Central Luzon

Central Luzon is one of the 17 regions of the Philippines.

	WARNING: A magnitude 6.1 earthquake hit the region on April 2019, causing major damage on the provinces of Pampanga, Bataan, and Zambales. Damage is also recorded at Clark International Airport, causing flight delays or disruptions. Travellers are advised not to visit affected areas as rescue and relief operations are ongoing.
	Government travel advisories Canada
	(Information last updated Apr 2019)

This "super region" is in the north of Manila. Home to seven provinces, this region has different and distinct cultures.

Provinces

Provinces of Central Luzon

Aurora Named after the wife of President Manuel Quezon, this province is one of the last frontiers of Central Luzon; with its wide area of forest land and 328 km of pure beaches, Aurora's gems are yet to be discovered

Bataan World War II left a huge mark on this province; aside from its beaches, you'll find different markers and shrines scattered around the province that commemorate the sacrifices of soldiers

Bulacan The birthplace of the first constitutional democracy in Asia, cradle of the country's noble heroes, nostalgic Spanish-era churches, heritage houses, colorful festivals and sweet delicacies

Nueva Ecija Dubbed the "Rice Bowl of the Philippines"; also boasts breathtaking mountains and the Philippine Carabao Center, where you can try fresh carabao's (water buffalo's) milk

Pampanga The "Culinary Capital of the Philippines"; it used to host the largest American military facility outside the United States, which has been converted to a major business and tourism hub

Tarlac Home to the "Monasterio de Tarlac", where you'll find a smaller version of the Christ the Redeemer statue of Brazil; this province is also popular for its whitewater kayaking activities

Zambales 172 km of beaches, untainted mountainous landscapes, challenging waves and pristine coves, this province is definitely worth a visit.

While Pangasinan is historically and culturally part of this region, it is part of the Ilocos Region (Region I), and including in that article.

Cities

• 🌍 Angeles - a thriving regional city partly due to the former U.S. Air Force's Clark Airbase which has been converted to a business and leisure hub with world-class casinos, resorts, hotels, shopping malls and duty-free shops
• 🌍 Cabanatuan - Nueva Ecija's largest city features the Camp Pangatian Shrine and the General Luna Statue and Marker, both are historical sites.
• 🌍 Malolos - the provincial capital of Bulacan, popular for its historical landmarks, old churches, ancestral houses and of course sweet delicacies!
• 🌍 San Fernando - the regional capital of Central Luzon, it is famous for its "Giant Lantern Festival" during the month of December

Other destinations

• 🌍 Baler - a surfer's paradise also famous for it's history and rugged coastlines
• 🌍 Pilar - the location of the Shrine of Valor (Dambana ng Kagitingan), a national shrine atop Mount Samat
• 🌍 Subic - a former U.S naval base which is now a popular tourist destination home to beaches, eco-parks, industrial parks, resorts and casinos

Understand

The region lies in a largely flat area north of Metro Manila, and provides much of the rice grain sold in the Philippines. While commonly stereotyped as plains, the region does have a diverse geography, with rolling hills below the Sierra Madre and scattered mountains and volcanoes, including Mount Pinatubo.

The region has a population of over 11 million, but is disproportionately concentrated in Bulacan and Pampanga, all along the North Luzon Expressway, an important transport corridor between the region and Metro Manila. The province of Aurora is the least dense and populated.

The region is dominated by Tagalog and Kapampangan speakers. The Kapampangan form the majority in Pampanga and Tarlac, and the Tagalog inhabits the remainder. The Aeta (Negrito) and Sambal are the indigenous inhabitants of Central Luzon, but land-grabbing, discrimination and assimilation threatens their lifestyle, culture, and language.

Get in

Get around

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Stay safe

Flooding on the Candaba swampland in Pampanga

Central Luzon is prone to weather extremes, from blistering heat in the dry season (summer), and heavy downpours and typhoons in the wet season. Places like Nueva Ecija are prone to sweltering heat during the hot months, with heat indexes soaring to the 40s to 50s bracket. The rainy season between late May to late Septembers brings heavy rain, also risking floods on the plains and landslides on mountainous areas, and typhoons can further exacerbate the danger, with wind gusts and more rain.

While many people in the region still recall a devastating magnitude 7.8 earthquake in 1990 and the climatic eruption of Mount Pinatubo in 1991, leaving prominent remarks like lahar-buried buildings and land, parts of Central Luzon are seismically active, and earthquakes or volcanic eruptions are all concerns. The latest major earthquake since the deadly 1990 quake is a magnitude 6.1 quake in April 2019, resulting to various degrees of damage in the region and some casualties from collapsed structures. Coastal areas, like places in Aurora and Zambales, are prone to tsunamis, including from distant sources, as in the cases of the 1960 Great Chilean earthquake and the 1962 Good Friday earthquake, where the tsunamis those quakes produced slammed the coasts of these provinces, causing some damage and deaths.

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