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 PambansaBlg. 7.
LAND AREA: 9,255 hectares.
POPULATION: 36,010 (2010 NSO Census)
Voting Population: 21,474 (as of November 2012)
No. of Precincts: Established: (159);
Clustered: (32)
NO. OF BARANGAYS: 13 barangays
1. Brgy. 01 (Pob.) 8. Obligacion
2. Brgy. 02 (Pob.) 9. Pingit
3. Brgy. 03 (Pob.) 10. Reserva
4. Brgy. 04 (Pob.) 11. Sabang
5. Brgy. 05 (Pob.) 12. Suklayin
6. Buhangin 13. Zabali
7. Calabuanan
INCOME CLASSIFICATION: 3rd Class Municipality
TOWN FIESTA: August 19 - Birth Anniversary of Pres. Manuel Luis Quezon
August 19 - Coco-Sabutan Festival
PATRONAL FIESTA: August 19 - Feast Day of San Luis Obispo de Tolosa
TOURIST SPOTS:
• Aniao Islets • Lt. Commander James Gilmore Marker
• Cemento Beach & Cobra Reef • Museo de Baler
• Dicasalarin Beach/Cove • Quezon Memorial Park
• Digisit • Sabang Beach
• Dimadimalangat • San Luis Obispo Parish
&Luksu-lukso Islets (Baler Catholic Church)
• Doña Aurora Memorial Shrine • Santo Entierro
• Ermita Hill
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 six other came to Baler, Casiguran, and Palanan in 1609. Franciscan friar Francisco de San Antonio, who was in charge of Baler from 1611 to 1616, led the building of the first church of Baler. On December 27, 1735, a great storm came and a huge wave called tromba marina swept to the sea the old settlement of Baler. Survivors belonging to the family of the Angara, Bijasa, Bitong, Carrasco, Lumasac, and Poblete swam into the safe plateau of Ermita Hill. Thus new community sprang into what is now the Poblacion of Baler, leaving
“Kinagunasan,” the place of devastation.
The word “Baler” is said to have rooted from the name of Vale, an old woman; Dumagat
wordbalid meaning “to return”; name of LakanBalid, a nobleman; and balod, a mountain
dove (palomamontes), a word entry found in Vocabulario de la LenguaTagala by Juan
deNoceda and Pedro de Sanlucar in 1754.