Pila Historic Town Center Explained

Pila Historic Town Center
Native Name:	Makasaysayang Kabayanan ng Pila
Native Language:	Tagalog
Coordinates:	14.2338°N 121.3644°W
Governing Body:	Municipal Government of Pila

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] The town has been recognized by scholars as a possible contender in UNESCO as a world heritage site.^{[2] [3]}

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:

• 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:

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

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See also

• Philippine Registry of Cultural Property

External links

• List of Board Resolutions of the National Historical Commission of the Philippines
• Republic Act No. 10066 - National Cultural Heritage Act of 2009

Notes and References

1. Web site: Declaring the Town Center of Pila in Laguna as a National Historical Landmark. nhcp.gov.ph. 5 April 2015.
2. https://outoftownblog.com/pila-laguna-national-historical-landmark/amp/
3. https://mseuf.edu.ph/research/read/1586