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 | |
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Municipality | |
Municipality of Maria Aurora | |
Street in Maria Aurora | |
![]() Flag ![]() Seal | |
Nickname(s): "Baby", "Maria" | |
![]() Map of Aurora with Maria Aurora highlighted | |
OpenStreetMap ![]() | |
![]() ![]() Maria Aurora Location within the Philippines | |
Coordinates: 15°47′48″N 121°28′25″E | |
Country | Philippines |
Region | Central Luzon |
Province | Aurora |
District | Lone district |
Named for | Maria Aurora "Baby" Quezon |
Barangays | 40 (see Barangays) |
Government | |
• Type | Sangguniang Bayan |
• Mayor | Amado M. Geneta |
• Vice Mayor | Oscar W. Padua |
• Representative | Rommel Rico T. Angara |
• Municipal Council | Members
|
• Electorate | 26,806 voters (2019) |
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 | |
• Total | 44,958 |
• Density | 110/km2 (270/sq mi) |
• Households | 9,347 |
Economy | |
• Income class | 2nd municipal income class |
• Poverty incidence | 11.98% (2018)[4] |
• Revenue | ₱215,606,223.87 (2020) |
• Assets | ₱270,469,981.74 (2020) |
• Expenditure | ₱205,728,130.18 (2020) |
• Liabilities | ₱34,795,856.06 (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.
The 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 Nueva Ecija. The municipality of Maria Aurora was formed on July 21, 1949, through the Executive Order No. 246 out of various portions of the municipalities of Baler, then part of Quezon province.[5]
A separate municipality called Dr. Juan C. Angara is being proposed under Senate Bill No. 3132 and House Bill No. 6518.[6][7] 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.
According to the Philippine Statistics Authority, the municipality has a land area of 426.19 square kilometres (164.55 sq mi) [8] constituting 13.54% of the 3,147.32-square-kilometre- (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 the Province of Nueva Vizcaya on the north-west.
Maria Aurora is 9 kilometres (5.6 mi) from Baler and 222 kilometres (138 mi) from Manila.
Maria Aurora is politically subdivided into 40 barangays.[9]
PSGC | Barangay | Population | ±% p.a. | |||
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
2020 [3] | 2010 [10] | |||||
037707001 | Alcala | 1.2% | 553 | 521 | ▴ | 0.57% |
037707002 | Bagtu | 1.7% | 779 | 748 | ▴ | 0.39% |
037707003 | Bangco | 1.5% | 676 | 636 | ▴ | 0.59% |
037707004 | Bannawag | 1.1% | 496 | 492 | ▴ | 0.08% |
037707005 | Barangay I (Poblacion) | 3.0% | 1,356 | 1,260 | ▴ | 0.71% |
037707006 | Barangay II (Poblacion) | 4.3% | 1,930 | 1,874 | ▴ | 0.28% |
037707007 | Barangay III (Poblacion) | 2.0% | 894 | 873 | ▴ | 0.23% |
037707008 | Barangay IV (Poblacion) | 5.5% | 2,458 | 2,465 | ▾ | −0.03% |
037707009 | Baubo | 1.4% | 642 | 634 | ▴ | 0.12% |
037707010 | Bayanihan | 3.2% | 1,425 | 1,325 | ▴ | 0.70% |
037707011 | Bazal | 3.0% | 1,368 | 1,274 | ▴ | 0.68% |
037707012 | Cabituculan East | 1.5% | 676 | 664 | ▴ | 0.17% |
037707013 | Cabituculan West | 1.2% | 534 | 493 | ▴ | 0.77% |
037707027 | Cadayacan | 3.0% | 1,357 | 1,261 | ▴ | 0.71% |
037707014 | Debucao | 3.1% | 1,385 | 1,293 | ▴ | 0.66% |
037707015 | Decoliat | 1.0% | 472 | 457 | ▴ | 0.31% |
037707016 | Detailen | 2.0% | 879 | 793 | ▴ | 0.99% |
037707017 | Diaat | 3.4% | 1,528 | 1,460 | ▴ | 0.44% |
037707018 | Dialatman | 0.4% | 198 | 183 | ▴ | 0.76% |
037707019 | Diaman | 0.6% | 257 | 239 | ▴ | 0.70% |
037707020 | Dianawan | 2.6% | 1,191 | 1,111 | ▴ | 0.67% |
037707021 | Dikildit | 2.3% | 1,019 | 908 | ▴ | 1.11% |
037707022 | Dimanpudso | 3.0% | 1,353 | 1,296 | ▴ | 0.41% |
037707023 | Diome | 1.9% | 857 | 760 | ▴ | 1.16% |
037707024 | Estonilo | 1.7% | 784 | 755 | ▴ | 0.36% |
037707025 | Florida | 4.1% | 1,825 | 1,635 | ▴ | 1.06% |
037707026 | Galintuja | 1.6% | 729 | 598 | ▴ | 1.92% |
037707028 | Malasin | 1.5% | 654 | 593 | ▴ | 0.94% |
037707029 | Ponglo | 1.0% | 466 | 543 | ▾ | −1.46% |
037707030 | Quirino | 4.1% | 1,843 | 1,584 | ▴ | 1.46% |
037707031 | Ramada | 2.6% | 1,172 | 1,134 | ▴ | 0.32% |
037707032 | San Joaquin | 3.8% | 1,714 | 1,634 | ▴ | 0.46% |
037707033 | San Jose | 3.7% | 1,677 | 1,460 | ▴ | 1.34% |
037707040 | San Juan | 1.9% | 876 | 891 | ▾ | −0.16% |
037707034 | San Leonardo | 1.0% | 455 | 475 | ▾ | −0.41% |
037707035 | Santa Lucia | 1.3% | 578 | 541 | ▴ | 0.64% |
037707036 | Santo Tomas | 1.6% | 697 | 684 | ▴ | 0.18% |
037707037 | Suguit | 1.3% | 604 | 564 | ▴ | 0.66% |
037707038 | Villa Aurora | 2.0% | 878 | 751 | ▴ | 1.51% |
037707039 | Wenceslao | 3.3% | 1,499 | 1,266 | ▴ | 1.63% |
Total | 44,958 | 38,128 | ▴ | 1.59% |
Climate data for Maria Aurora, Aurora | |||||||||||||
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Month | Jan | Feb | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec | Year |
Average high °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) |
Average low °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)[11] |
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Source: Philippine Statistics Authority [12] [10] [13][14] |
In the 2020 census, Maria Aurora had a population of 44,958. [3] The population density was 110 inhabitants per square kilometre (280/sq mi).
Maria Aurora was administered by 12 mayors since its establishment in 1949.
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)
The 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 south of the town.
Maria 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)
Places adjacent to Maria Aurora, Aurora | |
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Baler (capital) | |
Municipalities | |
Barangays | See: List of barangays in Aurora |