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At the
unveiling of the marker for the bronze
statue of Quezon, Senator Edgardo J.
Angara (3rd from left) is joined by
(from left) Baler Mayor Arthur Angara,
Gloria M. Angara, Rep. Juan Edgardo
Angara (Lone District, Aurora), Museo de
Baler director Ricky Avanceņa and
Provincial Administrator Alex Ocampo
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 The
museum shop, or Tienda del Museo, can be
found in a small bahay kubo replica of
President Manuel Quezon’s house located
just outside the Museo de Baler in
Quezon Park. Here, visitors can pick up
souvenirs like mugs, antique
reproduction postcards, T-shirts and
books (Photo courtesy of Aurora Tourism
Board)
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How
to Get There: |
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From Manila, it is an 8-hour drive to
Baler. Take the North Expressway at
Balintawak and exit at Sta. Rita Bulacan.
From there, take the highway leading to
Cabanatuan City, Nueva Ecija and proceed
to Bongabon and turn right to get to the
foot of the Baler-Bongabon Highway,
which leads to Aurora National Memorial
Park. After approximately 150
kilometers, you will see the Aurora
Welcome Arch. From there, follow the
road to San Luis town until you see
signs going to Baler.
Genesis Transport Services has the only
direct routes to Baler from Manila. The
bus terminal is located along EDSA. For
details and schedules, call (02)
551-0842 or (02) 853-3115. |
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A
little lass looking pooped after a day
of primping and parading around with
other beauty pageant contestants
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This
woven dress, displayed in the museum
gift shop, is just another example of
innovative craftsmanship found
throughout the province |
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The
quaint Museo de Baler houses a treasure
trove of historic artifacts and
mementos, making it a must-see for every
visitor to Baler (Photo Courtesy of
Aurora Tourism Board) |
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Locals came out
in full force for the Town
Fiesta, which showcased
homegrown food products,
handicrafts and talented local
performers |
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Local
lady making suman (a rice dessert), a
popular pasalubong that visitors take
home from Baler (Photo courtesy of
Aurora Tourism Board) |
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The Baler Church
was the site of the last stand
of a group of Spanish soldiers
in 1898, where they held out for
15 days after the declaration of
Philippine indepen-dence from
Spain |
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Colorful
banig covered bottles |
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Members of a school band take a break
from the festivities |
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Surfer
dude Ruel Rodrigo visits Baler twice a
month to catch the waves at his favorite
beach |
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Baler... from
page 2
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I felt
after finally reaching our destination
could be likened to the thrill that a
climber gets after braving rough,
dangerous terrain, sub-zero temperatures
and altitude sickness, not to mention
having a backpack the size and weight of
a small child strapped to ones back, all
for the glory of reaching the peak. In
my case, however, the only downer was
that I was lugging around a medium-sized
wheeled suitcase but instead of tank
tops, swim suits and flip-flops it was
stuffed with boots, hoodies and a
raincoat. For better or worse, I decided
it was still better to risk a little
mockery from my traveling companions,
who, as I expected, packed light and
lean, to have some creature comforts
since we would be “roughing it.”
Luckily, my gallon-sized Ziplock bag
with emergency snacks came in handy when
the bus broke down somewhere in Nueva
Ecija where there wasn’t a single
sari-sari store in sight. And I know the
industrial-sized tube of hair gel I
packed to slick down my naturally wavy
hair was definitely appreciated by my
mostly male – and gay– traveling
companions.
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Catch the Wave |
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Chances are, even if you aren’t so
familiar with Baler, you’d have heard
about it as a top surfing spot. Known as
the birthplace of Philippine surfing
because it was here that Coppola’s film
crew first introduced the sport to
locals while filming Apocalypse Now,
Baler boasts of having the second
biggest waves after Siargao, which has
displaced Baler as the “Surfing Capital
of the Philippines,” but maybe not for
long.
In fact, some say the surfing in Baler
is better because of the variety of surf
breaks (beach break, point break, reef
break) found there. Manila-based surfer
Ruel Rodrigo, 30, got hooked after
learning to surf |
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Acknowledgments:
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What’s On & Expat would like to
thank Senator Edgardo Angara,
and his staff, particularly Ms.
Chenee de Leon, as well as Rep.
Juan Edgardo “Sonny” Angara,
Baler Mayor Arthur Angara ,
Museo de Baler director Ricky
Avaceņa and Jose “Boy” Tan.
For more information on Baler
and for a listing of hotels,
resorts and other lodging
options, log on to:
www.aurora.ph |
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six
years ago. He now makes it a point to
visit Baler at least twice a month for
the sole purpose of catching the waves.
“The (surf) breaks are long, especially
at Cobra’s Reef,” said Rodrigo.
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Historic Baler |
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In Poblacion, Baler, there are a few
historic sights and landmarks worth
checking out.
Baler Catholic Church looks like an
ordinary church but it was, in fact, the
sight of one of Baler’s most historic
defining moments: used by the last
Spanish troops as a garrison and stormed
by Filipino insurgents in 1898.
Quezon Memorial Park is a pleasant and
well-maintained park that was built in
honor of the province’s most famous son
and the first president of the
Philippine Commonwealth, Manuel Quezon.
It is just one of many tributes to the
late president and his wife, such as the
Quezon Memorial Marker ,
Aurora Quezon
Memorial Marker and the Quezon House
(where the former president was born).
Although small and a bit sparse, the
Museo de Baler is also worth visiting.
The museum was inaugurated in 2003 to
coincide with the celebration of the
first Philippine-Spanish Friendship Day
and houses a treasure trove of artifacts
and historical mementos. Among the most
striking pieces is a colorful four-panel
painting by visual artist Jeho Bitancor
depicting the history of Baler. During
our trip, the museum’s quaint new gift
shop, a bahay kubo replica of President
Quezon’s old house, was officially
opened by Senator Edgardo Angara, Rep.
Juan Edgardo “Sonny” Angara, Baler Mayor
Arthur Angara and museum director Ricky
Avaceņa.
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Take Home a Bit
of Baler |
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Of course, before
going home, one must not forget
to make a stopover at the
Pasalubong Center right by the
public market. My travel
companions and I stocked up on
homegrown goodies such as suman
(native rice cake), peanut
butter, cocojam, atsara (pickled
papaya relish), lambanog
(coco-wine) as well as woven
sabutan crafts, hats and
banigs
(mats), to name just a few.
Needless to say, the bus ride
back to Manila was full, and not
just of pasalubongs but also of
happy memories of our adventures
in Baler. That’s why, the next
time someone asks, “Who wants to
go to Baler?” you can bet, I’m
there! |
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