The Sambal (Spanish: zambales) are a Filipino ethnic group living primarily in the province of Zambales, the city of Olongapo, and the Pangasinense municipalities of Bolinao and Anda.
The Sambal are the original Austronesian inhabitants of the province of Zambales and the city of Olongapo in the Philippines. They speak Tina, Bolinao, or Botolan, all of which are Sambalic languages. The Sambalic languages are most closely related to Kapampangan and to an archaic form of Tagalog still spoken in Tanay in the province of Rizal. This has been interpreted to mean that the Sambal originated from that area, later being displaced by migrating Tagalogs from Marinduque around 600 BC, pushing the original inhabitants northward to what is now the province of Zambales, in turn, displacing the Aetas.
The Spanish, in their first encouters with the Sambal, supposedly found them to be highly superstitious and who worshipped the spirits of their ancestors. To this day, most Sambal still believe in superstitions and mysteries.
Like the Moros, the culture and customs of the Sambal are different from that of neighboring groups. This is evident in their traditional dress, which consists of a single-shoulder short-sleeved shirt, paired with short trousers. Usually worn at the chest and shoulder areas of the shirt are badges that resemble multicolored crosses. The way they do their hair is also different. They shave off half of their head at the front, the remaining hair flowing from the top of the skull and hanging at the nape, and making their foreheads look wider.