The People

The first Spanish who arrived in the province came upon two main races of people living in Bataan – the inhabitants of the mountains and those settled on the plains. The mountain people were the Negritoes or Aetas and the inhabitants of the plains were the natives.

Aside from these two main groups, however, there came the peninsular Spaniards, the Chinese, and the mestizos who were either Spaniards or Chinese born to parents married to native women.

The Aetas

The Negritoes or Aetas, at the time they were written about by Father Vicente Fernandez in 1886, numbered around 1,300 to 1,500 with the population tending to decrease rather than increase. They were described then as a miserable race with kinky hair and dark skin. Their origin, descent and language were not too well known, although others of their kin lived in Malacca, Sumatra, Java, Formosa, New Guinea and in a majority of the Philippine islands. Their language was similar to those in the towns and ranches near the mountains where they lived.

Father Vicente Fernandez reported that until his time, all the efforts to confine the Negritoes to life in community had been fruitless. Both threats and blandishments had been used. Houses had been built for them on sites near the mountains, but they always returned to their mountainous abode the moment they knew they were out of sight or the resources for their upkeep had been used up.

The Candidate

The greatest bulk of the lowlanders were the natives. They belonged to the pure Malay race, were of regular build, oval-faced, and with large eyes. However, although they are of Malay race, one could observe in their physiognomy some resemblances to the people of Ternate, perhaps because they had merged with or intermarried with the Mardicas of the opposite coast.

Most of them spoke Tagalog, but a considerable number of the population, especially in the beginning, spoke Pampango, which is no surprise since Bataan was fomerly a part of Pampanga province.

By the turn of the century, the following style of dress was in vogue. Men wore pantalones, camisa de coco which was either black or blue, a buri hat or salacot and a panuelo around their necks. Women sported short black camisa de coco which was usually de sinamay con rayas, a saya of black or of any other color, a tapiz over the saya, a pair of chinelas on their feet, a panuelo around the neck or head, plus a rosary or scapular hanging from their neck and resting on their breast. Special attires, as those of the Spaniards, were worn by ministers of justice and the principales of the town on special occasions.

To pass their time, men and women played panguingue. Men usually enjoyed monte and sabong. The old folk spent their time chewing tobacco and buyo while conversing on their staircases, windows, stores, plazas or streets. Among the young, carabao races were also popular. And the nights were passed with haranas or serenades.

They especially celebrated town fiestas, attended zarzuelas in which the people of Mabatang were experts and enjoyed the galleras.

The low-landers were easily satisfied. They were content with having just the necessities of life for the present, without care for the future. For cultivation, they preferred swampy farms which were easy to cultivate but were always productive. They had a characteristic aversion to holding public office and paying taxes. And as the angelus tolled the setting of the sun, they ended their days with prayers and a manifestation of respect for the old while closing their windows and locking their doors.

The Peninsular

Peninsular Spaniards were those who came from Spain to live in the Philippines. Those who had stayed long in the Philippines were called camagones at the end of the nineteenth century.

It is noted that in the second half of the last century, the number of peninsular Spaniards in Bataan was strangely small, and all of them were either employees in civil, economic and military administration or parish. Around that period, too, there were nine towns in which the pastors were the pastors were the only Spaniards.

It is likewise of interest that in the entire province, there was not a single peninsular Spaniard or foreigner, aside from the Chinese, who were involved in agriculture, commerce or industry.

The Chinese residents of the province were few in number, compared to those in the other provinces of the archipelago. They were estimated to have been only about 160 to 180, according to the census taken by the Government and Administration in the year 1885.

Almost all engaged in commerce. Some engaged in the alcohol industry and in the drying of fish for shipment to Manila and Pampanga. Only a small number was engaged in agriculture.

There were no rich Chinese. Due to the big number of mestizos who sought to emulate their parents and due to the proximity of the Manila markets to which they themselves brought their products, the Chinese had never been able to control commerce – not even retail stores.



Being thriftier, more active and more industrious, the Chinese of the last century in Bataan were not too well liked by the natives. Occasionally, an aggrieved native took revenge on a Chinese who had done him an injustice. In such occurrences, it difficult to uncover the perpetrators of the crimes for the natives did not volunteer information to investigate the deeds perpetrated on the Chinese.

Some of the Chinese married and settled permanently in the province to live with their families. But the majority were transients who came to try their fortune and traveled on from one province to the next.

The Mestizos

There were two main divisions of mestizos in Bataan --the Spanish-native mestizos and the Chinese-native mestizos.

The Spanish-native mestizos were greater in number than the peninsular Spaniards. However, they were of little influence and importance as majority of them belonged to the poorer class. But they had always tried to preserve their lineage in census lists due to privileges of exemption from tribute and due to the municipal services which they enjoyed as provided for by the law.

The Chinese-native mestizos were also of considerable number. As a matter of fact, their number ranked second to that of the natives. They were actually more than what appeared in parish lists, for the son or daughter of a native father and a Chinese mestiza mother was classified in records as a native. They were, in fact, very careful in having this noted in their baptismal records in order not to pay the higher rate of tribute imposed on Chinese mestizos, according to the ancient laws of the tribute.

This race was astonishingly prolific and it has left permanent traces of its characteristic traits both physical as well as moral. This is especially noticeable in the town of Balanga, where inhabitants strangely have white complexion and slanted eyes. Even most of their family names reflect a Chinese ancestry.

They were generally serious, generous, thrifty, clean and shrewd. They dedicated themselves to agriculture, commerce and industry. They were the truly powerful people in the province. They gave out money advances or loans to natives, with regular interests collectible at harvest time. Their women were usually more active then the men and possessed great talent in managing their business and making it grow. However, they had the vice of gambling, where they risked their fortune many times.

In general, the people of the province were docile, religious and loving to their superiors.

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Posted in: land and ports,landing,Mestizos,missionaries,mountains,Peninsular,population

The Land Called Bataan

The province known as Vatan during the Madjapahit Empire, was already a progressive settlement long before 1571. The Spaniards who first set foot on the land reportedly came upon a population of about 2,000.

The province of Bataan lies on the western coast of the island of Luzon, with an area of over 137,297 square hectares or a total of 1,243 square kilometers. It is bounded on the north by the province of Zambales; on the northeast, by the province of Pampanga; on the east, by Manila Bay; on the west, where its coastline forms a semicircle, by the China Sea; and on the South, by the canal between the verdant mountains of Mariveles and the historical fort-island of Corregidor called Boca-Chica.

In its northern part are the towns of Dinalupihan and Hermosa; in its eastern part, Orani, Samal, Abucay, Balanga, Pilar, Orion and Cabcaben; in its southern tip, facing Corregidor, the town of Mariveles; and in its south-western part, Bagac and Morong.

Bataan is blessed with more mountains than plains with a mountain found in each town of the province. It is ringed by a mountain chain called the Zambales mountains because they are located in that province, beginning from the highlands above Subic. A series of uplands stretches from Bataan’s southern tip, the highest of which is a peak called Mariveles. Mariveles is about 5,118 feet high or 13,390 meters above sea level, broken only between Balanga and bagac by a more or less extensive flat valley. A second range of uplands and plateaus rises above Orani forming the Butilao peak, with an altitude of approximately 4,751 feet. Other mountains are the Morro de Orion, Samal, Balanga, Dinalupihan and Mt. Samat in Pilar.

There is a notable difference between the eastern section of the province, which faces the bay, and the western section towards the China Sea. The first is, to a great extent, flat with gentle slopes of rising lands which present a beautiful view; while the second is very irregular.

Having some 20 leagues of coastline, Bataan keeps within its bosom, in the town of Orion, two-cabalitas of quagmire called lupang puti (white soil) by the natives; and a smaller one in Ogon, Balanga.

In Mariveles, Saysain, Bagac and Morong, there are small bays good for fishing. In Mt. Malasimbo, north of Dinalupihan, there are wells of water with gallionella ferrugia.

There are two deep and long rivers in this province, namely, Talisay and the Almacenes. Talisay, originating from the Samal and Orani mountains and branching out into Pilar and Balanga, forms the dividing line between these two latter towns. The Almacenes, welling from the mountains of Hermosa and coursing through the plains stretching to Subic, a part of Zambales, runs through the town of Dinalupihan and ends in the town of Lubao in the province of Pampanga.

This river also branches out to form the Cola and Lumaen rivers in Hermosa, and the sweet-watered Orani River which has a depth of about two to three arm-lengths and which passes through Lalawigan to the sea. It is named Almacenes because it is found in the place where, in olden times, timber and palms were brought together after being gathered from surrounding areas, and made to form launches which carried different commodities to the capital.

Other rivers are the Ogong in Balanga; Palivas, Balayang and Salinas in Abucay; and the river Calaguiman which passes through the town proper of Samal and the barrio of Mabatang where there was a big canal.

The average temperature in the province at midday through the months of November until February is 27° and 30° from March through June. The rest of the year has the same temperature due to the continued rains during these months. The atmospheric pressure, according to the reduced barometer, is usually 76,100 and in times of storms, reads as low as 71,500. Relative humidity during the rainy season is 80.0 to 90.0 and during the dry season, 60 to 70. Thunderstorms are frequent. And it is observed that atmospheric changes correspond to the two periodical monsoons of the year which are often not in any manner intense. Though sometimes the southwest monsoon caused cholera and the northwest monsoon coupled with intermittent heat could lead to pneumonia.

As a whole, however, the climate is temperature and the air is widely reputed to be pure and healthy.

The soil of the province presents different aspects and characteristics. In Mariveles and Abucay, it is sandy, clayish and plain, while in Hermosa it is plain. The soil of Orion is plain and sandy, and in Morong it is clayish; in Mabatang it is rocky, sandy, hilly and clayish; in Dinalupihan, plain and hilly; and in Bagac, clayish and plain.

The two highest mountains – Mariveles and Butilao – are not volcanic. They have neither lave nor slag, which proves that when the water appeared on top of the soil, it penetrated to where matter was boiling in a confused mixture, and the peaks of these two mountains rose to their present form.

This theory, according to Señor Azaola and as recorded by Father Vicente Fernandez, who kept extensive writings on Bataan, is proven by an examination of these same mountains. In their upper levels are found successive arches or basins (catanques) of water from the highest summit to the plains. This is a clear sign that when the mountains rose because of the liquefaction of igneous substances, depressions in the mountain tops were created when they cooled off, and, filled with water from the atmosphere, they broke the dikes which held them, because of their own weight and their descent to the plains, they formed others which, in their turn, were dug up, either by earthquakes or by the pressure of the water which had accumulated there.

That the soil is pyrogenic and of igneous eruption is proven by the fact that no signs or traces of any mineral have ever been found and only sulphates of iron, pirita marcial which they call guslagusla, are seen in certain rocks. The deposits of iron, titanite or sand, which are found in certain streams in Limay where there is a layer two felt deep, corroborate this hypothesis. For it is known that this mineral is most plentiful in all volcanic countries and is an element in the formation of the rocks in lands of igneous origin.

Notwithtstanding this, however, there are, in the break between Bagac and Morong, spheres or balls of greenish and black basalt, covered with a crust of marly siliceous layers which the people used as grinders, as well as basalt tabulanes doubtless underlying the rocks, which is not unusual in these formations.

This theory establishes the sufficient fertility of the soil of this province for agriculture. Actually, the lowlands from the north to the south are good for farming. Agustin Cavada records that by the year 1876, the land already cultivated over the whole province was about 3,768 hectares which was clayish-siliceous (siliceo-arcilloso) and with a muddy siliceous sub-soil.

Apart from the fertility of the soil, irrigation was never much of a problem. Because the mountain chains, which span an area of 125,000 hectares and where the soil is clayish-siliceous with a calcarious clayish-siliceous sub-soil, are provided with slopes on the east and west due to which the rivers follow a short course falling almost perpendicularly from the mountains into Manila Bay on the east and into China Sea on the west. With little effort, these streams and rivulets that empty into the sea from the mountains, were exploited for irrigation and the production of sugar by means of hydraulic machines.

Floods, a constant threat to agriculture-based provinces, were not frequent here due to the permeability of the soil and the regularity with which the forests conserve and distribute the rainfall.

Aside from its suitability to agriculture, Bataan is also rich in other natural resources. Abundant in lumber, it grows several varieties of trees which are useful for both civil and naval constructions. It also abounds in deer, wild boar, wild cats, alligators and sawa which is a delicacy of the Negritoes. Birds like doves, bato-bato, kingfishers, balores, calaos, white and green parrots and the balinsasayaw nest in its forests.

Between Orani and Hermosa, there is a place called la mina where bolinas pequeñas were found. These were said to be actually hierro hydratado de hierro pisiforme which were used by the natives for painting carriages and which can be properly studied and tapped for purposes of progress and development.

In Orani itself, there was a lagoon descending to a plain of clay used for making earthen jars (pilones) for the manufacture of sugar. In Samal, there is a deposit of dead shells (capiz) which is hitherto scientifically unexplained.

At the mouth of Morong River in Mariveles, there are hot spring called Balong-Anito with alcalinic water. It is also from here that the famous marmoles blancos de Mariveles come. Out of these, the statue of King Charles IV in one of the main thoroughfares of Manila and the pavement of the old Santo Domingo Church were made.

In a barrio of this town called San Miguel, there was a quarry. From the rocks taken there were constructed the Manila railway, the monument of Magellan in the isthmus of Santo Domingo and the baptismal fount of Balanga. In a cave at Pantogan, Orion, there are stones as brilliant as gold, which are classified as antimonio. Also, here can be found jade, which is very precious for the Chinese. Father Morales records that history refers to a Portuguese adventurer who found diamonds in the bosoms of its mountains in about the year 1620.

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Posted in: adventures,Bataan,historical,history,land and ports,landing,mountains

Investment Areas

1. PNOC Alternative Fuels Corporation Industrial Park

The PNOC AFC Industrial Park (formerly PPDC) is situated in a 530-hectare land between the municipalities of Limay and Mariveles. It is 135 kms. away from Manila by land and more or less an hour away across Manila Bay. At present, the complex houses the following companies: Philippine Resins Industries, Inc., NPC Alliance Corporation, and Phoenix Polypropylene Plant (formerly Petrocorp) that process petroleum by-products for rubber and plastic industries. Soon to start its initial operation is the PNOC Alternative Fuels Corporation registered with the Board of Investments with a pioneer status will use jatropha plants as source of biofuels.

2. Petron Bataan Refinery Complex

Petron Corp., the country’s top oil refiner inaugurated on April 09, 2008 the Philippines’ first petrochemical feedstock facilities at PBR Complex in Limay, Bataan. The Petro Fluidized Catalytic Cracking (PetroFCC) unit and Propylene Recovery Unit (PRU) are part of the company’s refinery Master Plan to further diversify and boost its position in the local petrochemical industry.

The PetroFCC, the first “cracking” unit of its kind in the world will convert black products (fuel oil) into higher value LPG, gasoline, diesel and yields high level propylene. The PRU further purifies the propylene to be used in making petrochemical products such as food packaging, appliances, suitcases, furniture, DVDs and even car parts. Petron Corp. has signed an agreement with Mitsui Co. Ltd. for a six-month supply of polymer-grade propylene.

3. PEZA-Bataan Economic Zone (BEZ)

The first and largest economic zone in the country was once the magnet of investments in the country. The established shipping port within the zone however would significantly serve the whole region as a strategic transshipment point.

There are 47 companies presently operating inside BEZ whose major exports include electronics, garments, textiles, fashion accessories, optical lenses, tennis balls, leather goods, sports bags and accessories, athletic shoes, and fiberglass products.

Plastic City Special Economic Zone

Under the administration of Bataan Economic Zone, Plastic City SEZ is located in a 25-hectare land at Barangay Alion, Mariveles, Bataan. It is about 2 kms. from the Petrochemical Industrial Complex, source of raw materials for its two (2) locators inside, Diversified Plastic Film Systems, and Modern Packaging Film Systems. Preferred industries are from light to heavy.

Mariveles Grain Terminal

Primarily to serve as main hub for handling, storing, and unloading of

grains within the terminal, industries identified for the Food city are flour milling, oil seed crushing/refining, starch production (corn and cassava), and feed compounding as core businesses. Downstream industries include pasta/noodle production, snack foods/biscuits and other varied food processing.

The terminal has the capacity to cater both the local and foreign grain producers with a handling discharge rate of 10,000 metric tons per day.

Support industries outside the Food City include backward linkages such as cattle-raising, corn-growing, fish/prawn farming and service industries.

4. Bataan Technological Park, Inc. (BTPI)

A 380-hectare site in Sabang, Morong, Bataan was once a UN High

Commission’s Refugee Processing Center. BTPI is ideal for world-class facilities for science-based and multi-use research and high technology development. A portion of the area is being geared towards research laboratory, modern agricultural training center and model farm.

Now under the management of Subic Bay Freeport Zone which is around 10 minutes away, BTPI stretches out to accommodate light and customized manufacturing industries.

5. Hermosa Special Economic Zone (HSEZ)

HSEZ would become a natural catch-basin of opportunities from existing industries in the W-Growth Corridor especially when the Subic-Clark-Tarlac Expressway Project (SCTEP) becomes operational. This development would complement to the growth of the agricultural sector alongside manufacturing business where HSEZ promises to be a better alternative site for light industries.

Hermosa Ecozone Industrial Park (HEIP)

A world-class 165 hectares industrial estate inside HSEZ is strategically located alongside the Subic-Clark-Tarlac Expressway making it just a few minutes away from Subic Bay Freeport Zone, Clark SEZ, and the rest of Central Luzon.

HEIP’s proximity to these transshipment hubs would greatly benefit its investors of the deep water port facilities (SBFZ) and international airports (Subic and Clark).

Subic-Hermosa Cyber City

Seated on a 96-hectare land (first phase only), it is intended for locators engaged in electronics, information technology, multi-media and other light industries. Its development includes factory buildings, industrial lots, commercial/residential buildings, office buildings, and shopping/entertainment complex. It is just a few meters away from Roman Superhighway.

6. Balanga BPO Center

Included in the list of “Next Wave Cities” of Information Technology in Central Luzon by the Department of Trade and Industry, the City of Balanga is gearing up to become the next ICT Hub in the region because of available infrastructure, presence of IT professionals and highly trainable manpower resources.

The City of Balanga is an hour away from the Mall of Asia, the latest ICT Hub in the country, via ferry services plying Manila-Port of Orion. Literally, “the city across the bay” since Manila Bay alone separates the two cities.

Located in the city commercial district, the Bataan Transport Mall is being developed as a BPO Center. The building is seated on a 4.6 has. land with a floor area of 11,340 square meters. The center is close to the proposed ICT Park of Balanga.




Related Links:


Bataan Provincial Investment Promotion Plan (2008-2010)
Strategic Location of the Province
Proximity & Accessibility
Water & Power Utilities
Agricultural Produce
Cost of Doing Business
Investment Priority Areas
Investment Incentives

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Posted in: Alternative Fuels,Bataan refinery,economic,freeport zone,Industrial Park,land and ports,landing,petrochemicals,Petron,refinery

PROXIMITY AND ACCESSIBILITY

The easiest and most comfortable way to get to Bataan from Manila is via ferry services from the docks near PICC and Mall of Asia in just 45 minutes.

There are two (2) bus companies that ply Manila-Bataan route, Genesis Bus Lines and Bataan Transit while Victory Liner Bus Lines serves the Balanga-Olongapo route. It takes about two hours to reach Manila via the newly-improved North Luzon Expressway and half an hour drive to Subic and Clark using the newly-constructed Subic-Clark-Tarlac Expressway.

Bataan’s road network totals 1,135.6 kms. Buses depart every 15-30 minutes regularly for the convenience of the riding public.

Helipad and airstrip facilities are also available for air transport facilities. It takes about 20 minutes to reach Bataan by helicopter from Manila. There are seven (7) helipads in the province: BTPI (Morong), BEZ (Mariveles), Mt. Samat Shrine (Pilar), Camp Tolentino (Balanga City), NPC Bagac, Petron Bataan Refinery (Limay), and Bataan 2020 (Samal).

There are 14 tertiary ports including the three (3) classified as national ports, namely: Ports of Mariveles, Orion, and Limay. These ports serve the industries and companies operating in the province. The Port of Orion is designed for roll-on-roll-off for cargoes, passengers, and motor vehicles. This port also provides ferry services to and from Manila.

The remaining 11 municipal ports primarily serve as local fish landing facilities.

Communication Facilities

Telephone Companies

1. Philippine Long Distance Telephone Company (PLDT)

2. Digital Telecommunications (DIGITEL)

3. Eastern Telecom

4. Globe Telecom

5. Smart Communications

6. Bureau of Telecommunication (BUTEL)

7. Bataan Telephone Exchange (BATELEX)

8. PT&T

9. OWNI

Mobile Phone Servers

1. SMART

2. Globe

3. Sun Cellular

4. Piltel

Cable TV Operators

1. Apollo Fly Cable TV, Limay

2. Bataan Space Cable Network, Inc., Balanga City

3. Clear Vision Cable TV, Orani

4. Mabuhay Cable TV, Abucay

5. Mariveles Space Cable, Inc., Mariveles

6. Rousatt Cable TV, Mariveles

7. Mt. Malasimbu Cable TV Corp., Dinalupihan

8. St. Joseph Cable System, Bagac & Morong

Local Radio Stations

1. Smile Radio 98.3 FM, City of Balanga

2. Power Radio 104.7 FM, City of Balanga

Internet Providers

1. PLDT

2. SMART Communications

3. Digital Telecommunication




Related Links:


Bataan Provincial Investment Promotion Plan (2008-2010)
Strategic Location of the Province
Water & Power Utilities
Agricultural Produce
Cost of Doing Business
Investment Areas
Investment Priority Areas
Investment Incentives

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Posted in: airstrip,communications,land and ports,landing,riders,travel,vacation

History of Faith & Governance

The Arrival of the Spaniards in the Philippines

With the first mass at Limasawa on Leyte Island on March 31, 1521, Magellan solemnly established what was to become the long Spanish presence in the Philippines. Divine Providence so ordained it that even after the death of Magellan on Mactan Island in the central region of the archipelago, King Charles I of Spain continued to send expeditions to the east. Charles, however, was not successful in these enterprises --and it was Iris successor, King Philip II, who claimed the glory of having his group of islands, which was eventually named after him, among the list of Spanish dominions. It was during his reign and under his patronage that Miguel Lopez de Legazpi reached Leyte in February 1565.

By the year 1571, Rajah Matanda and Rajah Soliman, who reigned amongst the communities on the island of Luzon, were already vassals of the Spanish crown. It was only a matter of time before the immediate neighborhood of Manila eventually capitulated without bloodshed.

But further away from these environs, it was necessary for the conquistadores, as the Spaniards were called, to use arms. So Legazpi sent Martin de Goiti and Juan de Salcedo on the mission to subjugate the natives.

De Goiti was assigned to conquer the region known as Pampanga, of which Bataan was then a part. In this expedition, he was accompanied by Rajah Lacandula, who reigned over Tondo, Manila. This was fortuitous for De Goiti, for when the native chiefs realized this, they did not offer much resistance since the presence of the Tondo king augured well for them. They were weekly pacified and, like him, they acepted Spanish sovereignty.

De Goiti's early retum to Manila from Pampanga seems to have aborted the Spanish sojourn and settlement in the areas farther away from Manila, including Bataan.

But the Spaniards did reach Bataan - not as conquerors, but as missionaries.



Dutch Attack on Abucay & Samal


The first Dutch attack on the Philippines was led by Admiral Olivier van Noort, who landed in Albay in December 1600. On Saturday, June 22, 1647, the Dutch fleet appeared on the shores of Abucay.

In Samal, three enemy ships also attacked. However, they had hardly fired their cannons when they were driven away by the Filipino-Spanish soldiers, with the same courage as in Abucay.

In less than four days, there were 600 soldiers gathered to face the enemy should they return, as what actually happened. On July 11, 150 Dutch soldiers landed in Abucay led by the third in command of the fleet, to sack the town and take off with the livestock.

At the same time, Samal was also being sacked by the enemy when the troops of Captain Francisco Gomez Pulido arrived as reinforcement, having been sent by General Juan de Chavez from Abucay. Pulido, aided by the troops of Francisco Palmares, drove away the enemies, including the heretic who conquered Abucay. There were 14 killed on land and two were taken prisoners. It was not known how many were killed at sea, but undoubtedly, there were many of them. The rest managed to reach their ships anchoring at Mariveles Point, but an epidemic finally wiped out all of them.

After this event, the Governor General ordered that the dead be buried with honors for their loyalty to God and Country.

The British Invasion of Orion

The friendly relations between Spain and England were shared on August 15, 1761 by the signing of the Family Compact executed among the Spanish, French and Italian Bourbons. But even before Manila could hear of this, by the next year, 13 English ships, commanded by Admiral Samuel Cornish, with three to four thousand troops, entered Manila.

Due to lack of food, the British had to extend their invasion to the provinces surrounding Manila – San Pablo in Laguna, Santa Cruz de Malabon in Cavite, Pandi in Bulacan, including Caloocan, Navotas, and San Juan del Monte.

And it was at this period that the British thought of invading Bataan, and set their sights on landing in Orion.

However, before they were able to land and station themselves at the town-convent, General Anda had already heard of the news. Immediately he ordered 60 of his men, under D. Manuel Aspilla, to board their wagons and proceed at once from Guagua (Wawa, Pampanga) to Bataan where they were joined by 200 natives with their bows and arrows.

Separating 16 of Anda’s soldiers and 50 bowmen of Bataan to take possession and guard the only way by the river leading to the sea, the principal detachment marched towards the convent. But they had not yet completely surrounded it when the British soldiers began to run for the beach in confusion.



However, before they reached the shore, there was a short exchange of fire on the road by the river leading to the sea where a number of Spanish-Bataan men-of-war were waiting.

In this encounter, there were six or seven Englishmen and one native of Bataan killed.

Bataan Revolts Against Spain

The townsfolk of Bataan embraced the faith and culture introduced by the Dominican fathers who settled on their land. But, the Spaniards later realized, the people were not such a submissive lot in the face of extreme abuses. Like their counterparts in other provinces around the archipelago, the Bataan natives strained against the tightening noose of subjugation and plotted to shed off the foreign burden.

The Uprising of 1600

Tremors of war in Bataan began as early September 1, 1660. On that day, the Council of Mayors from different parts of Pampanga, the province of which Bataan was then still a part, met without due consideration to the then Alcade Mayor.

The point at issue was the uprising which began when a worker cutting timber in Bataan for the construction of the ship San Sebastian in Cavite, attacked his foreman in retaliation for the extreme abuses against him. His cause had been taken up by his fellow workers, who collectively denounced the abuses committed against them, including that they were not paid on time and, if it all, they were unjustly paid, and that because of this, some of them had already died of hunger.

Emotions were then at fever pitch, it was said, so that even if the governor, Sabiano Manrique de Lara, appeared at the head of the troops, bringing money, he would not have succeeded in pacifying the insurgents.

They had already burned the warehouse of the Dominicans when a Dominican priest, Fr. Pedro Camacho, helped by three other Augustinian friars, tried to pacify them by giving them a ration of rice enough to last for a month.

But all was in vain. The rebels took their families to the mountains, formed themselves into a band, and occupied Lubao and Bacolor, which was then the capital of Pampanga, using the churches as their quarters and holding the Alcade Mayor hostage.

News of this rebellion reached Manila on October 4 of the same year. At once, eight artilleries with 300 Spanish soldiers with the best military men, including Japanese and Mardicas, were dispatched. The forces drove the rebels to other provinces, particularly Pangasinan, where they were led by Andres Malong. However, majority of them remained and were pacified. And, having made it clear that they were not against all Spanish sovereignty but were only for justice, no penalty was meted out to them. On the contrary they received 14,000 pesos which were due to them, as was clear from the Royal Cedula.

Since then, except for the 1787 Tobacco Monopoly unrest in Samal and some occasional attacks of pirates, bandits and Aetas which caused the death of Father Antonio Perez in 1727, Bataan became a very peaceful province until the year 1898 when the insurrectos murdered Fathers David Varas, Domingo Cabrejas and Jose de San Juan.

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Bataan at a Glance

Bataan rings a chord in the heart of every Filipino. It is a symbol of democracy and freedom – a memorial to the gallant Filipino-American defenders of Bataan who fought decisive battles that delayed the timetable of the well-equipped and better trained Japanese Imperial forces, and changed the course of history in the Pacific.

Obscure and relatively unknown before World War II, Bataan was founded in 1754 by Governor General Pedro Manuel Arandia. The region was divided into two parts – The Corregimiento of Mariveles and the province of Pampanga. The towns of Mariveles, Bagac, Morong, and Maragondong, Cavite comprised the Corregimiento of Mariveles which was under the jurisdiction of the Recollect Order of the Roman Catholic Church. The province of Pampanga included the towns of Orion, Pilar, Balanga, Abucay, Samal, Orani, Llana Hermosa, and San Juan de Dinalupihan. The group was under the charge of the Dominican Order.

The Dominicans founded Abucay on June 10, 1588, Samal on April 30, 1641, Orion April 30, 1667, Orani and Balanga on April 21, 1714, Llana Hermosa May 8, 1756 and Pilar March 10, 1901. The three towns on the western side-Mariveles, Bagac and Morong were founded by the Franciscans in about 1578.

Bataan has more than its share of significant historical events: in 1574, the dreaded Chinese Limahong used Lusong point at the western side of Bataan as a landing place; in 1647, the Dutch Naval Forces perpetrated the Abucay Massacre; and the Bataan Death March to Capas, Tarlac started in the municipalities of Mariveles and Bagac. Today, touching commemorative shrines are dedicated to the memory of those who resisted the Japanese occupation – a bayonet thrust into the ground with a helmet symbolically slung over the riffle butt to mark the start of the Death March; and the imposing “Dambana ng Kagitingan” on top of Mt. Samat in Pilar, Bataan.

Bataan is a province faced with a challenge. It is on the verge of becoming both an extensive industrialization hub and a tourist haven which may well be the equivalent of the dynamic force it exuded in its historic past.

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