Bill recognizing Baler as birthplace of Philippine surfing gets Senate nod

The Senate on Monday approved a measure recognizing the municipality of Baler in Aurora as the “Birthplace of Philippine Surfing.”

Senate Bill 1615, authored by Senator Sonny Angara, who hails from Aurora, got 21 affirmative votes, zero negative votes, and zero abstention.

In filing the bill, Angara said Baler stands out among many surfing sites in the country because it holds the oldest local surfing community which is still existing up until today.

Apart from this, the senator said Baler also offers a variety of surfing sites spanning from the right-hand reef break of Cobra Reef up to the sandy bottom break of Sabang Beach.

To support the development of the surfing community, the lawmaker also mentioned the annual Aurora Surfing Cup which provides the enthusiasts an avenue to showcase their skills and talents.

The senator stated in his bill the history of surfing in Aurora which started in 1972 when Steve Scott, a surfer who was then staying at Subic Naval Base, went to the province with his surfboard and discovered the waves of Baler.  The surfboard left by Scott paved the way for the locals to learn how to ride the waves.

After Scott’s trip to Baler, Angara said foreigners from Surfer Magazine visited the town in 1977 in search of a place where surfing competitions could take place. This was shown in one documentary and the sport was made more famous in the province after the filming of the movie “Apocalypse Now” in 1978.—AOL, GMA Integrated News