DINGALAN, AURORA

When I went around the towns of Nueva Ecija, I went as far as Gabaldon, which was the easternmost town of Nueva Ecija. Then I found out that the next town already belonged to the province of Aurora, the town of Dingalan which was already facing the Pacific.  Hence, I decided to drive over to this town.  Visited its parish church which was on hilly part of the town with a good view of the sea. The good beaches were not found in the main town itself.  From barangay Paltic which was as far as the car could go, we had to take a ten minute boat ride to get to the White Beach of Dingalan.  There were lots of cottages for rent and some overnight accommodation for backpackers.

What piqued my interest in visiting Dingalan was a unique Good Friday tradition shared by the neighboring towns of Gabaldon and Dingalan, which they call “Gabalding”—a name combining the two towns.

On the morning of Good Friday, parishioners from both Gabaldon and Dingalan make their respective Way of the Cross along the road leading up to the boundary of the two provinces, located on a mountaintop. Each group walks approximately ten kilometers before meeting at the summit. There, amid makeshift tents set up for the occasion, the two parish communities come together to commemorate the Passion of the Lord.

St. Patrick Parish, Dingalan, Aurora (F-1969)

Nuestra Señora de la Paz Chapel, Paltic, Dingalan, Aurora

Was accompanied on this trip by my nephew.