Pila Historic Town Center

The Pila Historic Town Center is a historic district located at Barangay Santa Clara Norte, Pila, Laguna, Philippines. The district preserves examples of Spanish and American-era architecture found in its town proper laid out with the Spanish colonial town planning system for the Indies and is also a pre-Hispanic archaeological site. The National Historical Institute (now the National Historical Commission of the Philippines) declared a specific portion of Pila as a National Historical Landmark in 2000.[1]

Pila Historic Town Center
Native name
Tagalog: Makasaysayang Kabayanan ng Pila
Erected in June 1931, the Pila Municipal Center is one of the well-preserved built heritage found in the Pila Historic Town Center
LocationPila, Laguna, Philippines
Coordinates14°14′01.6″N 121°21′52″E
Governing bodyMunicipal Government of Pila
Location of Pila Historic Town Center in Philippines

Rationale for Declaration as Historic Town Center

The NHI board resolution cites several reasons for the declaration of certain areas in downtown Pila as National Historical Landmark:[1]

  • The present-day town of Pila is a pre-Hispanic center of culture and trade in the Laguna area as proven by clay potteries unearthed in an archaeological site in Pinagbayanan in 1967;
  • Spaniards used to refer to Pila as La Noble Villa de Pila in reference to its well-mannered citizens and rich culture;
  • As of writing, Pila is one of the few, existing towns in the Philippines following the Spanish colonial town planning system with the town center being the plaza complex surrounded by government and religious infrastructure; and
  • Pila features a collection of well-preserved of Spanish and American-era houses, government structures, and church.

Declared Areas

According to the board resolution, the following streets in Brgy. Santa Clara Norte are identified as part of Pila Historic Town Center:[1]

Street Name
Barangay
General Luna Street (North boundary) Santa Clara Norte
Oca Street
Rivera Street
San Antonio Street
Ruiz Street
De Castro Street
Mabini Street (South boundary)
Bonifacio Street (West boundary)
Burzagom Street
M. H. Del Pilar Street (East boundary)

Notable Built Heritage

Cultural Property
wmph identifier
Site name Description Province City/municipality Address Coordinates Image
National Shrine and Parish Church of San Antonio de Padua First Antonine parish in the Philippines; A 19th-century, Baroque church built by Franciscan Friars who established the parish in 1578 Laguna Pila Poblacion 14.233705°N 121.364494°E / 14.233705; 121.364494 (National Shrine and Parish Church of San Antonio de Padua)

Liceo de Pila Formerly used as church convent Laguna Pila Poblacion 14.233790°N 121.364234°E / 14.233790; 121.364234 (Liceo de Pila)

Spanish era bridge Laguna Pila Victoria Pila Road, Riverside, Brgy. Santa Clara Norte 14.232583°N 121.359017°E / 14.232583; 121.359017 (Spanish era bridge)

Spanish era well Built in 1886 Laguna Pila Brgy. Santa Clara Norte 14.235663°N 121.36111°E / 14.235663; 121.36111 (Spanish era well)

Pinagbayanan Crematorium Site of the oldest crematorium in the Philippines Laguna Pila Brgy. Pinagbayanan 14.250432°N 121.361344°E / 14.250432; 121.361344 (Pinagbayanan Crematorium)

Juan Fuentes / Romana Santiago House Currently owned by the Natividad Laguna Pila Bonifacio corner General Luna Streets, Brgy. Santa Clara Norte 14.235791°N 121.362008°E / 14.235791; 121.362008 (Juan Fuentes / Romana Santiago House)

Angel Natividad House Laguna Pila Bonifacio Street, Brgy. Santa Clara Norte 14.235667°N 121.362117°E / 14.235667; 121.362117 (Angel Natividad House)

Payra House Laguna Pila Bonifacio Street, Brgy. Santa Clara Norte 14.235109°N 121.362406°E / 14.235109; 121.362406 (Payra House)

Leaven of the Immaculate Heart of Mary (LIHM) Formation House Laguna Pila 304 Bonifacio Street, Brgy. Santa Clara Norte 14.234779°N 121.362476°E / 14.234779; 121.362476 (Leaven of the Immaculate Heart of Mary (LIHM) Formation House)

Madrigal House Built in the 1920s Laguna Pila #287 Bonifacio corner Rivera Streets, Brgy. Santa Clara Norte 14.234581°N 121.362870°E / 14.234581; 121.362870 (Madrigal House)

Ramos House Built in the 1930s Laguna Pila Bonifacio corner Rivera Streets, Brgy. Santa Clara Norte 14.234532°N 121.362653°E / 14.234532; 121.362653 (Ramos House)

Escueta House Laguna Pila Bonifacio corner Rivera Streets, Brgy. Santa Clara Norte 14.234350°N 121.362736°E / 14.234350; 121.362736 (Escueta House)

Unknown House Laguna Pila #159 Rivera Street, Brgy. Santa Clara Norte 14.234198°N 121.362341°E / 14.234198; 121.362341 (Unknown House)

Banka House Laguna Pila #162 Rivera corner Balagtas Streets, Brgy. Santa Clara Norte 14.234177°N 121.362225°E / 14.234177; 121.362225 (Banka House)

Magdalene Endaya House Laguna Pila #305 Bonifacio Street, Brgy. Santa Clara Sur 14.233414°N 121.363381°E / 14.233414; 121.363381 (Magdalene Endaya House)

Natividad House Laguna Pila #307 Bonifacio Street, Brgy. Santa Clara Sur 14.233312°N 121.363413°E / 14.233312; 121.363413 (Natividad House)

Unknown Ruined House Built in 1926 Laguna Pila #028 Purok 7, Bonifacio Street, Brgy. Santa Clara Sur 14.232580°N 121.363488°E / 14.232580; 121.363488 (Unknown Ruined House)

Narciso Piedad House Built in 1965 Laguna Pila #342 Bonifacio Street, Brgy. Santa Clara Sur 14.232040°N 121.363768°E / 14.232040; 121.363768 (Narciso Piedad House)

Unknown House Laguna Pila #79 and #80, Purok 8, Bonifacio Street, Brgy. Santa Clara Sur 14.231612°N 121.364168°E / 14.231612; 121.364168 (Unknown House)

Iglesia Filipina Indepediente Church Built in 1932 and dedicated to Saint Anthony of Padua Laguna Pila Mabini Street, Brgy. Santa Clara Sur 14.230386°N 121.364606°E / 14.230386; 121.364606 (Iglesia Filipina Indepediente Church)

Moreal House Built in 1913 Laguna Pila Rizal corner Mabini Street, Brgy. Santa Clara Sur 14.230608°N 121.365164°E / 14.230608; 121.365164 (Moreal House)

Unknown House Laguna Pila #241 Rizal Street, Brgy. Santa Clara Sur 14.230496°N 121.365464°E / 14.230496; 121.365464 (Unknown House)

Aguilar House Laguna Pila #110 Rizal Street, Brgy. Santa Clara Sur 14.230928°N 121.36503°E / 14.230928; 121.36503 (Aguilar House)

Clinica Napil Built in the 1910s Laguna Pila #23 Rizal Street, Brgy. Santa Clara Sur 14.231048°N 121.36525°E / 14.231048; 121.36525 (Clinica Napil)

Unknown House Laguna Pila De Castro corner Rizal Streets, Brgy. Santa Clara Sur 14.231753°N 121.364946°E / 14.231753; 121.364946 (Unknown House)

Relova House Now used as Neldan Poutry Supply Store Laguna Pila De Castro corner Rizal Streets, Brgy. Santa Clara Sur 14.231674°N 121.364714°E / 14.231674; 121.364714 (Relova House)

Unknown House Laguna Pila Rizal Street, Brgy. Santa Clara Sur 14.231780°N 121.364662°E / 14.231780; 121.364662 (Unknown House)
Unknown House Laguna Pila Rizal Street, Brgy. Santa Clara Sur 14.231848°N 121.364899°E / 14.231848; 121.364899 (Unknown House)

Petronilo Alava House Laguna Pila Rizal Street, Brgy. Santa Clara Sur 14.231912°N 121.364632°E / 14.231912; 121.364632 (Petronilo Alava House)

Unknown House Laguna Pila #43 Rizal Street, Brgy. Santa Clara Sur 14.231975°N 121.364817°E / 14.231975; 121.364817 (Unknown House)

Navarro House Laguna Pila Rizal Street, Brgy. Santa Clara Sur 14.232331°N 121.364467°E / 14.232331; 121.364467 (Navarro House)

Valenzuela House Laguna Pila Ruiz corner Rizal Streets, Brgy. Santa Clara Sur 14.232655°N 121.364295°E / 14.232655; 121.364295 (Valenzuela House)

Mendoza House Laguna Pila #12 Rizal Street, Brgy. Santa Clara Sur 14.23282°N 121.364227°E / 14.23282; 121.364227 (Mendoza House)

Relova House Laguna Pila Rizal Street, Brgy. Santa Clara Sur 14.233387°N 121.363991°E / 14.233387; 121.363991 (Relova House)

Pila Museum A one-level, stone structure housing artifacts found from the archaeological excavations done in Pila in 1967.[2] Laguna Pila San Antonio corner Burzagom Street, Brgy. Santa Clara Norte 14.234245°N 121.364643°E / 14.234245; 121.364643 (Pila Museum)

See also

References

  1. "Declaring the Town Center of Pila in Laguna as a National Historical Landmark" (PDF). nhcp.gov.ph. Retrieved 5 April 2015.
  2. "Pila Museum". www.lagunatravelguide.com. Retrieved 5 April 2015.
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