bataan Death March.
  • The Flaming Sword in Pilar is an obelisk located at the junction of Governor J.J. Linao National Road and Bataan National Road marking the converging point of the prisoners from Bagac and Mariveles during the Bataan Death March.
  • The World War II Museum and Surrender Site Marker are both located inside the compound of Balanga Elementary School, the actual site where General Edward P. King negotiated the surrender of the 76,000 USAFFE soldiers to the Japanese Imperial Army.
  • The Filipino-Japanese Friendship Tower in Bagac is a monument to commemorate the re-establishment of the Filipino-Japanese diplomatic friendship after the World War II.
  • The Saint Dominic Parish Church or Abucay Church is a 17th-century church of Baroque style of architecture. Built in 1587 and administered by the Dominican Order friars, it housed the first printing presses in the Philippines. The church was also a witness to the massacre of hundreds of Filipinos and Spaniards by the Dutch Invaders on 23 June 1647.
  • Cathedral-Shrine and Parish of St. Joseph or Balanga Cathedral is the seat of the Diocese of Balanga. During the World War II, the cathedral was used as an artillery emplacement by the Japanese Imperial Army to bombard USAFFE forces in Mount Samat.
  • Minor Basilica of Our Lady of the Most Holy Rosary or Orani Church is a neoclassical Diocesan Marian Shrine and Pilgrimage church located in the center of the town of Orani.
  • San Miguel Archangel Parish Church or Orion Church, is a 16th-century, Baroque church located at Brgy. San Vicente, Orion dedicated to Saint Michael, the Archangel.
  • The Las Casas Filipinas de Acuzar in Bagac is a 40-hectare property housing several transplanted antique houses from different parts of the Philippines for preservation.

Ecotourism

  • Bataan National Park - is a protected forest reservation located in the mountainous parts of northern Bataan.
  • Roosevelt Protected Landscape - is a protected forest reservation that occupies an area of 786.04 hectares (1,942.3 acres) of grasslands and old-growth forest in northern Bataan province near Olongapo and the Subic Bay Freeport Zone.
  • Mariveles Five Fingers - located at the southern tip of Bataan Peninsula, is a series of coves that looks like five human fingers when viewed from the air.
  • Tarak Ridge - is popular among mountaineers, is one of the peaks of Mount Mariveles' volcano-caldera complex.
  • Dunsulan Falls - is a waterfall at the foot of Mount Samat. Dunsulan falls and river is the main drainage on the crater side of Mount Samat.
  • Mount Malasimbo - is a conical-shape mountain in Dinalupihan that is popular to mountaineers.
  • Sibol Dos/Daan Pare Mangrove Eco Park - is a mangrove reservation and park in Orion
  • Sibul Spring and Pasukulan Falls in Abucay
  • Balon Anito in Mariveles
  • Pintong Alipi Falls - is an 80-foot high waterfalls in Mount Silangan in Morong.
  • Laki Beach - is a natural powdery-white sand beach in Mariveles
  • Playa La Caleta Cove in Morong
  • Camaya Coast - is a recreational development located in a cove in the southern tip of Mariveles.
  • Ocean Adventure - is an open-space marine zoological park in Morong, inside the Subic Special Economic and Freeport Zone.
  • KDR Adventure Camp - is an exclusive, members-only private adventure camp in the Municipality of Orani.
  • Zoobic Safari - is a special petting zoo and animal observation area set in the jungles of Morong, inside the Subic Special Economic and Freeport.

Festivals and holidays

File:2024-04-09 – PBBM at the 82nd Anniversary of the Araw Ng Kagitingan (05).jpg
President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. attending to the Day of Valor (Araw ng Kagitingan) ceremony in Mt. Samat, Bataan
  • The Day of Valor or locally known as Araw ng Kagitingan, is a national observance in the Philippines to commemorate the Defenders of Bataan. It falls every 9th day of April.
  • The Bataan Foundation Day is a local holiday falling every 11 January to celebrate the founding of the province of Bataan, through the virtue of the Republic Act No. 11138.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>
  • The Pawikan Festival in Morong is celebrated annually every last week of November or first week of December to recognize the local community's successes in its marine turtle conservation campaign.
  • The Ibong Dayo Festival, celebrated annually every February in the City of Balanga, is a popular attraction among bird enthusiasts. The aim of the festival is to disseminate to the public the importance of wetland conservation to migratory birds.
  • The Diocesan Pilgrimage in Mount Samat, is an annual event of the Diocese of Balanga held on November or December of the year since the tenure of Socrates Villegas as the diocese's third bishop on 27 November 2004 and is attended by thousands of young people from Bataan and different provinces in Luzon. The pilgrims walk seven kilometers from the foot of Mt. Samat up to the World War II shrine on top of the mountain. The event's theme song is "Bataan: Bayani at Banal".

Infrastructure

Power

Generation

File:Subic Project.jpg
A solar power facility in Tipo, Hermosa area of the Subic Special Economic and Freeport Zone, Philippines

Bataan is a location of bulk power generation, where most of the power generated is sent to the Luzon Grid. Most power plants in Bataan rely on fossil fuels, like oil and coal, but renewable energy sources, primarily solar power, form part of the total generation. As of 30 November 2022 the total installed capacity of existing power plants equals to 3,676.7 MW.<ref name="ReferenceC">List of existing power plants doe.gov.ph</ref> Incoming power plants that are under construction will increase the output to 4,920.7 MW, with targeted commissioning date of 3rd quarter, 2023 to 3rd quarter, 2026.<ref name="ReferenceA">Private sector initiated power projects doe.gov.ph</ref>

Fossil fuel-fired plants account for 3,528 MW, and are mostly concentrated in Limay and Mariveles. These include the GN Power Mariveles Coal Power Plant, with 690 (2x345) MW, SMC Limay Greenfield Power Plant (4x150 MW), Petron Cogeneration Power Plant (4x35 MW), Panasia Bataan Combined Cycle Power Plant (648 MW), and the recently commissioned GN Power Dinginin Units 1 and 2 (725x2 MW).<ref name="ReferenceC"/><ref name="doe.gov.ph">Electric power plants Luzon. December 2020 doe.gov.ph</ref> Two plants are under construction, Petron's Refinery Solid Fuel-Fired Boiler Project - Phase 3 (44 MW), and SMC Mariveles Coal Power Plant (8x150 MW). These will increase the capacity by additional 1,244 MW.<ref name="ReferenceA"/> Three natural gas-fired power plants with combined capacity of 3,275 MW are proposed, one planned in Limay and two in Mariveles. These are currently endorsed by the Department of Energy for grid-impact study.<ref name="ReferenceB">Annex doe.gov.ph Template:Webarchive</ref>

Renewable energy, accounts for 92.4 MW. Existing renewable energy power plants include the Bataan 2020 Cogen Power Plant (12.5 MW), Cleangreen Energy Corp. Napier Grass Fired Power Plant (12 MW), YH Green Energy Solar Power Plant (12.6 MW), Citicore Solar Power Plant (18 MW), Morong Solar Power Plant (5 MW), and Jobin-Sqm Inc.'s (a subsidiary of Nickel Asia Corporation<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>) Sta. Rita Solar (32.3 MW) in Tipo, Hermosa side of Subic Bay Freeport Zone.<ref name="doe.gov.ph"/> While additional 11.64 MW are expected from two projects that are on the advanced stage of construction, these are Citicore's 6.64 MW solar rooftop project in the Freeport Area of Bataan,<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> and Ayala Corp.'s Bataan Solar Energy Inc. with 5 MW in Batangas Dos, Mariveles.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> Two more solar power projects are in the pipeline - Solana Solar Power Project (28 MW) and Jobin-Sqm Inc. Bataan Solar Power Project Phases 1, 2, 3a-3b (100 MW).<ref name="ReferenceA"/> Also, two wind power projects are planned, the 500 MW Bagac Bay Offshore Wind Project and 300 MW Bagac Bay Onshore Wind Project, both by Earth Sol Power Corporation. These are also endorsed by the Department of Energy for grid impact study.<ref name="ReferenceB"/>

The Bataan Nuclear Power Plant in Morong, with a design 600 MW capacity, was supposed to be the first nuclear power plant in the Philippines. It was supposed to commence operation in 1986, but was mothballed amidst critical opposition to the Marcos regime and concerns on nuclear power. There is some discussion of either rehabilitating the plant, which would likely be uneconomical, or constructing a new nuclear power station.

Battery energy storage system

In 2021, San Miguel Corporation's Universal Power Solutions Inc. together with its partner Wärtsilä commissioned the first battery energy storage system (BESS) in Limay with 40 MW/40MWh capacity.<ref>Template:Cite news</ref> Three more BESS projects are committed to be built - Hermosa Battery Energy Storage System (40 MW/40MWh), Lamao Battery Energy Storage System Phases 1 and 2 (30 MW/30MWh, 20 MW/20MWh), and BCCP Limay Battery Energy Storage System Project Phase 2 (20 MW/40MWh). All by Universal Power Solutions Incorporated.<ref name="ReferenceA"/>

Transmission

Power is transmitted to the province through various transmission lines and substations located within the province. There are four transmission substations located within the province which are the Hermosa, Balsik EHV, Limay, and Mariveles EHV substations of National Grid Corporation of the Philippines (NGCP). Since 2018, the province has a network of 500 kV transmission lines which are the Mariveles-Hermosa, Hermosa-Castillejos, Hermosa-San Jose, GNPower Dinginin-NGCP Mariveles, and MPGC – Mariveles Power Plant-NGCP Mariveles lines. The first three transmission lines are operated and maintained by NGCP while the last two are dedicated point-to-point generation facilities being operated by respective power generation companies.

Distribution

File:Bataan electric utilities.svg

Power distribution in the province are served by the Peninsula Electric Cooperative (PENELCO) except the two freeport zones located within the province which are Subic Special Economic and Freeport Zone and Freeport Area of Bataan (including barangays of Mariveles that are also under the jurisdiction of FAB which are Malaya (Quadro) and Maligaya (Pizarro)) where they are served by Subic Enerzone and Utility Management Department (UMD) of Citicore Power Solutions 1, Inc. (GPS1), respectively. Some large customers have their power supply sourced from the transmission grid, whose network of 69,000 volt lines supply substations owned by PENELCO.

Research and development

Ayala Corporation Energy Holdings, Ltd (ACEN), the listed energy platform of the Ayala Group built the ACEN Tech Hub in Mariveles. Different energy and energy storage technologies will be tested here for possible large-scale use in the Philippines.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>

Airport

File:Aerial view of the U.S. Naval Air Station Cubi Point, Philippines, on 6 February 1988 (6482943).jpg
Aerial view of Subic Bay International Airport

Seaports

File:Port of Mariveles.jpg
Port of Mariveles in Bataan

Port management

Port Management Office (PMO) - Bataan/Aurora of the Philippine Ports Authority is responsible for financing, management and operations of public ports operating in Bataan. Currently there are three government-owned ports, and these are:<ref name="ppa.com.ph">List of ports ppa.com.ph</ref>

  • Port of Lamao/Limay – Baseport (PMO)
  • Port of Mariveles – Subport (TMO)
  • Port of Capinpin/Orion– Subport (TMO)

Limay and Mariveles ports are primarily used by tramper vessels/tankers catering to the requirement of industries and companies operating in the province. While the Port of Capinpin is equipped for Roll-on/roll-off (Ro-Ro) vessels to carry passengers which is served by 1Bataan Integrated Transport System from Esplanade Seaside Terminal at the Mall of Asia, Pasay to Orion and vice versa.

There are also 15 private ports/terminals that are operating in the province, namely:<ref name="ppa.com.ph"/><ref>SEP 2011-2015 bataan.gov.ph</ref>

  • Jetti Petroleum Inc. (Mariveles)
  • OilLink International Corporation (Mariveles)
  • Petron Bataan Refinery (PBR) (Limay)
  • PNOC (Mariveles)
  • Planters Products Inc. (PPI)/GPII (Limay)
  • Seafront Shipyard (Mariveles)
  • SL Harbor Bulk Terminal Corporation (SLHBTC) (Limay)
  • SMC Consolidated Power Corporation (Limay)
  • GN Power (Mariveles)
  • ATI Mariveles Grains Corporation (MGC) (Mariveles)
  • Herma/Mariveles Shipyard Corporation (MSC) (Mariveles)
  • SMC-Shipping and Lighterage (Mariveles)
  • Total Philippines (Mariveles)
  • Seasia-Nectar Mariveles Dry Bulk Terminal (Mariveles)
  • Bataan Nuclear Power Plant Pier (Morong)

The Subic Bay International Terminal Corporation in Cubi Point, Subic Bay Freeport Zone, while part of Bataan thru the municipality of Morong, is located within the jurisdiction of Subic Special Economic and Freeport Zone and administered by Subic Bay Metropolitan Authority.

Customs administration

Thru the Customs Administrative Order (CAO)-05-2008,<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> the new Collection District No. XVI to be known as Bureau of Customs (BOC)-Port Limay was established. It has jurisdiction and is responsible for assessment and collection of customs revenues from imported goods and other dues, fees, charges, fines and penalties accruing under the Customs Modernization and Tariff Act (RA 10863) from all ports within the province of Bataan excluding the portions of the province that is within the Subic Special Economic and Freeport Zone as defined by R.A. No. 7227. The BOC-Port of Limay is considered as the third largest port in the Philippines in terms of revenue collection, behind Manila International Container Port (MICP) and Port of Batangas.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> The total revenue collection of BOC-Port of Limay in 2023 reached PhP 123.24-billion (equivalent to US$2.24-billion).<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>

Highways, expressways and national roads

File:Tipo, Bataan, Philippines - panoramio (2).jpg
Tipo Interchange in Hermosa, Bataan, before the toll system integration with NLEx.

Bataan is served by a network of national highways and two expressways. Roman Superhighway, part of highway N301, and Jose Abad Santos Avenue, or highway N3 and Olongapo-Gapan Road, forms the backbone of the national highway network. Subic–Clark–Tarlac Expressway (SCTEX) and Subic Freeport Expressway (SFEX), are toll expressways, linking the province with Pampanga, Tarlac and Subic Special Economic and Freeport Zone. The Layac-Balanga-Mariveles Port Road (a.k.a. Old National Road), Bagac-Mariveles Road, SBMA-Morong Road and Governor J.J. Linao National Road forms the secondary network, which connects the smaller municipalities with the main highway network.<ref>Road data dpwh.gov.ph Template:Webarchive</ref><ref>Road data dpwh.gov.ph Template:Webarchive</ref> In addition, a new 17.74-kilometer access road is being constructed to connect the Hermosa Ecozone and Industrial Park directly to the Subic Bay Freeport Zone. It will traverse the barangays of Palihan and Mabiga in Hermosa, and ends in Mabayo, Morong, to serve as a toll-free alternative to SCTEX and SFEX.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>

A 32-kilometer bridge called Bataan–Cavite Interlink Bridge is proposed to connect Bataan with Cavite, crossing Manila Bay, and is envisioned to be one of the world's longest marine bridges. The contract for detailed engineering and design was awarded in October 2020.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> The Philippine Department of Public Works and Highways announced that the bridge's construction, costing $3.91 billion, will be co-funded by Asian Development Bank (ADB), Asian Infrastructure Investment Bank (AIIB) and the Philippine government thru a 54%/29%/17% sharing respectively.<ref name="auto1">Template:Cite web</ref>

On 12 December 2023, the ADB announced it has approved the $2.1 billion funding it promised for the construction of this bridge.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> On 15 December of the same year, the Philippine government, through the Department of Finance (DOF), and the Asian Development Bank (ADB) signed the first tranche of the financing for this project, worth $650 million of the total $2.1 billion loan package.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> On the other hand, AIIB announced that their share of first tranche funding, worth $350 million, would be available to the Philippine government in January 2024.<ref name="auto1"/>

Sports facilities

Public sports facilities are dispersed across the province. Indoor sports arenas or gymnasiums are located in the towns of Dinalupihan, Hermosa, Orani, Orion, Limay and Mariveles, and there are two in the City of Balanga. An olympic-size swimming pool frequently used for local competitions is situated in the town of Abucay. While the town of Dinalupihan hosts the remaining athletics track and field in the province after the conversion of former Bataan Provincial Oval in Balanga to a public highschool.

There are three privately owned golf courses in the province, these are:

  • Anvaya Cove Golf and Sports Club - is an 82-hectare, 18-hole all-weather, 7,200 yard, par 72 championship golf course located in Ayala Land's Anvaya Cove development in Morong.
  • Tandatangan Golf Course - by Camaya Coast, consists of 9 signature golf holes with a total of 36 Par, 2,994 Meters and 3,275 Yards. Located approximately 170 meters above sea level.
  • The Peninsula Golf Club - is an 18-hole golf course laid out around the Petron Bataan Refinery's Housing Compound in Limay. A pair of tee-boxes is provided for each hole to complete an 18-hole round of golf. It is a relatively short golf course at just par 68, with a rating of 65.4 and a corresponding slope of 116.

Education

As of 2018, literacy rate in Bataan is 99.4% (Literacy of the Household Population 10 Years Old and Over).<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> Access to education opportunities is provided by 259 elementary schools, 84 secondary schools and 19 tertiary schools, owned and operated by either the government or private persons/groups. There are also 6 TESDA-accredited institutions offering technical/vocational courses.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>

Educational institutions

Bataan Peninsula State University or BPSU is a state-owned university and the leading tertiary education provider in the province. It was established by virtue of Republic Act 9403, signed into law on 22 March 2007. It is a conglomeration of five state-owned higher education institutions in Bataan. The university currently has six campuses scattered across the province - the Main Campus (formerly Bataan National School of Arts and Trade), Balanga Campus (formerly Bataan Community Colleges), Abucay Campus (formerly Bataan National Agricultural School), Dinalupihan Campus (formerly Bataan State College), Orani Campus (formerly Bataan National Polytechnic School), and Bagac Campus. Its seventh campus in Sabang, Morong, Bataan is now under construction<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>

Another state-owned higher education institution in the province is Polytechnic University of the Philippines Bataan, which is a satellite campus of the Polytechnic University of the Philippines in Sta. Mesa, Manila, established in 1976. It is located inside the Freeport Area of Bataan (FAB) in Mariveles.

Other notable tertiary education institutions in Bataan are listed below: Template:Div col

  • AMA Computer Learning Center – Balanga
  • APG International Aviation Academy – Cubi Point, Subic Bay Freeport Zone, Morong
  • Asia Pacific College of Advanced Studies (APCAS) – Balanga
  • Bataan Heroes Memorial College – Balanga
  • Bataan Maritime Institute – Balanga
  • Colegio de San Juan de Letran Bataan – Abucay
  • College of Subic Montessori – Dinalupihan
  • Eastwoods College of Science and Technology – Dinalupihan
  • EastWoods Professional College of Science and Technology (formerly SOFTNET College of Science and Technology) – Balanga
  • Fist Aviation Academy, Inc. – Cubi Point, Subic Bay Freeport Zone, Morong
  • Limay Polytechnic College – Limay
  • Maritime Academy of Asia and the Pacific – Mariveles
  • Microcity College of Business and Technology (Formerly: Microcity Computer College Foundation, Inc.) – Balanga
  • Omni Aviation School – Cubi Point, Subic Bay Freeport Zone, Morong
  • Philippine Women's University CDCEC Bataan - Balanga
  • St. Joseph Colleges of Balanga – Balanga
  • Softnet Information Technology Center – Mariveles
  • Tomas del Rosario College – Balanga
  • University of Nueva Caceres-Bataan – Dinalupihan

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Iskolar ng Bataan

Iskolar ng Bataan is a provincial government-funded tertiary education scholarship program with a primary goal of producing at least one professional in every household in the province and be gainfully employed in the trade and industries operating inside or outside the province.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>

Bataan Highschool for the Arts

Through Republic Act No. 11190, the Bataan High School for the Arts is established as the second specialized public high school in the Philippines offering arts-focused education after the Makiling-based Philippine High School for the Arts (PHSA).

The School aims to develop artistically gifted and talented students by implementing a special secondary education curriculum and support programs committed to the conservation and promotion of the Filipino artistic and cultural traditions. This is also a Center for Arts and Design of the Senior High School Program among the twenty school divisions of Central Luzon. Through the establishment of the BHSA, DepEd will be able to help select, stimulate, and prepare students for a career in the arts and cultural work who will serve the region and the country.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>

Bataan Highschool for Sports

By virtue of Republic Act No. 12239 signed in September 2025, Bataan High School for Sports, a specialized high school to foster young athletic talents is being established in the municipality of Bagac. It integrates general secondary education with specialized sports training to develop the athletic potential of Filipino youth.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>

Notable people

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National heroes and patriots

  • Cayetano Arellano (Orion) – first chief justice of the Supreme Court of the Philippines
  • Francisco Baltazar (Orion) – one of the greatest Filipino literary laureates, born in Bigaa (Balagtas), Bulacan, but spent his adult life in Orion, Bataan
  • Pablo Tecson - was an officer in the Revolutionary Army serving under Gen. Gregorio del Pilar and a member of the Philippine Assembly in Malolos representing Bataan's at-large district.
  • Oscar Joson (Balanga) - is the youngest Filipino to receive the US Congressional Gold Medal for bravery and sacrifice of own life. He was a 14-year old Boy Scout who died in Balanga during the early days of World War II.<ref>On My Honor: Stories of Scouts in Action scouts.org.ph</ref>
  • Tomas Pinpin (Abucay) – is remembered for being the first Filipino to publish and print a book, "Librong Pagaaralan nang mga Tagalog nang Uicang Castilla" (Reference Book for Learning Castellano in Tagalog) in 1610, entirely written by himself in the old Tagalog orthography.
  • Tomas del Rosario (Orani) – judge, statesman and first governor of the province of Bataan from 1903 to 1905. He was one of the delegates to the Malolos Congress in 1898 and to the Philippine Assembly from 1909 to 1912.

Politics, military and government

Business and economy

Education, arts and sciences

  • Benjamin Tayabas (Hermosa) - is a US-trained Filipino educator and administrator. He is the longest-serving university president of the Pamantasan ng Lungsod ng Maynila.
  • Heny Sison (Orani) - a renowned pastry chef and teacher. Through the years, she has had a whole range of students—from housewives to celebrities to small-time entrepreneurs who would become success stories, among them the Lorenzanas behind Wildflour, the owner of Costa Brava, even Baby Yulo of Forbes Park's famous strawberry shortcake.<ref>Template:Cite news</ref>
  • Julian Banzon (Balanga) - is a National Scientist of the Philippines for Chemistry
  • Julián Cruz Balmaceda (Orion) - was a Filipino poet, essayist, playwright, novelist, journalist and linguist. He made several works written in Filipino, English and Spanish languages.
  • Lázaro Francisco (Orani) - was a Filipino novelist, essayist and playwright. Francisco was posthumously named a National Artist of the Philippines for Literature in 2009.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>
  • Leonila dela Fuente Dans (Balanga) - A medical researcher and consultant. She is a recipient of 2022 Metrobank Foundation Outstanding Filipinos Award. Her book, "Painless Evidence-Based Medicine", which she co-wrote with husband Dr. Antonio L. Dans and Dr. Maria Asuncion A. Silvestre, is a bestseller among rheumatologists. Her researches include "Randomized Controlled Trial and Cost Benefit Analysis-Zinc Implementation for Acute Diarrhea" for children less than five years old, and the "Utilization of Clinical Practice Guidelines in the Philippines."<ref>Template:Cite web</ref><ref>Template:Cite web</ref>
  • Laureana San Pedro-Rosales (Limay) - educator, philanthropist and founder of Capitol University in Cagayan de Oro, Mindanao and other universities in Northern Mindanao.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>

Religion

Sports and entertainment

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See also

References

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