Olongapo

Olongapo, also called Olongapo City, city, western Luzon, Philippines. The city is situated in a lowland area near the head of Subic Bay. Olongapo was heavily damaged during World War II (1939–45). It became a municipality in 1959 and a chartered city in 1966.

The U.S. military’s Subic Bay Naval Station was located nearby and was largely responsible for the rapid growth of the city and its business and service establishments in the second half of the 20th century. The United States evacuated the base and turned it over to the Philippines in 1992. Since then much of the former base has been developed into a free port and a special economic zone that includes manufacturing plants and an international airport. Those facilities have contributed significantly to the economic growth of the region. In 2012 the Philippine government began granting U.S. warships limited temporary use of Subic Bay’s port facilities. The city, recognized as a major tourist centre, annually attracts many visitors to its numerous resorts and beaches. Pop. (2000) 194,260; (2010) 221,178.