SIGHTSEEING
HISTORICAL SIGHTS
Aurora is a province blessed with an abundance of tourist attractions.
It has its share of historical sights such as the home and resthouse
of former Philippine President Manuel L. Quezon. The province
also has a beautiful Catholic church and several historical markers.
Its natural attractions include picturesque waterfalls, lush
greenery on mountainsides, and panoramic beaches. Surfing, snorkeling,
scuba diving, mountain climbing and trekking are only some of
the activities a tourist can enjoy in Aurora.
Doña Aurora Memorial Shrine
to follow
Aurora Quezon Marker
Location: Poblacion, Baler
Getting There: From the bus
station at the Baler market, take a tricycle and ask to be
taken to the site.
Travel Time: 3-5 minutes
Not far from the Lt. Gilmore Marker and the Baler Catholic
Church is the historic marker built in honor of Doña
Aurora Aragon Quezon, the wife of Commonwealth President Manuel
L. Quezon. Aurora Quezon was known for her untiring efforts
in social welfare, especially for the benefit of the people
of Aurora province. Like her husband, she was born in the town
of Baler. She died in an ambush on the mountain roads of Nueva
Ecija leading to the province that now bears her name.
Baler Catholic Church
Location: Poblacion, Baler
Getting There: From the bus
station at the Baler market, take a tricycle and ask to be
taken to the church.
Travel Time: 3-5 minutes
The structure is an old church with a simple facade. Here,
the last Spanish garrison of four officers and 50 men was besieged
by Filipino insurgents from June 27, 1898 to July 2, 1899.
This was the last pocket of resistance of the Spanish Armed
Forces to surrender to American troops. This is also where
the La Campana de Baler, an ancient bell, was used and later
stored as a relic.
Lt. Commander James Gilmore Marker
Location: Poblacion, Baler
Getting There: From the bus
station at the Baler market, take a tricycle and ask to be
taken to the site.
Travelling Time: 3-5 minutes
From the left wall of the Baler Catholic Church stands a simple
marker for Lt. Commander James Gilmore, who commanded the U.S.
gunboat Yorktown and was captured with all his men when he
came to Baler, Aurora in April 1899 to relieve the Spanish
soldiers besieged in the church of Baler.
Quezon House
Location: Barangay Cemento,
Baler
Getting There:The best means
to go there is by private vehicle as there is no regular public
transport going to Barangay Cemento from the Baler town proper.
It is also possible to take a tricycle from Baler to Barangay
Sabang and take a 45-minute walk to Barangay Cemento, but one
would have to wade through the river that cuts between the
two barangays.
Travel Time: Approximately
an hour's drive
Once the vacation home of President Manuel L. Quezon, the
house is a short walk from Cemento Beach. Today, only the foundation
and a cement staircase remain; the house was destroyed by a
typhoon.
Quezon Memorial Park
Location: Poblacion, Baler
Getting There: From the bus
station at the Baler market, one can walk to the site.
Travel Time: 3-5 minutes
This quiet park of trees and lawns was developed in honor
and in memory of the late president Manuel L. Quezon. A marker
fenced by concrete and set on a circular cement platform serves
as a landmark of Baler, the birthplace of Quezon.
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