Aurora Province History
Profile of Aurora Province (Geography)
Location –> Central Luzon Region, Philippines (See map below)
Neighboring Provinces –> Isabela, Quezon, Nueva Ecija, Nueva Vizcaya, and Quirino
Capital –> Baler
Area –> 3,147.32 km2 (1,215.19 sq mi)
Population –> 214,336 (2015 census)
Terrain –> Mountainous
Industries –> Agriculture, Tourism
Major Products –> Rice, Coconut, Corn, Root crops, Fish
People/Language –> Tagalog, Ilocano
Municipalities (Towns) –> (8) Baler, Casiguran, Dilasag, Dinalungan, Dingalan, Dipaculao, Maria Aurora, San Luis
Provincial Officials
Go here to see the elected provincial officials of Aurora Province.
Aurora Province History
As early as 1572, the Spaniards explored the areas now occupied by Aurora Province. Since then, different missionaries and congregations established churches in the towns of Baler, casiguran, and later Dipaculao.
During the early part of the Spanish regime, the areas now covered by the province was called El Principe. It was part of the province known as Kalilaya with the town of Unisan (now a municipality of Quezon Province) as the capital. Kalilaya also included parts of Nueva Ecija such that when Nueva Ecija became a separate province, it annexed the district of El Principe in 1818.
When the Philippines became a colony of the United States in 1900, the administrative jurisdiction of El Principe was transfered to the then province of Tayabas (formerly Kalilaya).
Through the efforts of Doña Aurora Aragon-Quezon, the former First Lady and wife of President Manuel Luis Quezon, with the able help of then Baler Mayor Pedro V. Guerrero, El Principe was born as a sub-province of Quezon in 1951 through Republic Act No. 648. Pedro V. Guerrero was eventually appointed as the first lieutenant governor. Later, it was renamed Aurora after the former first lady.
The former first lady herself did not live long enough to witness the creation of her husband’s birthplace into a province. She was unconscionably assassinated on April 28, 1949 while on her way to Baler to inaugurate a hospital in memory of husband.
On August 13, 1979, Aurora gained its present status as a separate province through Batas Pambansa Blg. 7. Atty. Luis S. Etcubaez was the last Lieutenant Governor of the Sub-Province of Aurora and the first Governor of Aurora when it became the 73rd province of the country. On May 17, 2002, then President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo issued Executive Order No. 103 transfering the province from Region 4a to Region 3 (Central Luzon).
Go here to see all the famous people from Aurora Province.
Go here to see all the candidates and results of the 2019 election in Aurora Province.
Read the history of Aurora Province in Tagalog here
Economy of Aurora Province
Aurora Province is an agricultural area. Most of the people are engaged in farming and fishing as the source of livelihood. Rice, coconut and fish are the major products.
In recent years, tourism has become an important pillar of the local economy. Due its the many attractions, thousands of visitors arrive to enjoy the scenic beauty of the province and study its interesting history. Many hotels and lodges sprung up especially in the capital town of Baler providing employment to many residents.
Go here to see the different tourist spots of Aurora Province.
RELATED: Profile of La Union Province
See also: List of Philippine Provinces and Capital by Region