• Central Luzon also known as Region III, is an

administrative division or region of the Republic of the

Philippines, primarily serve to organize the 7 provinces of
the vast central plain of the island of Luzon (the largest
island), for administrative convenience. The region contains
the largest plain in the country and produces most of the
country's rice supply (Rice Bowl of the Philippines). Its
provinces are: Aurora, Bataan, Bulacan, Nueva Ecija,
Aurora ( Sanctuary of Nature’s Splendor )
•  The province was named after Aurora Quezon, born in Baler and wife of
Manuel L. Quezon, the first president of the Philippine Commonwealth.
Aurora was first explored by Juan de Salcedo in 1571 when he reached
Casiguran and Baler from Laguna. In 1609, a Franciscan mission was
founded in Baler. In 1735, Baler was destroyed by a tidal wave from
the Pacific Ocean. The surviving inhabitants decided to move to higher
ground. In 1814, the village of Binondo was founded away from the
coast.

• Baler was a part of Nueva Ecija until 1902, when it was ceded to
Tayabas (now Quezon province). During the Commonwealth period, when
President Quezon unexpectedly visited Binondo, he named it Aurora in
honor of his wife.

• In 1951, municipalities now comprising the province were organized

into Aurora, then a sub-province of what had become Quezon.
The municipality of Aurora was changed to Maria Aurora.
• Aurora is composed of 8
municipalities

- Baler
- Casiguran
- Dilasag
- Dinalungan
- Dingalan
- Dipaculao
- Maria Aurora
- San Luis
Delicacies
 Suman

- Suman is a native
delicacy of aurora made
from glutinous rice cooked
in coconut milk and sugar
wrapped in banana leaves
or buli or buri palm
(Corypha) leaves for
steaming. It is usually
eaten sprinkled with sugar
or laden with latik. Suman
is also known as budbod
in the Visayan language
 Ensaladong Pako

- is a fiddlehead fern
salad with tomatoes,
salted egg and a
drizzling of
vinaigrette.
Bataan ( History Hub of Central Luzon )
• Bataan was established in 1754 by Governor General Pedro Manuel
Arandia out of territories belonging to Pampanga and the
corregimiento of Mariveles, which at the time included Maragondon
in Cavite across the bay.
• The province had had more than its share of significant historical
events. In 1647, Dutch Naval Forces attempting to invade the
country perpetrated the Abucay massacre in one of its towns. In the
late 1700s, the dreaded Chinese private Limahong used Lusong
Point on the western sides as the landing place to launch his
conquest of Luzon. In the Philippine Revolution of 1896, Bataan
joined the other provinces in Luzon, which revolted against Spanish
rule.
• It was during World War II, however, that Bataan attained notoriety
that would find it a place in the annals of world history. Under
heavy aircraft and artillery shelling from the invading Japanese
forces, the beleaguered Filipino-American troops valiantly defended
this last bastion until the historic “Fall of Bataan” on April 9, 1942.
Bataan is composed of 12 municipalities
• Abucay
• Bagac
• Dinalupihan
• Hermosa
• Limay
• Mariveles
• Morong
• Orani
• Orion
• Pilar
• Samal
Delicacies
 Ukoy

- is a deep-fried
vegetable usually
puso ng saging,
mongo sprout or
green papaya
shavings coated
with batter and
topped with shrimps
 Tinapang Bangus

- Comes in all shapes,sizes and

fishes a filipino term fish
cooked or preserved through
the process of smoking. It is a
native delicacy in bataan and
is often made from blackfin
scad (Alepes melanoptera,
known locally as galunggong),
or from milkfish, which is
bangus
Bulacan ( Land of Promise )
• The province’s name is derived from the Tagalog word “bulak”
meaning cotton, which was its former principal product.
• Bulacan started with small fishing settlements along the coast of
Manila Bay and expanded into the interior with the coming of the
Spaniards. These settlements formed the nuclear of towns that were
founded from 1572 (Bulacan and Calumpit) to 1750 (San Rafael). In
1848, the town of San Miguel was annexed to Bulacan from
Pampanga.
• Bulacan is the home province of some of the nation’s celebrated
heroes: Francisco Baltazar (Balagtas), “The Prince of Filipino Poets,”
Marcelo H. Del Pilar, “The Great Propagandist,” and Gregorio del
Pilar, “The Hero of Tirad Pass.
Bulacan consists of 21 towns & 3 cities with Malolos City
as the provincial capital (5 districts with 569 barangays).

• Angat •  Marilao
•  Balagtas (Bigaa) • Meycauayan
•  Baliuag • Norzagaray

•  Bocaue • Obando
• Pandi
• Bulacan or Bulakan
• Paombong
• Bustos
• Plaridel
• Calumpit
• Pulilan
•  Doña Remedios Trinidad
• San Ildefonso
•  Guiguinto • San Miguel
•  Hagonoy • Santa Maria
• Malolos • San Rafael
Delicacies
 Sinigang na
Hipon sa kamias

- a filipino sour soup

dish with shrimp as
the main ingredient
and kamias is used
instead of sampaloc
 Pancit Marilao

-it is essentially a variant

of pancit palabok what
makes it different are its
toppings. Pancit Marilao
is topped with Bulacan
okoy (shrimp fritters) and
instead of calamansi, it is
garnished with slices of
kamias as pampaasim
Nueva Ecija( Rice Bowl of the Philippines )
• Nueva Ecija is the largest province and the biggest rice
producer of Central Luzon, thus, often referred to as the “Rice
Bowl of the Philippines.”

• Among its main attractions is the Pantabangan River, the

country’s first multi-purpose infrastructure, which stands
today as a phenomenon in Filipino engineering feats. Another
is the Pampanga river, cutting across a rich valley floor,
famed for irrigation, the generation of hydroelectric power,
and the mitigation of flood damage.

• Nueva Ecija is also the agri-tourism pilot site in Central Luzon

due to the presence of the Central Luzon State University in
the province.
The province is divided into four congressional districts,
which consists of 28 municipalities and four cities.

•Aliaga   • Lupao  
•Bongabon • Muñoz  
•Cabanatuan City • Palayan City  
•Cabiao   • Pantabangan  
•Carrangalan  
• Peñaranda 
•Central Luzon State University 
•Cuyapo   • Quezon  
•Fort Magsaysay   • Rizal  
•Gabaldon   • San Antonio  
•Gapan   • San Isidro  
•Gen. M. Natividad   • San Jose City  
•Gen. Tinio 
• San Leonardo  
•Guimba  
• Sto. Domingo  
•Jaen  
•Laur   • Talavera  
•Licab   • Talugtog  
•Llanera   • Zaragoza  
Delicacies
 Bibingka

- is made with rice flour

and coconut milk or
water. Other ingredients
can vary greatly, but the
most common secondary
ingredients are eggs and
milk. 
 Ginataang Bilo -
bilo
- means “rice balls
cooked in sweetened
coconut
milk.” Ginataan is
derived from gata, the
Tagalog word for “coconut
milk.” Bilo-bilo comes
from the sound the sticky
rice balls make as they
boil away on a stove.
Pampanga( Culinary Center of the Philippines )
• The name Pampanga comes from the word “pangpang”
meaning riverbank, a fitting name for a flat country
crisscrossed by a hundred small branches of the Pampanga
river.The Culinary Center of the Philippines. It is populated
by resourceful hardy folk who are justifiably proud of their
famous Kapampangan cuisine.

•  The capital city of San Fernando is world-famous for its

annual Easter re-enactment of the crucifixion of Jesus
Christ. It is also famous for the Pampanga Christmas
lanterns.
Pampanga is composed of 20 municipalities and two cities
(540 Barangays) & subdivided into four political districts.

• Mexico
• Apalit
• Minalin
• Arayat
• Bacolor • Porac
• Candaba • San Luis
• Floridablanca • San Simon
• Guagua • Santa Ana
• Lubao • Santa Rita
• Mabalacat • Santo Tomas
• Macabebe • Sasmuan
• Magalang • Angeles City
• Masantol • City of San Fernando
Delicacies
 Morcon

- is a filipino meat roll

stuffed with sausage
or hotdogs , carrots ,
pickles , cheese and
egg.This is also
considered as a
holiday dish and is
usually served during
Christmas and New
Years Eve
 Buro or Balo - balo

-is a common sauce for

fried or grilled or roasted
fish, and for steamed
vegetables like eggplant ,
okra , ampalaya , sitao ,
or fresh mustard leaves
Tarlac ( Melting Pot of Central Luzon )
• Tarlac’s name is a hispanized derivation from a talahib weed
called Malatarlak

• Tarlac is best known for its fine foods and vast sugar and rice
plantations. That it has fine cooking to offer is due largely to the
fact that it is the melting pot of Central Luzon. It offers some of
the best cuisines from the places of ancestry of its settlers, the
provinces of Bulacan, Nueva Ecija, Zambales, Pangasinan, and
the Ilocos Region.

• Historical sites, fine food, vast plantations, a beautifully

landscaped golf course, and so many other attractions – all
these make the province of Tarlac one of the best of the places to
visit in Central Luzon.
Tarlac is divided into three congressional districts with 17
towns and 1 city 510 barangays
• ·         Anao
• ·         Bamban
• ·         Camiling
• ·         Capas
• ·         Concepcion
• ·         Gerona
• ·         La Paz
• ·         Mayantoc
• ·         Moncada
• ·         Paniqui
• ·         Pura
• ·         Ramos
• ·         San Clemente
• ·         San Jose
• ·         San Manuel
• ·         Santa Ignacia
• ·         Victoria
• ·         Tarlac City
Delicacies
 Inuruban
- iniruban or nilubyan is
a famous Tarlac delicacy
originating from the
town of Camiling. It is a
type of rice cake made
with burned young
sticky rice, coconut milk
and sweetener; usually
sugar, or tagapulot,
hardened sugarcane
molasses.
 Sisig
- is a term in the
“Capampangan”, the dialect of
the people of Tarlac which means
“to snack on something sour”. It
usually refers to unripe of half-
ripe fruits sometimes dipped in
salt and/or vinegar. More widely
known, it also refers to a method
of preparing meat, especially
pork and later on fish and other
exotic meats, which is marinated
in a souring agent such as
calamodin (“calamansi”) or lemon
juice or vinegar, then seasoned
with salt, chili pepper and other
spices.
Zambales ( Wreck Diving Capital of the
Philippines )
•  The name of the province is derived from its earliest inhabitants, the
Zambals, whom the Spanish found worshipping spirits called anitos.
They were referred to as “Sambali,” from the Malay word samba,
meaning “to worship.” The term was later Hisparicized to “Zambal.”
•  Zambales was one of the earliest provinces created during the
Spanish rule. As founded in the 16th century, it was composed of the
area extending from Cape Bolinao in the north to Subic on the
south. Due to their inaccessibility from the capital, seven towns in
the northern portion of Zambales - from Bolinao to Infanta and
including Alaminos - were later ceded to Pangasinan, forming that
province’s western part.
•  Zambales is the home province of the seventh president of the
Philippine Republic, Ramon Magsaysay, who hailed from Castillejos

        
Zambales has 13 towns and 1 city,
with Iba as the provincial capital.
• Botolan
• Cabangan
• Candelaria
• Castillejos
• Iba (Iba)
• Masinloc
• Palauig
• San Antonio
• San Felipe
• San Marcelino
• San Narciso
• Santa Cruz
• Subic
• Olongapo City
Delicacies
 Ginipang

- is a native delicacy of
the northernmost town
of Zambales, made of
conspicuously dried rice
grains flavored with a
uniquely sweet
concoction to taste. With
its prices pegged
affordably, this is a
favorite pasalubong
treat of visiting tourists.
 Pastillas

- is made from fresh

carabao milk and
delicately processed
by womensfolk,
wrapped in clean
white Japanese
paper and sealed in
simple perfection