Region: Central Luzon

• The Central Luzon Region include the provinces of:

  • Aurora
  • Bataan
  • Bulacan
  • Nueva Ecija
  • Pampanga
  • Tarlac
  • Zambales.
• Capital

  • Aurora -Baler
  • Bataan -Balanga
  • Bulacan -Malolos
  • Nueva Ecija - Palayan
  • Pampanga - San Fernando
  • Tarlac - tarlac city
  • Zambales - iba
• Festivals and Special Events

  Aurora

  • Aurora Surfing Cup (February) an annual international surfing competition held in Baler that includes four divisions Open Surfing Division, Youth Division, Grommet Division, and Bodyboard Division.
  • Aurora Foundation day(February 1 anniversary on Day 4-19) in celebration of the founding Aurora, street dancing competition is held to promote cooperation and unity among its constituents.
  • Sabutan Festival (August 24-25) features the palm trees and its economic importance to the town of San Luis in Aurora:
• Bataan

  • Pawikan Festival (November 29-30) organized to increase awareness on the importance of protecting the endangered pawikan especially the baby Olive Ridley especially turtles the smallest in the world.
  • Galunggong Festival (April 14- 15) in celebration of the Fisherfolks Day, the Galunggong Festival highlights the significance. of the fishing industry to the food production for the community.
• Bulacan

  • Obando Fertility Dance (May 17-19) in honor of Sta. Clara de Asis, devotees from all over dances their way to the accompaniment of traditional brass bands in order to find a lover or be rewarded with a child.
  • Pulilan Carabao Festival (May14-15) featuring the water buffalos or carabaos to celebrate the feast of their patron saint San Isidro de Labrador.
• • Singkaban Festival (September 8-15) a celebration of arts and culture in honor of the patron saint of the province, Our Lady of Victory.
  • Feast of the Holy Cross of Wawa (1st Sunday of July) a fluvial parade in honor of the miraculous "krus sa wawa," believed to assure the bountiful harvest in the town of Bocaue
• Nueva Ecija

  • Taong Putik Festival (June 24) originated from a unique practice of the devotees of St. John the Baptist, they completely coat their bodies with mud, vines, and leaves to hide their identity as an act of humility and penance.
  • Araquio of Penaranda (last Sunday of May May) a traditional procession and dramatization of the finding of the Holy Cross by Sta. Helena and her son, Emperor Constantine,where Christ was crucified.
• Pampanga

  • Giant Lantern Festival held everySaturday before Christmas Day, it features the largest and brightest lanterns with a colorful combination and interplay of lights and sounds. Philippine
  • International Hot Air Balloon Festival (April) the biggest gathering of hot air balloons in Asia.
  • Sinukwan Festival- (December) a week-long celebration of cultural presentations highlighted by a grand street dance parade in the City of San Fernando.
• • Frog Festival (1st week of October) also called Piyestang Tugak, it showcases the significant contributions of frogs in the environment, economy, and culture of San Fernando City.
  • Sampaguita Festival (May 2-5). the festival celebrates a remarkable chapter in the town's history when, in 1572, the leader of a Spanish fleet that set sail to conquer Lubao, handed over to Datu Macabulos the Holy Cross of the Crucified Christ as a symbol of peace, unity, and goodwill,
• Tarlac

  • Belenismo Festival (1st Saturday of December) showcases the Belen- related cottage industry of the province by preserving the religious and traditional importance of Helen during the Christmas season.
• Zambales

  • Mango Festival (April) in celebration of a bountiful harvest of mangoes and other agricultural products of the province.
  • Subic Karakoa Festival (November) in honor of the warship called Karakoa built by the Pintados tribe in Subic, Zambales
  • Olongapo Grand Mardi Gras (October 27-29) features street dancing along Magsaysay Avenue together with acoustic bands.
• • Major Cultural Groups
  • Aeta, Ayta, Ita, and Ati are believed by some to derive from the Malay bitam, meaning "black," or its cognate in Philippine languages, itom and itim. In reality, Aeta means "people." The Aetas are people with a dark complexion, short (average height: 1.35-1.5 meters), small of frame, kinky haired, snub nosed, and with big black eyes. The Aeta population today consists of some 30 different ethnolinguistic groups, numbering an estimated 30,000 people. Many Aeta adopted the language of the lowlanders with whom they came in contact
• The Kapampangan is one of the largest ethnic groups of the country occupying the plains and marshes of the Pampanga River in Central Luzon. The people are known for their culinary talents and extravagance. Deeply mainstream Kapampangan are entrepreneurs. Agriculture is based on intensive wet rice cultivation being the rice bowl of Central Luzon. Woodcraft is highly developed in Betis and other areas are known for pastries and preserved meat such as tocino and longganisa
• The Tagalog is considered as the largest of the Philippine ethnic groups concentrated along Metro Manila, Rizal, Laguna, Cavite, Batangas, Bulacan, and Nueva Ecija. The national language, Filipino, revolve& around Tagalog which makes it well-understood and spoken in different parts of the Philippines. Being in the urban areas and the national capital, where government agencies and private institutions with national coverage hold office, ce, the Tagalogs are immediate beneficiaries of basic services; hence, the development of Tagalog as the national language.
• Languages/Dialects Spoken Major languages/dialects spoken are Tagalog, English, Kapampangan, Ilocano, Sambal, and Spanish.