Mariveles

Colonial era history

Incorporated to the Kingdom of the Spains and the Indies by a Franciscan friar in 1578, Mariveles was called the town of Camaya and was part of the Corregimiento of Mariveles, including Bagac and Morong, Corregidor and Maragondon, Cavite. The name Mariveles comes from "Maria Velez", a Mexican nun who eloped with a monk back in the 1600s. With its natural cove, the port was used by ships from China and Spain to resupply.^[6]

The Superior Decree of July 1754 declared Mariveles' independence from Pampanga.

In the 19th century, the Americans established the first quarantine station in the old Spanish Leprosarium Hospital (now known as the Mariveles Mental Wellness and General Hospital).

World War II

Mariveles Bay was the site of Mariveles Naval Section Base, completed for the United States Asiatic Fleet on 22 July 1941, and was surrendered to the Imperial Japanese Army on 9 April 1942. The Mariveles Airfield, a 3,800-foot (1,200 m) dirt runway at the Section Base, was the starting point of the Bataan Death March.^[7]

During the Marcos dictatorship

Just as the Philippines faced economic and political instability during the runup to the 1969 Philippine presidential election and the subsequent second term of the presidency of Ferdinand Marcos,^[8][9] it was revealed that two communities - Barrio NASSCO and Barrio Camaya - where the workers of the National Shipyard and Steel Corporation lived would be torn down for conversion into the new Mariveles Free Trade Zone in 1969 (also establishing the Philippine Economic Zone Authority (PEZA), compelling the relocation of the residents who in turn launched protests until the MFTZ became BEPZ in 1972. BEPZ has made the port a trading zone, and brought industry to the municipality. Agriculture is a large part of the port export.^[10]

With only a year left in his last constitutionally allowed term as president, Ferdinand Marcos placed the Philippines under Martial Law in September 1972 and thus retained the position for fourteen more years.^[11] This martial law era became known for human rights abuses,^[12][13] particularly targeting political opponents, student activists, journalists, religious workers, farmers, and others who fought against the Marcos dictatorship.^[14] This included activists who fought the relocation of the communities in Barrio NASSCO and Barrio Camaya.^[15]. One of the most prominent of these activists was Evelyn Pacheco-Mangulabnan, a Mariveles native who would later be honored at the Philippines' Bantayog ng mga Bayani for her role in resisting Marcos' authoritarian regime.^[15]

Contemporary history

On July 2010, the Freeport Area of Bataan Act (Republic Act 9728, approved on October 23, 2009) became effective, turning the Bataan Export Processing Zone or Bataan Economic Zone (BEPZ/BEZ) under PEZA into Freeport Area of Bataan (FAB) of Authority of the Freeport Area of Bataan (AFAB).^[6]

During the first term of Mayor Ace Jello Concepcion in 2017, the municipality's coat of arms was updated to the current one featuring a Philippine flag star and sun, fish, grain, Bataan Death March marker, mountain, and gear, and with the founding year 1757. It changed its color from green to pink as the second version from 2019 to 2022 under Jo Castañeda. With Concepcion's start of second term as mayor on June 30, 2022, the seal reverted to its original green color.

On February 12, 2024, with the approval of the Office of the President of the Philippines through Executive Secretary Lucas Bersamin, the current third version of the 2017 seal began to be used where the seal now resembles the Great Seal of the Philippines and dropped the establishment year. However, the first version still continued to be used nowadays.

Climate

Barangays

Mariveles is politically subdivided into 18 barangays, with two are located within the jurisdiction of Freeport Area of Bataan (FAB).^[18] Each barangay consists of puroks and some have sitios.

Local government

Pursuant to the Local government in the Philippines",^[36][37] the political seat of the municipal government is located at the Municipal Hall. In the History of the Philippines (1521–1898), the Gobernadorcillo is the Chief Executive who held office in the Presidencia. During the American rule (1898–1946) (History of the Philippines (1898-1946)), the elected Mayor and local officials, including the appointed ones held office at the Municipal Hall. The legislative and executive departments perform their functions in the Sangguniang Bayan (Session Hall) and Municipal Trial Court, respectively, and are located in the second floor of the Town Hall and in the adjacent building.

The Municipal Mayor as of the 2022 national and local elections, serving his second term in office, is Ace Jello "AJ" C. Concepcion.

Elected officials

Members of the Mariveles Municipal Council (2022-2025):^[38]

• Municipal Mayor: Ace Jello Concepcion
• Municipal Vice Mayor: Angelito S. Rubia
• Municipal Councilors:
  • Ronald R. Arcenal
  • Susan M. Murillo
  • Jester Ivan O. Ricafrente
  • Jose M. Carandang
  • Danilo T. Banal
  • Omar B. Cornejo
  • Vonnel A. Isip
  • Jeff B. Peñaloza
• Municipal ABC President: Marcialito L. Balan

District Representative (3rd Legislative District, Bataan): Maria Angela Garcia

Transportation

Mariveles can be reached by a ferry plying the Mariveles to Manila route that has an approximate travel time of 40 minutes.

Expressway

The Bataan Provincial Expressway, also called Roman Super-Highway, is a limited-access toll expressway that connects Bataan to the provinces of the Central Luzon region in the Philippines. Mariveles is off Exit 55.

Energy sources

Utilities:

• Mariveles geothermal area in Bataan: a geothermal area situated along the West Luzon Volcanic Arc.^[41]
• GN Power Mariveles Coal Plant (GMCP), Alas-asin: 600-megawatt coal-fired power plant ($155 million was purchased by Conglomerate Ayala Corp. in December 2012).^[42]
• National Grid Corporation of the Philippines (NGCP) Mariveles Substation which hosts three 500 kV transmission lines which are Balsik–Mariveles, MPGC Mariveles–NGCP Mariveles, and GNPower Dinginin–NGCP Mariveles lines. The first is operated and maintained by NGCP, while the last two are by power generation companies (Mariveles Power Generation Corporation (MPGC) and GN Power Dinginin Ltd. Co. (GNPD) while having ownership on both respective lines).

Primary and elementary schools

Secondary schools

Higher educational institutions

Tertiary educational institutions include:

• Polytechnic University of the Philippines Bataan (PUP), a state university that offers baccalaureate (college) degrees where students are scholars of the government (after passing an entrance exam). Opened in 1976, the campus is located at Barangay Malaya, Freeport Area of Bataan (FAB).
• Maritime Academy of Asia and the Pacific (MAAP) located at Kamaya Point, Barangay Alas-asin, offering courses in the maritime industry. Students are accepted after passing stringent academic and physical examinations.
• TESDA Mariveles Bataan Branch, located at Barangay Camaya and near the Public Market, Mariveles Municipal Hall, and Freeport Area of Bataan, offering technical and vocational courses.
• Softnet Information Technology Center (SITC) located at second floor SFB #8, FAB, offering associate degrees in computer studies.
• Llamas Memorial Institute Inc.
• St. Nicholas Catholic School of Mariveles Inc. (SNCSM) located at Padre Zamora st., near St. Nicolas of Tolentine Parish