PROFILE OF REGION 3

Central Luzon at a Glance

Envisioned to become the industrial heartland of the Philippines and the Asia Pacific; an international transshipment hub; and a showcase of a vibrant and competitive agriculture sector, Central Luzon is the logical destination for investments and leisure.

A growth region in the Philippines that contributes significantly to the national economy, Central Luzon is home to a number of industrial estates and economic zones with efficient water, power and telecommunication facilities; port facilities; road networks that create synergy between and among the economic and tourism points of Subic, Clark and the seven provinces; and, a strategic location that offers accessibility for the movement of people, goods and service from the North to Manila.

A distinct advantage in consideration of the Asia-Pacific Rim, Central Luzon’s highly strategic location was enough for the United States Government to locate their biggest naval and air military facilities outside the US mainland. The former Subic Naval Base and Clark Air Base facilities which were turned over to the Philippine government in 1991, now two of the country’s premier economic zones.

Central Luzon combines the advantages of an international airport, a seaport, industrial and agricultural areas, tourism and leisure sites, support services, and major thoroughfares. The complementation of each of these elements enhances the strengths of the region as an investment destination.

Culture and Tradition

Central Luzon has a very diverse cultural heritage and colorful traditions, owing to the influence of Spanish, American and Japanese colonizers, as well as the presence of different ethnolinguistic groups – Aetas, Sambals, Capampangangs, Tagalogs, Ilocanos and Pangasinenses.

More than half of the population in the region speaks Tagalog, which is attributed to the large Tagalog-speaking provinces of Aurora, Bataan, Bulacan and Nueva Ecija. Capampangan is the next most widely spoken dialect in the region, used by people from Pampanga and Tarlac. Ilocano, the third most dominant dialect in the region, is spoken in the provinces of Zambales, northern Tarlac and northern Nueva Ecija which are close to the Ilocano-speaking provinces of Pangasinan and the Cordilleras.

Among the region’s festivities, celebrations and religious sites, the most prominent include the Carabao Festival and Obando Fertlity Rites in Bulacan; the Giant Lantern Festival and Lenten Rites in Pampanga; and the Mango Festival in Zambales. Central Lzuon is also noted for products such as furniture, Christmas lanterns, jewelry, marble products, meat products and sweets and delicacies. Centuries-old churches, ancestral houses, as well as historical monuments serve as landmarks that depict the rich cultural heritage of the region.

INDUSTRIAL PROFILE

Key Infrastructure Facilities

• Two international airports: Clark and Subic both fitted with runways that can take in fully loaded, widest-bodied aircrafts, and allow simultaneous landing and take-off with state-of-the-art infrastructure support and instrumentation. The low cost Asian flights in Clark International Airport (CIA), since 2007, have been contributing to the influx of tourists in Central Luzon. CIA now also offers non-stop flights to the Middle-East and connecting flights to the U.S.A., Australia, and Europe.

• Four domestic airports located in Aurora, Bataan, Bulacan, and Zambales.

• Subic International Seaport

• Five domestic seaports: Port of Mariveles, Capinpin, Orion and Lamao in Bataan, and Dingalan in Aurora

• A road network that allows inter-regional and intra-Central Luzon travel connection – NLEx, SCTEx, TPLEx, MacArthur Highway, etc.

Investment Priority Areas