2009,
June 30. Town of Baler 4th Centennial
400th Anniversary of the Evangelization of the Town of Baler.
Litho Offset.
Amstar Company, Inc. Perf. 14.
Se-tenant
Pairs, Sheets of 40 (4
x 10)
Se-tenant Pairs (25,000)
7p
Old Church of Baler
7p
New Church of Baler
First Day Covers: Manila and
Aurora
The official FDC cancel as well as the
Official FDC envelope depicts the local bird Balod. It is believed
the name Baler was derived from the name Balod -
which is the
indigenous name for the mountain doves or paloma montes that
continue to abound the area.
Town
of Baler
As the capital and oldest municipality of Aurora
Province, Baler is the seat of government and the center for trade
and industry. The most progressive town in Aurora, Baler commands
the most resorts, public institutions and facilities, as well as
business establishments.
In 1609, seven (7)
Franciscan
Missionaries led by Fray Blas Palomino founded the settlement of
Baler. Its
original name was Kinagunasan and its first inhabitants were the
Angara, Bitong, Carrasco and Lumasac families.
This small settlement was later converted into a pueblo or town by
the
Augustinians
and the
Recollects
in 1658. Due to scarcity of religious missionaries, the Franciscans
again took over the administration of the settlement in 1703. On
June 2,
1899,
the last Spanish garrison in the Philippines surrendered after
a year-long siege,
effectively ending nearly 400 years of Spanish hegemony in the
archipelago.
In 1901, the Americans incorporated the town to the province of
Tayabas (later named
Quezon
province). Before the Americans came, Baler was under the province
of
Nueva Ecija.
In 1942, Japanese occupation forces entered Baler under Captain
Hattori, commanding the garrison of the
Japanese Imperial
Army forces in Baler.
However, in 1945, The Philippine Commonwealth forces entered the
town of Baler, which was under attack by the Japanese Imperial
Forces. The San Luis de Tolosa church was destroyed. The
Philippine Commonwealth troops achieved victory from this battle.
On
June 14,
1951,
by virtue of Republic Act No. 648, Baler became the capital town of
the sub-province (and later, province) of
Aurora.
Baler is known for numerous tourist attractions. In
addition to the Baler Catholic Church and other
historical sites
, there are resorts at
Sabang Beach
and
Cemento Beach,
where surfers from all over the world compete for the annual
International
Aurora Surfing Cup.
The coral-rich islands of
Dimadimalangat,
Aniao
and
Lukso-Lukso
lie just off the coast.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Baler%2C_Aurora