Dingalan is a municipality in the province of Aurora in the Philippines. It is situated approximately 183 kilometers northeast of Manila. It is bounded on the north by San Luis (Aurora Province), on the west by Gabaldon and General Tinio (Nueva Ecija) and San Miguel (Bulacan), on the south by General Nakar (Quezon), and on the east by the Pacific Ocean.

Geography and Town Center

Dingalan, per se, is a small town with a main uncemented road with branching alleys. Further south of the town proper are the barangays of Aplaya, Cabog, Matawe (rendered, Matawi by some), Ibona (rendered Ibuna by some), and Umiray. The premier barangay north of the town is Paltic. All of the barangays are located on the seashore, save one barangay, located in the mountains. The whole town is mountainous due to the Sierra Madre Mountains. The Umiray River separates the town with Quezon Province.

Population

According to the book Philippine Geography Made Easy, the population is 1,543, composed of Bicol (9), Dumagat (5), Hiligaynon (5), Ilocano (234), Leytenon (16), and Tagalog (1274).

History

Dingalan has been declared a town in 1962. On November 30 to December 3, 2004, the town has been wiped out by the tropical storms Violeta, Winnie, and Yoyong, leaving at least 1 dead in every family. Several relief goods coming from foreign traders have been coming in Umiray, specifically. Also, by some Christian groups, La Salle Greenhills, and most importantly, the Philippine National Red Cross.

Main Attractions

Dingalan has several caves, of which Lamao Caves is the best known. The rough shoreline and very high waves of Dingalan makes it attractive to surfers from all over the country.