GEOGRAPHY
Subic Bay Freeport (SBF) is located southwest of the Luzon Island in the Philippines. The harbor is sandwiched by the Zambales Mountain Range at the east and the Subic Bay at the west and opens up to the South China Sea. It is northwest of the Bataan Peninsula and southwest of the Zambales Province. SBF is 110 kilometers north of Manila. Manila Bay and the Bataan Peninsula separate SBF from Manila. The mountain ranges around the Subic Bay area and the deep natural harbor provide excellent and protected anchorage. In addition, these features make SBF naturally sheltered from typhoons as well as from the effects of the eruption of Mt. Pinatubo. SBF belongs to Region III or the Central Luzon Region. It is one of the points in the growth triangle and is an engine for economic development in the region. SBF is a supplier of services and products for the Central Luzon Development Program (CLDP), a regional growth area composed of the provinces of Bulacan, Nueva Ecija, Tarlac, Pampanga, Bataan, and Zambales.

CLIMATE
Like the rest of the Philippines, the climate in SBF is tropical. There are two seasons: Dry, from November to May and rainy, from June to October. The climate is without extremes. Average temperature is 80 degrees Farenheit or 26 degrees Celsius.

POPULATION
The population in SBF is estimated at 3,000. Right next to SBF is Olongapo City with a population of approximately 194,260. The adjacent provinces to SBF, Bataan and Zambales, have populations of 557,660 and 433,542 respectively as of 1995. Region III or Central Luzon, encompassing the provinces of Bulacan, Nueva Ecija, Tarlac, Pampanga, Bataan, and Zambales, has a combined population of 8.030 million as of May 1, 2001. (source:NSO Olongapo)