MUNICIPALITY : BALER

CREATION : Became the capital town of Aurora Sub-Province on June 14, 1951 under
Republic Act No. 648 and remained the seat of government of Aurora
Province on November 21, 1978 under Batas Pambansa Blg. 7.

LAND AREA : 9,255 hectares

POPULATION : 34,492 (NSO 2007)

Voting Population : 18,140 (January 2012)
No. of Precincts : Established 154; Clustered: 63

NO. OF BRGYS. : 13 Barangays

1. Brgy. 01 (Pob) 6. Buhangin 11. Sabang

2. Brgy. 02 (Pob) 7. Calabuanan 12. Suklayin
3. Brgy. 03 (Pob) 8. Obligacion 13. Zabali
4. Brgy. 04 (Pob) 9. Pingit
5. Brgy. 05 (Pob) 10. Reserva

CLASSIFICATION : 3rd Class Municipality

TOWN FIESTA : August 19 (Birth Anniversary of President Manual L. Quezon)

: August 19 (Feast Day of San Luis Obispo de Tolosa) Patron

TOURIST SPOTS : 1. Museo de Baler 8. Dimadimalangat & Luksu-lukso Islets

2. Quezon Memorial Park 9. Sabang Beach
3. Doña Aurora Memorial Shrine 10. Santo en Tierro
4. San Luis Obispo Parish Church 11. Lt.Commander James Gilmore Marker
5. Cemento Beach & Coral Reef 12. Ermita Hills
6. Dicasalarin Beach/Cove 13. Aniao Islets
7. Digisit

PRODUCTS : coconut, rice, fish, citrus, processed food, sabutan, forest-based

wood/non-wood products, livestock

BRIEF HISTORY : Baler, Casiguran and Infanta came to be known between 1570 and 1576
when Spanish conquistador Juan de Salcedo explored Luzon. Fray
Esteban Ortiz a Franciscan missionary arrived in Luzon in 1578, while
Fray Blas Palomino who led 6 other missionaries came to Baler, Casiguran
and Palanan in 1609. Franciscan Friar Juan Francisco de San Antonio
who was in charge of Baler from 1611-1616 led the building of the first
church of Baler. On December 26-27, 1735 a great storm came and huge
wave of water, “Tromba Marina”, swept to the sea the old settlement of
Baler. Survivors belonging to the families of the Angara, Bihasa, Bitong,
Carrasco, Lumasac and Poblete swam into safe plateau of Ermita Hill. A
new community sprung into what is now the Poblacion of Baler leaving
“Kinagunasan”, the place of devastation.

1
“Baler” is said to have rooted from the word “Vale”, a name of an old
woman; Dumagat word “balid” meaning “to return”; name of Lakan Balid,
a nobleman and “balod”, a mountain dove (Paloma Montes), a word entry
found in “Vocabulario de la Lengua Tagala” by Juan de Noceda y Pedro de
Sanlucar in 1754,

The historic “Siege of Baler” (June 27, 1898 to June 2, 1899),shown in

movie Baler, inspired the signing of Republic Act No. 9187 on February
1902, Governor Harry H. Bandholtz caused a ten-man council to manage
the affairs of Baler and Casiguran until 1910. In January 1910, Benito
Angara became the first elected mayor of Baler.

On June 14, 1951, Baler became the capital town of the Sub-province of
Aurora when President Elpidio R. Quirino signed RA No. 648. On
November 21, 1978 it remained the seat of government of the new
Province of Aurora by virtue of Batas Pambansa Blg. 7 signed by
President Ferdinand E. Marcos.