LAND AREA AND LOCATION

Dingalan is geographically located on the south most part of the province of Aurora and lies at approximately 121 degrees 23’ longitude and 15 degree 23’latitude.

The municipality is bounded on the north by the town of San Luis, on the west by the province of Nueva Ecija, on the south by the municipality of General Nakar, Quezon and on the east by the Pacific Ocean. It is approximately 182 kilometers away from Manila.

ACCESSIBILITY

Dingalan has a mountainous terrain where lies the rugged Sierra Madre Mountain range from the North Western portion to the Southern part of the municipality. The vast mountain range are the source of rivers, stream and mountain spring crisscrossing the rugged terrain and draining towards the mouth of Dingalan Bay.

Desfite the rugged terrain, the town is accessible by bus, cars and other means of transportation passing through Cabanatuan City, which is 65 kilometers away. Baler, the capital town can be reached by the land on a six (6) hour trip via a bongabon, Nueva Ecija or Pantabangan – Canili road and also by the sea on four-hour motor banca ride.

The contour of the terrain is characterized with varying slopes ranging from 0 to 8% and increasing to over 50% as you go steeper.

CLIMATE

Dingalan falls under Type IV climate (Corona’s Classification System) with no distinct dry and wet season. Dingalan has a generally fair weather with a rainfall evenly distributed throughout the year. It has an average annual rainfall of 3,286.8 mm. The wettest months are October and November and the driest are January and February.

NATURAL RESOURCES

LAND AREA

The municipality of Dingalan covers an area of 30,455 hectares, 73% or 22,308 hectares of which is developed with forest. It is primarily an agricultural community although on 2,983 hectares is devoted to agriculture with majority of its land area covered with thick forest and some portion of its are logged over and remain idle. Timber industry proliferates on this part of the locality. Data obtained from the municipal records revealed the following information.

FOREST RESOURCES

Aside from timber and lumber from logging, rattan is also one of the forest resources produces into furniture which has found it’s was in Angeles City Market and some part of Metro Manila.

INLAND WATER RESOURCES

Dingalan is bestowed with a number of rivers, which can be tapped to augments its development growth. The mountains by its watersheds are the source of its rivers, stream and springs.

MINERAL RESOURCES

Manganese deposit is known to have existed in Barangay Umiray. Non-metallic type such as cement raw materials can also be found in Barangay Cabog. “Guano” or fertilizer deposits can also be quarried at Barangay Dikapinikian.

HUMAN RESOURCES

The municipality of Dingalan has a total population of 19,312 based on the 1995 NCSO Survey Report. It is 8.06% of the total population of Aurora province. Male population of 10,096 outnumbered the female, which has 9,216 populations.

Dingalan has an annual population growth rate of 6.13% and a population density of 47 person/sq. Km. As shown on the preceeding table, Barangay Umiray and Barangay Paltic have the highest population ratio while Barangay Tanawan has the lowest. Barangay Ibona, the center heart of the southern barangays and Barangay Paltic are considered the population growth centers of the municipality.

Based on the municipal record gathered, the population distribution in urban areas is 1,181 for 1995 while in rural areas is recorded to be 18,131. The numbered of household living in urban areas is 253 while those in rural areas are found to be 3,602 for the year 1995.

FINANCIAL RESOURCES

The municipality of Dingalan has a total income from all sources amounted to P14, 190,768.01 for the CY 1994; P13, 186,976.40 in CY 1995 and 13,250,439.99 for the CY 1996.

The data confirms the increasing trend of revenue for the municipality. This is due mainly to the increase of their internal revenue allotment with the implementation of devolution for LGUs.

THE SOCIO-ECONOMIC ACTIVITIES

AGRICULTURE

Farming is the main source of livelihood of the municipality. Root crops such as cassava and camote are also abundant. Rice, corn, coconut, bananas, vegetable, sugar cane, coffee, peanuts, mangoes and other marginal crops are the major agricultural crops grown in the locality.

Out of 30,455 hectares of land, 724 hectares are irrigated and planted mostly with palay. In terms of productivity, the average yield per hectare of irrigated rice land was placed at only 3.3 metric tons per hectare while those that are rain fed was from 2.5 to 2.75 metric tons per hectares.

LIVESTOCK AND POULTRY

Dingalan has a pasture land area of 596 hectares base on the municipal records gathered. Backyard livestock industry has supplemented additional income for the local residents. The Department of Agriculture reported a total livestock/poultry population of 5,615/1,870 heads in 1999.

COMMERCE AND TRADE

Agriculture, forestry and fishery are the main sources of the livelihood of the people of Dingalan. Around 1,316 experienced workers are engaged on the said trade.

NUMBER AND TYPE OF COTTAGE INDUSTRIES

Dingalan has a good number of home/cottage industries. These are dominated by charcoal making industry in which 410 households are engage. The majority of these households, around 74 percent are found in Barangay Matawe and Paltic. Other barangays with households that depend on charcoal making for their livelihoods are Umiray (50); Butas na Bato; Ibona (20); Tanawan (10); and Caragsacan (5).

Aside from charcoal making, other home cottage industries in the municipality include hollow-block making, wood curving, basketry and rattan craft, and native wine and vinegar processing.

RAW MATERIALS

Raw materials for home/cottage industries are indigenous in the place except for hollow blocks making where the cement usually comes from the Cabanatuan. These raw materials include wood and rattan from the forest, shells from the sea and coconut formative wine and vinegar processing.

COMMERCIAL ESTABLISHMENT

A total of 252 commercial establishments are found in the municipality of Dingalan, Aurora. The majority are categorized as Sari-sari stores numbering 189, followed by groceries (33), Bakeries (10), School supply Store and Lumber yards (50 each), three each Furniture Stores, Appliances Stores, and Hardware’s/Construction Materials Stores and Shoe Stores.

In terms of distribution in Barangay, Paltic has 88 commercial establishments, followed by the Poblacion, Umiray, Cabog, Aplaya and Ibona with 50, 35, 22, 21 and 11 respectively. The rest of barangays have less than 10 of these establishments.

FINANCIAL AND MARKETING ASSISTANCE

Majority of this industry are considered livelihood projects where financial assistance are available from the DSWD under the Social Reform Agenda Fund.

Likewise, the existing NE Cooperative Bank/AIADP in the municipality is also providing credit to potential borrowers engage in home/cottage industries.

Finished products are marketed locally and some are transported to adjacent provinces and even reached Manila.

TOURISM

The coastline of Dingalan has great potential for mass tourism development. These areas stretch to Umiray to Paltic where establishment of beach resort will be a lucrative business. These will attract tourist as well as foreigners but also locals. A well-known beach resort in the municipality is found in Barangay Matawe. This was called “Sea Ranch” and close during 1980s. Tourist as well as businessmen and government officials holding key positions were the usual visitors for relaxation. This beach resort now needs rehabilitation. In 1997, a well-known Makati based investors established Beach Resorts, also in Matawe.

On the other hand, the forested mountain of Dingalan has places that are potentials for eco-tourism development. These may include the Yapit, Tabi and Makabato falls in Umiray and Abungan Falls in Ibona. Picnic areas are also attractive places for family members, especially during weekends. Such area are found in the former nursery site of the Inter-Pacific Forest Resources Corporation (IFRC) known as Paltic Falls in Barangay Paltic and the Lipit Picnic area in the upstream portion of Ibona River. Hiking and bird watching are other forms of eco-tourism activity.

FISHERIES RESOURCES

Dingalan Bay serves as the marine fishing ground in the municipality, which supports local marginal fishermen. The most common species caught in Dingalan Bay are blue marlin, yellow fin Tuna, round scads, rainbow runner dolphin fish, Spanish mackerel, barracuda, shark and other local species.

MUNICIPAL AND SUSTENANCE FISHING

The municipality has an existing fishermen association called “Samahang Mangingisda ng Dingalan” (SAMADA). This fishermen group was organized in the early 1990s by the St. Francis Center who implemented the community-based Impact Project (CBIP) component of AIADP 1. At present, it has a membership of more or less 50 members.

In 1996, the SAMADA with the assistance from AIADP and the Local Government Unit of Dingalan have respectively installed of one (1) and six (6) Payaos in the Pacific Ocean, which are several kilometers from the shore of the municipality. The installations of this Payaos have given the fishermen an average catch of 6 tons/month (2X harvest/months of 3 tons each). Likewise, during the same year (December 1996), Japanese Fishing Group established “Lambaklad” (Otoshi Ami) or set of the net on white beach area of Barangay Paltic. A group of 20 Filipino fishermen are locally recruited in the municipality. It is reported that around 600 kilos of fish are catch per day.

The reported of 1999 fishing boats in the municipality was 343. Of this total 220 are motorized while 123 are non-motorized. Motorized boats commonly have 3 tons capacity equipped with 4-16 HP engines.

There are few existing fishponds in the municipality, but due to the lack of technical and financial assistance in the past its development was neglected.

The AIADP, through its fishery component is extending both technical and financial (credit) assistance to potential fishpond operators. As a result, some demonstration fishponds have been established in Barangay Tanawan to showcase fishpond inland fishing technology.

ROADS AND TRANSPORT SYSTEM/FACILITIES

The road network in the municipality of Dingalan has a total length of about 201.39 kilometers. This is broken down to 75.04 kilometers of Barangay to town road, 54 kilometers foot path, 35 kilometers dirt road – al weather, 32 kilometers cart track, 32.21 kilometers pave road, 1.2 kilometers Barangay to highway road, 0.80 kilometers highway and 0.14 kilometers total length of bridges.

This road network is classified into (4) categories namely national, provincial and municipal and barangay roads. Road widths vary in size according to categories. The with of the Barangay roads ranges from 5 meters to 6 meters while national, provincial and municipal roads have 6 to 8 meters wide.

Majority of the street in Poblacion, particularly in the vicinity of the municipality building as well as the national road from Dingalan Central School to Barangay Casagsacan is already concreted. The rest are either rough or gravel roads with medium standard while others are earth filled roads in poor condition.

There are six (6) existing bridge in the municipality of Dingalan. Out of these six (6) bridges, only the Tuntunin Bridge is made of wood. These include Bailey bridge and Subsub Bridge in Paltic, Sapinit Bridge (not passable) in Butas na Bato, and Water point Bridge in Aplaya. Water PointBridge, the only bridge connecting central Dingalan to the Southern part of the municipality, is not yet passable since it is still under construction.

Based on the local survey, there are 460 vehicles in Dingalan. This figure is broken down as follows: 279 motor Banca, 78 tricycles, 50 passenger type jeepney and 47 unclassified vehicles (Elf and Ten Wheeler Construction Trucks) Danilo Express Bus serves the municipality to Cabanatuan City and vice versa, and just recently (September 8, 1998) ABC Express bus extended its services to Dinagalan.

POWER SOURCES

Electric power in this municipality is being supplies by the NATIONAL CORPORATION, INC. Through the Nueva Ecija III Electric Cooperatives, Inc, since July 1982 to March 1995. AURELCO Management took over the following month.

At present, it is serving eight (8) Barangays, Barangay Poblacion, Davildavilan, Aplaya, Paltic, Caragsacan, Butas na BAto CAbog and Ibona. Extension line as far as Umiray is on going through the joint effort AURELCO and provincial government. As of Augost 1997, there are 1,226 registered consumers out of 4,092 targets. Only Barangay Dikapinikian is not potential for AURELCO’s services, however, said Barangay has acquired 25 k generators that serve its people.

COMMUNICATION

Postal services in the municipality are being carried by the post offices. It is tasked to answer the needs of the total populace. A telecommunication network is also available for faster and reliable delivery of communication services. Also Amateur Radio Communication Group under the umbrella of reaction 200-Aurora is present in the locality. There are 64 radio holders mostly Barangay and municipal officials. KABALIKAT Radio Communication group is also operating in the area. These facilities connect to Dingalan to other municipalities of Aurora particularly those in the Southern part of the province. Telephone Company (Bayan Tel) operates in the municipality to accommodate the needs of this place in terms of modern way of communication.

WATER SUPPLY

Majority of the households in urban Barangay collect water either from a community water system or from deep wells. Other collects their water from the rivers and streams. Rural Barangay also get their water supply from public and private deep wells and from the rivers and stream.

There are the totals of 520 water supply facilities in the municipality of Dingalan serving 78% of the total population or 3,007 households. These water facilities of various types are classified as level I, level II and level III.

Level I consist of protected well or developed spring with an outlet but having no distribution system. This level is generally applicable for rural areas where the houses are thinly scattered. It includes public deep wells, shallow wells, and private well and spring development.

Level II is a water system consisting of a source, reservoir, piped distribution networks and communal faucets usually located at a distance, of not more than 25 meters from the farthest house. Its purpose is to serve household within the perimeter of urban and rural areas wherein houses are clustered densely to accommodate by a single piped system.

Level III refers to a municipal water system where houses have individual connections. This type of water system has a source, a reservoir, a piped distribution network and households tap. It is applicable to densely populated urban areas.

SOCIAL SERVICES

EDUCATION

Education in Dingalan is under taken by both the public and private School teachers under the supervision of the DECS. There are seven (7) public elementary and three (3) primary school in the municipality.

Three Public Secondary School serve the residents namely IBona National high School, Umiray National High School and Dingalan National High School, which started operation in June 1995. Saint Patrick’s Academy, private secondary school located at Barangay Paltic also serves the populace. There is no tertiary education in the locality.

HEALTH SERVICES

Six type of health service facilities are found in the municipality. These include one (1) each for Hospital and Medical Clinic, two (2) Dental clinics, one (1) rural health unit, five (5) Drug Store and five Health Centers.

The lone hospital in the municipality is found in Barangay Casagsacan. Its locations quite not advisable. Considering that the Langawan River is just at its backside where solid and liquid waste of the hospital are possibly finding their way towards this water way, and may affect the health of the people downstream who used to bath and washed clothes in this river.

Statistic shows that the registered birth for the year 1999 totaled to 470, 240 are male and 230 are female. The popular attendant at birth in this municipality is the hilot. Mother preferred to be attended by the hilot than by the physician, nurse or midwife.

Death registered in this municipality in 1999 totaled to 73, 46 are male and 27 are female. During the year, Barangay Paltic got the highest number of registered death with total of 24, followed by Barangay Umiray and Ibona with 8 registered deaths; next is Barangay Davildavilan with 7 registered deaths.

Hypertension got the highest number of the cause of death with 0 cases followed by pneumonia with 7 and tuberculosis came in the third with 5 registered deaths.

The leading cause of morbidity is acute respiratory track infection totaled to 2,974. This is followed by diarrhea with 358 cases and closely followed by pneumonia and other Nutritional Deficiency with 298.

PROTECTIVE SERVICES

The peace and order situation in Dingalan are always maintain by the Philippine National Police (PNP) having eighteen (18) staff stationed at the municipal building in Poblacion. Bantay Bayan or Barangay Police Complements the PNP in providing adequate safety and protection for their constituents. The municipality had an acquired from DILG one unit of fire truck to be used in fire fighting operations. The BFD station has 5 personnel with generator set, water pump, water container and one 4” x 80 meters fire hose.

Dingalan became a municipal district in June 1956 under R. A. 1536 with an estimated population of 2,000 residents. It was a former sitio Bario of San Luis, Municipality of Baler, Tayabas (Quezon) Province. Early settlers in their story accounted, that Dumagat tribes are bound in the place. According to them, the names most of the landmarks and place of the municipality were given by the Dumagat. There was strong belief that “Dingalan” is a Dumagat word, which means “By the River of Galan” True to its name the municipality is sitting on its fifteen (15) rivers and creek.

The logging and sawmill operation of the late Don Felipe Buencamino has contributed to the mi9gration of the different ethnic group and settlers for good in the municipality as early as 1930. Since then, inter-marriages among the Tagalog, Ilocano, Pampangos and Bicolanos had been practiced.

The municipality’s part and role in the rich historical heritage of the country cannot be over emphasized. Dingalan was occupied by the Japanese during World War II. The Japanese took over the operation of sawmills and cut timber for the construction of their barracks and garrisons. Dingalan Bay was used as one of their “exit points” when they retreated to the United States Armed Force in 1945.

Its position in the history was more significant in 1957, when the municipality became the Training Ground for the South East Asia Treaty Organization (SEATO), which include in the United States 7th Fleet. Dingalan Bay also one of the sites of RP US balikatan Military Exercise for three (3) executive years from 1982-1984.

On June 16, 1962, Dingalan was converted into a municipality by virtue of enactment of Republic Act No. 3490.

Mayor Hon. Zenaida Q. Padiernos

Vice Mayor Hon. Hiram M. Liu

Councilors

Hon. Shiela H. Taay

Hon. Abigail G. Tan

Hon. Peter R. Bernardo

Hon. Pepito U. Romantico

Hon. Christian L. Capulong

Hon. Conrado M. De Guzman

Hon. Mahalia P. Tabanguil

Hon. Raffy B. Padilla

BARANGAY CAPTAINS:

Brgy. Aplaya - Macario F. Ramos

Brgy. Butas na Bato - Reynaldo R. Labasan

Brgy. Matawe (Cabog) - Armando F. Borreo

Brgy. Caragsacan - Jose G. Fabros

Brgy. Davil-Davilan - Simplicio P. Ramos Jr.

Brgy. Dikapanikian - Ariel R. Salcedo

Brgy. Ibona - Ederlito A. Cumilang

Brgy. Paltic - Luis A. Borreo

Brgy. Poblacion - Ernani M. Vilar

Brgy. Tanauan - Julio B. Comprado

Brgy. Umiray - Francisco C. Rivera