The province experiences two pronounced seasons; dry from November until

April and the wet from May to October. During World War II it was the scene
of heavy fighting between Allied and Japanese forces from January 6, 1942,
to April 9, 1942. Bataan fell to Japan on April 9 and was retaken by an
American force on February 17, 1945.

HISTORY

Several villages in the coastal plains of Bataan were already thriving

communities when Spanish missionaries found them in the 1570s. Bataan,
then known as Vatan, was part of the vast Capampangan Empire that
included what now are the provinces of Pampanga, Nueva Ecija, Tarlac, and
some portions of Bulacan, Zambales and Pangasinan, These coastal villages
were inhabited by natives who were predominantly fishermen, farmers and
craftsmen. Meanwhile, the hillsides were inhabited by nomadic Aeta tribes.

Bataan was established in 1754 by Governor General Pedro Manuel Arandia.

Before this, the region was divided into two parts: the Corregimiento of
Mariveles and the Province of Pampanga. The towns of Mariveles, Bagac,
Morong and Maragondon, Cavite comprised the Corregimiento of Mariveles
that was under the jurisdiction of the Recollect Order of the Roman Catholic
Church. The province of Pampanga included the towns of Orion, Pilar,
Balanga, Abucay, Samal, Orani, Llana Hermosa and San Juan de
Dinalupihan. The latter group was under the charge of the Dominican Order.
Limay, the twelfth town of Bataan, was named only in 1917.

Long before the outbreak of Word War II, Bataan already earned herself a
secure place in the history of the Philippines. The prince of Filipino printers,
Tomas Pinpin, a native of Abucay, who either authored or co-authored some
of the oldest books in the Philippines and printed them himself between 1610
to 1639 in the printing press located inside the Abucay Catholic Church. In
1647, the plundering Dutch Naval forces were resisted in Bataan, the
defenders ultimately chose the glory of death to the ignominy of surrender.

Bataan was among the first provinces to rise in revolt against Spanish
tyranny. Two of her sons, Pablo Tecson and Tomas del Rosario, figured
prominently in the Malolos Convention in 1898, and were instrumental in
ensuring that the Filipinos enjoyed religious freedom. Cayetano Arellano of
Orion became the Secretary of Foreign Affairs of the Revolutionary
Government, and later on became the first Chief Justice of the Supreme
Court.

When the Pacific War broke out in 1941, the selection of the peninsula as the
locale of the last defensive stand by the USAFFE against the invading
Japanese forces brought fame and infamy to Bataan. The loss of life and
property cannot be estimated. Bataan then became the symbol of valor and
tenacity in its hopeless stand against the much superior invading Japanese
Imperial Forces. Today, a national landmark called the Shrine of Valor
(Dambana ng Kagitingan) stands majestically on top of the Mt. Samat in Pilar
as testimony to the gallantry and sacrifices of the men and women who with
their blood, tears, and sweat made the grounds of Bataan hallow.

CULTURE

Most of the 424,000 people living in Bataan are Tagalogs. Kapampangans

comprise a significant minority of less than 10% and are concentrated in the
municipalities adjoining the province of Pampanga. Recent rapid
industrialization has lured thousands of people from other provinces to settle
within Bataan.

The province of Bataan has always been linked closely to the culture and
economy of Manila. Much of what the province produces is exported to
Manila. The primary traditional industry of Bataan is fishing. It is the home of
thousands of fishermen whose industry has spawned a unique craft of net and
fishtrap making. Nets produced in Bataan take on various forms and shapes
like the panli, kalukutok, pambonot, pansiliw, panitig, mananacag hipon,
panglusong, hila-hila, kitang, pangapak, bintol, salambaw, dala, bating,
pangalabaw and the gulgureta.

Each net type responds to various needs and uses. There are also various
fishtraps like the saluhin, paclang, aguila, panghipon and pangalalo.