History of Zambales
            The history of Zambales unfolds in 1572 when famous Spanish conquistador Juan de Salcedo responded to proposed invitation of the people from the undulating mountain ranges, then still thick with vegation, which knifed accross the vast lap of virgin land. The earliest towns established in 1607, 1611, and 1612 were Masinloc, Iba, and Sta. Cruz, respectively. Masinloc was the first capital of the province. At the various points of history, capital shifted from each of the three towns earlier named. Iba, howevern in view of its strategic location, finally became the permanent seat of the provincial government.
            Zambales, which covers an area of 361,110 hectares, shares common boundaries with Pangasinan in the north, Tarlac and Pampanga in the east and Bataan in the south. The entire stretch in the west is rimmed by the crystal-clear waters of vast China Sea. The 13 sprawling towns dolting the province from north to south, most of them along the shoreline are: Sta. Cruz, Candelaria, Masinloc, Palauig, Iba, Botolan, Cabanggan, San Felipe, San Narciso, San Antonio, San Marcelino, Castillejos and Subic. Olongapo, until it became a chatered city, was the 14th town.
            The name "Zambales" or the Hispanized term form "Zambal", is derived from the spoken dialect from the spoken dialect and ethnic site of the early Malay inhibitants of the place. It is alleged that term was given currency on account of the fact that the Spanish conquistadores found these people highly supertitious who worship the spirits of their departed ancestors. Now, the closer equivalent of the worship is "Samba" in dialect hence term "Zambales".ņ
            The Zambaleņos, believed to have originally comes from the Celebes, pushed the aborigines, the kinky-haired, drawfish Negritoes or Aetas, to the hinterlands and established villages which were to become the nuclei of such municipalities as Sta. Cruz, Candelaria, Masinloc, Palauig, Iba, Botolan, Cabangan, and San Felipe, most them in the northern portion of the province. They can be found likewise in Infanta, Baleng-Kageng (now Mabini), Alaminos, Agno, Burgos, Bani, Anda, and Bolinao, all within the Province of Pangasinan. These eight town was originally part of Zambales and it was in view of physical difficulties in administration that they were ceded to Pangasinan.
            While the northern part of Zambales has long been occupied, the great plains in the south for sometime remained covered by impenetrable forest, thereby allowing migration of two distinct group much later. The Tagalogs formed the fishig villages at the southernmost tip of the province which later became Subic and Olongapo. The Ilocanos, on other hand, started the settlements that subsequently grew into what are now agricultural towns of Castillejos, San Marcelino, San Antonio, and the agrofishing towns of San Felipe, Cabangan, and the southern part of Botolan. These great people from Ilocos region in exodus, known their visions and courage, their industry and tenacity, were to carve out flourishing communities from were nurtured the sons and daughters who enormously contributed to the socio-economic, political and cultural life of the people all over the country, let alone the province of Zambales, since then.