Baler and the Quezons - Pres. Manuel Quezon and Dona Aurora Aragon-Quezon - will always be synonymous with each other. The fact that they were both from Baler is very much evident. Aurora Province, for one, is named after the former first lady. Its mother province, the former Tayabas Province, was renamed in honor of President Quezon.
Aside from gearing itself to be an adventure tourism destination, Baler is poised to restore its historical heritage. As a sign of local pride, the Quezon and Aragon homes have been reconstructed and restored as well. A replica of the nipa hut where President Quezon was born now stands beside the Museo de Baler where a statue of the former president can also be found.
Only a few months ago, the reconstructed home of Dona Aurora Aragon-Quezon was completed. Beside it, the National Historical Institute has placed on display Quezon's presidential car.
I was told that there are plans to restore the Baler Church, a National Historical Landmark, bringing it back to its 1899 look, a reminder that it had been the site of the last stand of Spanish forces in the country. As the Siege of the Church of Baler marker mentions, a Spanish garrison of four officers and fifty men was besieged in the church by Filipino forces from June 27, 1898 to June 2, 1899. Check out a previous post on Baler heritage for more details.
Here is the schedule of Philippine holidays and long-weekends for 2010 based on RA 9492 and Proclamation 1841:
January 1 (Fri) - New Year's Day (five-day long weekend from December 30 to January 3)
February 22 (Mon) - EDSA Revolution Anniversary (holiday for schools only, three-day long weekend from February 20 to 22)
April 1 (Thu) - Holy Thursday
April 2 (Fri) - Good Friday (four-day long weekend from April 1 to 4)
April 9 (Fri) - Araw ng Kagitingan (three-day long weekend from April 9 to 11)
May 3 (Mon) - Labor Day (three-day long weekend from May 1 to 3)
May 10 (Mon) - National Elections (three-day long weekend from May 8 to 10, make sure you vote and vote wisely)
June 14 (Mon) - Independence Day (three-day long weekend from June 12 to 14)
August 23 (Mon) - Ninoy Aquino Day (three-day long weekend from August 21 to 23)
August 30 (Mon) - National Heroes Day (three-day long weekend from August 28 to 30)
September - Eid'l Fitr (to be announced, calculated September 10, possible three-day long weekend from September 10 to 12)
November 1 (Mon) - All Saints Day (three-day long weekend from October 30 to November 1)
November - Eid 'l Adha (to be announced, calculated November 16)
November 29 (Mon) - Bonifacio Day (three-day long weekend from November 27 to 29)
December 24 (Fri) - Non-Working Holiday
December 25 (Sat) - Christmas
December 27 (Mon) - Rizal Day (four-day long weekend from December 24 to 27)
December 31 (Fri) - Non-Working Holiday
January 1 - (Sat) New Year's Day (three-day long weekend from December 31 to January 2)
Time to plan your travel calendars! Check out the destination search box at the top of the sidebar for particular travel destinations and more travel ideas.
Aurora is poised to become a major adventure destination in the coming months. More than just the surfing in Baler, which is already very popular, the province of Aurora has even more activities to offer.
During our first day, we went rappelling at Ermita Hill courtesy of the Aurora Tourism Office. What's good about the rappelling activity is that you can contact them for whole-day or half-day rappelling set-ups anywhere in Baler and its environs. In fact, the Ermita Hill rope down turned out to be a preview of an even more exciting descent.
Before going back to Manila, we rappelled down Digisit Falls which is also in Baler. That was quite an adventure. In fact, it was more of a challenge climbing up than rappelling down. Again, I regret not bringing my trekking sandals since my shoes ended up dripping wet! But it was fun!
Another activity you might want to try in Aurora is kayaking. The river system is clean and the views picturesque which makes the ride all the more pleasant. The Aurora Adventure Center not only has kayaks for rent. You can opt for an adrenaline rush by jetskiing.
Take note that their core offering is scuba diving. Maybe it's the first time you've heard of diving in Aurora. But the Philippines' Pacific side, particularly Aurora, is fast becoming a popular dive destination, especially during the southwest monsoon.
And since it's located in the heart of the magnificent yet fragile Sierra Madre Mountains, the hiking and trekking possibilities are endless. We got to visit Ditumabo Falls which is an easy trek from the National Highway. But for those who want to take it to the next level, the lush forests of the Sierra Madre provide a refreshing backdrop to more challenging mountain trails.
In fact, the forest cover of Aurora is still at 78 percent (and I hope it remains that way) with a high concentration of plants and wildlife, and a lot of endemic species. So aside from hiking, nature lovers could go birdwatching or deer or wild boar tracking.
Of course, when in Baler, make sure to take surfing lessons. Said to be the birthplace of surfing in the Philippines, Baler is a great place to learn surfing. You can easily arrange surfing lessons with your hotel or with the help of the tourism office.
But for the pros, Baler can offer more than just beginner waves. Which is why it's a popular destination even for foreign surfers.
Off-road driving is also becoming very popular. Traverse Aurora's rugged terrain and it's many off road trails which include Dibut, Dibutunan, Dicadi, Dikildit and Diteki. There's also mountain biking, caving and spelunking, rock climbing and orienteering. You can also go whale shark watching (it's closer to Metro Manila than Donsol, Sorsogon) or interacting with the sea cows. Also in the pipeline are white water tubing and a zip line. Indeed, Aurora is the next province to keep an eye on! One destination... endless adventure!
Aurora Tourism Office tourism_aurora@yahoo.com
Aurora Adventure Center divetrainor@gmail.com +639183961167 +639164528197
Aurora is a rough and wild adventure for now. While there are still several kilometers of rough unpaved road to get to this Pacific paradise, hopefully in the next two years, the roads will be fully-paved. But if you have a 4x4 or are fine with bus rides, then it's about time you pack your bags for Aurora!
Said to be the birthplace of surfing in the Philippines, Aurora is more than just surfing as we found out during our recent trip. But as soon as we arrived in Baler, we checked in at the Bahia de Baler 2 and dozed off for the rest of the morning. After some afternoon meetings, we went rappelling at Ermita Hill (I'll tell everyone more about the rappelling in Aurora in my next post) which was quite an activity.
The next day, we visited Ditumabo Falls in the town of San Luis. The jump-off point is right by the Ditumabo Bridge. The trekking time to the falls depends on how far your 4x4 can drive. If you're taking a jeep, you trek starts at the National Highway. Some vehicles can go as far as the first stream. We were able to go beyond the first stream and parked before reaching the second. From there, it's a 30 to 45-minute walk to the falls.
Make sure you were the proper hiking shoes. Trekking sandals would be best since there are several more river crossings before you actually get the the falls. There are also several smaller falls along the way. But the mother falls, which is another name they use for Ditumabo Falls, is nothing less than magnificent!
The water was really cold and very refreshing for a swim. I'm sure you could chill a can of beer or softdrinks there. Make sure to bring back your garbage with you and keep the waterfall area clean. You could also do our environment a great service by picking up any plastic wrapper you see along the way.
We had to rush back to Baler for a lunch meeting. But we first visited the centuries-old Balete Tree in Maria Aurora, one of the oldest trees in the entire country. You can climb up the tree both inside and out. Inside, the roots have created a hollow cavern all the way to the top. In fact, you can also rappel from there.
Where to stay in Baler, Aurora Bahia de Baler Buton Street, Sitio Labasin Brgy. Sabang, Baler +63 916 7701980 +63 928 6875424
How to get to Baler, Aurora Genesis Transport Bus is the only direct bus service to Baler from Metro Manila. Their terminal is along EDSA in Pasay City. You may call +632 5510842 or +632853-3115 for inquiries. Remember that their buses leave only in the morning. If you plan an afternoon trip you'll have to take a bus to Cabanatuan and hop on a van to Baler and vice versa. Last trip is between 4 to 6 p.m. so make sure you're at the terminal before 4 p.m.
Masayang Pasko ampong Masaplalang Bayung Banua kekayu ngan! Like every year, I attended the annual Giant Lantern Festival of the City of San Fernando, Pampanga. And every year, the lanterns never fail to amaze me. Congratulations to Dolores, Telabastagan and San Jose for winning this year's competition!
I've written a lot on the Giant Lantern Festival here so if you want to learn more about the festival, see the previous entries. You can still catch the giant lanterns in the next few days. They'll be on display in Robinson's Starmills Pampanga beginning tomorrow.
Here are Christmas greetings from all over the country: Aklanon - Malipayon nga Paskwa ag Mahigugmaon nga Bag-ong Dag-on! Asi - Maadong Santos Paskwa ag Masadyang Bag-ong Tuig! Ata - Maroyan na Pasko woy Kaopia-an ng Bag-ong Tuig kaniyo't langon mga sulod Bikol - Maogmang Capascuhan asin Mamura-way na Ba-gong Taon sa indo gabos! Blaan - Pye duh di kaut Kristo klu munt ug Felemi Fali! Binubolinao - Marigan Nabidad Boholano - Malipajong Pasko Cebuano - Maayong Pasko ug Bulahang Bag-ong Tuig! Chavacano - Felices Pascuas y Prospero Año Nuevo con todos! Dibabawon - Marayaw na Pasko aw Bag-ong Tuig kaniyo tibo na mga soon! Gaddang - Mangamgam Bawa a dawun sikua diaw amin Hiligaynon - Malipayon nga Paskua kag Malipayon Nga Bag-ong tuig! Hungduan - Maphon au nitungawan. Apo Dios Kituwen baron di toon Ibanag - Mapalupaguiya nga Pascua Ibaloi - Eshadsak ja Paskua! Eshadsak ja Badon Tawen! Ifugao - Malinggop an Baro an Tawon Ilocano - Naimbag a Pascua ken Naragsac nga Baro nga Tawen! Kankanaey - Gawis ay Paskua ya Nalagsak ay Balo ay Tu-en! Kapampangan - Masayang Pascu ampong Masaplalang Bayung Banua kekayu ngan! Mandobo - Mepiya Pagasaulog sa pagka-otawni Jesus aw maontong kaling Omay! Mangyan Buhid - Fiya Pagpasko Mangyan Hanunuo - Mayad paq Pasko Mansaka - Madyaw na Pasko aw malipayong Bag-ong Tuig kamayo, mga lumon! Masbatenyo - Malipayon nga Paskwa Onhan - Mayad nga Paskwa kag Masadya nga Bag-ong Tuig! Pangasinan - Maabig ya Pasko! Maliket ya Balon Taon! Romblomanon - Malipayon nga Paskwa kag Masadya na Bag-ong Tuig! Sambal - Maligayang Pasko at Masayang Ba-yon Taon! Subanen - Piak Pasko pu Piag Bago Tawn! Surigaonon - Malipayon na Pasko sanan Bag-on Tuig! Tagakaolo - Madyaw Pagsalog sa Pagka-otaw ni Jesus Tagalog - Maligayang Pasko at Manigong Bagong Taon! Tala-andig - Maayad ha Pasko daw Bag-ong Tuig! Waray-waray - Maupay nga Pasko ngan Mainuswagon nga Bag-o nga Tuig!
...wishing for a united Filipino nation this Christmas!
