Candelaria, Zambales History Group of settlers found that this place is an ideal location. They had a foresight that this place would play an important role in the political life of its inhabitants. The same group of settlers, who were very influential, were the ones who supported this sitio in becoming a town. The year 1870 is a remarkable event in this place, when this sitio got its approval to become a town. It became the municipality of Candelaria. The beautiful name of the town Candelaria came from the name of the charming wife of the first Alcalde Mayor. It was requested as a bestowal on her birthday anniversary. There was also a story that the Spanish first saw many candles in this place Candle-Area, a place of many candles. As the years passed, it was customarily called CANDELARIA. Candelaria is the second nethermost town in Zambales. It is approximately 42 kilometers from the capital town of Iba. It is nestled at the foot of Zambales Range in the East and lies along coastline of the South China Sea in the west with a total land area of 43,760 hectares. Candelaria is the third largest town in terms of land area in the entire Province of Zambales. It has been said that during the pre-Spanish time, Candelaria was only a forest and unsettled by the people. It was then a sitio of Masinloc, one of the oldest towns of Zambales during that time. The coming of a group of Zambal settlers from the mother town of Masinloc have played an important role on how this sitio became a town.

Uacon River - Uacon, Candelaria Potipot Island - Uacon, Candelaria

Zambales History* The name of the province is derived from its earliest inhabitants, the Zambals, whom the Spanish found worshipping spirits called anitos. They were referred to as “Sambali,” from the Malay word samba, meaning “to worship.” The term was later Hisparicized to “Zambal.” When Juan de Salcedo came to explore the area in 1572, he landed at Cape Bolinao, then a part of Zambales. The Spaniards drove a group of Chinese pirates off the coast of Bolinao thereby earning the good will of the natives. Zambales was one of the earliest provinces created during the Spanish rule. As founded in the 16th century, it was composed of the area extending from Cape Bolinao in the north to Subic on the south. Due to their inaccessibility from the capital, seven towns in the northern portion of Zambales - from Bolinao to Infanta and including Alaminos - were later ceded to Pangasinan, forming that province’s western part. Zambales is the home province of the seventh president of the Philippine Republic, Ramon Magsaysay, who hailed from Castillejos. *Excerpt from http://www.tourism.gov.ph/

Candelaria, Zambales Association - USA 2004