Aurora (province): History
=== Spanish colonial era ===
In 1572, the Spanish explorer Juan de Salcedo became the first European to visit the region that would be known as Aurora while he was exploring the northern coast of Luzon. Salcedo reportedly visited the towns of Casiguran, Baler and Infanta. Baler and Casiguran were part of La Provincia de La Pampanga, which also included Pampanga, Bulacan, Nueva Écija, and Tarlac, and in 1591, the towns became part of Kalilayan, which included Nueva Écija, until Kalilayan changed its name to Tayabas in 1749, taken from the town of the same name.
In the early days of the Spanish colonial period, Aurora was ecclesiastically linked to Infanta, which today rests further south, in northern Quezon. The earliest missionaries in the province were the Franciscans, who had established missions in Baler and Casiguran in 1609. Due to lack of available personnel, the region was given to the jurisdiction of the Augustinians and Recollects in 1658, but was returned to the Friars Minor in 1703. Other early missions included Dipaculao, established in 1719, and Casiguran, in 1753.
In 1705, the Military Comandancia of Nueva Écija was created and was governed by Governor-General Fausto Cruzat y Góngora. It included huge swathes of Central Luzon, the Contracosta towns, as well as the Kalilayan area and Polillo Islands, however Nueva Écija was then still under La Pampanga province. Contracosta was the term for the east coast and included towns from Mauban, Binangonan de Lampon, to El Príncipe. Since the Contracosta and Kalilayan were part of La Laguna province at that time before these were annexed to Nueva Écija, they became jointly ruled by La Pampanga and La Laguna provinces. The Contracosta and Tayabas areas were jointly ruled by Tayabas and Pampanga, when Tayabas became independent from La Laguna in 1754.
On December 27, 1735, a powerful storm struck Baler and a tsunami (tromba marina) destroyed the old town located in present Barrio Sabang. Among the surviving clans were the Angaras, Bihasas, Bitongs, Lumasacs, Carrascos, and Pobletes who had swum to nearby Ermita Hill. A new community formed in what is now the Población of Baler, leaving "Kinagunasan," the place of devastation. A mural depicting the tsunami can be found in the Museo de Baler.
When Rafael María de Aguilar y Ponce de León took over as Governor-General of the Philippines, he decreed the separation of the military district of Nueva Écija from the province of Pampanga and became a regular province on April 25, 1801, including the town of Baler, acquired from Tayabas.
In 1818, Nueva Écija annexed the towns of Palanan from Isabela, as well as Baler, Casiguran, Infanta (formerly called Binangonan de Lampon) and Polillo Islands from Tayabas, and Cagayan, Nueva Vizcaya, Quirino, and part of Rizal. In 1853, the new military district of Tayabas was separated from Nueva Écija and included present-day Southern Quezon as well as present-day Aurora. In 1858, Binangonan de Lampon and the Polillo Islands were separated from Nueva Écija to form part of Infanta. Between 1855 and 1885, El Príncipe was established as its own military Comandancia with its capital in Baler.
==== District of El Príncipe ==== …