Aurora Province: The Treasure of the Philippines | Free Documentary

For many ethnic groups on Earth it is very important for them to preserve their traditions and treat the beauty of their natural environment as a priceless

treasure

. It is different in the

aurora

here the traditional and the modern coexist in harmony with each other. The Philippine

province

of Aurora is located on the east coast of the northern part of the main island, about a five-hour drive from the capital city of Manila. It is a small strip of land between the Sierra Madre mountains and the Pacific Ocean. Aurora means light before dawn. and that's appropriate since this is the place where the morning sun hits the Philippine Islands for the first time.

The

aurora

landscape makes the regional land of contrasts a place of peaceful yet passionate beauty. The largest forests in the Philippines are located here. About 70 percent of the region is covered in rainforest and offers shelter to many animals, the Philippine deer being one of them, as well as a Philippine rhinoceros bird or a hornbill. It often suffers the consequences of the destruction of its natural habitat, but here in the aurora it finds refuge. The aurora is the land of waterfalls. The tituba waterfall for example, waterfalls that fall down a 40 meter high cliff, the clear water descends into the valley over other cliffs and around other rocky obstacles in its path, in the middle of the wild flora is the mother waterfall , the cool mountain water flowing down its overgrown face fills the crystal-clear pool that forms at its base, it is a welcome to save our travel-weary bones after our long trek to get here hidden Deep in the mountain rainforests, we discovered the spectacular Divalo Falls, this 80 meter high waterfall is located in Dilasag the Aurora's northernmost community.

Primates such as the Philippine Makakis call the rainforests their home. This one looks for something edible in the treetops. Some guavas are his reward, but they don't seem to be entirely to his liking. These little monkeys are too. called makakis who eat shrimp they like to augment their diet with shellfish they find in the mangroves he has found something unfortunately no other makaki takes the time to enjoy a banana the other's good luck seems to make our friend a little sad but he doesn't have He doesn't care There is no choice but to resign yourself to continuing looking for your next bite.

The vast Aurora Rainforest has only been partially explored. Scientists hope to find still unknown types of plants and animals as they move into unexplored parts of the rainforest. They arrive at the demoss of the national museum in Manila. He is a hepatologist, a snake expert. He leads the expedition. The eastern viper is well camouflaged in the leafy canopy flooded by sunlight, but in the darker leaves our snake expert detects them very quickly. to get the measurements you need the snake is safely packaged our expert assures us that this is not done out of fear, this is a completely harmless snake and is one of those very common forest snake species that you know are at the top from the trees and sell them, you find them outside the forest habitats, this is quite common in the sharamatras forest in our

province

but it is also found in other places in the

philippines

the mountain streams flow cool and clear towards the valleys by wyatt The Sierra Madre Mountains dominate Aurora's landscape but there are also wide expanses of agricultural crops A variety of crops are grown here, including coffee, peanuts, corn and other vegetables, rice is an extremely successful crop in Aurora thanks to a Well developed irrigation system, the system allows water to be sent exactly where it is needed, when it is needed.

Nature rewards farmers for the tedious work of planting rice plants by hand in this climate farmers can harvest the fields up to twice a year after harvest rice dries up on the side of the road wet rice spoils Very quickly after a few hours under the tropical sun, the rice grains still in their husks are packed into bags and transported to a modern rice mill. The mill is the result of a cooperative effort with the South Korean government. Aurora's agriculture is very diversified. Fruit grows in abundance here. and there are many different types of papaya, avocado or dragon fruit, bananas also grow everywhere here, there is even an indigenous type, the saba banana, some claim that the sweetest pineapples in all of the Philippines grow right here, in these Fields, the extensive coconut plantations produce fruits that are 20 percent larger and heavier than the country's average.

It is no wonder that coconut juice is the favorite thirst quencher in this area. This majestic tree is The Millennium Tree is a fig tree that belongs to the bengalensis fig family. They are also known as strangulation figs. In the course of their growth, the host tree dies, leaving a hollow center. Biologists have determined that this tree has between 400 and 600 years the eastern flank of the aurora is a 410 kilometer long coastline on the pacific ocean the oldest mangroves in the

philippines

are found here and provide habitat for a large number of animals, including the mud captain, for example, when When the tide goes out, the fish come out of their caves to feed on the mud banks.

Mangrove crabs make their home around the aerial roots of mangroves. These crabs are only two centimeters long and yet they are quite brave, as demonstrated by this battle over a fallen leaf and as is often the case in life, the strongest takes the prize on the oceanic reefs along the coast of the aurora are still completely intact in many dive sites and Divers slip into a virtual underwater paradise among an impressive variety of marine life. Hermit crabs are found here, as well as the giant clam. A distant relative of the giant clam is the kauri snail.

It has become very rare in most places where it is hunted. on the brink of extinction due to its shell in the Aurora marine environmental reserve it can still thrive, unlike its terrestrial relatives, nudibranchs or sea slugs are particularly beautiful and exquisitely colored, instead of carrying a shell on their back, they carry their apparatus respiratory feathery gill sacs the clownfish much loved thanks to a popular animated film finds its refuge among the poisonous tentacles of the sea anemone our trip takes us to casapsapan bay where a member of the dumagun tribe demonstrates his fishing skills su name is francis the little dumagot The tribe has preserved many of its traditions over the centuries, among them the art of fishing by throwing a net, unfortunately today he does not catch anything and returns to his clan empty-handed.

Francis lives in the nearby village of Dumagot, not far from the community of Kasiguran in the northern part of Aurora. The Dumagots are semi-nomadic and move their place of residence according to the prevailing conditions and the availability of food when resources are depleted. in one place, they move and will not return to the same place for many years, which gives nature enough time to regenerate. The dumagot are very creative people. The spear this tribe member is making will make an excellent harpoon. his previous failure at fishing bothers him in the least Francis repairs his diving goggles harpoon in hand embarks on his next fishing expedition another group of dumagot searches for food in the bushes a little further inland while the women prepare the dumagots' homes They live mainly from fishing, hunting and a little from agriculture.

They know their natural habitat like the back of their hands and are To this day, children are taught expert marksmen with bow and arrow, traditions that guarantee survival. of their tribal culture. The story of the aurora has inspired countless local and international artists to create some of their best works, whether they are events from the distant past or our time. More recent history is very likely to be reflected in the works of art of the Aurora. Archaeological evidence of Aurora settlement by the Dumagot and other tribes has existed since the 14th century. The first Spanish expedition to the Philippines took place in 1521.

The Philippines were conquered less by politics or military force than by evangelization, the Franciscan monk Blas Palomino arrived in the coastal town of Balor in 1609 and converted the local farmers, fishermen, and hunters. to Christianity. The first church was built in 1611 and dedicated to San Luis Obispo, who remains the patron saint. of the city to this day a dramatic event on December 26, 1735 documents the resilience of the inhabitants of Balor this monument the waterspout stands as an eternal testimony during the night of that day a tsunami devastated the city some of the People took refuge in the church and miraculously survived others were able to swim to a hill that is still known as Hermitage Hill.

The most influential families in Aurora are descendants of those who survived the tsunami. They were the ones who rebuilt Balor about five kilometers further inland. The church was rebuilt as a fortress during the Philippine revolution. The church was the site of one of the most heroic battles in Philippine history. The Siege of Balor. The survivors were celebrated. as heroes in Spain and became famous through the classic film The Last of the Philippines On June 30, 1898, a garrison of 54 Spanish soldiers, including a priest, barricaded themselves in the church, anticipating an attack by the revolutionary army on the capitol, Neros, the Spaniards.

They maintained their position for 337 days despite illnesses, desertions and deaths they maintained a position for their homeland and refused to believe that the war would end during the time of the siege when they finally surrendered on June 2, 1899 with only 35 Hakapituneros left alive. and the inhabitants of balor granted them safe passage to spain where they were celebrated as heroes the more than 400 year old church in baller has survived natural disasters and man-made catastrophes over the centuries in 1939 under the supervision of the first lady of the country, doña aurora quezon the church was renovated from scratch and is now protected as a national historic monument the siege of balor was one of the longest in modern military history to commemorate all these historical events aurora celebrates spanish philippine day of friendship, each year the festivities are carried out with all military honors and are attended by senior government officials and the ambassador of Spain.

In one of the celebrations, young people paint the sails of these ships with scenes from the siege, commemorating the colonial occupation of aurora for a whole weekend with cultural activities events organized by both countries that promote tolerance and increase common understanding between the two peoples recently a triathlon has been added to the program the bicycle swimming race is a friendly competition that attracts athletes from all over the country following these footprints takes us directly to The Balor Museum behind its doors, the visitor is presented with the highlights of local history and culture. Relics. Artwork and photographs make up the majority of the exhibit.

Nemesio Diego Jr. of the National Museum of Manila illustrated the richness of the aurora flora for the museum. A complete section. of the museum is dedicated to the exhibition of the natural riches of the aurora right next door the museum has dedicated an exhibition to the elongated tribe this tribe was almost annihilated by countless blood feuds even though modern life has an increasing influence on their lifestyle the remaining elongated ones still hunt regularly using improvised animal calls to lure their prey out of hiding. Their most common prey include monkey deer and wild pigs. They hunt with traps, spears or bows and arrows.

The women of the tribe carry their load and, among other things, gather various fruits and vegetables to augment the tribe's diet. Over the generations they have learned to differentiate between edible and poisonous plants even when they look almost exactly like these two as well. They tend to the rice harvest They separate the valuable grain from the chaff using heavy wood The canes When an elongated man wants to make his interest in a woman known, he will try to help her in her work as often as possible in the hope of being able to briefly caress her. their hand while they work.

The elongated are expert climbers and use a special rattan rope to climb the trees from there they connect strong branches in the treetops using durable rattan lines. It takes a lot of practice to develop the skill needed to move gracefully through the treetops along this rattan road in this way. They are able to cut the wood they need without having to fill the entire tree when the tribal elders tell the children exciting stories. They are also transmitting thecultural rules of the tribe. This ancient teaching method is practiced by many primitive people. It has a long history. of headhunting before the Spanish arrived headhunting was quite common among the Filipino tribes the elongados continued this tradition well into the 1970s the violence did not even stop within the limits of the family itself this forced elongated to put distance between themselves and disperse In large areas, the performance of the headhunting ritual is a reminder of those violent times in times past, men would have thrown the heads of their enemies to the ground and mocked and ridiculed them. they.

Only if a man was a successful headhunter, would he be allowed? wearing the headdress of the hornbill or the rhinoceros bird, their rituals and festivals are not the only things accompanied by music and dance, the elongated dance for everything from hunting to weddings, death and war, the tag m, a dance performed after the hunt, shows the aggressive manner. with which the elongated wielded their weapons to this day, the women, on the contrary, reveal a peaceful aspect of the dance that would not be expected of the ancient headhunters. The music is made with traditional instruments such as the bamboo guitar or zither, the bamboo violin and the flute.

The advance of civilization in the Philippines has not weakened the established tribal culture of the Alangot and the hunters continue to this day. They have brought a wild pig, the meat is cooked or roasted and everyone participates in the meal. Everyone gets an equal share since almost all Filipinos, Aurora people are very religious and treat all religious people with respect. The local population has maintained their ancient beliefs. and merged Christianity with them when it came on the scene later today Christians make up the majority of the population as in most of the rest of the country the Aurora people deny themselves by fasting during Easter week the On Good Friday the believers carry their Christian icons they walk through the streets of the cities in a solemn procession dressed only in a skirt of coconut leaves and a crown of leaves some extreme believers begin a long and painful process of self-punishment they hit themselves on the back with whips with sharp wooden points, in addition, the skin on their backs is opened with razor blades to ensure that enough blood flows in this attempt to share the sufferings of Jesus Christ and the blade used on each believer is not always new.

Easter Sunday is the climax of celebrations, religious services and processions take place throughout the day. Local healers and many other believers put amulets and talismans in the santtiero's glass coffin to place it at the feet of a statue of Jesus that is supposed to bring good luck during the day. year until the next procession the coming of the holy spirit symbolized by the lighting of the fire marks the end of the easter celebrations the aurora also cultivates more modern secular forms of art only in baller are there several choirs that are famous beyond the borders of the Province Bells of Balor, for example, combines beauty with soft vocals.

Only a few artists are able to play the rhondalia, a 12-power guitar, with such perfection and feel that this group with their skill and the charm of their traditional clothing leaves a lasting impression that the angklung made of bamboo produces. just one note a full ensemble is required to play a full song a group like this children's orchestra for example aurora capital city baller has the oldest community theater in the philippines baler comedy pieces performed here They deal with typical themes of the classic comedian. The conflict between Muslims and Christians, complex costume choreography and real weapons play an important role in the very lively theater productions.

The comedy Count Orbano is about an Albanian prince who participates in a tournament to win the hand of a princess. The piece was performed for the first time in Baller on October 24, 1927, the day of the patron Saint Rafael, the art academy in Baller offers young people an education in the arts, but it is not the only place for artists and those Those who wish to become artists can express their passion. This is an artist colony in Saladin Bay, where creative people find exhibition halls, studios and places to work together under the patronage of experienced artists like Sherwin Gonzalez, for example, developing local artists are helped on their way. .

The scenery around the aurora is incredibly beautiful. invites the visitor to admire its rugged coasts and explore the mountains of the interior. Mountain bikes are the appropriate vehicles for this. Many of the roads in the Sierra Madre remain mere dirt trails. All of the numerous rivers of the Aurora flow into the Pacific Ocean. The Sierra Madre Mountains form a useful watershed that protects rural areas from storms and the romantic beaches seem endless. Strong waves do not appear all the time, but seasonally the waves can reach up to three meters high. It is natural that water sports such as surfing take place. would be very popular with the younger generations here the numerous beaches offer both beginners and experts the opportunity to show what they can do and when the ocean is calm they simply enjoy the pleasant weather at the aurora the administration of atmospheric astronomical and geophysical services of the Philippines or pagana meaning Hope in Filipino maintains one of the country's two weather radar stations, is a vital link in Southeast Asia's weather forecasting system and provides storm warnings for the more than 7,000 islands of the Philippine archipelago and the surrounding region, in addition to the radar the weather station tracks cloud formation and the development of ocean water temperature.

The weather can change in a few moments between the mountains of Sierra Madre and the ocean at best. cases that results in fantastic waves for surfers. Surfing became popular during the American occupation. After World War II, soldiers from California brought their surfboards with them, according to locals, even Hollywood was in Aurora. Francis Ford Coppola's film crew reportedly filmed the napalm attack scenes in the American war film Apocalypse Now, as well as the famous surfing scene. general here according to legend the actors left the first surfboards at ballers beach today aurora is one of the bastions of the philippine surf scene the number of surfers who come here to find the perfect wave has grown astronomically in recent years some of The most modern hotels have been built in the country in Aurora to accommodate a growing number of tourists.

Ampere Beach is located north of Baller. The dark pebble beach is a local insider and is rarely visited by tourists. Kasi Guran is the second oldest city in the province. It is located in a natural harbor that was already used by the Spanish to anchor their galleons. The bay is protected by the San Ildefonso peninsula. Casapsapan beach is located on the north side of the peninsula. One day its fine white sand will surely attract numerous visitors if it were not for Now almost no tourists come to this isolated paradise. Only one of Aurora's eight communities is landlocked and has no direct access to the ocean, so it's no surprise that fishing is the main source of income for about a third of the region's population.

They are brought to the market daily and prepared on the spot for final consumption. High quality fish is the rule here. Most customers buy their fish fresh every day. There are not enough refrigeration possibilities in the country to allow longer storage, but large fish catches have increased. a dark side to them, no nation in the world could match the richness, beauty and biodiversity of our seas, but lately our seas have been depleted due to the combination of neglect and abuse committed by the fishermen themselves, so our Seas are depleted and the government has to look for a new source of food for our increasing population and this new source is aquaculture or fish farming.

This aquaculture facility is a government-funded pilot project. In the 321 hectare facilities, one hectare is equivalent to 10,000 square meters. Fish are being raised for human consumption. consumption with this project and others like it the government hopes to ensure a significant increase in fish production in the coming years scientists are working to optimize each step of the process as they move forward in addition to work with closed fish ponds being carried out tests in permanent net installations in open ocean waters and some things have already become clear protected from their natural enemies fish have a better chance of surviving and thanks to regular feeding they grow faster in the dawn the importance of the ocean for human beings The population has been recognized and large areas have been placed under environmental protection which has saved many natural habitats from serious damage where the ocean meets the land.

Mangrove forests have developed over eons of time. They form one of the most complex ecosystems on Earth. Mangroves serve as nurseries for young fish and habitat for crabs and other shellfish, as well as smaller life forms, the university of the philippines conducts regular research projects under the leadership of dr. Miguel Fortes The mangroves serve not only as a natural habitat but also as a type of coastal defense line against the forces of erosion storms and tsunamis. If we look at the normal arrangement or sequence of the ecosystems, in the deepest area we have the coral reefs, in the shallower ones we have the secret beds and in the shallower ones we have the microbes in terms of dissipating the impact of the waves, the coral reefs are the first line of defense between those three and with the contribution of the secret beds, the waves are greatly attenuated and finally the mangroves, so those three really act as one to protect the coast, the state college from the aurora.

Technology Ascot, for short, is a driving force behind ocean protection. It is the most respected institute of higher education in Aurora and works closely with the Institute of Oceanography of the University of the Philippines. Work is being done in cooperation with other institutions, as well as to find new methods to use marine biological resources more intelligently, for example, algae are very suitable as fodder for animals, but also in the production of biodiesel the ocean is already has provided ingredients that have become a standard part of our diet, for example, brown algae extracts are used. In the production of yogurt and gummy bears, the ocean is a practically immeasurable source of new elements that play an increasingly important role not only in the food industry but also in the pharmaceutical sector, which is one more reason to invest in the protection and preservation of the The world's oceans The aurora has many untapped resources that have never been studied before.

I think it will open up a large area for Aurora people and young scientists to take advantage of the

treasure

s of their marine environment. A multitude of culinary gems can also be found in Aurora thanks to fresh ingredients from the land and ocean. Aurora's cuisine is simple but authentic. Homemade dishes are rich in aromas and flavors. Visitors find culinary delights of a special kind at Aurora's restaurants in Saladang. Paco, for example, consists of fern-like leaves seasoned with tomatoes. and onion adobo is a Filipino delicacy the version made in ballar is particularly tasty because it is cooked not only in vinegar but also in coconut milk sometimes fern is added this specialty of Aurora cuisine is known far beyond the borders of the province suman is a kind of rice pudding purple rice is a special type that grows in the mountains of aurora suman is made fresh daily without preservatives it would spoil in a very short time zuman is already very delicious alone but can also be combined with other specialties coconut jam and peanut butter, for example, the cultural history of Aurora is reflected in its traditions and crafts that bear witness to the creativity and active fantasy of its people in each community there Entire companies built around the manual processing of local materials These companies not only produce additional income but also help preserve the art of the ancestors The production of basket-woven products is particularly widespread Rattan is a thin and very flexible palm tree similar a vine that grows almost everywhere in the aurora robust and lightweight at the same time it is used in artistic crafts and to make furniture Flexible rattan can be woven into many different products, from simple mats to vases and baskets, evenlarger furniture, such as chairs or tables.

Large areas of land in the aurora are dedicated to the so-called tree of life, the coconut palm, every bit of the coconut. The rough fibers of coconut husks are even used as filler material for German car seats, for example, but a local industry has also developed around coconut fiber machines that separate the long fibers. and soft from the short, thicker ones. Another machine is used. To extract every last fiber from the coconut in the thresher, what a moment ago was a solid husk is reduced to nothing more than a pile of fibers. Coconut ropes can be spun from the fibers and used in other products, some of them are made into pots or mats, by far most are used to make nets buried under a layer of soil, for example, they prevent soil from and the slopes erode for Filipino travelers.

It is customary to buy gifts for those who stayed at home. This souvenir shop offers a wide selection. of local delicacies and various products such as hats and baskets made of sabutan. In addition, Aurora sabotan grows only in a few places in the Philippines. The plant belongs to the pandan palm family. The work of processing the plant is very intensive. The main stem of the plant is removed. the leaf and the leaf is divided in one go the sections of the leaf are cut into thinner strips and the prickly edge is removed wrapped in bundles the strips are softened in water and cooked so that the leaf fibers can be sent by mail according to tradition the work is done by hand without using modern machinery through cooking the fibers not only soften but also lose their natural green color sabutan leaves are dyed in boiling water using various pigments pigments are often still used chemicals, but ecologically produced organic pigments are increasingly making their way into the production process more often after the coloring process is complete, the residual dye is rinsed off and the sheets are dried on linen for the rest of the day.

In the past, dried sabutan fibers were woven into products for everyday use, such as hats or mats in the meantime, demand for natural fibers has grown so dramatically that they command high prices on the international market. A special process awaits the brightly colored sabutan fibers. This dress will make its debut on a very special occasion at the Mujiang Philippines National Beauty Queen Beauty Pageant. from the Philippines is chosen to complement the typical selection categories like swimwear and evening dresses, this time the best in sabotan category has been added with an award for the best designer from around the world.

Efforts are being made to live in harmony with nature while still embracing progress at the same time it seems that these efforts are beginning to work in the dawn correct conclusions are being drawn from the past the results are applied to life in the present with a glance thoughtful towards future visitors to this small province in the Philippines will have fond memories of their stay for a long time, its culture and colorful history will continue to move people and the eternal beauty of the landscape and nature of the aurora will also amaze generations. future. The aurora is a piece of sky at the other end of the world.