Bataan (, ), officially the Province of Bataan (Filipino: Lalawigan ng Bataan IPA: [bɐtɐˈʔan]), is a province in the Central Luzon region of the Philippines. Its capital is the city of Balanga while Mariveles is the largest town in the province. Occupying the entire Bataan Peninsula on Luzon, Bataan is bordered by the provinces of Zambales and Pampanga to the north. The peninsula faces the South China Sea to the west and Subic Bay to the north-west, and encloses Manila Bay to the east.
The Battle of Bataan is known in history as one of the last stands of American and Filipino soldiers before they were overwhelmed by the Japanese forces in World War II. The Bataan Death March was named after the province, where the infamous march started.
No information available
*'''D'Samat Hotel. Camacho Street. phone +63 47 2373869. AC single/double rooms with own bathroom from . *Las Casas Filipinas De Acuzar. Las Casas Road, Bagac.''' +639178729361. the most Upscale accomodation in all of Bataan
Bataan is over two hours away from Metro Manila by car. From Manila, you can take the North Luzon Expressway (NLEX) and exit at San Fernando, and from there, follow the Olongapo-Gapan Road/Jose Abad Santos Avenue straight to Bataan. A longer alternative is to exit at Angeles, connect with the Subic-Clark-Tarlac Expressway (SCTEX) and exit at Dinalupihan.
A bridge is being proposed to link Bataan from Cavite, but this fixed link is still on the planning stages. An expressway from Metro Manila via the coastline of Bulacan is also being planned.
Driving is the best way to explore Bataan, but roads are generally narrow and winding especially on the west. There is one major highway traversing the province, the Roman Superhighway (Rte 301), which serves the eastern coast, with a route that mostly bypasses the old town centers. Rte 302 (the Gov. J.J. Linao National Rd), connects the western coastal towns of Bagac and Morong; it also serves Mt. Samal.
Buses connect the major towns on the east coast. There is limited bus service to the western coast from Balanga.
Bataan is one of the majority Tagalog provinces of Central Luzon, but it also has a Kapampangan minority, on the towns of Dinalupihan, Hermosa and Abucay. The Mariveleño people or the Ayta Magbeken, a subgroup of the Aeta (Negritos), were the indigenous inhabitants of the area; they were displaced by the Tagalogs from Cavite by the 16th century. Descendants of Ilocano settlers live in southeastern areas of the province, on the towns of Orion, Limay, and Mariveles.
Bataan is a mostly mountainous province, occupying the entirety of the namesake Bataan Peninsula. Much of the population is concentrated on the east coast facing Manila Bay, much of which being plains; this includes most of the province's municipalities and the capital Balanga. The western coast facing the South China Sea (West Philippine Sea) is mostly sparsely populated; this includes the rural municipalities of Morong and Bagac.
