CENTRAL LUZON

Zambales is located at the western coast of Luzon.  It shares common borderies Pangasinan to the north, Tarlac and Pampanga to the east, and Bataan to the south. The province lies between the South China Sea and the Zambales Mountains.

The province forms part of the Tourism Belt and Industrial Hub of the W Growth Corridor. Some of the tourist attractions in the area are San Antonio, which is endowed with blue water shorelines and scenic bays perfect for high-end tourism projects; San Salvador Island which boats of a lobster and manta ray sanctuary; and the Subic Virgin Forest which is teeming with diverse species of wildlfe.

An important component of the province is the Subic Bay Freeport Zone (SBFZ), a major industrial anchor of the country. SBFZ features world-class facilities for tourism, industrial estates, commercial, civil aviation and maritime complexes. There are six other identified economic zones which are expected to complement SBFZ. These are located in Masinloc, Candelaria, Sta. Cruz, Castillejos, and San Marcelino. The municipality of Masinloc is specifically envisioned to become the Port City and Industrial Commercial Center next to Subic. Subic Bay, in the southernmost part of the province provides a natural harbor, and was chosen as the location of an American naval base.

The peak of Mount Pinatubo lies on the intersection of the boundaries between Zambales, Pampanga, and Tarlac. This volcano, once considered dormant, erupted violently in 1991.