Baler for all time

Last Friday, we launched the coffeetable book Baler. The book pays tribute to this historic andscenic town, and has been my long envisioned project. The successful media launch was attended byfriends from the media, my family, and the authors, contributors andphotographers whose work went into the book, which I published.

Balertakes us into a journey to the capital town of Aurora, a province situated between theSierra Madre range and a vast coastline opening to the Pacific. Baler and the rest of Aurora are often associated with raw andrugged attractions, lushness and pristine beauty. Those who have visited this side of thePacific would know that our coastline is one of our best attractions.

Thebook describes in detail a town that has been witness to a rich and colorfulhistory. The most significant episode inthe town's history, the Siege of Baler ("Los Ultimos de Filipinas"), took placein the Baler Church where 50 Spanish officers andfour priests took refuge for 337 days fighting the local Katipuneros. Thirty three survived the Siege, and weredeclared by President Aguinaldo as friends instead of prisoners of war.

Baler, too, is the birthplace of President Manuel L. Quezon, the Philippine's foremoststatesman and patriot.

Baler showcases, in vivid photography, the natural beauty of this part of the country,and the rare flora and fauna it cultivates. It is home to the Millennium Tree –the oldest balete tree in Asia, the sabutan,the indigenous deer and unique marine life. Two plant species have also beennamed after Baler: a wild duhat (Sygium balerense) and rattan (Calamus balerensis).

Growing up in Baler, I imbibed this nourishing environment of rich forests, fertileland and vast coasts teeming with aquatic life. This is where my love for the soil began.

Finally, the book presents current development challengesand efforts, at the center of which is sustaining the environment and educatingour youth. Baler and the rest of Aurora's bountifulresources and industrious people prove its potential for growth anddevelopment.