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Governor General Manuel Arandia established Bataan in 1754. Before this region was divided into two parts: the Corregimiento of Mariveles, and the province of Pampanga.
Bataan province together with the province of Zambales is in the western part of Luzon. The smallest in the region in terms of land area, which is 137,296 ha., it has a peninsula just cut into the China Sea, forming the Manila Bay within a cove. The sea lines in east, west and southern portions while in the north are the provinces of Pampanga and Zambales. The province is drain by numerous rivers and small streams with very few meanders radiating and sloping from the mountain groups down to the sea.
Bataan has twelve (12) towns/municipalities, 203 barangays and 11 cultural minorities-sitios. The chief executive of the province is the governor, a mayor heads each town/municipality and each barangay has a barangay captain. The languages/dialects spoken in the province are Tagalog, which is the most common and followed by Pampanggo/Kapampangan and Ilocano. Spite of the rapid industrialization, Bataan basically remains an agricultural province. With rice, corn, sugarcane, fruits, root crops, and vegetables as its major products. And fishing was considered as next to farming.
Bataan has several natural attractions; such as Sibul Spring, Pasukulan Falls, Talaga Beach and Roosevelt National Park that was a former U.S. jungle training camp. Due to its historical background, Bataan also has many man-made attractions; like the Philippine-Japanese Tower, Dambana ng Kagitingan (Shrine of Valor), Fall of Bataan Marker and several historical sites that depicts the memories of the Pacific-War.
There are 3 bus companies to be used on how to get in Bataan: (1) The Philippine Rabbit and Pantranco Bus Liner (Bataan-Manila route); (2) The Victory Liner (Bataan-Olongapo route); and (3) Mini buses enroute for Manila, Olongapo, and San Fernando, Pampanga.
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