Aurora | |
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Province of Aurora | |
Coordinates: 15°53′N121°33′E / 15.88°N 121.55°E | |
Country | Philippines |
Region | Central Luzon |
Founded | 1951 (as sub-province of Quezon ) |
Province | 13 August 1979 |
Named for | Aurora Quezon |
Capital | Baler |
Largest Municipality | Maria Aurora |
Government | |
• Governor | Christian M. Noveras (PFP) |
• Vice Governor | Reynante A. Tolentino (LDP) |
• Legislature | Aurora Provincial Board |
Area | |
• Total | 3,147.32 km2 (1,215.19 sq mi) |
• Rank | 42nd out of 81 |
Highest elevation | 1,901 m (6,237 ft) |
Population (2020 census) [2] | |
• Total | 235,750 |
• Rank | 70th out of 81 |
• Density | 75/km2 (190/sq mi) |
• Rank | 77th out of 81 |
Demonym(s) | Auroran, Auroreño |
Divisions | |
• Independent cities | 0 |
• Component cities | 0 |
• Municipalities | |
• Barangays | 151 |
• Districts | Legislative district of Aurora |
Demographics | |
• Ethnic groups |
|
• Languages | |
Time zone | UTC+8 (PST) |
ZIP code | 3200–3207 |
IDD : area code | +63 (0)42 |
ISO 3166 code | PH-AUR |
Website | www |
Aurora, officially the Province of Aurora (Filipino : Lalawigan ng Aurora; Ilocano : Probinsia ti Aurora), is a province in the Philippines located in the eastern part of Central Luzon region, facing the Philippine Sea. Its capital is Baler and borders, clockwise from the south, the provinces of Quezon, Bulacan, Nueva Ecija, Nueva Vizcaya, Quirino, and Isabela.
Before 1979, Aurora was part of the province of Quezon. Aurora was, in fact, named after Aurora Aragon, the wife of Manuel L. Quezon, the president of the Philippine Commonwealth, after whom the mother province was named.
In 1572, the Spanish explorer Juan de Salcedo became the first European to visit the region that would be known as Aurora while he was exploring the northern coast of Luzon. Salcedo reportedly visited the towns of Casiguran, Baler and Infanta. Baler & Casiguran were part of La Provincia de La Pampanga, which also included Pampanga, Bulacan, and Tarlac, and in 1591, the towns became part of Kalilayan, which included Nueva Ecija, until Kalilayan changed its name to Tayabas in 1749, taken from the town of the same name. [3] [4] [5] [6]
In the early days of the Spanish colonial period, Aurora was ecclesiastically linked to Infanta, which today rests further south, in northern Quezon. The earliest missionaries in the province were the Franciscans, who had established missions in Baler and Casiguran in 1609. [7] Due to lack of available personnel, the region was given to the jurisdiction of the Augustinians and Recollects in 1658, but was returned to the Friars Minor in 1703. Other early missions included Dipaculao, established in 1719, and Casiguran, in 1753.
In 1705, the Military Comandancia of Nueva Ecija was created and was governed by Governor-General Fausto Cruzat y Góngora. It included huge swathes of Central Luzon, the Contracosta towns, as well as the Kalilayan area and Polillo Islands, however Nueva Ecija was still part of La Pampanga province at that time. [8] [5] Contracosta was the Spanish colonial name for the towns on the east coast and included towns from Mauban, Binangonan de Lampon, to El Principe. [9] [6] Since Contracosta & Kalilayan were part of La Laguna province at that time before including them in Nueva Ecija, they became jointly ruled by La Pampanga & La Laguna provinces. [4] When Rafael María de Aguilar y Ponce de León took over as Governor-General of the Philippines, he decreed the separation of the military- district of Nueva Ecija from the province of Pampanga and became a regular province on April 25, 1801, including the town of Baler, acquired from Tayabas. [3]
In 1818, Nueva Ecija annexed the towns of Palanan from Isabela, as well as Baler, Casiguran, Infanta (formerly called Binangonan de Lampon) and Polillo Islands from Tayabas. [4] In 1853, the new military district of Tayabas was separated from Nueva Ecija and included present-day Southern Quezon as well as present-day Aurora. In 1858, Binangonan de Lampon and the Polillo Islands were separated from Nueva Ecija to form part of Infanta. [8] Between 1855 and 1885, El Principe was established as its own Military Comandancia with its capital in Baler. [4]
The early history of Aurora is linked to Quezon province, of which it formed a part, and Nueva Ecija, under which the area was governed as the District of El Príncipe. In 1902, the district was separated from Nueva Ecija and transferred to the province of Tayabas (now Quezon). [7] [10] The northern area which is part of the modern Dilasag and area of modern Casiguran was part of Nueva Vizcaya and also transferred to Tayabas in 1905. [11] In 1918, the area of modern Aurora north of Baler was transferred to the authority of Nueva Vizcaya, but returned to Tayabas in 1946, when Tayabas was renamed to Quezon.
Aurora became a sub-province of Quezon in 1951 through Republic Act No. 648 under the presidency of Elpidio Quirino, [12] after whom its neighboring province was named, and finally became an independent province during the presidency of Ferdinand E. Marcos, through Batas Pambansa Blg. 7 enacted on November 21, 1978. [7] [13] One obvious reason for creating Aurora is due to the area's isolation from the rest of Quezon Province: there are no direct links to the rest of the province and much of the terrain is mountainous and heavily forested, which makes the area relatively isolated.
Being originally part of the province of Quezon, Aurora was part of the Southern Tagalog Region (Region IV). Upon the issuance of Executive Order No. 103, dated May 17, 2002, by then-President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo, the province of Aurora was moved to Central Luzon (Region III), the geographical location of the province. The provinces south of Aurora were reformed as Calabarzon and Mimaropa, and Southern Tagalog was limited to being a cultural-geographic region. The total separation of Aurora from Quezon, and the transfer of Aurora to Central Luzon were the fulfillment of the wishes and prayers of the residents of the original Municipalities of Baler and Casiguran to be truly independent from Quezon Province for the first time and to reform the original La Pampanga since the Spanish occupation. [4] [14]
Aurora is a coastal province covering an area of 3,147.32 square kilometres (1,215.19 sq mi) [15] in east-central Luzon. To the north, it is bordered by the Northern Sierra Madre Natural Park of Isabela, to the west by the central range of the Sierra Madre which contains the Casecnan Protected Landscape and Aurora Memorial National Park, to the south by the Umiray River, and to the east by the Philippine Sea which opens to the Pacific Ocean. The San Ildefonso Peninsula lies in the province's northern portion between the Philippine Sea and the Casiguran Sound.
The province covers a portion of the Sierra Madre mountain range. As such, the elevation is generally steep to very steep and only about 14% of the province's total area is flat. [7]
Aurora's climate is classified as Tropical rainforest climate. [16] It experiences significant rainfall throughout the year. [16] Because the coastal province faces the Pacific Ocean, it is frequently visited by typhoons. [7] [17]
Aurora is politically subdivided into 8 municipalities, all encompassed by a lone legislative district.
Dilasag and Casiguran form the northern part of the province, while Dinalungan, Dipaculao, Maria Aurora, and Baler (the capital) make up the central portion. The southern half of the province consists of San Luis and Dingalan.
Municipality [lower-roman 1] | Population | ±% p.a. | Area [15] | Density | Barangay | |||||||
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
(2020) [2] | (2015) [18] | km2 | sq mi | /km2 | /sq mi | |||||||
15°45′34″N121°33′46″E / 15.7595°N 121.5627°E | Baler | † | 18.6% | 43,785 | 39,562 | +1.95% | 92.54 | 35.73 | 470 | 1,200 | 13 | |
16°12′15″N122°02′24″E / 16.2041°N 122.0400°E | Casiguran | 11.3% | 26,564 | 24,313 | +1.70% | 715.43 | 276.23 | 37 | 96 | 24 | ||
16°23′23″N122°12′36″E / 16.3898°N 122.2099°E | Dilasag | 7.3% | 17,102 | 15,835 | +1.48% | 306.25 | 118.24 | 56 | 150 | 11 | ||
16°08′30″N121°57′22″E / 16.1416°N 121.9560°E | Dinalungan | 5.3% | 12,508 | 11,322 | +1.91% | 316.85 | 122.34 | 39 | 100 | 9 | ||
15°23′22″N121°23′34″E / 15.3894°N 121.3927°E | Dingalan | 11.8% | 27,878 | 25,482 | +1.73% | 304.55 | 117.59 | 92 | 240 | 11 | ||
15°50′52″N121°32′12″E / 15.8477°N 121.5367°E | Dipaculao | 14.1% | 33,131 | 29,736 | +2.08% | 361.64 | 139.63 | 92 | 240 | 25 | ||
15°47′54″N121°28′20″E / 15.7982°N 121.4723°E | Maria Aurora | 19.1% | 44,958 | 40,734 | +1.90% | 426.29 | 164.59 | 110 | 280 | 40 | ||
15°43′09″N121°31′04″E / 15.7191°N 121.5178°E | San Luis | 12.7% | 29,824 | 27,352 | +1.66% | 609.85 | 235.46 | 49 | 130 | 18 | ||
Total | 235,750 | 214,336 | +1.83% | 3,133.40 | 1,209.81 | 75 | 190 | 151 | ||||
† Provincial capital | Municipality | |||||||||||
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The 8 municipalities of the province comprise a total of 151 barangays, with Suclayin in Baler as the most populous in 2010, and Dibalo in San Luis as the least. [19]
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Source: Philippine Statistics Authority [18] [19] [19] |
The population of Aurora in the 2020 census was 235,750 people, [2] with a density of 75 inhabitants per square kilometre or 190 inhabitants per square mile.
Based on the 2000 census survey, Tagalogs comprised 52.85% (91,745) of the total provincial population of 173,589, and about less than 1/3 of the population were Ilocano at 31.43% (54,557). Other ethnic groups in the province were Kasiguranin at 5.1% (8,853), Bicolano at 4.08% (7,079), Kankanaey at 1.36% (2,355), Bisaya at 0.88% (1,529), Dumagat (Umiray) at 0.6% (1,047), and Cebuano at 0.48% (832). [20]
There are also pockets of Bugkalots & Negritos, called Dumagats. Most Dumagats are living in the hillsides or mountains. They are believed to have result from a fusion of Austronesian and Melanesian ancestries, and survive from fishing and hunting. There are three kinds of Dumagats in Aurora province, the Umiray Dumagat, Casiguran Dumagat, and the Palanan Dumagat. Bugkalots are the second tribe indigenous to Aurora, most of them live in Dipaculao & Maria Aurora.
Tagalogs, some originating from Palanan and Infanta, Quezon, came in to the area to trade by boat, some Tagalogs settled in Aurora (especially Baler) and married with the Aeta and Bugkalots. [21] 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 Batangueño Tagalogs to settle in Baler & other places of Aurora. The majority of Igorots settled Dipaculao, Maria Aurora, & 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. In the early 1920s, Ilocano settlers from Central Luzon settled a Bugkalot territory Dipaculao, which in turn was derived from the phrase Dipac naulaw or Naulaw ni Dipac, the Ilocano for "Dipac got dizzy", idiomatically "Dipac is/got drunk", Dipac is the name of a Bugkalot chief; another group of Ilocano settlers arrived from La Union, Pangasinan, and other areas of Ilocos Region. 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. [21] [22] [23] These ethnic groups who lived for several centuries & left cultural influences & legacies made Aurora the melting pot of the Central Luzon, next to Tarlac & Nueva Ecija.
This section needs additional citations for verification .(April 2023) |
The Tagalog and Ilocano languages are spoken by their respective ethnic groups. The province primarily speaks a Tagalog dialect that is closely related to Tayabas Tagalog of Quezon with some Ilocano influences. [24] [ better source needed ] In Baler, for example, the variety is called Tagalog-Baler (Balereño). The Balereño 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. Ilocano is mostly spoken in northern areas of the province. The working population is ready in speech in the English language as well as in the Filipino language. [25] [26] [27] [28] 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 Aurora are Kapampangan & Pangasinan (in some areas of the province, most of which is in Baler), & another language native in Aurora is Casiguranin or Kasiguranin, spoken in Casiguran & neighboring areas Dilasag & Dinalungan. [29]
The people of Aurora are heavily Christianized (large majority being Roman Catholic by 87%)[ citation needed ] as a result of hundreds of years of Spanish colonization. Some other Christian believers are also present which includes Methodists, Aglipayan Church 2-3%, Baptists, Born Again Christians, Jehovah's Witnesses, Members Church of God International, Iglesia ni Cristo 4% and Seventh-day Adventist while Muslims are also found which presence is traced to migration by some people from some parts of Mindanao. Muslims, Anitists, animists, and atheists are also present in the province.
Graphs are unavailable due to technical issues. There is more info on Phabricator and on MediaWiki.org. |
Corn, rice and other major agricultural crops are grown in Aurora, with a total of 13% of the provincial land area used for agriculture. It also has 8,945 hectares (22,100 acres) of rice plantation that averages 24,000 metric tons (24,000 long tons; 26,000 short tons) every year.[ citation needed ]
Casiguran is home to the Aurora Pacific Economic Zone and Freeport Authority or APECO a special economic zone located in this coastal town. Created in 2007 by virtue of Republic Act No. 9490 through the efforts of Sen. Edgardo Angara and his son, Aurora Rep. Sonny Angara, it is expected be a major transshipment hub going to the Pacific region. It aims to boost social, economic and industrial developments in Aurora and nearby provinces by generating jobs for the people, improving the quality of their living conditions, advocating an eco-friendly approach to industrialization and enhancing the potential of the community in productivity.
Calabarzon, sometimes referred to as Southern Tagalog and designated as Region IV‑A, is an administrative region in the Philippines. The region comprises five provinces: Batangas, Cavite, Laguna, Quezon, and Rizal; and one highly urbanized city, Lucena. It is the most populous region in the Philippines according to the Philippine Statistics Authority (PSA), having over 16.1 million inhabitants in 2020, and is also the country's second most densely populated after the National Capital Region. It is situated southeast of Metro Manila, and is bordered by Manila Bay and South China Sea to the west, Lamon Bay and the Bicol Region to the east, Tayabas Bay and the Sibuyan Sea to the south, and Central Luzon to the north. It is home to places like Mount Makiling near Los Baños, Laguna, and Taal Volcano in Batangas.
Nueva Ecija, officially the Province of Nueva Ecija, is a landlocked province in the Philippines located in the Central Luzon region. Its capital is the city of Palayan, while Cabanatuan, its former capital, is the largest local government unit (LGU). Nueva Ecija borders, from the south clockwise, Bulacan, Pampanga, Tarlac, Pangasinan, Nueva Vizcaya and Aurora. The province is nationally known as the Rice Granary of the Philippines, producing the largest rice yield in the country.
Southern Tagalog, designated as Region IV, was an administrative region in the Philippines that comprised the current regions of Calabarzon and Mimaropa, the province of Aurora in Central Luzon, and most of the National Capital Region. It was the largest region in the Philippines in terms of both land area and population. After its partition on May 17, 2002, Southern Tagalog continues to exist as a cultural-geographical region.
Nueva Vizcaya, officially the Province of Nueva Vizcaya, is a landlocked province in the Philippines located in the Cagayan Valley region in Luzon. Its capital is Bayombong. It is bordered by Benguet to the west, Ifugao to the north, Isabela to the northeast, Quirino to the east, Aurora to the southeast, Nueva Ecija to the south, and Pangasinan to the southwest. Quirino province was created from Nueva Vizcaya in 1966.
Quirino, officially the Province of Quirino, is a landlocked province in the Philippines located in the Cagayan Valley region in Luzon. Its capital is Cabarroguis. It is named after Elpidio Quirino, the sixth President of the Philippines.
Central Luzon, designated as Region III, is an administrative region in the Philippines, primarily serving to organize the 7 provinces of the vast central plains of the island of Luzon, for administrative convenience. The region contains the largest plain in the country and produces most of the country's rice supply, earning itself the nickname "Rice Granary of the Philippines". Its provinces are: Aurora, Bataan, Bulacan, Nueva Ecija, Pampanga, Tarlac and Zambales. Pangasinan was formerly a province of Central Luzon before President Marcos signed Presidential Decree No. 1, 1972, incorporating it into Ilocos Region. Additionally, the province of Aurora was part of the defunct political region Southern Tagalog when the region was divided into Calabarzon and Mimaropa, upon the issuance of Executive Order No. 103, dated May 17, 2002, by then-President Gloria Macapagal Arroyo, which transferred Aurora to Central Luzon.
Baler, officially the Municipality of 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.
Infanta, officially the Municipality of Infanta, is a 1st class municipality in the province of Quezon, Philippines. According to the 2020 census, it has a population of 76,186 people.
Dingalan, officially the Municipality of Dingalan, is a 3rd-class municipality in the province of Aurora, Philippines. According to the 2020 census, it has a population of 27,878 people.
Casiguran, officially the Municipality of Casiguran, is a 2nd class municipality in the province of Aurora, Philippines. According to the 2020 census, it has a population of 26,564 people.
Dilasag, officially the Municipality of Dilasag, is a 3rd class municipality in the province of Aurora, Philippines. According to the 2020 census, it has a population of 17,102 people.
Dipaculao, officially the Municipality of Dipaculao, is a 3rd class municipality in the province of Aurora, Philippines. According to the 2020 census, it has a population of 33,131 people.
Maria Aurora, officially the Municipality of Maria Aurora, is the only landlocked and 2nd class municipality in the province of Aurora, Philippines. According to the 2020 census, it has a population of 44,958 people.
Aliaga, officially the Municipality of Aliaga, is a 2nd class municipality in the province of Nueva Ecija, Philippines. According to the 2020 census, it has a population of 70,363 people.
Bongabon, officially the Municipality of Bongabon, is a 2nd class municipality in the province of Nueva Ecija, Philippines. According to the 2020 census, it has a population of 66,839 people.
Licab, officially the Municipality of Licab, is a 4th-class municipality in the province of Nueva Ecija, Philippines. According to the 2020 census, it has a population of 29,269 people.
Llanera, officially the Municipality of Llanera, is a 4th class municipality in the province of Nueva Ecija, Philippines. According to the 2020 census, it has a population of 42,281 people.
Quezon, officially the Municipality of Quezon, is a 4th class municipality in the province of Nueva Ecija, Philippines that was named from the 2nd president of the Philippines, Manuel L. Quezon. According to the 2020 census, it has a population of 41,845 people.
Quezon, officially the Province of Quezon, is a province in the Philippines located in the Calabarzon region on Luzon. Kalilayan was the first known name of the province upon its creation in 1591. Around the middle of the 18th century, it was changed to Tayabas. In recognition of the second president of the Philippines, Manuel L. Quezon, the name of Tayabas Province is changed to Quezon. Lucena, the provincial capital, the seat of the provincial government, and the most populous city of the province, is governed independently from the province as a highly urbanized city. To distinguish the province from Quezon City, it is sometimes called Quezon Province, a variation of the province's official name.
Dumagat literally means "sea-faring" or "person who lives near or frequents the sea" in Philippine languages.
When military district of El Príncipe was created in 1856, Baler became its capital...On June 12, 1902 a civil government was established, moving the district of El Príncipe away from the administrative jurisdiction of Nueva Ecija...and placing it under the jurisdiction of Tayabas Province.