Dipaculao , officially the Municipality of Dipaculao (; ), is a municipality in the province of Aurora, Philippines. According to the , it has a population of people.
The municipality is home to the Dinadiawan River Protected Landscape. This municipality is also notable for the location where both Ateneo Blue Eagles basketball players Chukwuemeka Divine Adili and Rene Clert Noja Baterbonia died from drowning during a team building activity at a beach resort there on June 8, 2026.
History Early history and etymology The name "Dipaculao" was first documented in Spanish records in 1719, when the Misión de San Miguel de Dipaculao was established by the Franciscan priest Sebastián de la Madre de Dios. The mission was aimed at converting the indigenous Ilongot people who lived on the preexisting settlement variously recorded as either "Ipaculao" or "Dipaculao." The mission was headed by a series of Franciscan missionaries originating from Baler, though they were all largely unsuccessful at converting the Ilongot and the nearby Casiguran Dumagat Agta.
By 1870, the settlement was recorded as being depopulated and largely abandoned by the Ilongot, who had moved to (indigenous villages) closer to the Spanish settlement of Casignan (also spelled "Casecnan" or "Casiguan", now Maria Aurora) to grow rice and various crops for trade in local markets. The few remaining inhabitants of the settlement that arrived with the Spanish are believed to have primarily consisted of Ilocano migrants, since the mission was recorded as Ilocano-speaking in Spanish publications from as early as 1865 and 1869.
The mission and the original native settlement was bounded by Casiguran to the far north, Baler to the south, and Casignan to the northwest. It was situated on an island bordered by the saltwater Dipaculao River, which merges with the Casignan River (also known as the Bicanili and Cabatangan) to the north, and an unnamed river to the southeast of Baler.
It is unknown if the settlement was named after the Dipaculao River or vice versa. The location of the Dipaculao River is also now unclear due to changes in river topography. It is likely the same river that now flows through Lobbot, Lipit, and Ipil. The prefix "di-" ("of the" or "coming from"), is a common prefix in the place names of the Ilongot people; the meaning of the other component is unknown.Municipality of Dipaculao website: History (in Filipino)
American colonial period In 1921, more migrants from Central Luzon (mostly Ilocanos from neighboring Nueva Ecija, La Union, and Pangasinan) settled in Dipaculao.Municipality of Dipaculao website Igorots from the Cordilleras also came down to live alongside Ilocanos and the aboriginal Ilongot. Other ethnic groups who came to and stayed in Dipaculao include Christianized Gaddang and Isinai settlers who settled the surrounding lowlands of Baler Bay, Gaddang from Nueva Vizcaya and Mountain Province, and Isinai from Nueva Vizcaya.Encyclopedia.com: Ilongot Later that year, the large strip of land where the municipality is located was returned to Tayabas (present-day Quezon Province).Map of the Philippine Islands showing location of northern Tayabas as the present territory of Aurora in 1921:
Modern era On November 27, 1950, Dipaculao was converted from a barrio of Baler into an independent municipality of Quezon via Executive Order No. 375 by President Elpidio Quirino, with 16 other barrios of Baler were annexed to the new municipality. Anacleto Mijares was the first Municipal Mayor, and oversaw the transition. It later became part of Quezon's sub-province of Aurora beginning in 1951.
On June 21, 1957, the sitios of Dimabuno, Laboy, Dinadiawan and Puangi were converted into barrios. Several more sitios were converted into barrios on June 18, 1966.
The municipality later separated from Quezon and became part of the new province of Aurora on August 13, 1979.
Geography According to the Philippine Statistics Authority, the municipality has a land area of constituting of the total area of Aurora.
Dipaculao is situated from the provincial capital Baler, and from the country's capital city of Manila.
Barangays Dipaculao is politically subdivided into 25 barangays, as shown in the matrix below. Each barangay consists of puroks and some have sitios.
Climate
Demographics
As of the 2024 census, Dipaculao had a population of 33,597 people. The population density was .
Economy
Education The Dipaculao Schools District Office governs all educational institutions within the municipality. It oversees the management and operations of all private and public, from primary to secondary schools.
Primary and elementary schools
Bayabas Elementary School Borlongan Elementary School Calaocan Elementary School Diamanen Elementary School Dianed Elementary School Diarabasin Elementary School Dibutunan Elementary School Dinadiawan Elementary School Dipaculao Central School Ditale Elementary School Emeterio M. Quirino Elementary School Gupa Elementary School Ipil Elementary School John Wesley Child Development Center Laboy Elementary School Lipit Elementary School Lobbot Elementary School Maligaya Elementary School Mijares Elementary School Mucdol Elementary School Puangi Elementary School Sapangkawayan Elementary School Teodorico A. Molina Sr. Elementary School Toytoyan Elementary School
Secondary schools
Borlongan National High School Dipaculao National High School Dinadiawan National High School Diarabasin National High School Father John Karash Memorial High School Mijares National High School Puangi National High School
Higher educational institution Dipaculao College of Science and Technology
Gallery
References
External links
[ Philippine Standard Geographic Code] Dipaculao on Aurora.ph