Maria Aurora, officially the Municipality of Maria Aurora (Tagalog: Bayan ng Maria Aurora; Ilocano: Ili ti Maria Aurora), is the only landlocked and 2nd class municipality in the province of Aurora, Philippines. According to the 2020 census, it has a population of 44,958 people.[3]
Maria Aurora
San Jose de Casignan | |
|---|---|
| Municipality of Maria Aurora | |
 Street in Maria Aurora | |
 Flag  Seal | |
| Nickname(s): "Baby", "Maria" | |
 Map of Aurora with Maria Aurora highlighted | |
OpenStreetMap  | |
.svg)  Maria Aurora Location within the Philippines | |
| Coordinates: 15°47′48″N 121°28′25″E / 15.7967°N 121.4737°E | |
| Country | Philippines |
| Region | Central Luzon |
| Province | Aurora |
| District | Lone district |
| Founded | July 21, 1949 |
| Named for | Maria Aurora "Baby" Quezon |
| Barangays | 40 (see Barangays) |
| Government | |
| • Type | Sangguniang Bayan |
| • Mayor | Ariel S. Bitong |
| • Vice Mayor | Amado M. Geneta |
| • Representative | Rommel Rico T. Angara |
| • Municipal Council | Members |
| • Electorate | 28,333 voters (2022) |
| Area | |
• Total | 426.19 km2 (164.55 sq mi) |
| Elevation | 66 m (217 ft) |
| Highest elevation | 441 m (1,447 ft) |
| Lowest elevation | 12 m (39 ft) |
| Population (2020 census)[3] | |
• Total | 44,958 |
| • Density | 110/km2 (270/sq mi) |
| • Households | 11,016 |
| Economy | |
| • Income class | 2nd municipal income class |
| • Poverty incidence | 13.68 |
| • Revenue | ₱ 215.6 million (2020) |
| • Assets | ₱ 270.5 million (2020) |
| • Expenditure | ₱ 205.7 million (2020) |
| • Liabilities | ₱ 34.8 million (2020) |
| Service provider | |
| • Electricity | Aurora Electric Cooperative (AURELCO) |
| Time zone | UTC+8 (PST) |
| ZIP code | 3202 |
| PSGC | |
| IDD : area code | +63 (0)42 |
| Native languages | Northern Alta Tagalog Ilocano |
| Website | www |
Despite being the only landlocked town of the province, it is the most populated municipality.
The Millennium Tree in Balete Park and the lush green landscape is Maria Aurora's main tourist asset.
Etymology
editThe town was named after Maria Aurora "Baby" Aragon Quezon, the first daughter of Philippine President Manuel L. Quezon and First Lady Aurora Aragon Quezon. Maria Aurora, along with her mother Aurora, was ambushed and assassinated by elements of the Hukbalahap movement in Bongabon, Nueva Ecija.
History
editThe original settlers of the town now known as Maria Aurora were Bugkalot. These people are characterized as barbaric, wild and head hunters. They first established their settlement in an area known as “Egabong” (meaning muddy stream) and was considered at that time as “no man’s land”, since no Christian dared to enter the place for fear of beheading.
The arrival of a man from Liliw, Laguna named Jose Bitong who was considered as the first Christian adventurer/settler, changed the course of event when he married a young Bugkalot lady and later won the admiration and confidence of the Bugkalots. From then, he became one of their dynamic leaders and was respected by the Bugkalot Tribe and Christians as well. This opened the gate for the Spanish missionaries to settle in the area and converted the settlers into Catholicism.[5]
In 1771, the settlement was named and known as San Jose de Casecnan or San Jose de Casignan in honor of Jose Bitong and Casecnan River which the Spanish believed it flows near the settlement.
In 1896, a group of Ilocano settlers from Aringay, La Union came to stay in the town, which was part of District of El Príncipe, Nueva Ecija. In 1906, another group of Ilocanos arrived from La Union and Pangasinan.[6] Because of dominance of Ilocanos in Maria Aurora, Rang-ay Festival is celebrated, wherein rang-ay is an Ilocano word for progress. The word is distinctively chosen to confine the focus of celebration on the progressive vision of the people of Maria Aurora that are dominantly Ilocanos.[5]
The municipality of Maria Aurora was established on July 21, 1949, through the Executive Order No. 246 out of various portions of the municipalities of Baler, then part of Quezon province.[7]
Through Presidential Proclamation No. 687, September 23, 2024 was declared a special working day in Maria Aurora, Aurora to celebrate the birth anniversary of the town's namesake, María Aurora "Baby" Quezon.[8]
Proposal for the Municipality of Dr. Juan C. Angara
editA separate municipality called Dr. Juan C. Angara is being proposed under Senate Bill No. 3132 and House Bill No. 6518.[9][10] Named after the father of former provincial governor Bella Angara and former Senator Edgardo Angara, the proposed municipality shall have a land area of 201.2 square kilometers (77.7 sq mi) and is composed of western barangays of Dianawan, Decoliat, Galintuja, San Juan, Suguit, Bazal, Pungio, Villa Aurora and Dialatnan. San Juan will serve as poblacion or the seat of government.
Geography
editAccording to the Philippine Statistics Authority, the municipality has a land area of 426.19 square kilometers (164.55 sq mi) [11] constituting 13.54% of the 3,147.32-square-kilometer (1,215.19 sq mi) total area of Aurora.
Maria Aurora is the only non-coastal municipality of the province. It is bounded by Baler and Dipaculao on the east, San Luis on the south, the Province of Nueva Ecija on the west and Alfonso Castañeda in the Province of Nueva Vizcaya on the north-west; Maria Aurora is the only municipality of Aurora bordered by Nueva Vizcaya.
Maria Aurora is 9 kilometers (5.6 mi) from Baler and 222 kilometers (138 mi) from Manila.
Barangays
editMaria Aurora is politically subdivided into 40 barangays.[12] Each barangay consists of puroks and some have sitios.
| PSGC | Barangay | Population | ±% p.a. | |||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2020[3] | 2010[13] | |||||
| 037707001 | Alcala | 1.2% | 553 | 521 | 0.60% | |
| 037707002 | Bagtu | 1.7% | 779 | 748 | 0.41% | |
| 037707003 | Bangco | 1.5% | 676 | 636 | 0.61% | |
| 037707004 | Bannawag | 1.1% | 496 | 492 | 0.08% | |
| 037707005 | Barangay I (Poblacion) | 3.0% | 1,356 | 1,260 | 0.74% | |
| 037707006 | Barangay II (Poblacion) | 4.3% | 1,930 | 1,874 | 0.29% | |
| 037707007 | Barangay III (Poblacion) | 2.0% | 894 | 873 | 0.24% | |
| 037707008 | Barangay IV (Poblacion) | 5.5% | 2,458 | 2,465 | −0.03% | |
| 037707009 | Baubo | 1.4% | 642 | 634 | 0.13% | |
| 037707010 | Bayanihan | 3.2% | 1,425 | 1,325 | 0.73% | |
| 037707011 | Bazal | 3.0% | 1,368 | 1,274 | 0.71% | |
| 037707012 | Cabituculan East | 1.5% | 676 | 664 | 0.18% | |
| 037707013 | Cabituculan West | 1.2% | 534 | 493 | 0.80% | |
| 037707027 | Cadayacan | 3.0% | 1,357 | 1,261 | 0.74% | |
| 037707014 | Debucao | 3.1% | 1,385 | 1,293 | 0.69% | |
| 037707015 | Decoliat | 1.0% | 472 | 457 | 0.32% | |
| 037707016 | Detailen | 2.0% | 879 | 793 | 1.03% | |
| 037707017 | Diaat | 3.4% | 1,528 | 1,460 | 0.46% | |
| 037707018 | Dialatman | 0.4% | 198 | 183 | 0.79% | |
| 037707019 | Diaman | 0.6% | 257 | 239 | 0.73% | |
| 037707020 | Dianawan | 2.6% | 1,191 | 1,111 | 0.70% | |
| 037707021 | Dikildit | 2.3% | 1,019 | 908 | 1.16% | |
| 037707022 | Dimanpudso | 3.0% | 1,353 | 1,296 | 0.43% | |
| 037707023 | Diome | 1.9% | 857 | 760 | 1.21% | |
| 037707024 | Estonilo | 1.7% | 784 | 755 | 0.38% | |
| 037707025 | Florida | 4.1% | 1,825 | 1,635 | 1.11% | |
| 037707026 | Galintuja | 1.6% | 729 | 598 | 2.00% | |
| 037707028 | Malasin | 1.5% | 654 | 593 | 0.98% | |
| 037707029 | Ponglo | 1.0% | 466 | 543 | −1.52% | |
| 037707030 | Quirino | 4.1% | 1,843 | 1,584 | 1.53% | |
| 037707031 | Ramada | 2.6% | 1,172 | 1,134 | 0.33% | |
| 037707032 | San Joaquin | 3.8% | 1,714 | 1,634 | 0.48% | |
| 037707033 | San Jose | 3.7% | 1,677 | 1,460 | 1.40% | |
| 037707040 | San Juan | 1.9% | 876 | 891 | −0.17% | |
| 037707034 | San Leonardo | 1.0% | 455 | 475 | −0.43% | |
| 037707035 | Santa Lucia | 1.3% | 578 | 541 | 0.66% | |
| 037707036 | Santo Tomas | 1.6% | 697 | 684 | 0.19% | |
| 037707037 | Suguit | 1.3% | 604 | 564 | 0.69% | |
| 037707038 | Villa Aurora | 2.0% | 878 | 751 | 1.57% | |
| 037707039 | Wenceslao | 3.3% | 1,499 | 1,266 | 1.70% | |
| Total | 44,958 | 38,128 | 1.66% | |||
Climate
edit| Climate data for Maria Aurora, Aurora | |||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Month | Jan | Feb | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec | Year |
| Mean daily maximum °C (°F) | 27 (81) |
28 (82) |
29 (84) |
32 (90) |
32 (90) |
31 (88) |
30 (86) |
30 (86) |
30 (86) |
29 (84) |
29 (84) |
27 (81) |
30 (85) |
| Mean daily minimum °C (°F) | 20 (68) |
20 (68) |
21 (70) |
23 (73) |
24 (75) |
24 (75) |
24 (75) |
24 (75) |
24 (75) |
23 (73) |
22 (72) |
21 (70) |
23 (72) |
| Average precipitation mm (inches) | 25 (1.0) |
26 (1.0) |
18 (0.7) |
24 (0.9) |
91 (3.6) |
145 (5.7) |
149 (5.9) |
122 (4.8) |
120 (4.7) |
128 (5.0) |
61 (2.4) |
52 (2.0) |
961 (37.7) |
| Average rainy days | 7.7 | 5.7 | 6.8 | 8.0 | 18.2 | 22.1 | 24.3 | 23.4 | 22.7 | 17.5 | 10.0 | 9.4 | 175.8 |
| Source: Meteoblue (modeled/calculated data, not measured locally)[14] | |||||||||||||
Demographics
edit
|
| |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Source: Philippine Statistics Authority[15][13][16][17] | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
In the 2020 census, Maria Aurora had a population of 44,958.[3] The population density was 110 inhabitants per square kilometer (280/sq mi).
Economy
editPoverty incidence of Maria Aurora
5
10
15
20
2006
18.40 2009
13.24 2012
10.14 2015
10.68 2018
11.98 2021
13.68 Source: Philippine Statistics Authority[18][19][20][21][22][23][24][25] |
Government
editList of mayors
editMaria Aurora was administered by 12 mayors since its establishment in 1949.
- Mayor Pedro C. Montero (Jul 21, 1949 – Dec 31, 1951)
- Mayor Pedro S. Wenceslao (Jan 1, 1952 – Jun 21, 1958)
- Mayor Brigido E. Collado (Jun 22, 1958 – Dec 31, 1959)
- Mayor Leon B. Hulipas (Jan 1, 1960 – Dec 31, 1963)
- Mayor Leonardo T. Ong (Jan 1, 1964 – Aug 15, 1977)
- Mayor Juan R. Ortiz (Aug 16, 1977 – May 8, 1986)
- OJC Adriano C. Bitong (May 9, 1986 – Dec 1, 1987)
- OJC (LGO) Nepumuceno W. Gonzales (Dec 1, 1987 – Dec 15, 1987)
- Sec. Lorenzo O. Mangaoang (Dec. 16, 1987 – Feb 2, 1988)
- Mayor Adriano C. Bitong (Feb 3, 1988 – Jun 30, 1998)
- Mayor Brigido M. Noval (Jun 30, 1998 – Jun 30, 2004)
- Mayor Ariel S. Bitong (Jun 30, 2004 – Jun 30, 2013)
- Mayor Amado M. Geneta (Jun 30, 2013 – Jun 30, 2022)
- Mayor Ariel S. Bitong (Jun 30, 2022 – Present)
Transportation
edit
Maria Aurora can be accessed by road through two routes: the Canili–Pantabangan Road, which passes Nueva Ecija's northern towns and through Alfonso Castañeda, Nueva Vizcaya; and the Nueva Ecija–Aurora Road, built on the 1940s that traverses the Sierra Madre Mountains and passes through the towns of Baler and San Luis. Today, the Canili–Pantabangan Road is much more commonly used, though it extends travel time for 1 hour, it is the safest route for vehicles. Originally, the Nueva Ecija–Aurora Road is the standard road for bus commuters, the shortest but the steep turns and unpaved roads makes it the most dangerous for heavy vehicles.
There are five bus lines that serve Maria Aurora's vicinity: Maria Aurora Express (PAPIN) (Cabanatuan–Dipaculao); D' Liner (Cabanatuan\Baguio - Maria Aurora, Casiguran; Genesis Bus Transport (Manila\Cabanatuan - Baler); - Aurora Bus Line (Cabanatuan - Baler) and Lizardo Transit (Baguio - Baler)
Healthcare
editThe Department of Health sustains health over the municipality. The municipality has 21 health centers and one provincial hospital, the Aurora Provincial Hospital located in barangay Buhangin in Baler, 30 kilometers (19 mi) south of the town.
Education
editMaria Aurora has its education sustained by the Department of Education - Division of Aurora. The municipality has 38 public elementary and high schools with 1 central school (Maria Aurora Central School). Private institutions in the municipality include Mount Carmel School of Maria Aurora and Wesleyan University - Philippines (Aurora).
Gallery
edit-
Municipal hall
-
Public market
-
Highway, mountains and forests (Sitio Dimasalang, Barangay Dimotol)
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1970's Canili and Diayo Dams and Reservoirs (tributaries of Pantabangan Dam)
-
Millennium Tree at Balete Park
References
edit- ^ Municipality of Maria Aurora | (DILG)
- ^ "2015 Census of Population, Report No. 3 – Population, Land Area, and Population Density" (PDF). Philippine Statistics Authority. Quezon City, Philippines. August 2016. ISSN 0117-1453. Archived (PDF) from the original on May 25, 2021. Retrieved July 16, 2021.
- ^ a b c d Census of Population (2020). "Region III (Central Luzon)". Total Population by Province, City, Municipality and Barangay. Philippine Statistics Authority. Retrieved 8 July 2021.
- ^ "PSA Releases the 2021 City and Municipal Level Poverty Estimates". Philippine Statistics Authority. 2 April 2024. Retrieved 28 April 2024.
- ^ a b Maria Aurora: Historical Background
- ^ Mesina, Ilovita. "Baler And Its People, The Aurorans". Aurora.ph. Retrieved 21 February 2018.
- ^ Executive Order No. 246 (21 July 1949), Organizing Certain Portions of the Municipalities of Baler and Infanta, Quezon Province, into Independent Municipalities, Under the Names of Maria Aurora and General Nakar, Respectively (PDF), Official Gazette, retrieved 6 November 2016
- ^ Presidential Proclamation No. 687 (September 12, 2024), Declaring Monday, 23 September 2024, a Special Working Day in the Municipality of Maria Aurora, Province of Aurora (PDF), Presidential Communications Office, retrieved September 22, 2024
- ^ "Fifteenth Congress; Senate Bill No. 3132; An Act Creating the Municipality of Dr. Juan C. Angara in the Province of Aurora" (PDF). Senate of the Philippines. 23 February 2012. Archived from the original (PDF) on 4 March 2016. Retrieved 6 November 2016.
- ^ House Bill No. 6518 (2008), An Act Creating the Municipality of Dr. Juan C. Angara in the Province of Aurora (PDF), archived from the original (PDF) on 3 September 2014, retrieved 6 November 2016
- ^ "Province: Aurora". PSGC Interactive. Quezon City, Philippines: Philippine Statistics Authority. Retrieved 12 November 2016.
- ^ "Municipal: Maria Aurora, Aurora". PSGC Interactive. Quezon City, Philippines: Philippine Statistics Authority. Retrieved 8 January 2016.
- ^ a b Census of Population and Housing (2010). "Region III (Central Luzon)" (PDF). Total Population by Province, City, Municipality and Barangay. National Statistics Office. Retrieved 29 June 2016.
- ^ "Maria Aurora, Aurora: Average Temperatures and Rainfall". Meteoblue. Retrieved 27 December 2018.
- ^ Census of Population (2015). "Region III (Central Luzon)". Total Population by Province, City, Municipality and Barangay. Philippine Statistics Authority. Retrieved 20 June 2016.
- ^ Censuses of Population (1903–2007). "Region III (Central Luzon)". Table 1. Population Enumerated in Various Censuses by Province/Highly Urbanized City: 1903 to 2007. National Statistics Office.
- ^ "Province of Aurora". Municipality Population Data. Local Water Utilities Administration Research Division. Retrieved 17 December 2016.
- ^ "Poverty incidence (PI):". Philippine Statistics Authority. Retrieved December 28, 2020.
- ^ "Estimation of Local Poverty in the Philippines" (PDF). Philippine Statistics Authority. 29 November 2005.
- ^ "2003 City and Municipal Level Poverty Estimates" (PDF). Philippine Statistics Authority. 23 March 2009.
- ^ "City and Municipal Level Poverty Estimates; 2006 and 2009" (PDF). Philippine Statistics Authority. 3 August 2012.
- ^ "2012 Municipal and City Level Poverty Estimates" (PDF). Philippine Statistics Authority. 31 May 2016.
- ^ "Municipal and City Level Small Area Poverty Estimates; 2009, 2012 and 2015". Philippine Statistics Authority. 10 July 2019.
- ^ "PSA Releases the 2018 Municipal and City Level Poverty Estimates". Philippine Statistics Authority. 15 December 2021. Retrieved 22 January 2022.
- ^ "PSA Releases the 2021 City and Municipal Level Poverty Estimates". Philippine Statistics Authority. 2 April 2024. Retrieved 28 April 2024.
- ^ "Angara Inaugurates Bazal Bridge in Aurora; Hopeful for Stronger Rp-japan Partnership". Senate of the Philippines (Press release). January 20, 2011. Retrieved September 22, 2024.