The story about the true origin of the city's name, "Las Piñas", varies. One version mentioned, that traders from the province of Cavite and Batangas shipped their first piñas (Spanish for pineapples) for sale to this town before they were distributed to nearby markets. Another version related that it was "Las Peñas" (the rocks), evident by the quarrying of stones and adobe which were used to construct buildings and bridges. The old church bell from St. Joseph Parish Church founded by Diego Cera has been preserved inside the church museum. An inscription on the bell states, "Siendo cura del pueblo de Laspeñas el M.R.P. Padre Diego Cera se fundió este equilón año de 1820," showing that even during the time of Diego Cera, the town's first parish priest, the town was called "Las Peñas", for some time and eventually was renamed "Las Piñas".[6]
Las Piñas was one of the earliest fishing settlements on the shores of Manila Bay. It was proclaimed as a province of Manila either in 1762 or 1797. Agustin,[7] a Spanish historian, and Fr. Juan de Medina[8] placed it at 1762. Las Piñas was formerly called "Las Pilas" due to its separation from Parañaque due to tribal conflicts. On the other hand, Manuel Buzeta recorded the date at 1797.[9] Felix Timbang was the first gobernadorcillo in 1762, while Mariano Ortiz was the first municipal president of the town of Las Piñas.[10]
Las Piñas is famous for its Bamboo Organ, which was built by Fr. Diego Cera and completed in 1824. In 1880, the city experienced an outbreak of cholera and smallpox leading to the loss of many lives. Years later, Las Piñas also became a central battleground between Spanish and Philippine forces during the Philippine Revolution.[11]
The town of Las Piñas was also a major war theater during the 1896 Philippine Revolution, as it was occupied by forces of General Emilio Aguinaldo.
American invasion era
In 1901, the municipality of Las Piñas, previously a part of the province of Manila, was incorporated to the newly created province of Rizal pursuant to the Philippine Commission Act No. 137. On October 12, 1903, in accordance with Act No. 942, it was combined with the town of Parañaque, with the latter as the seat of a new municipal government.[12]
It was separated from Parañaque to become an independent municipality again on March 27, 1907, by virtue of Philippine Commission Act No. 1625.[13]
Japanese occupation era
The town was occupied by the Japanese during World War II and liberated by the combined American and Filipino forces.
Philippine independence
On November 7, 1975, through Presidential Decree No. 824, Las Piñas was excised from the province of Rizal to form Metro Manila. Las Piñas became one of the municipalities making up the region.[14]
In the 1980s, economic growth erupted due to the advent of the construction of Coastal Road. Las Piñas currently serves as the proper gateway to Calabarzon.[11]
In the 1990s, Las Piñas was known for its rampant illegal drug trade.[15][16] In an October 1989 privileged speech, Senator Ernesto F. Herrera shared the National Bureau of Investigation's findings that an estimated 40% of Las Piñas' police force was connected with a drug cartel.[17] In 1995, then-Councilor Yoyoy Villame criticized the town's image as the "Drug Capital of the Philippines",[18] while NCR Command Director Job Mayo alleged upon his appointment in early 1996 that the town's police force had the most drug-dependent police officers in the metropolis.[19]
On February 12, 1997, PresidentFidel V. Ramos signed the bill which elevated Las Piñas from municipality into a city. A plebiscite held a month after approved the city status by its residents, and Las Piñas became the 10th city of Metro Manila on March 26, 1997.[20] It has been a city for 27 years.
Geography
Las Piñas is bounded to the northeast by Parañaque; to the southeast by Muntinlupa; to the west by Bacoor; to the southwest by Dasmariñas; and to the northwest by Manila Bay. Half of its land area is residential and the remaining half is used for commercial, industrial and institutional purposes. The present physiography of Las Piñas consists of three zones: Manila Bay, coastal margin and the Guadalupe Plateau.
Las Piñas is politically subdivided into 20 barangays. These barangays are grouped into two legislative districts, each with its own set of representatives in the city council. District 1 comprises the northwestern half of the city while District 2, the remaining half.
People in Las Piñas are mainly Roman Catholic. Catholic churches in Las Piñas fall under the jurisdiction of the Diocese of Parañaque. Las Piñas is home of the 2 prominent pilgrim Catholic Shrine: Diocesan Shrine of St. Joseph Parish and Diocesan Shrine of the Five Wounds of Our Lord Jesus Christ.
Las Piñas, like other cities of the Philippines, is a local government unit whose powers and functions are specified by the Local Government Code of the Philippines. In general, as a city, Las Piñas is headed by a mayor who heads the city's executive function and the vice mayor who heads the city's legislative function, which is composed of twelve councilors, six each from the city's two city council districts.[40] For representation, the city is considered as one district, and therefore one representative, in the country's House of Representatives.
There are a total of 14 colleges, 21 private high schools, 18 public high schools, and 22 elementary schools that were built to accommodate the growing number of the enrollees every year.
To date, there are 77 day care centers with feeding programs in 20 barangays within Las Piñas.
Dr. Filemon C. Aguilar Memorial College of Las Piñas-Talon Tres Campus, a local college that offers Bachelor's degree in Accountancy and Business Administration (with majors in Marketing Management, Financial Management, and Human Resource Development Management).
Dr. Filemon C. Aguilar Memorial College of Las Piñas-Pamplona Tres Campus (formerly Dr. Filemon C. Aguilar Information Technology Training Institute or DFCAITTI), a local college that offers diploma courses like Computer Programming, Visual Graphics Design, and Animations. It also offers Bachelor's degrees in Information System and Computer Engineering.
Philippine Merchant Marine School – Las Piñas Campus (Main)
Las Piñas is part of the route of the extension of the LRT Line 1, the South Extension Project.[43] The actual construction officially started on Tuesday, May 7, 2019[44] because the Right-of-way is "free and clear" from obstructions. Once it is fully operational, Las Piñas will be served by the LRT Line 1 through the Las Piñas station and Zapote station.[43] The extension is slated for partial operations by late 2024 or early 2025 and full operations by second quarter of 2027.[45]
The road network in Las Piñas suffers from traffic jams, especially on the primary artery, Alabang-Zapote Road, which carried more than 70,000 vehicles daily as of 2016. Public transport, like buses and jeepneys, fill up Alabang-Zapote Road, therefore causing further congestion. The city government petitioned the Land Transportation Franchising and Regulatory Board (LTFRB) to suspend issuing of franchises on bus and jeepneys routes that uses Alabang-Zapote Road.
The Las Piñas Friendship Route network serves as the alternate routes on the congested routes, but motorists have to obtain and display a sticker on their vehicle to use these routes, as most roads of the network are located in privately owned subdivisions (gated communities), like BF Homes, Pilar Village, and BF Resort.
Public transport
Jeepneys and buses form the major public transport system, and most of their routes follow the Alabang-Zapote Road. Most jeepneys through Las Piñas travel between Alabang and Zapote, within the city, or Baclaran, in Parañaque. Buses usually form routes between Alabang or SM Southmall and destinations in Manila. Buses and jeepneys are blamed for the worsening congestion on Alabang-Zapote Road.
Las Piñas is famous for its Bamboo Organ located inside the St. Joseph Parish Church in the old district of the city. Built in 1824 by a Catholic priest, Fr. Diego Cera, it is the only organ of its kind in the world with organ pipes mostly made out of bamboo.
Las Piñas Historical Corridor Project
The Las Piñas Historical Corridor Project was a program laid to restore the Old Town of Las Piñas. It was launched at the Malacañan Heroes' Hall on November 13, 1997. The project aims to educate the people of Las Piñas along the tourist corridor.[46] 19 structures were included along the historical corridor:
Boundary Arc
Bulwagang Ezekiel Moreno
Santuario de San Ezekiel Moreno
Police and Fire Station
Public Library
Plaza Quezon – designated as the Freedom Park in the City of Las Piñas by City Ordinance No. 700-06, Series of 2006. This was in accordance with Section 15 of Batas Pambansa Blg. 880, otherwise known as the "Public Assembly Act of 1985".[48]
The town fiesta of Las Piñas is celebrated every first Sunday of May each year to honor its patron saint, Saint Joseph. Saint Joseph's Day celebration is centered in St. Joseph Parish Church in the old poblacion of Las Piñas in Barangay Daniel Fajardo on Padre Diego Cera Ave. (Quirino Ave.). Las Piñas was also the home of Mary Immaculate Parish Church, popularly known as the Nature Church, designed by Architect Francisco "Bobby" Mañosa.[49]
Las Piñas is also home to unique festivals such as:
International Bamboo Organ Festival – a music festival held in February celebrating the music of the unique Bamboo Organ with performances by local and foreign classical artists[50]
The house was constructed in 1946. Its interiors were remodeled by Architect Dagurberto Cristobal Jr., son of the original owner, Manuel Santos Cristobal. The original owner used to work for Philippine Airlines as one of the pioneer plane technicians in the country.[53]
The house was constructed in 1930s – used to be a restaurant during the American Period. Felisa Ortiz and Marcelo Alvarez were the grandparents of the current owner.[53]
The house was constructed in 1930s. Perdo Jimenez, an office clerk at the Manila Post Office in Lawton, and his wife, Ezperanza Alvarez-Jimenez, an embroider, were the original owners.[53]
The house was constructed in 1880s. Calixto Lara, who used to own irasan, or salt beds, and his wife, Andeng Velasquez were the original owners of the house. The house became the Municipal Hall of Las Piñas during 1905–1913.[53]
The house was constructed in 1927 by Luis Eusebio. He was captured by the Japanese soldiers because of his suspected affiliation with a local guerrilla.[53]
^wmph is an internal identifier used by Wikimedia Philippines to identify the monument. This is not an official identifier, and only shown temporarily in the templates until the government creates an updated complete list.
^Salonga, Isayas R. (1934). Rizal Province Directory: History, Government and General Information with the Full Text of the Philippine Independence Law, Volume One. General Printing Press.
^Evangelista, R. A. (September 25, 1994). "Narcs arrest six drug dealers". Manila Standard. Kamahalan Publishing Corp. p. 7. Retrieved December 6, 2022. Las Piñas town became known as the drug trade center in Metro Manila...
^Burdeos, B. (January 20, 1996). "Navarro relieves 2 officers". Manila Standard. Kamahalan Publishing Corp. p. 14. Retrieved July 5, 2022. Bocalvos' relief, according to Navarro, was due to the DEU's failure to arrest any suspected drug pusher for the past several months despite persistent reports that drug-related activities are rampant in Las Piñas.
^ abCrisanto, Joyce & De la Torre, Visitacion (2006). Las Piñas: A City with Heritage (1st ed.). Villar Foundation.{{cite book}}: CS1 maint: multiple names: authors list (link)
^"Republic Act No. 8003". Official Gazette of the Republic of the Philippines. April 22, 1995. Retrieved July 29, 2019.