Central Luzon is traditionally known as the rice bowl of the Philippines, being the region that produces most of the country’s rice supply. It harbors the largest plain and it is the third biggest region that serves as a major industrial and agricultural center just north of Metro Manila. It may well be considered as one of the leading growth regions in the Philippines.
It is an important trading center and transportation terminal for products. Land travel is facilitated by a network of well-paved and extensive highways and roads linking all municipalities within the region.
This region covers a total land area of 18,230.8 km2 and occupies the central portion of the island of Luzon.
Region III is composed of seven (7) provinces and thirteen (13) cities. Provinces include Aurora, Bataan, Bulacan, Nueva Ecija, Pampanga, Tarlac and Zambales. Out of the thirteen (14) cities, two (2) are Highly Urbanized (Angeles in Pampanga and Olongapo in Zambales) and eleven (12) are Component Cities (Balanga in Bataan; Cabanatuan, Gapan, Muñoz, Palayan and San Jose in Nueva Ecija; San Fernando and Mabalacat in Pampanga; San Jose Del Monte, Meycauayan and Malolos in Bulacan; and Tarlac City in Tarlac. It has 20 congressional districts, 117 municipalities and 3,102 barangays.
"It is such a pride to note that six (6) Presidents of the Republic of the Philippines came from this region including the 15th and incumbent President Benigno”Noynoy” Aquino III who took his oath on June 30, 2010."
