The early inhabitants of Subic were the Negritos of Zambales (more popularly known as Aetas). At the end of the Pleistocene, seafarers from the Malay Peninsula of the Asian mainland sailed to the Southeast Asian islands, establishing pockets of population. The Malays were the first migrants to reach Zambales and drove the Negrito aborigines from the plains and valleys to the mountains. They found themselves at the western coastal plain of Luzon between Subic Bay and Lingayen Gulf.