Pila Heritage Village (Laguna)

Lots of Filipinos nowadays have been appreciating the wonders of their homeland. Thanks to various travel blog sites and the rampant bombardment of several tourism advertisements, the influx of tourists in the Philippines has definitely increased. When you talk about beaches, Boracay and Palawan would automatically be a part of a water-loving tourist’s itinerary, and when we open up anything about heritage towns, the most popular, hands-down, would be Vigan, located in Ilocus Sur.

As far as the latter aspect is concerned, since I am an enthusiast of old establishments, several months ago, I found out, while browsing the internet, that lurking in the outskirts of Laguna, is a heritage village in the town of Pila.

When I learned that 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, I have to see that damn place. By browsing the internet anew, I got hold of a “Map of Historic Structures in Pila, Laguna” and it can be seen at: http://pilahistoricalsociety.bayangpinagpala.org/2005/09/map-of-historic-structures-in-pila.html.

Last May 5, 2013, I rode the LRT from the Monumento station and alighted at the Gil Puyat station, then walked towards the Green Star Express bus terminal, which was just a few steps from the intersection of Gil Puyat and Taft Avenue. The placard of the bus which would pass by Pila was "Sta. Cruz".

After a two-hour ride, I first visited the Liceo De Pila and the Church of San Antonio de Padua, which were just adjacent to each other.

Liceo De Pila

In 1947, a group of appreciative residents led by Father Francisco Radovan, Dona Maria Ordoveza de Rivera and Attorney Casto Maceda founded the St. Anthony Academy (now Liceo de Pila).

 

Church of San Antonio de Padua

The Church of San Antonio de Padua of Pila, Laguna was the first church to be dedicated to St. Anthony of Padua in the Philippines (1578) and most probably, in Asia as well. The parish of Pila became the first Antonine parish in the country when it was established in 1581, the 350th anniversary of the glorious death of the saint. It took eighteen years, from 1599 to 1617, to build the first stone church and it was described as the “most beautiful church in the province of Laguna.”

As I trudged to the east, along M.H. Del Pilar street was the Pila Central Elementary School.

Pila Central Elementary School

Going back to Burzagom street, I came across the Pila Museum, which was a former Spanish-era escuela pia (school). This refurbished building, probably the oldest structure in the town, now houses priceless pre-Hispanic Chinese porcelain and tradeware transferred to this heritage building in 1994 by the Pila Historical Society Foundation. Unfortunately, since it was a Sunday, it was closed….GRRRR!

Pila Museum

Along the same street were four ancestral houses, one of which, built in the mid-1920’s, was owned by Corazon Rivera. Some of the well-known Pileño families in Pila are: the Rivera's, the Relova's, the Noroña's, the Villarica's, the Agra's, the Alva's, and the Dimaculangan's.

 

Hipolito Rivera/Josefa Villarica House

Jose Agra/Rosario Villarica House

Teodoro Rivera Alava/Soledad Agra House

Corazon Rivera House

Turning left to Rivera street, you could now see the Pila Municipal Center, which was built in 1931.

Pila Municipal Center

At this juncture, when you look at the opposite side you could view the Pila Town Plaza.  In the Philippines, the town plaza is usually the center of activities and the showcase and pride of the townspeople.

Pila Town Plaza

Lorenzo/Candida Rivera House

Turning right to Rizal street, you could view here eight ancestral houses.

Luis Rivera/Francisca Rivera House

 

Juan Bartolome/Antonio Rivera House

 

Apolonio Agra/Remedios Zorilla House

 

Regino Relova/Teodula Bartolome House

Josefa Dimaculangan VDA. De Ramon Agra/Vicente Ruiz House

Eusebio Alava/Alvadora Bartolome House

Eutiquio Fuentes/Pacita Noroña House

Arcadio Relova/Benita Dimaculangan House

Going left to General Luna Street and another left to Bonifacio Street are three ancestral homes and a famous house seen on television.

Juan Fuentes/Romana Santiago House

Casto Maceda/Concha Monserrat House

Juan Madrigal/Paz Rivera House

The house of Maya and Kute Dela Rosa of the hit TV show
"Be Careful With My Heart"

As you go left to Rivera Street and right to Rizal Street, there are three old houses.

Mesiton Rivera/Maria Ordoveza House

Ramon Dimaculangan/Maria Paz Relova House

Manuel Rivera/Esperanza (Chata) Relova House

Before I decided to eat lunch, I went first to the Pila Town Plaza to view the Sacred Heart of Jesus monument and the National Historical Institute marker of the town of Pila, then proceeded to the Patio Sophia restaurant, which is the Iñigo Relova/Saturnina Noroña House

Right between the monument and the marker.

 

Iñigo Relova/Saturnina Noroña House

An affordable selection

Their best seller is the Pork Steak meal worth only Php 65.00.

After that hearty meal, I continued my trek along Rizal Street to view four more vintage houses. The first one houses the 7-Eleven outlet with an ancestral house touch.

Paciente Agra/Presentacion Relova House

 

Clemente Santiago/Venancia Kampitan House.

Vicente Mendoza/Emiliana Rivera House

 

Paulino Francia/Josefa Alvarez House.

At the back of this house along Bonifacio Street is another ancestral house.

Luis Carrillo/Felipa Fuentes House

As we go back to Rizal Street, we finally finish off the remaining famous ancestral houses here at Pila.

Consuelo Rivera/Francisco Millena House

 

Antonio Francisco/Gabina Alabat House

 

Severino Aguilan/Gertrudes Arco House

 

Santiago Fernandez/Salvadora Santos House

 

Cornelio Napil/Justina Fuentes House

As you can see in the last photo, it started to rain. Luckily, that house was really the last in my itinerary, and a few seconds after that shot, a Manila-bound Green Star Express bus appeared in front of me...tamang-tama..sakay agad ako. God is good. Whew!

The heritage town of Pila may not be a very popular place for most travelers, but it really is worth taking a closer look as you somewhat travel back in time.

Explore Pinas!