Philippines Region III is Central Luzon
Region III is Central Luzon
Region III is Central Luzon. It is made up of six provinces, namely: Bulacan, Pampanga, Tarlac, Nueva Ecija, Zambales and Bataan. Zambales and Bataan are coastal provinces. Tarlac and Nueva Ecija are landlocked while Pampanga and Bulacan share the waters of Manila Bay.
Location
The region is bounded in the North by Regions II and the CAR; in the East by Aurora and Quezon provinces; in the South by Manila Bay and Metro Manila; and in the West by South China Sea. It has a total land area of 18,230 square kilometers. The climate in the region is dry from November to April and wet the rest of the year. It lies in the pathway of typhoons.
Geographical Features
A greater part of Central Luzon is in the plain. It has fertile alluvial soil that makes agriculture the leading industry. It produces one-third of the total rice production in the whole country. Thus, the region is called the "Rice Granary of the Philippines". Of all the provinces, Nueva Ecija produces the most rice. It is referred to as the "Rice Bowl" of the region.
Central Luzon has good sources of water. Major rivers that drain the region are the Pampanga River, Angat River and Agno River. The government constructed dams for agricultural and domestic purposes. These are the Pantabangan Dam, Angat Dam and Ipo Dam. They serve as means of irrigation and sources of potable water and electricity.
Mariveles Free Trade Zone in Bataan
Region III is strategically situated . It is located between the commercial markets of Metro Manila and Northern Luzon. Because of this, it has become an important trading center and transportation terminal for products. The major trading centers are the cities of Olongapo, Angeles, Cabanatuan, San Jose and the capital towns of Balanga, Tarlac and Malolos.
The two former big American bases in Region III were Clark Air base in Pampanga and Subic Naval Base in Zambales, which is now the Subic Bay free port, a rising industrial area.
Significant Places
The Central Luzon provinces lave significant places in Philippine iiistory. Bulacan, Pampanga, Nueva Ecija and Tarlac were
among the first provinces that revolted against the Spaniards in 1896. These provinces are represented by the rays of the sun in our Filipino flag.Malolos, Bulacan was the seat of the First Philippine Republic under Gen. Emilio Aguinaldo. Bataan is the symbol of bravery, where our soldiers defended our country during the Second World War. The infamous "Death March" started in Mariveles, Bataan and ended in Capas, Tarlac. Dambana ng Kagitingan, a war memorial, was erected on Mt. Samat to honor the patriotic soldiers.
Cultural Groups
There are three ethno-linguistic groups in Central Luzon — the Tagalogs, the Ilocanos and the Pampanguefios. The Tagalogs live in Bulacan, Nueva Ecija, Zambales and Bataan. The Pampanguefios are in Pampanga, Tarlac and Bataan. Many Ilocanos live in Zambales, Tarlac, Pangasinan and Nueva Ecija. Tarlac is the melting pot of all these groups.
