The name Mariveles is said to come from “maraming dilis” which pertains to the abundant anchovies caught on the sea surrounding the municipality. “Maraming dilis” was shortened to “mara-dilis” and eventually Mariveles through the passage of time. Another legend talked about a forbidden love story between a beautiful lass named Maria Velez and a priest from nearby Manila. The two eloped that took them to a lush forest at the tip of a peninsula across the Manila Bay corridor. Authorities from Manila caught up and separated the lovers. Maria Velez carried on to be a monk and the priest was banished to a far flung village in Mexico. Immortalizing this legend, the lush forest was named Mariveles, after the lady monk.
(*Source: www.mybataan.com)
