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BIOGRAPHICAL INFORMATION
PROVINCIAL PROFILE OF AURORA
FAST FACTS
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LOCATION
Aurora is the northernmost province of the Southern Tagalog region. It is bounded on the north by Isabela, on the east by the Pacific Ocean, on the west by Quirino, Nueva Viscaya, and Nueva Eicja, and on the south by Quezon.
THE LAND
Aurora is a long. narrow strip of land that covers a portion of the Sierra Madre mountain range. More than half of the area has either steep to very steep slopes. Only 14% of the territory is flat land. The climate is characterized by rainfall which is more or less evenly distributed throughout the year. Because the province faces the Pacific Ocean, it is regularly battered by typhoons coming from the east.
A BRIEF HISTORY
The province was named after President Manuel L. Quezon's wife, Aurora. Quezon, the first president of the Philippine Commonwealth, was born in Baler. Aurora was first explored by Juan de Salcedo in 1571, when he reached Casiguran and Baler from Laguna. In 1609, a Franciscan mission was founded in Baler.
In 1735, Baler was destroyed by a tidal wave from the Pacific Ocean. The surviving inhabitants decided to move to higher ground. In 1814, the village of Bondo was founded away from the coast. Baler was a part of Nueva Ecija until 1902, when it was ceded to Tayabas, the former name of Quezon province.
During the Commonwealth period, when President Quezon unexpectedly visited Bondo, he named it Aurora in honor of his wife. In 1951, municipalities now comprising the province were organized into Aurora sub-province of what had then become Quezon. The municipality of Aurora was changed to Maria Aurora. On August 13, 1979 Aurora became a separate province by virtue of Batas Pambansa No. 7
THE PEOPLE
Most of the inhabitants are migrant from nearby provinces. Tagalog and Ilocano are the languages commonly used. There is also a substantial Negrito population, the Dumagats.
COMMERCE AND INDUSTRY
Aurora's basic economy is agricultural; copra and rice are the principal products. Weaving, especially of buntal hats, is an important cottage industry. Fishing production can be increased in Casiguran Sound and Dingalan Bay, but Baler Bay's is expected to diminish due to overfishing and sedimentation. Aurora has maintained its forest cover but is under serious threat from logging. Isolation, inaccessibility and exposure to typhoons have hampered the province's development.
Information gathered from:
League of
Provinces
by:Roberto C. Arellano
This page last revised:January 27, 1999.
