Bataan

The first inhabitants of the Bataan peninsula are the Ayta Magbeken people.

Later on, Tagalogs from southern Luzon, most specifically Cavite, migrated to parts of Bataan. The Ayta Magbeken have migrated towards the mountain areas of Bataan by the end of the 16th century.

In 1647, Dutch naval forces landed in the country in an attempt to seize the islands from Spain. The Dutch massacred the people of Abucay in Bataan.

Historian Cornelio Bascara documents that the province of Bataan was established on January 11, 1757, by Governor-General Pedro Manuel Arandia out of territories belonging to Pampanga and the corregimiento of Mariveles which, at that time, included Maragondon across Manila Bay.[3][4]

March 1942: burning houses after a Japanese bombing raid in Bataan

Bataan featured prominently during World War II. Prior to the 1941 Japanese invasion, Bataan was a military reservation for the purpose of defending the fortress island of Corregidor.[5] The US Army stored nearly 1,000,000 US gallons (3,800 m³) of gasoline there, along with various munitions. At the southern tip of the peninsula the U.S. Navy had established a small base at the port of Mariveles.

Shortly after the Japanese Army invaded the country in December 1941, the combined US and Filipino forces were being gradually overrun and General Douglas MacArthur moved his troops to the Bataan Peninsula in an attempt to hold out until a relief force could be sent from the US. Japanese forces started a siege of the peninsula on January 7, 1942, and launched an all-out assault on April 3, a few months after the Battle of the Points, Battle of the Pockets, the attack down Trail Number Two, and a half-dozen other brutal battles.[6] The Bataan campaign was the last time a regular cavalry unit of the U.S. Army, the Philippine Scouts 26th Cavalry, was used as a horse mounted fighting unit. On the morning of January 16, 1942, Lt. Edwin Ramsey led the last cavalry charge into the town of Morong, routing the advancing Japanese infantry.[7] As the troops on Bataan were continually reduced in rations, the horses were eventually slaughtered to feed the starving soldiers.[8]

The majority of the American and Filipino forces surrendered on April 9 and were forced to march more than 100 kilometers (62 mi) from Bataan to Capas, Tarlac, which became known as the Bataan Death March.

Bataan, a peninsula, is composed of 11 municipalities and one city. All except the northern most municipality of Dinalupihan, are coastal areas. The province's coastline is approximately 177 kilometers from Hermosa in the northeastern portion of the province, looping up to Morong in the northwest.

Bataan is divided by two mountain groups of volcanic origins. The northern side is composed of the Mount Natib (elevation 1,253 meters (4,111 ft)), Mount Sta. Rosa and Mount Silangan. The southern group is composed of Mount Mariveles, Mount Samat, and Mount Cuyapo. A narrow pass separates these two mountain groups.[4] The topography of the province is classified generally as hilly and mountainous with a narrow plain on the eastern side. The highest elevation is in the Mariveles mountains at 1,388 meters above sea level.[10]

Bataan has abundant water resources in the form of rivers, streams, creeks, waterfalls and springs. There are more than 100 rivers in the province radiating from the two aforementioned mountain groups. These are important not only for irrigation but also for navigation and fishing as well. The Talisay and Almacen Rivers are the two major rivers in the province. Talisay has its headwater in the Mariveles mountain group extending down to Pilar and Balanga into Manila Bay. Almacen River has its headwater in the Natib mountains extending down to Hermosa and exits through the Orani Channel to Manila Bay. Some of the smaller rivers are Abo-abo River, Bantalan River, Lamao River, Saysayin River, Agloloma River, Mamala River.[10]

Bataan as seen from the entrance of Manila Bay

Muddy tidal flats along the alluvial sandbars characterize the coastline along Manila Bay. Mangrove areas can be observed from Orani to Orion, along with seaweed areas and seagrass patches areas from portions of Balanga and Pilar down to Mariveles. The deeper portions are the coastal areas of Orion to Mariveles where most seaports are operating. Poor coral reef patches, mixed with sandy-rocky bottom can be found in Mariveles area, where the coastline begin to take on a rocky character looping from the mouth of Manila Bay to the western side of the province. The coastline facing the South China Sea is interspersed with pristine beaches with rocky portions and fringes of coral reef in good condition from Bagac to Morong, which is a haven for sea turtles and other marine animals.[10]

Bataan has distinct dry and wet seasons categorized as Type I in the Philippines' Modified Coronas' Climate Classification (Climate of the Philippines). The dry season begins in November and ends in April, while the rainy season starts in May and ends in October. The most rains come in June to August. Mean average rainfall in August is the heaviest at 633mm. Bataan is often visited by typhoons. Farming systems in the province follow these climatic cycles.[10]

Bataan is administratively subdivided into 11 municipalities and one component city.

Political map of Bataan

The three most prominent ethnic groups in Bataan are the Tagalogs, the Kapampangans and the Ayta Magbeken, though the third group has a lower population despite being the province's first inhabitants. The second group is mainly present at the northeast of the province, as well as in the provincial capital to a lesser extent. Some Bataeños are descendants of Ilocano settlers.

Various religious groups are subscribed to by the people but Roman Catholicism is the predominant religion, comprising 85.46% of the Bataan population. Several other Christian and non-Christian faiths include Iglesia ni Cristo (4.47%), Evangelicals (2.06%), Aglipayans (1.60%) and other groups.

Bataan is amongst the provinces in the Philippines with high Human Development Index. The 2015 HDI of the province is 0.793.[15]

Bataan is one of the most progressive provinces of Central Luzon and Manila Bay Region, and a key contributor to the region's overall economic productivity. The province is strategically located right in the middle of the country's growth triad corridor of Subic Special Economic and Freeport Zone, Clark Freeport and Special Economic Zone and Metro Manila. It is one of the Philippines' industrial heartland owing to the presence of heavy industries, two freeport zones and several special manufacturing zones. Due to these factors plus the province's competitive incentives offered to new business locators, the Philippine Chamber of Commerce and Industry adjudged Bataan as the most business friendly province in the country during the 47th Philippine Business Conference Expo held last November 2021. This is the second time the province had received such recognition, the first one was in 2018.[23]

In 2020, Bataan registered the third highest locally sourced income among all the provinces in the Philippines as certified by the Department of Finance - Bureau of Local Government Finance (BLGF).[24]

The 180,000 bpsd Petron Bataan Refinery in Limay, Bataan is the sole integrated oil refinery and petrochemical complex in the Philippines

The Freeport Area of Bataan, formerly known as Bataan Export Processing Zone/Bataan Economic Zone until June 30, 2010, is the fastest growing freeport in the country in terms of investments[25]

Government Arsenal made sniper rifles on display

Bataan hosts various industries, ranging from light to heavy. These industries are producing diverse products for domestic distribution and export such as refined petroleum products, petrochemicals, ammunitions, industrial grade explosives, marine cargo vessels, luxury yachts, pre-cast concrete, cement, steel building materials, animal feeds, fertilizers, fiberglass products, electronic components, automotive parts, medical personal protective equipment, paper, plastic products, optical lense, textile and leather products, and sporting goods and apparels.[10] Dunlop Slazenger Philippines Inc. in the Freeport Area of Bataan, Mariveles specially takes pride as the exclusive producer of tennis balls used in The Championships, Wimbledon.[26]

The largest industrial complexes operating in the province are listed below.

• Petron Bataan Refinery or PBR (Limay) - is the only integrated oil refinery and petrochemical complex in the Philippines with rated capacity of 180,000 barrels per stream day (bpsd). In 2016, PBR commissioned its $2-Billion Upgrade Project dubbed the Refinery Master Plan Phase 2 (RMP-2). It enhanced the refinery's conversion capability and as a result, further enhanced the country's supply security. It also made Petron capable of locally producing fuels that meet global Euro IV and Euro VI emission standards. It has a Nelson Complexity Index of 13 making it among the most modern and complex refineries in Asia[27][28]
• Philippine National Oil Corporation (PNOC) Industrial Park (Limay and Mariveles) - is previously known as PNOC-Philippine Petrochemical Development Complex, it's one of largest industrial complexes in the province housing various petrochemical manufacturers producing polyvinyl chloride (PVC), polyethylene (PE), and polypropylene (PP); and industrial explosives manufacturer Orica Philippines.[29]
• The Freeport Area of Bataan (FAB) (Mariveles) - is formerly known as Bataan Export Processing Zone (BEPZ; the first economic zone in the country)/Bataan Economic Zone (BEZ) until its conversion into a freeport zone on June 30, 2010, eight months after the enactment of Republic Act 9728 on October 23, 2009. This was later amended on August 30, 2019, through Republic Act 11453, giving powers to the freeport to expand its territory anywhere within the bounds of the province Bataan except the Hermosa and Morong portions of Subic Special Economic and Freeport Zone which is under Subic Bay Metropolitan Authority (SBMA), another freeport zone located within the province.[30] It is operated and managed by Authority of the Freeport Area of Bataan (AFAB) since June 30, 2010, a government agency under the Office of the President of the Philippines created in October 23, 2009 through RA 9728. FAB is the third largest freeport zone in the country based in the number of investors and employment created, behind Clark Freeport and Subic Freeport. Currently, there are 95 companies operating in the freeport with half of these engaging in manufacturing and employing roughly 40,000 personnels and producing various products such as leather goods, electronics, textile, rubber and plastic products, medical PPE, fabricated metals, animal feeds, marine vessels and lenses. The total export value for these products reached more than US$913 million by end of 2022. FAB is also an emerging hub for fintech and blockchain businesses hosting a number of these companies.[31][32]
• Government Arsenal (Limay) - is an agency of the Philippine government under the Department of National Defense, responsible for the production of basic weaponry and ammunition for the Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP), and the Philippine National Police (PNP), among others, and for the sale and export of products in excess of AFP/PNP requirements. On June 27, 2022, the Department of National Defense (Philippines) signed an agreement with the Authority of the Freeport Area of Bataan to set-up the country's first Defense Industry Economic Zone.[33]
• Hermosa Ecozone and Industrial Park (Hermosa) - or shortened as HEIP is a 162-hectares industrial estate component of a 478-hectare mixed-use property development in the province of Bataan by the Hermosa Ecozone Development Corporation an arm of the Science Park of the Philippines, Incorporated. The project is a registered Special Economic Zone (Ecozone) under the Philippine Economic Zone Authority (PEZA).[34]
• Bataan 2020, Inc. (Samal) - Bataan 2020 is a leading manufacturer of fine quality paper, board and tissue in the Philippines. The company is among the most diversified paper mills in the industry, with a capacity of over 100,000 metric tons of paper annually.[35]
• Subic Special Economic and Freeport Zone - commonly shortened as Subic Bay, Subic Freeport, or Subic (but should no be mistaken for the municipality of Subic, Zambales), is a special economic and freeport zone covering portions of Olongapo and Subic in Zambales, and Morong and Hermosa in Bataan.[36] It is operated and managed by Subic Bay Metropolitan Authority (SBMA). The relatively developed and fenced area is called the Subic Bay Freeport Zone (SBFZ). This was the only freeport zone in Bataan from November 24, 1992 until the conversion of Bataan Export Processing Zone (BEPZ)/Bataan Economic Zone (BEZ) into Freeport Area of Bataan (FAB) in Mariveles on June 30, 2010.
• Bataan Technology Park Inc. (Morong) - the 365-hectare property, is once the site of the Philippine Refugee Processing Center, which offered shelter to some 400,000 refugees from Vietnam, Laos and Cambodia. The property is now administered by Bases Conversion and Development Authority and is planned for an industrial and tourism development.[37]
• Tipo Hightech Eco Park (Hermosa) - or shortened as THEP is a 209-hectare mixed-use development located inside Subic Bay Freeport Zone expansion area straddling the municipality of Hermosa in Bataan and City of Olongapo. THEP development will include 101.47 hectares for light industries, 17.99 hectares for a commercial complex, 7.11 hectares for mixed use, 23.16 hectares for residential buildings, and 23.16 hectares for a nature and environment conservation park.[38][39]
• Bataan Harbor City (Pilar) - is a 75.5-hectare mixed-use development with a neighboring port facility that is currently being built in the town of Pilar.[40]

Bataan is also a strategic transport route and transshipment point linking the Subic Special Economic and Freeport Zone and the rest of the western part of Central Luzon region to Metro Manila. Several private ports, dry docks and ship yards, and oil terminals are operating along its long eastern coast facing Manila Bay. Among these are San Miguel Corporation Shipping and Lighterage, Petron Corporation Limay Terminal, PNOC jetty, Planters Products Inc. Bulk Handling Terminal, Seasia-Nectar Terminal, Oilink Terminal, Jetti Petroleum Terminal, Orion Dockyard, Herma Shipyard, Seafront Terminal and Shipyard, Liquigaz Philippines LPG Terminal and Filoil/Total Philippines Terminal.

Agriculture and fishery productions are major sources of income for the people of Bataan. Productions range from crops, fruits, fish, shellfish and other marine species. About 44,000 hectares of land are utilized for farming. The top five agricultural crops produced by the province are palay (rice), corn, coconut, mango and banana.[41] Bataan is frequently included in the top ten poultry and poultry product producers in the country,[42] it hosts modern poultry dressing and processing plants owned by San Miguel Corporation and Bounty Fresh Chicken. The municipalities of Dinalupihan, Hermosa, Orani, Samal, Abucay, Pilar and Orion are the main contributors for agricultural output of the Province.

Being a peninsula, Bataan is one of the major sources of various marine products in Luzon, that include good quality tilapia, bangus (milkfish), tiger prawn, mud crab, and bivalves such as mussel, oyster and capiz.[10]

Capitol Drive in Balanga

Bataan is in a process of accelerated growth in commercial sector driven mainly by young entrepreneurs and the advent of online commerce. Based from the Philippine Statistics Authority, more than 10,000 micro, small and medium enterprises (MSME) are operating in the province.[43] With an average of 126 enterprises available per 10,000 people, Bataan is considered as the most enterprising province in Central Luzon.

The City of Balanga, the capital of Bataan, is the prime commercial hub in the province and hosting several shopping centers notably SM City Bataan, Vista Mall Bataan, Waltermart Balanga, Capitol Square, Galeria Victoria, Center Plaza Mall, Recar Commercial Complex and Ocampo's Megastore. In addition, a new shopping mall, Robinsons Place Balanga is expected to start construction soon. The municipalities of Dinalupihan, Hermosa, Orani, Mariveles and Orion are considered as secondary commercial hubs. The rest of the municipalities have established smaller business district enough to support the local demand.

Genpact is the largest Business Process Outsourcing (BPO) company operating in the province of Bataan of Bataan.

The City of Balanga is one of the twenty-five (25) emerging digital hubs identified by The Digital Cities 2025 program by the Department of Information and Communications Technology (DICT), Information Technology and Business Process Association of the Philippines (IBPAP), and Leechiu Property Consultants, Inc. (LPC).[44] It hosts several outsourcing companies such as Genpact, Boston-based start-up Botkeeper, and Australia-based Yoonet. While in the town of Mariveles, the Freeport Area of Bataan is now hosting several blockchain and fintech firms.[45] The town of Abucay is also being groomed as the province's next Business Process Outsourcing (BPO) hub thru its First Abucay Freeport Inc. which is a declared expansion area of the Authority of the Freeport Area of Bataan and with Cognizant as its first locator.

Bataan is served by most of the leading universal and commercial banks in the Philippines. Based from the Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas (BSP) statistics, as of September 2021, there are 41 universal and commercial bank branches, 36 thrift bank branches, and 31 rural and cooperative bank branches scattered around the province but with the most numbers in the City of Balanga and towns of Dinalupihan and Mariveles.[46]

Umagol River in Las Casas Filipinas de Acuzar

• Mount Samat National Shrine or Dambana ng Kagitingan in Pilar is the most notable historical landmark in the province. The shrine was commissioned in 1966 to commemorate the soldiers who fought during the Battle of Bataan. It is composed of a marble colonnade and a memorial cross towering 555 meters above sea level.
• The First Line of Defense Marker located in Layac, Hermosa marks the first strong line of defense of the USAFFE forces against the Japanese Imperial Army Invasion during the Second World War.
• The Bataan Death March marker, also known as 0-kilometer markers, are monuments located in towns of Mariveles and Bagac indicating the points of origin of the infamous Bataan Death March.
• The Flaming Sword in Pilar is an obelisk located at the junction of Governor J.J. Linao National Road and Bataan National Road marking the converging point of the prisoners from Bagac and Mariveles during the Bataan Death March.
• The World War II Museum and Surrender Site Marker are both located inside the compound of Balanga Elementary School, the actual site where General Edward P. King negotiated the surrender of the 76,000 USAFFE soldiers to the Japanese Imperial Army.
• The Filipino-Japanese Friendship Tower in Bagac is a monument to commemorate the re-establishment of the Filipino-Japanese diplomatic friendship after the World War II.
• The Saint Dominic Parish Church or Abucay Church is a 17th-century church of Baroque style of architecture. Built in 1587 and administered by the Dominican Order friars, it housed the first printing presses in the Philippines. The church was also a witness to the massacre of hundreds of Filipinos and Spaniards by the Dutch Invaders on June 23, 1647.
• Diocesan Shrine and Cathedral Parish of St. Joseph or Balanga Cathedral is the seat of the Diocese of Balanga. During the World War II, the cathedral was used as an artillery emplacement by the Japanese Imperial Army to bombard USAFFE forces in Mount Samat.
• Minor Basilica of Our Lady of the Most Holy Rosary or Orani Church is a neoclassical Diocesan Marian Shrine and Pilgrimage church located in the center of the town of Orani.
• San Miguel Archangel Parish Church or Orion Church, is a 16th-century, Baroque church located at Brgy. San Vicente, Orion dedicated to Saint Michael, the Archangel.
• The Las Casas Filipinas de Acuzar in Bagac is a 40-hectare property housing several transplanted antique houses from different parts of the Philippines for preservation.

Camaya Coast

• Bataan National Park - is a protected forest reservation located in the mountainous parts of northern Bataan.
• Roosevelt Protected Landscape - is a protected forest reservation that occupies an area of 786.04 hectares (1,942.3 acres) of grasslands and old-growth forest in northern Bataan province near Olongapo and the Subic Bay Freeport Zone.
• Mariveles Five Fingers - located at the southern tip of Bataan Peninsula, is a series of coves that looks like five human fingers when viewed from the air.
• Tarak Ridge - is popular among mountaineers, is one of the peaks of Mount Mariveles' volcano-caldera complex.
• Dunsulan Falls - is a waterfall at the foot of Mount Samat. Dunsulan falls and river is the main drainage on the crater side of Mount Samat.
• Mount Malasimbo - is a conical-shape mountain in Dinalupihan that is popular to mountaineers.
• Sibul Sprint and Pasukulan Falls in Abucay
• Balon Anito in Mariveles
• Pintong Alipi Falls - is an 80-foot high waterfall in Mount Silangan in Morong.
• Laki Beach - is a natural powdery-white sand beach in Mariveles
• Playa La Caleta Cove in Morong
• Camaya Coast - is a recreational development located in a cove in the southern tip of Mariveles.
• Ocean Adventure - is an open-space marine zoological park in the Morong, inside the Subic Special Economic and Freeport Zone.

• The Day of Valor or locally known as Araw ng Kagitingan, is a national observance in the Philippines to commemorate the Defenders of Bataan. It falls every 9th day of April.
• The Bataan Foundation Day is a local holiday falling every 11 January to celebrate the founding of the Province of Bataan, through the virtue of the Republic Act No. 11138.[47]
• The Pawikan Festival in Morong is celebrated annually every last week of November or first week of December to recognize the local community's successes in its marine turtle conservation campaign.
• The Ibong Dayo Festival, celebrated annually every February in the City of Balanga, is a popular attraction among bird enthusiasts. The aim of the festival is to disseminate to the public the importance of wetland conservation to migratory birds.
• The Diocesan Pilgrimage in Mount Samat, is an annual event of the Diocese of Balanga since 2004 and is attended by thousands of young people from Bataan and different provinces in Luzon. The pilgrims walk seven kilometers from the foot of Mt. Samat up to the World War II shrine on top of the mountain.

GN Power Mariveles

A solar power facility in Tipo, Hermosa area of the Subic Special Economic and Freeport Zone, Philippines

Bataan is a location of bulk power generation, where most of the power generated is sent to the Luzon Grid. Most power plants in Bataan rely on fossil fuels, like oil and coal, but renewable energy sources, primarily solar power, form part of the total generation. As of November 30, 2022 the total installed capacity of existing power plants equals to 3,676.7 MW.[48] Incoming power plants that are under construction will increase the output to 4,920.7 MW, with targeted commissioning date of 3rd quarter, 2023 to 3rd quarter, 2026.[49]

Fossil fuel-fired plants account for 3,528 MW, and are mostly concentrated in Limay and Mariveles. These include the GN Power Mariveles Coal Power Plant, with 690 (2x345) MW, SMC Limay Greenfield Power Plant (4x150 MW), Petron Cogeneration Power Plant (4x35 MW), Panasia Bataan Combined Cycle Power Plant (648 MW), and the recently commissioned GN Power Dinginin Units 1 and 2 (725x2 MW).[48][50] Two plants are under construction, Petron's Refinery Solid Fuel-Fired Boiler Project - Phase 3 (44 MW), and SMC Mariveles Coal Power Plant (8x150 MW). These will increase the capacity by additional 1,244 MW.[49] Three natural gas-fired power plants with combined capacity of 3,275 MW are proposed, one planned in Limay and two in Mariveles. These are currently endorsed by the Department of Energy (Philippines) for grid-impact study.[51]

Renewable energy, accounts for 92.4 MW. Existing renewable energy power plants include the Bataan 2020 Cogen Power Plant (12.5 MW), Cleangreen Energy Corp. Napier Grass Fired Power Plant (12 MW), YH Green Energy Solar Power Plant (12.6 MW), Citicore Solar Power Plant (18 MW), Morong Solar Power Plant (5 MW), and Jobin-Sqm Inc.'s Sta. Rita Solar (32.3 MW) in Tipo, Hermosa side of Subic Bay Freeport Zone.[50] While additional 11.64 MW are expected from two projects that are on the advanced stage of construction, these are Citicore's 6.64 MW solar rooftop project in the Freeport Area of Bataan,[52] and Ayala Corp.'s Bataan Solar Energy Inc. with 5 MW in Batangas Dos, Mariveles.[53] Two more solar power projects are in the pipeline - Solana Solar Power Project (28 MW) and Jobin-Sqm Inc. Bataan Solar Power Project Phases 1, 2, 3a-3b (100 MW).[49] Also, two wind power projects are planned, the 500 MW Bagac Bay Offshore Wind Project and 300 MW Bagac Bay Onshore Wind Project, both by Earth Sol Power Corporation. These are also endorsed by the Department of Energy for grid impact study.[51]

The Bataan Nuclear Power Plant in Morong, with a design 600 MW capacity, was supposed to be the first nuclear power plant in the Philippines. It was supposed to commence operation in 1986, but was mothballed amidst critical opposition to the Marcos regime and concerns on nuclear power. There is some discussion of either rehabilitating the plant, which would likely be uneconomical, or constructing a new nuclear power station.

In 2021, San Miguel Corporation's Universal Power Solutions Inc. together with its partner Wärtsilä commissioned the first battery energy storage system (BESS) in Limay with 40 MW/40MWh capacity.[54] Three more BESS projects are committed to be built - Hermosa Battery Energy Storage System (40 MW/40MWh), Lamao Battery Energy Storage System Phases 1 and 2 (30 MW/30MWh, 20 MW/20MWh), and BCCP Limay Battery Energy Storage System Project Phase 2 (20 MW/40MWh). All by Universal Power Solutions Incorporated.[49]

Power is transmitted to the province through various transmission lines and substations located within the province. There are four transmission substations located within the province which are the Hermosa, Balsik EHV, Limay, and Mariveles EHV substations of National Grid Corporation of the Philippines (NGCP). Since 2018, the province has a network of 500 kV transmission lines which are the Mariveles-Hermosa, Hermosa-San Jose, Hermosa-Castillejos, GNPower Dinginin-NGCP Mariveles, and MPGC – Mariveles Power Plant-NGCP Mariveles lines. The first three transmission lines are operated and maintained by NGCP while the last two are dedicated point-to-point generation facilities being operated by respective power generation companies.

Power distribution in the province are served by the Peninsula Electric Cooperative (PENELCO) except the two freeport zones located within the province which are Subic Special Economic and Freeport Zone and Freeport Area of Bataan (including barangays of Mariveles that are also under the jurisdiction of FAB which are Malaya (Quadro) and Maligaya (Pizarro)) where they are served by Subic Enerzone and Utility Management Department (UMD) of National Transmission Corporation (TransCo), respectively. Some large customers have their power supply sourced from the transmission grid, whose network of 69,000 volt lines supply substations owned by PENELCO.

Ayala Corporation Energy Holdings, Ltd (ACEN), the listed energy platform of the Ayala Group built the ACEN Tech Hub in Mariveles. Different energy and energy storage technologies will be tested here for possible large-scale use in the Philippines.[55]

Aerial view of Subic Bay International Airport

• Subic Bay International Airport – located in Cubi Point, Mabayo, Morong area of Subic Bay Freeport Zone. It serves as a secondary and diversion airport for Ninoy Aquino International Airport and Clark International Airport. The airport was formerly the Naval Air Station Cubi Point, part of the U.S. Naval Base Subic Bay, before the base closed in 1992.

Port Management Office (PMO) - Bataan/Aurora of the Philippine Ports Authority is responsible for financing, management and operations of public ports operating in Bataan. Currently there are three government-owned ports, and these are:[56]

• Port of Lamao/Limay – Baseport (PMO)
• Port of Mariveles – Subport (TMO)
• Port of Capinpin/Orion– Subport (TMO)

Limay and Mariveles ports are primarily used by tramper vessels/tankers catering to the requirement of industries and companies operating in the province. While the Port of Capinpin is equipped for Roll-on/roll-off (Ro-Ro) vessels to carry passengers which is served by 1Bataan Integrated Transport System from Esplanade Seaside Terminal at the Mall of Asia, Pasay to Orion and vice versa.

There are also 15 private ports/terminals that are operating in the province, namely:[56][57]

• Jetti Petroleum Inc. (Mariveles)
• OilLink International Corporation (Mariveles)
• Petron Bataan Refinery (PBR) (Limay)
• PNOC (Mariveles)
• Planters Products Inc. (PPI)/GPII (Limay)
• Seafront Shipyard (Mariveles)
• SL Harbor Bulk Terminal Corporation (SLHBTC) (Limay)
• SMC Consolidated Power Corporation (Limay)
• GN Power (Mariveles)
• ATI Mariveles Grains Corporation (MGC) (Mariveles)
• Herma/Mariveles Shipyard Corporation (MSC) (Mariveles)
• SMC-Shipping and Lighterage (Mariveles)
• Total Philippines (Mariveles)
• Seasia-Nectar Mariveles Dry Bulk Terminal (Mariveles)
• Bataan Nuclear Power Plant Pier (Morong)

The Subic Bay International Terminal Corporation in Cubi Point, Subic Bay Freeport Zone, while part of Bataan thru the municipality of Morong, is located within the jurisdiction of Subic Special Economic and Freeport Zone and administered by Subic Bay Metropolitan Authority.

Thru the Customs Administrative Order (CAO)-05-2008,[58] the new Collection District No. XVI to be known as Bureau of Customs (BOC)-Port Limay was established. It has jurisdiction and is responsible for assessment and collection of customs revenues from imported goods and other dues, fees, charges, fines and penalties accruing under the Customs Modernization and Tariff Act (RA 10863) from all ports within the province of Bataan excluding the portions of the province that is within the Subic Special Economic and Freeport Zone as defined by R.A. No. 7227. The BOC-Port of Limay is considered as the third largest port in the Philippines in terms of revenue collection, behind Manila International Container Port (MICP) and Port of Batangas.[59] The total revenue collection of BOC-Port of Limay reached from the months of January to November in 2022 reached more than PhP 106 billions (equivalent to USD 1.9 billion).[60]

Tipo Interchange in Hermosa, Bataan, before the toll system integration with NLEx.

Bataan is served by a network of national highways and two expressways. Roman Superhighway, part of highway N301, and Jose Abad Santos Avenue, or highway N3 and Olongapo-Gapan Road, forms the backbone of the national highway network. Subic–Clark–Tarlac Expressway and Subic Freeport Expressway, are toll expressways, linking the province with Pampanga, Tarlac and Subic Special Economic and Freeport Zone. The Layac-Balanga-Mariveles Port Road (a.k.a. Old National Road), Bagac-Mariveles Road, SBMA-Morong Road and Governor J.J. Linao National Road forms the secondary network, which connects the smaller municipalities with the main highway network [61][62]

A 32-kilometer bridge called Bataan–Cavite Interlink Bridge is proposed to connect Bataan with Cavite crossing Manila Bay. The contract for detailed engineering and design was awarded in October 2020.[63] The Philippine Department of Public Works and Highways announced that the bridge's construction, to be co-funded by Asian Development Bank and Asian Infrastructure Investment Bank, is targeted to start before the year 2023 ends.[64][65]

Public sports facilities are dispersed across the province. Indoor sports arenas or gymnasiums are located in the towns of Dinalupihan, Hermosa, Orani, Orion, Limay and Mariveles, and there are two in the City of Balanga. An olympic-size swimming pool frequently used for local competitions is situated in the town of Abucay. While the town of Dinalupihan hosts the remaining athletics track and field in the province after the conversion of former Bataan Provincial Oval in Balanga to a public highschool.

There are three privately-owned golf courses in the province, these are:

• Anvaya Cove Golf and Sports Club - is an 82-hectare, 18-hole all-weather, 7,200 yard, par 72 championship golf course located in Ayala Land's Anvaya Cove development in Morong.
• Tandatangan Golf Course - by Camaya Coast, consists of 9 signature golf holes with a total of 36 Par, 2,994 Meters and 3,275 Yards. Located approximately 170 meters above sea level.
• The Peninsula Golf Club - is an 18-hole golf course laid out around the Petron Bataan Refinery's Housing Compound in Limay. A pair of tee-boxes is provided for each hole to complete an 18-hole round of golf. It is a relatively short golf course at just par 68, with a rating of 65.4 and a corresponding slope of 116.

The province will also be the site of the Philippine Sports Training Center (PSTC) in Bagac. The PSTC is targeted for completion in 2025.[66][67]

Bataan Peninsula State University or BPSU is a state-owned university and the leading tertiary education provider in the province. It was established by virtue of Republic Act 9403, signed into law on 22 March 2007. It is a conglomeration of five state-owned higher education institutions in Bataan. The university currently has six campuses scattered across the province - the Main Campus (formerly Bataan National School of Arts and Trade), Balanga Campus (formerly Bataan Community Colleges), Abucay Campus (formerly Bataan National Agricultural School), Dinalupihan Campus (formerly Bataan State College), Orani Campus (formerly Bataan National Polytechnic School), and Bagac Campus. Its seventh campus in Sabang, Morong, Bataan is now under construction[70]

Another state-owned higher education institution in the province is Polytechnic University of the Philippines Bataan, which is a satellite campus of the Polytechnic University of the Philippines in Sta. Mesa, Manila, established in 1976. It is located inside the Freeport Area of Bataan (FAB) in Mariveles.

Other notable tertiary education institutions in Bataan are listed below:

Colegio de San Juan de Letran in Abucay, Bataan

Iskolar ng Bataan is a provincial government-funded tertiary education scholarship program with a primary goal of producing at least one professional in every household in the province and be gainfully employed in the trade and industries operating inside or outside the province.[71]

Through Republic Act No. 11190, the Bataan High School for the Arts is established as the second specialized public high school in the Philippines offering arts-focused education after the Makiling-based Philippine High School for the Arts (PHSA).

The School aims to develop artistically gifted and talented students by implementing a special secondary education curriculum and support programs committed to the conservation and promotion of the Filipino artistic and cultural traditions. This is also a Center for Arts and Design of the Senior High School Program among the twenty school divisions of Central Luzon. Through the establishment of the BHSA, DepEd will be able to help select, stimulate, and prepare students for a career in the arts and cultural work who will serve the region and the country.[72]