Baler, Aurora

Baler, officially the Municipality of Baler (Bayan ng Baler; Ili ti Baler), is a 3rd class municipality and capital of the province of Aurora, Philippines. According to the 2020 census, it has a population of 43,785 people.

Baler is located 231 km northeast of Manila and 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.

It became the capital of Aurora on June 14, 1951, under Republic Act No. 648 signed by President Elpidio Quirino. It remained the seat of government of Aurora on November 21, 1978, under ''Batas Pambansa Blg. 7'' signed by President Ferdinand Marcos.

On August 6, 2023, Republic Act 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 Ferdinand “Bongbong” Marcos Jr.’s signature.

Spanish colonial period


In 1609, seven Franciscan missionaries, led by Fray Blas Palomino, founded the settlement of Baler, which was later converted into a pueblo (town) by the Augustinians and the Recollects in 1658. Due to scarcity of religious missionaries, the Franciscans again took over the administration of the settlement in 1703.

On December 27, 1735, a great storm came 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 toward 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, 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. Before the Americans came, Baler was under the district of El Príncipe from Nueva Ecija.

The Comedia de Baler of Aurora mounted its first production in 1927. It was supported by then President Manuel L. Quezon 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 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 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 retreating Japanese troops destroyed the San Luis Obispo de Tolosa Church in Baler.

Post-war period
On June 14, 1951, by virtue of Republic Act No. 648, Baler became the capital town of the sub-province (and later, province) of Aurora which was made out of Quezon. Baler is the birthplace of Manuel Quezon and his cousin and wife Aurora Aragon-Quezon.

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 were filmed at Baler. The film is credited with having created the Philippine surfing culture and the headland at Baler is known as "Charlie's Point" from a line in the film.

Cityhood
In the 19th Congress of the Philippines, house bills were filed by various representatives which seeks Baler including other capital towns of provinces with no current component cities, independent component cities or highly urbanized cities to automatically convert into cities.

Geography
According to the Philippine Statistics Authority, the municipality has a land area of 92.55 km2 constituting NaN% of the 3147.32 km2 total area of Aurora.

Barangays
Baler is politically subdivided into 13 barangays. Each barangay consists of puroks and some have sitios.

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 and Bugkalot in Baler's coast and mountain areas already exists, along with Kapampangan settlements in coast and plains. Tagalogs, 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 access by sea though the town saw increase migration from other parts of Luzon such as Laguna, Tayabas, 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 and Batangueños to settle in Baler. In 1896, a group of Ilocanos from Aringay, La Union came to settle in San Jose, now called Maria Aurora. In 1906, another group of Ilocanos arrived from La Union and Pangasinan. 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.

In the 2020 census, Baler had a population of 43,785. The population density was undefined PD/km2.

Languages
The Tagalog and Ilocano languages 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.

Local government


The current officials of Baler, Aurora (as of May 19, 2019)

Culture
Baler annually observes the Philippine–Spanish Friendship Day which commemorates the end of the Siege of Baler and celebrates the bilateral relations 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.

Tertiary education

 * Aurora State College of Technology
 * Mount Carmel College of Baler
 * School of Health Sciences, campus Baler, University of the Philippines Manila

Secondary education

 * Aurora National Science High School
 * Baler National High School

Media
Baler has 1 TV station - GMA 5 Baler, & 1 radio station - DZJO Spirit FM (Catholic Media Network/Radio Veritas). 1 media network (both radio and TV) is based in the town named RTV Baler.

Notable personalities

 * Manuel L. Quezon, first president of the Commonwealth of the Philippines
 * 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 senate president, former University of the Philippines 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, incumbent Philippine senator
 * John Arcilla, veteran actor