Pila, Laguna
Encyclopedia
Pila is a 4th class municipality in the province of Laguna
, Philippines
. According to the latest census, it has a population of 44,227 people in 7,750 households. Pila has a total land area of 31.2 km².
The town of Pila is site for some well-preserved houses dating back to the Spanish period as well as the old Saint Anthony of Padua
Parish Church, the first Antonine church in the Philippines.
Don Felizardo Rivera, who donated his lands to the church and municipal government, is the recognized founder of Pila. He is the ancestor of prominent families in Pila surnamed Rivera, Relova, Agra and Álava.
This also served as a location for the reality show, The Amazing Race Asia 2
.
s. In 1957, the sitio of Pinagbayanan was converted into a barrio.
are considered by archaeologists as one of the oldest settlements in the Philippines. The community is one of three such concentrations of population known archaeologically to have been in place before A.D. 1000. Archaeologists recovered in Pinagbayanan potteries and artifacts that indicate considerable settlement in the area during the Late Tang Dynasty
(900 A.D.). Archaeologists also recovered ancient horse bones ending the debate on whether the Spaniards brought them or not. The scientists were able to uncover Philippines’ oldest crematorium in the same area. It is worthwhile to note that the oldest Philippine document, the 900 A.D. Laguna Copperplate Inscription
, mentioned Pila twice.
The Franciscans arrived in 1578 to evangelize the people of Pila and soon afterwards built a church dedicated to St. Anthony of Padua, the first Antonine house of worship in the Philippines. Due to the nobleness and mildness of the character of its inhabitants, the Spanish leadership honored the town with an exceptional title La Noble Villa de Pila, one of five villas named by the Spaniards in the 16th and 17th century in the Philippines. During this period, the demesne of Pila includes Victoria, Laguna
, and Jala-Jala, Rizal
.
The Franciscans established in Pila the second printing press in the Philippines and printed in 1613, Philippines’ oldest dictionary and the first book printed using the movable type
, the Vocabulario de Lengua Tagala. The book was written and compiled by Fray Pedro de San Buenaventura and printed by Tomas Pinpin, the Prince of Filipino printers. The book is twenty seven years older than the Bay Psalm Book
, the first book printed in the United States in 1640.
At the beginning of the 19th century the town was transferred from Pagalangan to the present site of Santa Clara because of perennial flooding.
The National Historical Institute of the Philippines declared the town plaza and surrounding ancestral houses a National Historical Landmark on May 17, 2000. Two years later, on July 9, 2002, the Diocese of San Pablo proclaimed the parish church of San Antonio de Padua de Pila as the Diocesan Shrine of St. Anthony. According to Philippine historian, Dr. Luciano Santiago, it is the only town in the Philippines that is formally recognized as a historical site by both the church and the state.
Laguna province
Laguna is a province of the Philippines found in the CALABARZON region in Luzon. Its capital is Santa Cruz and the province is located southeast of Metro Manila, south of the province of Rizal, west of Quezon, north of Batangas and east of Cavite. Laguna almost completely surrounds Laguna de Bay,...
, Philippines
Philippines
The Philippines , officially known as the Republic of the Philippines , is a country in Southeast Asia in the western Pacific Ocean. To its north across the Luzon Strait lies Taiwan. West across the South China Sea sits Vietnam...
. According to the latest census, it has a population of 44,227 people in 7,750 households. Pila has a total land area of 31.2 km².
The town of Pila is site for some well-preserved houses dating back to the Spanish period as well as the old Saint Anthony of Padua
Anthony of Padua
Anthony of Padua or Anthony of Lisbon, O.F.M., was a Portuguese Catholic priest and friar of the Franciscan Order. Though he died in Padua, Italy, he was born to a wealthy family in Lisbon, Portugal, which is where he was raised...
Parish Church, the first Antonine church in the Philippines.
Don Felizardo Rivera, who donated his lands to the church and municipal government, is the recognized founder of Pila. He is the ancestor of prominent families in Pila surnamed Rivera, Relova, Agra and Álava.
This also served as a location for the reality show, The Amazing Race Asia 2
The Amazing Race Asia 2
The Amazing Race Asia 2 is the second season of the reality television game show The Amazing Race Asia. The show features ten teams of two, with a pre-existing relationship, in a race around the world to win US$100,000....
.
Barangays
Pila is politically subdivided into 17 barangayBarangay
A barangay is the smallest administrative division in the Philippines and is the native Filipino term for a village, district or ward...
s. In 1957, the sitio of Pinagbayanan was converted into a barrio.
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History
Pila and adjacent towns along the shores of Laguna de BayLaguna de Bay
Laguna de Bay is the largest lake in the Philippines and the third largest freshwater lake in Southeast Asia after Tonle Sap in Cambodia and Lake Toba in Sumatra, Indonesia. It is on the island of Luzon between the provinces of Laguna to the south and Rizal to the north...
are considered by archaeologists as one of the oldest settlements in the Philippines. The community is one of three such concentrations of population known archaeologically to have been in place before A.D. 1000. Archaeologists recovered in Pinagbayanan potteries and artifacts that indicate considerable settlement in the area during the Late Tang Dynasty
Tang Dynasty
The Tang Dynasty was an imperial dynasty of China preceded by the Sui Dynasty and followed by the Five Dynasties and Ten Kingdoms Period. It was founded by the Li family, who seized power during the decline and collapse of the Sui Empire...
(900 A.D.). Archaeologists also recovered ancient horse bones ending the debate on whether the Spaniards brought them or not. The scientists were able to uncover Philippines’ oldest crematorium in the same area. It is worthwhile to note that the oldest Philippine document, the 900 A.D. Laguna Copperplate Inscription
Laguna Copperplate Inscription
The Laguna Copperplate Inscription is the earliest known written document found in the Philippines. The plate was found in 1989 by a sand laborer working on Lumbang River near the outlet to Laguna de Bay, in Barangay Wawa, Lumban, in the Laguna province.The inscription on the plate was first...
, mentioned Pila twice.
The Franciscans arrived in 1578 to evangelize the people of Pila and soon afterwards built a church dedicated to St. Anthony of Padua, the first Antonine house of worship in the Philippines. Due to the nobleness and mildness of the character of its inhabitants, the Spanish leadership honored the town with an exceptional title La Noble Villa de Pila, one of five villas named by the Spaniards in the 16th and 17th century in the Philippines. During this period, the demesne of Pila includes Victoria, Laguna
Victoria, Laguna
Victoria is a 4th class municipality in the province of Laguna, Philippines. According to the latest census, it has a population of 33,829 people in 6,128 households....
, and Jala-Jala, Rizal
Jala-Jala, Rizal
Jalajala is a 4th class municipality in the province of Rizal, Philippines. According to the latest census, it has a population of 28,738 people in 4,759 households.-Etymology:...
.
The Franciscans established in Pila the second printing press in the Philippines and printed in 1613, Philippines’ oldest dictionary and the first book printed using the movable type
Movable type
Movable type is the system of printing and typography that uses movable components to reproduce the elements of a document ....
, the Vocabulario de Lengua Tagala. The book was written and compiled by Fray Pedro de San Buenaventura and printed by Tomas Pinpin, the Prince of Filipino printers. The book is twenty seven years older than the Bay Psalm Book
Bay Psalm Book
The Bay Psalm Book was the first book, that is still in existence, printed in British North America.The book is a Psalter, first printed in 1640 in Cambridge, Massachusetts. The Psalms in it are metrical translations into English...
, the first book printed in the United States in 1640.
At the beginning of the 19th century the town was transferred from Pagalangan to the present site of Santa Clara because of perennial flooding.
The National Historical Institute of the Philippines declared the town plaza and surrounding ancestral houses a National Historical Landmark on May 17, 2000. Two years later, on July 9, 2002, the Diocese of San Pablo proclaimed the parish church of San Antonio de Padua de Pila as the Diocesan Shrine of St. Anthony. According to Philippine historian, Dr. Luciano Santiago, it is the only town in the Philippines that is formally recognized as a historical site by both the church and the state.
External links
- History of Pila: A Secular and Spiritual History of the Town 900 A.D. to Present
- Pila:Bayang Pinagpala
- Philippine Standard Geographic Code
- 1995 Philippine Census Information
- 2000 Philippine Census Information
- 2007 Philippine Census Information
- 2007 Philippine Census Information
- Pila a historical landmark that withstood war, time Inquirer.net