Stroll at Baler Town Plaza, Aurora

We all miss traveling, and I know someday we can get back to such activities. I'm pretty positive about it. While the country is still under quarantine status, all we can do is look back on our past travels.

One of our excursions few months before pandemic was when we went to the province of Aurora. We rented two vans at that time, and first visited Balete Eco Park which I posted about recently.

We are not given a list of our itinerary which place are we going to visit first. It actually depends on the driver where he will take us. So after Balete Eco Park, he took us to the town proper of Baler, the capital town of Aurora Province.

Aurora Province was named after the former First Lady of the Philippines Aurora Aragon Quezon, wife of former President Manuel Quezon. In fact, Aurora Province is formerly part of Quezon Province, the latter named after Aurora's husband. Aurora's hometown is Baler, the capital town of the province.

You shouldn't miss out taking pictures here at the town plaza as a souvenir you've been to the town. Baler became a tourist destination for many because of its beaches, its contribution to history, and beautiful sceneries. I talked to some locals that they are thankful their town became a tourist destination because the province is not easy to access then. Construction of roads in the mountains made it easier for tourists to come to the province. In fact, Baler isn't as accessible 10 years ago than it is now. Roads to the province is rocky before, thanks to road construction, roads are now concrete. Traveling is faster and easier.

The Town Hall of Baler, and the Legislative Building located right at the park. Both buildings has almost the same design, and are adjacent to each other. With further progress of the town, these buildings might undergo reconstruction for a huge one. I heard the goal of the town is to achieve cityhood.

Wall painting showing the bits of history of the province. From its locals, the family of the former President (the First Lady was from the town), what happend during the war and colonization, and the deadly tidal wave which ravaged the town.

The Baler 400 Years Monument (top photo) was erected for the people of Baler, and it has 4 pillars interconnecting 100 horizontal bars to each other. Everything was explained at its commemorative plaque.

At the facade of the town hall, there's a monument of President Manuel Quezon, commemorative plaque about the town's history being once a part of Quezon Province (named Tayabas then), until it became the capital town of Aurora Province, and the statue of National Hero, Jose Rizal.

The official seal of Baler Town at the plaza. Since Baler is also a coastal town, its beaches are popular to tourists. Because of huge waves splashing at the shores of Baler, it also became a hotspot for surfers. Thus, these three surfboards are also erected at the town plaza representing Baler as a surfing destination.

While at the town proper, we met some locals and had our lunch at their house. Actually, the one who invited us to go to Aurora is to visit her hometown. She's a native of Dilasag, Aurora, and she haven't visited her hometown for more than a decade. She currently lives here in Pangasinan, and already have her own family here. It's a great moment to reunite with her family. Meanwhile, the locals we met at Baler plaza are her friends.

There's a museum near the town plaza but we don't have enough time to come. It could've been a moment of learning about the history of Baler. What I know so far may be limited. Before our tour to Baler, I only know the town as the capital of Aurora Province, and the movie "Baler" shown several years ago. You'll get to know more if you happen to visit the town.

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