Province of Aurora

Stephen Jerry 0 years ago 5 min read

Aurora is a province of the Philippines located in the East-Central side of Luzon. The province covers 3,133.40 square kilometers and is composed of 8 municipalities and 151 barangays. The capital of the province is Baler. The province was named after Aurora, the wife of President Manuel L. Quezon, the first president of the Philippine Commonwealth who was born in Baler.

History

In 1572, Spanish explorer Juan de Salcedo became the first European to visit the region, exploring Casiguran, Baler, and Infanta. Early missions were established in Baler and Casiguran in 1609 by the Franciscans. Later, the Augustinians and Recollects took over in 1658, but the Franciscans resumed control in 1703. Missions expanded to Dipaculao (1719) and Casiguran (1753). Aurora was historically part of Quezon Province (then Kalilaya) and Nueva Ecija, before gaining its own identity. The province was eventually named after Aurora Quezon.

Quick Facts

Population (2024)	240,824
Land Area (sq.km)	3,133.40
No. of Households	57,037
Average Household Size	4.12
Registered Voters	158,259
Major Landmark	Baler Church (San Luis Obispo de Tolosa Parish)
Coastal Access	Yes
Elevation (above sea level)	71m

Map

Aurora Province is located on the East-Central side of Luzon Island. It is bordered on the north by Isabela and Quirino, on the west by Nueva Ecija and Nueva Vizcaya, on the south by Bulacan and Quezon, and on the east by the Pacific Ocean.

Municipalities Population Data

Aurora has 8 municipalities with 151 barangays.

name	type	barangay_count	population_2020	population_2024
Baler	Municipality (Capital)	13	43785	44684
Casiguran	Municipality	24	26564	26855
Dilasag	Municipality	11	17102	17536
Dinalungan	Municipality	9	12508	12552
Dingalan	Municipality	11	27878	29286
Dipaculao	Municipality	25	33131	33597
Maria Aurora	Municipality	40	44958	45972
San Luis	Municipality	18	29824	30342

Demographics

Population by Age Group (2020)

The largest age group was 10–14 years (25,460), followed by 5–9 years (25,017) and 15–19 years (23,824). The smallest population was in the 80+ group (2,000).

age	population_2020
Below 5	23603
5–9	25017
10–14	25460
15–19	23824
20–24	21306
25–29	18735
30–34	16864
35–39	14518
40–44	13335
45–49	12468
50–54	11054
55–59	9246
60–64	7521
65–69	5308
70–74	3448
75–79	2043
80+	2000

Population by Gender (2020)

In 2020, Aurora’s population was 51.31% male and 48.69% female.

Economy

Agriculture

From 2018 to 2023, crops remained the largest contributor to agricultural production, peaking in 2021 before a slight decline. Livestock dipped in 2020 but recovered strongly afterward. Poultry and fisheries showed steady growth, with fisheries remaining the smallest but gradually increasing.

title	2022	2023
Crops	2103	2207
Livestock	1168	1185
Poultry	200	196
Fisheries	104	124

BARANGAY