Historical Tour of Baler

After having breakfast, we hopped on a trike to the booking office of Genesis Bus to reserve seats for our trip back to Manila the following day. From the booking office, Labasin Beach in Sabang is merely walking distance.

Since we didn’t have any room reservations, we checked all resorts and inns we passed along the way in Sabang. All of them were fully booked since Baler is hosting the Surf & Music Festival.

Our campsite before a deluge of campers came 

In Bahia de Baler, we saw a number of tents pitched by the beachfront. I came prepared with a tent so after inquiring and paying the fee we were pitching our tent in no time.

Labasin Beach in Sabang

We relaxed a bit by the seawall cum footpath to enjoy the breeze, sunny weather and the waves. If not for the places we needed to explore in Baler, I could just spend the entire day lying idly by the beach.

Our first stop was the Baler Marker at the town plaza where the former Baler Municipal Hall, now demolished, used to stand close by. A new municipal hall was built nearby along with the Baler’s quadricentennial monument.

New Baler Municipal Building

Baler's Quadricentennial Monument

We followed a mysterious trail of footsteps that led us to Quezon Park and Museo de Baler. 

The mysterious trail of footsteps

At the center of the park is a sitting statue of Manuel Luis Quezon, President during the Philippine Commonwealth in 1935-1944. 

A black 1937 Cadillac Cabriolet used by Quezon and a replica of the ancestral home of Quezon are also found in the park.

1937 Cadillac Cabriolet used by President Manuel L. Quezon

and subsequently by Gen. Douglas MacArthur

Usually, Museo de Baler is closed on weekends but since Baler is expecting a lot of visitors due to the Surf & Music Festival they decided to open it.

Museo de Baler

After seeing the collections of Museo de Baler, we first had our caffeine break at an eatery across Quezon Park before checking out Baler Church.

Baler Church or San Luis Obispo de Tolosa Church was originally built in 1611 and restored in 1939. The church was the last bastion of the Spanish empire in the Philippines when a garrison of Spanish soldiers fortified themselves inside the church and fended off Filipino insurgents from June 27, 1898 to June 2, 1899.

Baler Church

Our last stop before having lunch was the Aragon House, a reconstructed house of Aurora Aragon Quezon, wife of Manuel L. Quezon. The house stands just across Baler Church and inside the house are various Filipiana ternos on display.

Aragon House

I later found out that footsteps represent that of Manuel Quezon’s and it begins from Baler Church and ends at Quezon Park. The trail of footsteps actually takes you around the historical landmarks in Baler.