HOME

TheInfoList



OR:

Baler (, , , ; ), officially the Municipality of Baler (; ), is a
municipality A municipality is usually a single administrative division having municipal corporation, corporate status and powers of self-government or jurisdiction as granted by national and regional laws to which it is subordinate. The term ''municipality' ...
and capital of the
province A province is an administrative division within a country or sovereign state, state. The term derives from the ancient Roman , which was the major territorial and administrative unit of the Roman Empire, Roman Empire's territorial possessions ou ...
of
Aurora An aurora ( aurorae or auroras), also commonly known as the northern lights (aurora borealis) or southern lights (aurora australis), is a natural light display in Earth's sky, predominantly observed in high-latitude regions (around the Arc ...
,
Philippines The Philippines, officially the Republic of the Philippines, is an Archipelagic state, archipelagic country in Southeast Asia. Located in the western Pacific Ocean, it consists of List of islands of the Philippines, 7,641 islands, with a tot ...
. According to the 2020 census, it has a population of 43,785 people.


History


Spanish colonial period

In 1609, seven
Franciscan missionaries The Franciscans are a group of related organizations in the Catholic Church, founded or inspired by the Italian saint Francis of Assisi. They include three independent religious orders for men (the Order of Friars Minor being the largest contem ...
led by Fray Blas Palomino founded the settlement of Baler. It was later converted into a ''pueblo'' (town) by the
Augustinians Augustinians are members of several religious orders that follow the Rule of Saint Augustine, written about 400 A.D. by Augustine of Hippo. There are two distinct types of Augustinians in Catholic religious orders dating back to the 12th–13 ...
and the Recollects in 1658. Due to the scarcity of religious missionaries, the Franciscans again took over the administration of the settlement in 1703. On December 27, 1735, a great storm struck the town and a huge wave called ''tromba marina'' devastated the old town settlement then located in Barrio Sabang. Among the survivors were the Angaras, Bijasas, Bitongs, Lumasacs, Carrascos, and Pobletes who swam towards the nearby Ermita Hill. A new community sprang into what is now the Poblacion of Baler, leaving "Kinagunasan," the place of devastation. A mural depicting this wave can be found in the Museo de Baler in town. On June 27, 1898, 15 days after the Philippine Declaration of Independence, 54 Spanish soldiers of the Baler garrison, under the command of Captain Enrique de las Morenas y Fossi, made San Luis Obispo de Tolosa Church, named in Spanish for Louis of Toulouse, their barracks. When de las Morenas died on November 22, 1898, Lieutenant Saturnino Martín Cerezo replaced him. On June 2, 1899, the last Spanish garrison in the Philippines surrendered after the
Siege of Baler The siege of Baler (; ) was a battle of the Philippine Revolution. Filipino revolutionaries laid siege to a fortified church defended by Spanish troops in the town of Baler, Aurora, for 337 days, from 1 July 1898 until 2 June 1899. The Spanish� ...
, effectively ending over 300 years of Spanish rule in the country.


American colonial period

In 1902, the Americans incorporated the town into the province of
Tayabas Tayabas, officially the City of Tayabas (), is a Cities of the Philippines#Legal classification, component city in the Provinces of the Philippines, province of Quezon, Philippines. According to the 2020 census, it has a population of 112,65 ...
. Before the Americans came, Baler was under the district of El Príncipe from
Nueva Ecija Nueva Ecija, officially the Province of Nueva Ecija ( ; ; ; ), is a landlocked province in the Philippines located in the Central Luzon region. Its capital is the city of Palayan, while Cabanatuan, its former capital, is the largest Local gove ...
. The ''Comedia de Baler'' of Aurora mounted its first production in 1927. It was supported by then President
Manuel L. Quezon Manuel Luis Quezon y Molina (, , , ; 19 August 1878 – 1 August 1944), also known by his initials MLQ, was a Filipino people, Filipino lawyer, statesman, soldier, and politician who was president of the Commonwealth of the Philippines from 1 ...
and enjoyed the collaboration of artists Fortunato Esoreña and Alejandro Ferreras and arnis expert Antonino Ramos. Still alive today, it features a group of colorfully attired performers using authentic weapons, like swords and knives, in their plays. Manuel L. Quezon was the governor of Tayabas, which was renamed Quezon in his honor.


Japanese occupation

In 1942, the
Imperial Japanese Army The Imperial Japanese Army (IJA; , ''Dai-Nippon Teikoku Rikugun'', "Army of the Greater Japanese Empire") was the principal ground force of the Empire of Japan from 1871 to 1945. It played a central role in Japan’s rapid modernization during th ...
entered Baler, where they made the Baler Elementary School building their garrison under the command of a certain Captain Hattori. The general headquarters and camp base of the Philippine Commonwealth Army from January 3, 1942, to June 30, 1946, and the
Philippine Constabulary The Philippine Constabulary (PC; , ''HPP''; ) was a gendarmerie-type military police force of the Philippines from 1901 to 1991, and the predecessor to the Philippine National Police. It was created by the Insular Government, American occupat ...
from October 28, 1944, to June 30, 1946, were stationed in Baler. In 1945, Filipino and American troops landed in Baler, including Filipino troops of the 3rd Infantry Division, the 5th Infantry Division, the 51st Infantry Division, and the 52nd Infantry Division of the Philippine Commonwealth Army, the 5th Constabulary Regiment of the Philippine Constabulary, the local recognized guerrilla unit, and the American troops of the 6th Infantry Division of the
United States Army The United States Army (USA) is the primary Land warfare, land service branch of the United States Department of Defense. It is designated as the Army of the United States in the United States Constitution.Article II, section 2, clause 1 of th ...
. The retreating Japanese troops destroyed the San Luis Obispo de Tolosa Church in Baler.


Post-war period

It became the capital of Aurora on June 14, 1951, under
Republic Act This article contains a partial list of Philippine laws. Sources of Philippine laws ;Notes : *Customs may be considered as supplementary source of law, however, customs which are contrary to law, public order or public policy shall not ...
No. 648 signed by President
Elpidio Quirino Elpidio Rivera Quirino (; November 16, 1890 – February 29, 1956) was a Philippine nationality law, Filipino lawyer and politician who served as the 6th President of the Philippines from 1948 to 1953. A lawyer by profession, Quirino entered p ...
. Baler is the birthplace of Manuel Quezon and his cousin and wife
Aurora Aragon-Quezon An aurora ( aurorae or auroras), also commonly known as the northern lights (aurora borealis) or southern lights (aurora australis), is a natural light display in Earth's sky, predominantly observed in high-latitude regions (around the Arc ...
. One obvious reason was the area's isolation from the rest of Quezon Province: there were no direct links to the rest of the province and much of the terrain was mountainous and heavily forested, which made the area relatively isolated, and its distance from Quezon's capital
Lucena Lucena (, American Spanish: , European Spanish: ), officially known as the City of Lucena (), is a highly urbanized city situated in the Calabarzon region (Region IV-A) of the Philippines. The city is the largest urban center and capital of ...
. In 1956, the ''barrio'' of Dingalan was converted into a municipal district within Baler and later became a town in its right. In 1976-7 the helicopter attack and surfing sequences of the film ''
Apocalypse Now ''Apocalypse Now'' is a 1979 American psychological epic war film produced and directed by Francis Ford Coppola. The screenplay, co-written by Coppola, John Milius, and Michael Herr, is loosely inspired by the 1899 novella '' Heart of Darkn ...
'' were filmed at Baler. The film is credited with having created the Philippine
surfing Surfing is a surface water sport in which an individual, a surfer (or two in tandem surfing), uses a board to ride on the forward section, or face, of a moving wave of water, which usually carries the surfer towards the shore. Waves suita ...
culture and the headland at Baler is known as "Charlie's Point" from a line in the film. It remained the seat of government of Aurora on November 21, 1978, under ''Batas Pambansa Blg. 7'' signed by President
Ferdinand Marcos Ferdinand Emmanuel Edralin Marcos Sr. (September 11, 1917 – September 28, 1989) was a Filipino lawyer, politician, dictator, and Kleptocracy, kleptocrat who served as the tenth president of the Philippines from 1965 to 1986. He ruled the c ...
. On August 6, 2023,
Republic Act This article contains a partial list of Philippine laws. Sources of Philippine laws ;Notes : *Customs may be considered as supplementary source of law, however, customs which are contrary to law, public order or public policy shall not ...
No. 11957, also known as “An Act Recognizing the Municipality of Baler in the Province of Aurora as the ‘Birthplace of Philippine Surfing,” became law without President
Bongbong Marcos Ferdinand "Bongbong" Romualdez Marcos Jr. (, , ; born September 13, 1957), commonly referred to by the initials BBM or PBBM, is a Filipino politician who has served as the 17th president of the Philippines since 2022. He is the second child ...
’s signature.


Geography

According to the
Philippine Statistics Authority The Philippine Statistics Authority (; PSA) is the central statistical authority of the Philippine government that collects, compiles, analyzes, and publishes statistical information on economic, social, demographic, political affairs, and gene ...
, the municipality has a land area of constituting of the total area of Aurora. Baler is situated from the country's capital city of
Manila Manila, officially the City of Manila, is the Capital of the Philippines, capital and second-most populous city of the Philippines after Quezon City, with a population of 1,846,513 people in 2020. Located on the eastern shore of Manila Bay on ...
. It is accessible by bus and private vehicles via a mountain pass. It is host to spectacular geographic formations and is situated on a vast plain at the south end of Baler Bay, a contiguous segment of the
Philippine Sea The Philippine Sea is a List of seas#Marginal seas by ocean, marginal sea of the Pacific Ocean, Western Pacific Ocean east of the list of islands of the Philippines, Philippine Archipelago (hence the name) and the List of seas#Largest seas ...
.


Barangays

Baler is politically subdivided into 13 barangays. Each barangay consists of
purok A ''purok'' () is an informal division within a barangay in the Philippines. While not officially considered a local government unit (LGU), a ''purok'' often serves as a unit for delivering services and administration within a barangay. ''Pur ...
s and some have
sitios A ''sitio'' (Spanish language, Spanish for "site") in the Philippines is a territorial enclave that forms part of a barangay. Typically rural, a ''sitios location is usually far from the center of the barangay itself and could be its own bar ...
.


Climate


Demographics

People with connections to the town are referred to as Balereños. Prior to the arrival of Spanish missionaries in Baler in 1609, settlements by
Aeta people Aeta (Ayta ), Agta and Dumagat, are collective terms for several indigenous peoples who live in various parts of Luzon islands in the Philippines. They are included in the wider Negrito grouping of the Philippines and the rest of Southeast A ...
and Bugkalot in Baler's coast and mountain areas already exists, along with Kapampangan settlements in coast and plains.
Tagalogs The Tagalog people are an Austronesian ethnic group native to the Philippines, particularly the Metro Manila and Calabarzon regions and Marinduque province of southern Luzon, and comprise the majority in the provinces of Bulacan, Bataan, N ...
, some originating from Palanan and Infanta, Quezon, came in to the area to trade by boat. Some Tagalogs settled in Baler and married with the Aeta and Bugkalots. Kapampangans assimilated to the Tagalog settlers. The Spanish brought in Filipino acolytes from other areas of Luzon from 1609 to 1899. During this period, Baler can only be accessed by sea though the town saw increase migration from other parts of Luzon such as Laguna,
Tayabas Tayabas, officially the City of Tayabas (), is a Cities of the Philippines#Legal classification, component city in the Provinces of the Philippines, province of Quezon, Philippines. According to the 2020 census, it has a population of 112,65 ...
, and Bicol from the south.The opening of the Baler-Bongabon Road allowed easier migration of people from Ilocos and Isabela areas from the north. The road also allowed
Igorot people The indigenous peoples of the Cordillera in northern Luzon, Philippines, often referred to by the exonym Igorot people, or more recently, as the Cordilleran peoples, are an ethnic group composed of nine main ethnolinguistic groups whose domains ...
and Batangueños to settle in Baler. In 1896, a group of Ilocanos from Aringay,
La Union La Union (), officially the Province of La Union (; ; ; ; ; ), is a coastal province in the Philippines situated in the Ilocos Region on the island of Luzon. The province's capital, the San Fernando, La Union, City of San Fernando, is the most ...
came to settle in San Jose, now called Maria Aurora. In 1906, another group of Ilocanos arrived from La Union and
Pangasinan Pangasinan, officially the Province of Pangasinan (, ; ; ), is a coastal Provinces of the Philippines, province in the Philippines located in the Ilocos Region of Luzon. Its capital is Lingayen, Pangasinan, Lingayen while San Carlos, Pangasi ...
. The guerrilla movement during the Japanese occupation brought Novo Ecijanos (people from Nueva Ecija) to Baler; Novo Ecijanos include Tagalogs, Ilocanos, and Kapampangans, with quite large number of Pangasinenses. The Balereños learned trade from the Batangueños and the Novo Ecijanos; where before they used to share what they have, now they would sell coconut to their neighbors.Baler and Other Sceneries of Aurora
/ref> Other ethnic groups who came and stayed in Baler include Christianized Gaddang and Isinai settlers who settled the surrounding lowlands of Baler Bay. In the 2020 census, Baler had a population of 43,785. The population density was .


Languages

The Tagalog and
Ilocano language Iloco (also Iloko, Ilocáno or Ilokáno; ; Iloco: ) is an Austronesian languages, Austronesian language primarily spoken in the Philippines by the Ilocano people. It is one of the eight major languages of the Philippines with about 11 million ...
s are the main languages spoken in Baler. The province of Aurora is claimed to primarily speak a Tagalog dialect that is closely related to the Tayabas Tagalog of Quezon, with some Ilocano influences. In Baler, for example, the variety is called ''Tagalog-Baler (Balereño)''. The Tagalog dialect of Balereños is also known for distinctive expressions like ''akkaw'', used to express surprise, wonder, disgust, and objection; it is also akin to the English term "Wow!" Other regional term expressions spoken in Baler are ''are(h)'', used to express a negative feeling of surprise; ''anin'', used to express regret or pity for a situation; and many other words are also spoken similarly to neighboring Quezon, like ''adyo'', meaning to climb, and ''puropur'', which pertain to rain with gusty wind. Manuel L. Quezon, who was from Baler, was called the Father of the National Language for approving the recommendation of the Institute of National Language for Tagalog as the basis of the national language. Other languages spoken in Baler are Kapampangan,
Pangasinan Pangasinan, officially the Province of Pangasinan (, ; ; ), is a coastal Provinces of the Philippines, province in the Philippines located in the Ilocos Region of Luzon. Its capital is Lingayen, Pangasinan, Lingayen while San Carlos, Pangasi ...
, Ga'dang, Isinai in surrounding lowlands of Baler Bay, Bugkalot and Northern Alta or Edimala.


Economy


Government


Local government

The current officials of Baler, Aurora (as of June 30, 2022)


Culture

Baler annually observes the Philippine–Spanish Friendship Day which commemorates the end of the
Siege of Baler The siege of Baler (; ) was a battle of the Philippine Revolution. Filipino revolutionaries laid siege to a fortified church defended by Spanish troops in the town of Baler, Aurora, for 337 days, from 1 July 1898 until 2 June 1899. The Spanish� ...
and celebrates the
bilateral relations Bilateralism is the conduct of political, economic, or cultural relations between two sovereign states. It is in contrast to unilateralism or multilateralism, which is activity by a single state or jointly by multiple states, respectively. When ...
that have developed since then. It is held every June 30 and the rites which was first done in the provincial capital are also observed in other parts of the country, as well as parts of Spain.


Education

The Baler Schools District Office governs all educational institutions within the municipality. It oversees the management and operations of all private and public, from primary to secondary schools.


Primary and elementary schools

* Anacleto V. Mijares Elementary School * Angelcare Science Academy * Baler Adventist Elementary School * Baler Central School * Baler Infant Learning Center * Calabuanan Elementary School * Diego T. Ortiz Elementary School * Jesus the Divine Shepherd Christian Learning Center * Reserva Elementary School * Ruperto P. Zubia, Sr. Elementary School * Setan Elementary School * Suklayin Elementary School * Susannah Wesley Child Devepment Center


Secondary schools

* Aurora National High School * Aurora National Science High School * Baler Institute * Baler National High School * Baler Stand Alone Senior High School * Calabuanan National High School * Carmen T. Valenzuela Integrated School * Lyceum of the East * Mariano L. Sindac Integrated School * Obligacion Integrated School


Higher educational institutions

* Aurora State College of Technology * Mount Carmel College of Baler * School of Health Sciences, campus Baler,
University of the Philippines Manila The University of the Philippines Manila (UPM; ) is a Higher education in the Philippines#State universities and colleges, public research university located in Ermita, Manila, Ermita, Manila, Philippines. It is the oldest of eight constituent ...


Media

Baler is home to one TV station, GMA 5 Baler, and five radio stations, all in the FM band.


Notable personalities

*
Manuel L. Quezon Manuel Luis Quezon y Molina (, , , ; 19 August 1878 – 1 August 1944), also known by his initials MLQ, was a Filipino people, Filipino lawyer, statesman, soldier, and politician who was president of the Commonwealth of the Philippines from 1 ...
, first
president President most commonly refers to: *President (corporate title) * President (education), a leader of a college or university *President (government title) President may also refer to: Arts and entertainment Film and television *'' Præsident ...
of the
Commonwealth of the Philippines The Commonwealth of the Philippines (; ) was an Territories of the United States, unincorporated territory and Commonwealth (U.S. insular area), commonwealth of the United States that existed from 1935 to 1946. It was established following the ...
* Aurora Quezon, former first lady of the Philippines, wife of President Manuel L. Quezon * Eunice Pablo Guerrero-Cucueco, the first female governor of Aurora province * Edgardo Angara, former
President of the Senate of the Philippines The president of the Senate of the Philippines ( or ), commonly referred to as the Senate president, is the presiding officer and the highest-ranking official of the Senate of the Philippines, and third highest and most powerful official in the ...
, former
University of the Philippines The University of the Philippines (UP; ) is a Higher education in the Philippines#State universities and colleges, state university system in the Philippines. It is the country's national university, as mandated by List of Philippine laws, Re ...
president and longest-serving senator in the Philippines * Bella Angara, the first and currently only female majority floor leader of the House of Representatives of the Philippines *
Sonny Angara Juan Edgardo "Sonny" Manalang Angara (; born July 15, 1972) is a Filipino lawyer and politician who has served as the 37th Secretary of Education (Philippines), secretary of education since 2024. He has concurrently served as chairman of the ...
, current
Secretary of Education An education ministry is a national or subnational government agency politically responsible for education. Various other names are commonly used to identify such agencies, such as Ministry of Education, Department of Education, and Ministry of Pub ...
and former Philippine
Senator A senate is a deliberative assembly, often the upper house or Legislative chamber, chamber of a bicameral legislature. The name comes from the Ancient Rome, ancient Roman Senate (Latin: ''Senatus''), so-called as an assembly of the senior ...
* John Arcilla, veteran actor * Arvin Amatorio, attorney and politician, the
mayor In many countries, a mayor is the highest-ranking official in a Municipal corporation, municipal government such as that of a city or a town. Worldwide, there is a wide variance in local laws and customs regarding the powers and responsibilitie ...
of
Bergenfield, New Jersey Bergenfield is a borough in Bergen County, in the U.S. state of New Jersey. As of the 2020 United States census, the borough's population was 28,321, an increase of 1,557 (+5.8%) from the 2010 census count of 26,764, which in turn reflected ...


Gallery

File:Doña Aurora Aragon-Quezon House, Baler, Aurora, April 2023.jpg, Doña Aurora Aragon-Quezon House File:Museo de Baler, Baler, Aurora, April 2023.jpg, Museo de Baler File:Sabang2jf.JPG, Outer Banks, LabasinSabang Beach File:Erm8jf.jpg, View of Baler Bay from Ermita Hill File:DigisitLukso2jf.jpg, Rocky islets in Diguisit Bay File:Dicasalarin Cove.jpg, Dicasalarin Cove


References


External links

* Philippine Standard Geographic Codebr>Aurora, Philippines – Baler
{{Authority control Municipalities of Aurora (province) Provincial capitals of the Philippines Surfing locations in the Philippines Populated places established in 1609