Baler Diaries: Rediscovering Baler

Baler Fish Port: 

Not far from Ermita hill you will find the Baler Fish Port. The fish port is situated at the coastline of Cemento beach.  Where small fishing boats docked and unload their fresh catch of salt water fish from their overnight fishing in the Pacific. 

It was already 2:00 o clock in the afternoon when we arrived, that's why we didn't saw any activities in this place. Kaya picture taking na lang at pag-enjoy sa view ang ginawa namin.

The Three Idiots? ehehehe

The panoramic view of Dimadimalangat islet serves as our background from the other side of the fish port.

Kamehameha wave in the fish port

If you're bored and you want to try some exciting activities in Baler Fish Port try these stunts.  :)

Karate Kids

Dimadimalangat Islets:

From the coastline of Sabang beach you can easily recognize this eye-catching rock formation that emerged from the surface water of the Pacific.This dwarfed stone hills is located off shore of Barangay Cemento, Baler. It takes you 5-10 minutes to reach the area from the town proper and 15mins travel by boat. Before the tides start to get high we decided to leaved the Baler Fish Port and drove further to the Dimadimalangat islet. The road going to this place was 100% paved and easily accessible for every traveler. The way towards this place was covered by coconut trees and some  trees.

View From Sabang Beach

This small island serves as a point identifying the southernmost tip of Baler Bay. 

The Tide is High

When we arrived at this place we were very lucky because the small rock formations scattered along the shore were still there. 

Wonderful Rock Formation

Here, black rocks and dead corals line the stretch leading to the islet. A couple of minutes, we noticed that some rocks were being submerged underneath by the sea water. High tide was starting to cover the whole area. 

During low tide, this islet becomes a peninsula, where everyone could walk and wade on these small rocks without getting wet. But be careful as you walk around because the rocks are too sharp.  

Aniao Islets:

This is located off shore of Barangay Zabali and can be accessed by foot from the mainland. 

These twin islets facing the waves of the Pacific ocean at Diguisit bay captured everyone attention because of it's wonderful landscapes. A small resort is situated at this area and for just P20 you can go near the islets. 

For those who want to spend more time on this place there are available cottages for rent along the shoreline. The sand along the beach are composed of small white rocks and dead corals that adds more drama to the shore. 

PAGASA Weather Station:

As we continue our sight seeing adventure along the coastline of Baler we reached the PAGASA weather station. Actually we didn't plan to visit this place. We craved for a little adventure that's why we end up here.  Masyado lang kaming nag-enjoy sa mga nakikita namin kaya ayun. huh! 

The way to this place was the most exciting part. Nobody knows where this road ends. We just follow the steep and narrow trail, I mean it natakot din ako kasi nga one way lang ang daan, paano kung may makasalubong kami? But luckily, we were the only visitor at that time. Not all can handle the trails on going up so better equipped with the right vehicle. When we arrived at the top we were welcomed by the weatherman on duty. He told us to signed up and after that he brought us to the rooftop. 

Baler is located at the mid-eastern part of Luzon where typhoons and seasonal tropical cyclone mostly occur. That is why they built a weather station at this part of Aurora. They regularly monitor the weather conditions around the area for the sake of the Balerians and nearby provinces.

The Pacific Ocean

View from the weather station

Dicasalarin Cove:

The pristine Dicasalarin cove was visible to our sight. The beach was covered by white sands and the water was so clear. There's no resort on this isolated part of Baler that makes this place more natural. 

The stunning beauty of the place creates a magnificent view from the rooftop of the building. The waves were gentle as it reached the white sandy coastline, nakakawala ng pagod. We asked the weatherman if it is possible to go there, and he said yes, they allow visitors but unfortunately the gate going to that beach was locked at that time. Nakuntento na lang kami sa pagtingin mula sa itaas. After that we leaved the place. Thanks to the weatherman on duty.

Special Thanks To:

Mr. Jerico Urbano 

Mr. Edson Sunga

My Itinerary:  

1200-1300 Bay's Inn Restaurant (Lunch Time)

1300-1310 Ermita Hill

1400-1430 Baler Fish Port

1435-1500 Dimadimalangat Islet

1515-1600 PAGASA Weather Station/Dicasalarin Cove

1615-1630 Aniao Islet

1645-2100 Sabang Beach ( playing Frisbee and Dinner at Bay's Inn

Baler Diaries: The Ermita Hill

Edson, Jerico, Fredo and Paquito (The Car)

Panoramic Photo of Baler from Ermita Hill

When Aurora finally attained province hood during the presidency of Ferdinand E. Marcos, the province started to create it's own and unique name in the tourism industry of the Philippines. The town of Baler, as the capital of this province offers so many tourist destinations that you can choose from. These programs open so many opportunities for the local residence of this town. Baler is rich in history, culture and natural landscapes that attracts more visitors every year.

If you enjoyed the surfing lesson in Sabang beach and have a fine dine experience at Bay's Inn restaurant, there's more things to do in the town of Baler that needs to be rediscover.

Ermita Hill:

After that surfing experience at the Sabang beach, we had immediately started our trip by going to the Ermita Park.Ermita hill is located at Brgy. Zabali, Baler and covers an area of about two hectares. Ermita Hill is 6 kilometers away via the Kinalapan-Cemento road. It is about 10 minutes drive from the town proper. The place was so quiet and peaceful. The only thing you can hear was the splashes of the water coming from the ocean. Most of the Balerians and tourist like us, love to hang-out and have picnics in this area. The place has a large ground for outdoor activities and sheds to protect you from the direct heat from the sun. The best thing here is that you can use their facilities for free.

It's nice to be back in this lovely place... ehehe

Summer is the best time to visit this place. When the sky is clear and the sun is present, everything is visible in our naked eyes. From the top of the hill you may see the whole town of Baler. At the easternmost part you will be amazed by the outstanding view of the Pacific Ocean, Dima-dimalangat Islet, and Baler Fish Port.  We were amazed with these eye-catching views of Baler. It is a place where you can directly interact with nature.

Dima-Dimalangat Islet, View from the Hill

View of Baler Fish Port

Since it was my second time to be here, I asked Edson and Sir Jerico if they want to experience the 200+ steps, and they immediately replied with the yes!. This steps adds more exciting to our trip. With the help of our cameras and tripod we captured every moments of our trekking experience. 

More steps to go!

We paused for awhile and took some rest. The place was so very relaxing and the view as we go higher gives different scenic outlook of the places down the hill. I can feel the calmness of the place. Sarap talaga magbakasyon dito, nakakawala ng stress. For nature lover and adventurist, it is the right place for you.

At the Top of The Hill

White Cross awaits for you at the Top

At the end of this trail you will see this big white cross facing at the town of baler. The place was surrounded by trees that create a mini forest view and if you're luckily enough you will see some colorful birds and insects roaming around. Most of the visitors here, specially devoted catholic go here every Holy week. And also, some students and other religious groups conduct their retreat activities here. After some picture taking we decided to descend. 

Tromba Marina Statue

We also visited the Tromba Marina Statue that was found at the foot of the Hill. This wonderful marker reminds every Balerianos about the devastating Tsunami that happened on the 27th of December 1735, according to the Baler's History. This event destroyed and killed many people from the old town of Baler. The Angara family was among those families  that  survived in that event. Other families who survived were the Bihasa, Bitong, Carrasco, Lumasac, and Poblete. Hmmmm... very interesting! Now we know how important this place. Thanks to the local government of Baler, through their efforts and concerns about the place, they always keep the area clean and green. All the facilities around Ermita Hill are well maintained. Thank you Sir/Ma'am... 

Surfing???

It was really a great experience to be in a place that was surrounded by meaningful history and natural landscapes. Ermita Hill promotes good relation between the nature and the human. 

Baler Diaries:Big Waves from the Pacific

Baler is the capital of Aurora Province. It is located at the east coast of the main island of Luzon. The way in getting to Baler itself is considered as additional attraction on this place. The lush forest of the Sierra Madre Mountain range covered the large proportion of Aurora.

Sabang Beach

When you reached the town proper of Baler, the nearest and easiest way to catch the waves coming from the Pacific Ocean is by going to Sabang Beach. Getting to this place will only takes 5-10minutes by riding a tricycle from the bus terminal or by driving your own private vehicle.

Sabang Beach is the main beach resort in Baler. It is the place where you can find and watch surfing enthusiasts.The water is clean and the waves are strong. Swimming at this beach is allowed only during daytime and at night you couldn't see the water. You can only hear the splashes of the waves to the coastline.Since it's an open water and part of the Pacific ocean, tourists specially children are not allowed to go beyond the perimeter line. The current is strong enough to pull a small kid. But there are life guards around who always ready in time of emergency.

APEC Beach Boys

At the second day of our vacation in Aurora, me and my friends, Edson and Sir Jerico decided to took a surfing lesson at Sabang beach. It was our first time to do this kind of surface water sport. Along the beach there are lots of establishments that offers surfing lessons for amateur and even for first timers like us. 

At the front of the beach, we found Baler Surf. Baler Surf is located at Sabang Beach near Bay's Inn restaurant. It offers surfing lessons, Board rentals and tours. Their surfing lessons worth P350 only per hour with personal instructor that will guide you the whole time of your surfing session. But if you already know how to surf you can just rent a surf board for only P200 pesos.

Surfing Lesson with our Instructor

The wave here is seasonal. So if you're a professional surfer and your looking for the bigger waves, the best time for you to visit this place is during the months of October to February. They conduct surfing tournaments every month of February as part of this town celebration of Aurora Day.

Best Shot ni Sir Jerico

For first timer like us, the height of the waves when we visited Baler was enough for us to learn the moves. whoooohooo. It's really enjoyable to do surfing specially for the first time.ehehe!  Through the effort of our instructors, we  easily surpassed the challenge of every waves that we encountered. Surfing is like a whole day session of workout in a gym. It needs more power and efforts. 

whooooah!!!

I'm not scared of water and even in waves, that's why at my first try to stand up in the surf board I easily made it. hahaha! But there were so many times that I've lost my balance and fell down. We stand and fall but our willingness to get the best waves was on it's climax. So we continued paddling and surfing. 

At the end of the session we felt so tired and thirsty, sarap mag-shower nito at pagkatapos ay uminom ng super lamig na fruitshakes. The experience of keeping your balance on the surf board is an epic experience. It feels like your a professional surfer riding on the waves. Boom! Thanks to our instructors, we've learned the proper and basic way on surfing. Thumbs up for Baler Surf service! Until next time...

Other Things To Do:

Surfing is not the only thing you can do here in Sabang Beach. You can also try kayaking, scuba diving and drive an ATV at the fine sandy coastline of the beach. But if you don't want to spend much, you can also play Frisbee together with your friends. 

Biyaheng Aurora ni BatangKapampangan

Bayan ng Baler

Nakakapagod ang sobrang trabaho at pag-iisip. Minsan kailangan din ng ating katawan ng panandaliang pahinga at paglilibang. Kaya give yourself a break. It's more fun in the Philippines. Huwag sayangin ang oras kung may pagkakataon naman. 

My first stop, Baler, Aurora . Ang Aurora ay matatagpuan sa silangang bahagi ng Central Luzon.

Mula Pampanga, halos 7 hours din akong nag-biyahe papuntang Aurora. Halos 90% na ng daan ay sementado na kaya hindi na ganun kahirap ang paglalakbay. Sa haba ng binyahe ko, sa dami ng paliku-likong daan nahalos di maubos-ubos, sa wakas narating ko rin ang Central Terminal sa bayan ng Baler.

Central terminal ng Baler

Ito ang unang pagkakataong nakabalik ako sa lugar na ito ng mag-isa. Humigit kumulang 20 taon na rin ang lumipas nung huling pagpunta ko rito, kaya ganun na lang ang kasabikan ko na muling makarating sa probinsyang ito. Mula Central Terminal sumakay pa ako ng tricycle papuntang bayan ng San Luis.

Bahay nila Uncle at Auntie

Mahigit 20-30mins din ang biyahe mula sa bayan ng Baler. Kaya mga bandang 6:00 na ng gabi ng dumating ako sa tahanan ng Uncle Virgilio at Auntie Aning ko. Maulan ng gabing iyon kaya medyo malamig sa paligid. Sayang masarap sana kung may kasama ako, hay...Ganun pa man Isang masarap na hapunan at umaatikabong kwentuhan ang nakahanda sa hapag.Dahil sa tagal ng di namin pagkikita di naubos ang dala kong kwento. Hindi ko nga naramdaman ang pagod dulot ng mahabang byahe, sa halip nagenjoy ako ng sobra. Ang sarap ng pakiramdam nang muli ko silang nakita.

First Day:

Sabang Beach

Isang magandang umaga ang bumungad sa akin sa araw na ito. Sakto ang pag dating ko dahil di "naulan" dito.Para sa mga gustong pumunta dito, saktong panahon ang Pebrero hanggang Abril. Malamig ang panahon pero ang sikat ng araw ay sadyang napakaliwanag,kakaiba ang klima dito kumpara sa Pampanga. Maaga akong gumising para makapaghanda sa gagawin naming paglibot, 8:30 ng umaga ng umalis kami sa tahanan ng aking Uncle, 20-30mins. ang biyahe papuntang Baler.

Surfing Capital ng Luzon sa Pilipinas

Unang destinasyon, Sabang Beach. Sa lakas at laki ng mga alon dito tamang tama para sa mga taong mahilig mag-surfing at para sa mga gustong matuto. Hindi ko akalain ganito pala kaganda ang Sabang Beach. Hindi nga lang kasing puti ng buhangin sa Boracay,pero ang paligid mamamangha ka talaga sa ganda. 

Dalampasigan

Si Batang Kapampangan at si Uncle Virgilio

Magandang maglibot dito lalo na kung may pribado kang sasakyan.  Dahil sa ganda ng lugar,marami kang pwedeng puntahan at gawin. Matapos ang isang oras ng paglalakad sa dalampasigan, sumunod naming pinuntahan ang Ermita Hill.

Ermita Hill

Bago kami tumuloy doon, dumaan muna kami sa Pamilihang Bayan ng Baler para bumili ng makakain.  Mga humigit kumulang 15mins. din ang byahe papuntang Ermita Hill.

Tromba Marina Sculpture

Isa sa pinaka puntahan ng mga turista dito ang Tromba Marina Sculpture. Historical Marker ito na makikita sa paanan ng Ermita Hill. Ito ay pinangalanan ng mga Kastila base sa mapinsalang Tsunami na naganap noong 18th century, sumira sa buong kabayanan ng lumang Baler. Isa ang pamilyang Angara ang sinasabing nakaligtas sa trahedyang ito.

Pook Tambayan

Tamang picnic area ang Ermita Hill dahil sa mga libreng cottages at malinis na palikuran sa taas nito. Mula dito kitang kita mo ang kabuuan ng bayan ng Baler. 

Masyadong malayo tingin mo Uncle..

Sa mataas na bahagi ng Ermita Hill matatanaw naman ang Baler Fishport sa kahabaan ng Cemento Beach.

Baler Fishport

Para sa mga mahilig mag-trekking, may humigit sa 280 steps ang naghihintay paakyat sa tuktok. 

Morning Exercise

Halos hingalin si Uncle at Auntie sa pag-akyat pero di sila nagpahuli. Kahit medyo pagod na nakipagsabayan pa rin sila sa akin. Sulit naman ang pagod dahil sa di matatawarang ganda ng tanawin sa itaas ng bundok.

It's more fun in Baler

Sa pinaka tuktok din matatagpuan ang isang malaking puting krus. Mapuno sa paligid kaya malamig at sariwa ang hangin na dadampi sa'yong mga balat. Ilang minuto din ang nilagi namin at nag-pasya na kaming bumaba. Mga bandang 11:30am na ng bumaba kami. Dahil sa pagod nakatulog ako kaagad pagka-uwi sa bahay.


Second Day: Uwian na...


Mga bandang 8:25 na ng umaga ng magtungo ako sa terminal ng bus. Sakto ang pagdating ko para sa 2nd trip ng Genesis Bus(Php 220) papuntang Cabanatuan. At dahil wala pang pasahero nag-desisyon muna akong lumibot sa Bayan. Tumawag ako ng tricycle(Php10), nagpahatid ako sa Baler Church.

Baler Catholic Church

Maliit lang ang simbahan ng Baler, pero dahil historical ang lugar na ito kaya madalas dinarayo ng mga Turista.

Aurora Aragon Ancestral House

Sa harap ng simbahan matatanaw ang replika ng tahanan ni Aurora Antonia Aragon y de Molina. Ang may-bahay ni Pangulong Manuel L. Quezon.  

The Presidential Car

Sa lugar ding ito matatagpuan ang Presidential Car ni Pangulong Quezon. Sa di kalayuan makikita ang Quezon Memorial Park, lugar kung san ipinanganak si Pres. Manuel L. Quezon. Halos mag-kakatabi lang ang mga Historical Landmark kaya di mahirap puntahan.

Quezon Memorial Park

Sa sentro makikita ang rebulto ni Quezon. At sa Bandang likuran naman ay ang Museo de baler. Kung saan
matatagpuan ang mga sinaunang gamit ng mga tao sa Baler at mga props na ginamit sa pelikulang "Baler".

Baler Museum

Masyado akong nalibang sa paglilibot di ko namalayan oras na pala. Kaya nag-mamadali akong bumalik sa Terminal para habulin ang 2nd trip. Pagdating ko wala na yung bus, kakaalis lang daw. Natawa na lang ako at dahil "no choice" naghintay na lang ako sa susunod na byahe. Mga bandang 11:30am na ako nakaalis ng Baler at mga bandang 6:30pm na ako nakabalik sa Pampanga...


Marami pang mga Tourist Spot ang hindi ko pa napuntahan dito. Kaya sa susunod na pag-biyahe ko susubukan kong libutin lahat.


Kung  may plano kang magbakasyon pwede mong idagdag sa listahan ang Aurora. Narito ang mga pwede mong sangguniin;


For bookings and inquiries, contact:
Aurora Provincial Tourism Office
Telefax : +63 (42) 209-4373
Mobile: +63 (921) 320-7015
Email: tourism_aurora@yahoo.com
Contact persons: Cha, Abbie, Adelle and Wilma
For personalized adventure packages, contact Noel C. Dulay
Mobile: +63 (919) 372-4764
Email: leoncd2@hotmail.com