Baler, AuroraThe Birthplace of a President Rises to Become a Business and Tourist Magnet

It is but timely that Quezon Citys newest twin town partnership is forged with the municipality of Baler in Aurora Province, coinciding with its diamond jubilee celebrations. After all, this quiet but progressive town and its 400 years of history is the birthplace of the citys founder, President Manuel L. Quezon and his wife, Ma. Aurora Aragon Quezon.

Baptized by Storm and Siege

As a pueblo (township) known first as Kinagunasan, it was built and controlled by members of the religious clergy in 1609 (from the Franciscans to the Augustinians to the Recollects and back to the Franciscans again). It would only figure prominently in two events in Philippine history first being the December 1735 storm surge that drowned and devastated the old town, in which only a few families and clans original to the town were able to escape to the hill.

The second one would be the famous Siege of Baler in 1898 that would see the Spanish resistance fighters defend their ranks from Philippine revolutionary forces and the American army till 1899. Their defeat signalled the end of the first Philippine republic and the start of American occupation. A silent witness to this was the San Luis de Obispo de Tolosa Parish Church of Baler. Other significant places that history buffs ought to visit are the Museo de Baler and the ancestral homes of President Quezon and his wife, Doa Aurora.

Blessed with Forests and Beaches

Baler prides itself as being one of the greenest municipalities in the Philippines with its 70% forest cover and 328 km of pristine coastlines. It is also home to the largest, and probably the oldest, Acacia tree in Asia, a 600-year-old massive giant that would entail 60 men to completely encircle it.

Baler is also fast becoming one of the tourist attractions in the eastern Luzon for its beaches like the Cemento and Sabang beaches, but its variety of waves coming from the Pacific Ocean already attract a good number of surfers to test its famous killer waves. Nature lovers would find delight in the coral-rich attractions that are Dimadimalangat, Aniao and Lukso-lukso islets off its coast.

Booming with Business and Tourism Potentials

As the capital of the province that now takes its name after Quezons wife, Baler is also its oldest but most progressive town. As it is fast becoming a destination known for its history, natural scenery, beaches and bountiful waves, Baler is beginning to attract major investments that would truly make it a rising star in tourism.