Bayang Pinagpala

Laguna Copperplate Inscription: A New Interpretation Using Early Tagalog Dictionaries

2008-07-28T19:54:00.003+08:00

by Jaime F. Tiongson

[Paper prepared for the 8th International Conference on Philippine Studies 23-26 July 2008, Philippine Social Science Center, Quezon City, Philippines ]

A copperplate measuring 8 x 12 inches was recovered in a sand quarry at Barangay Wawa, Lumban, Laguna in 1989 and was sold from one antique dealer to another until it was bought by the Philippine National Museum which named the artifact the Laguna Copperplate Inscription (LCI).

The Philippine National Museum was able to decipher the script written on the copperplate through the efforts of Antoon Postma of the Mangyan Heritage Center in Oriental Mindoro. The LCI was written using Kavi script and one of seventeen Old Malay inscriptions so far found in South East Asia. The LCI (dated 900 A.D.) is about the payment of debt and mentioned Philippine placenames still in existence today namely: Tundun, Pailah, Binwangan and Puliran. Antoon Postma suggested that the last three placenames are located north of Tondo in the Province of Bulacan.

This study presents a different interpretation of the LCI using early Tagalog dictionaries. In contrast to Postma, the study asserts that the placenames are located south of Tondo, that the LCI defined the entire region occupied by the Tagalogs, and that it is about the love story of the first known ruler of the Tagalogs.

Download full copy of paper here.

Flores de Maria 2008

2008-06-04T18:58:00.007+08:00

Pila, Laguna Team is Southern Tagalog Champion

2008-03-05T21:10:00.003+08:00

SAPC-Laguna High School Girls team defeated Cavite Province, 2-0 to capture the 2008 Southern Tagalog Region-Calabarzon Regional Athletic Association Volleyball Championship. Sta. Rosa City placed third while Lipa City ranked fourth.

Upcoming Event

2008-01-21T21:46:00.000+08:00

Pila a historical landmark that withstood war, time

2007-12-28T17:31:00.000+08:00

By Niña Catherine Calleja
Southern Luzon Bureau
Philippine Daily Inquirer
First Posted 04:31:00 12/27/2007
Original article here

PILA, Laguna, Philippines—It was just a stone placed at the heart of the town plaza with the words “a town declared a historical landmark” engraved on it.

But the historical marker has become a source of pride for the people here.

Thirty-six structures, including the 200-year-old St. Anthony of Padua Church, a school and a municipal hall, were declared preserved and protected by the National Historical Institute (NHI) on May 17, 2000.

On Dec. 4, former President Fidel Ramos and NHI Executive Director Ludovico Badoy unveiled the marker.

Houses also homes

According to anecdotes, Pila was spared during the World War II because American bombers failed to spot it as they were preparing for a bombing run to flush out Japanese soldiers. Towns near Pila, like Pagsanjan and Sta. Cruz, were reduced to rubble during the bombing run.

Badoy referred to the town as a “jewel of the country” because it is very rare to find a town whose Spanish architectural design was kept intact.

“It would be easy for the younger generation to picture how the houses during the Spanish period look like,” he said.

He said houses here are different because people still call them homes.

Pila is the fourth and the latest town declared as a national historical landmark.

The other towns are Vigan in Ilocos Sur, Silay City in Negros Occidental, and Taal in Batangas.

Mayor Wilfredo Quiat said the formal declaration would help attract tourists.

He said since 2001, students have been visiting Pila because it was a requirement in school.

Appointed as the caretaker of the town’s heritage and historical landmarks, the Pila Historical Society Foundation Inc., composed mostly of the Relova and Rivera clans, was formed in December 1993.

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 Alava.

Good start

Cora Relova, 61, vice president of the foundation, said the group started as a beautification committee but realized that the town is rich in history with artifacts that should be preserved.

She said forming the historical society was initially met with skepticism and resistance from the town council even though the mayor was their relative.

But the historical society understood where the town council was coming from, Relova said.

“Our perspectives were different. The town council was thinking of meeting the town’s immediate needs while (we were) looking forward,” she said.

She said they were both right but the foundation believed it is possible to achieve the vision for the town and that this could be accomplished “inch by inch.”

Monina Rivera, the foundation’s president, said they opposed a yearly fair that fell right smack in the middle of the town’s landmarks.

“During and after the town fiesta, there was garbage left behind in the place,” she said.

The historical council lobbied for years against the fair until the town council relocated it.

“You know, it was difficult because many people enjoyed the fair,” added Rivera, 68.

Relova said protecting the town’s heritage was not an easy task. “Filipinos are not really into heritage and culture unlike the Europeans,” she said.

‘Ties that bind’

For Relova and Rivera who are cousins, Pila is the home that they come to every summer vacation, Flores de Mayo, All Soul’s Day, and Christmas.

“The town and the memories here bind our families,” Rivera said, adding that family reunions are common.

“A house could no longer accommodate us. Usually, we hold it in big places because we sometimes add up to 400 (people),” she said.

Relova said they are advocating for Pila’s preservation because of the good memories they had of the place when they were still young.

“We want the image of Pila to be the same as before. We want the children now to experience what we had,” she said.

First Tagalog dictionary

She said she is very happy seeing children sitting in the grass in the plaza and reading books.

“This is not just a landmark but a place that people could use,” she said.

Aside from the ancestral houses and artifacts found in the Pila museum, another considered treasure of the town is the first Tagalog-Spanish dictionary titled “Vocabulario de la Lengua Tagala.”

It was published by renowned printer Tomas Pinpin and Domingo Laog in the second printing press in the Philippines which was built by the Franciscans in Pila, Laguna in 1611.

Relova said they could no longer locate the site of the printing press.

The dictionary, which was 25 years older than the first book published in the United States, was compiled to facilitate the evangelization of the Tagalog region.

According to Relova, it was proof of how rich the language and culture of the Tagalogs were.

For example, cortar, a Spanish word that means “to cut” has the equivalent of 47 Tagalog words for every act of cutting.

In the dictionary, Pila was also depicted as a noble town. “Perhaps, because of the nobility of the people’s tradition here,” she said.

The town council is now drafting a resolution to ensure that municipal government officials help the NHI and the Pila Historical Society Foundation protect and preserve the heritage site.

Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year!

2007-12-21T20:55:00.000+08:00

Pila Historical Marker Unveiled

2007-12-05T19:54:00.002+08:00

The Pila Historical Marker was unveiled yesterday, December 4, 2007 by former Philippine President Fidel V. Ramos.

More stories and photos of the unveiling will be uploaded on this website soon.

Pila, Laguna Team Grabs 2007 Laguna Girls Volleyball Crown

2007-12-05T18:32:00.000+08:00

San Antonio de Padua College Foundation Inc. of Pila, Laguna defeated Perpetual Help College of Biñan in three sets, 21-25, 25-18, 26-24 to capture the Laguna HS Girls Volleyball Championship. SAPC Raiders will represent Laguna in the 2008 Southern Tagalog - Calabarzon Regional Athletic Meet early next year. SAPC Raiders lost the first set, but was able to adjust it's defense to even the score 1-1. In the final set, Perpetual girls team was the first on the hill, 24-21. The Raiders rallied and overtook Perpetual, 26-24, to take the last set and the 2007 championship.

This is the third championship for the SAPC Raiders in six years. SAPC Raiders was the 2002-2003 Laguna Champion while the Biñan squad was the 2004-2006 title holder.

Pila School Bags Laguna Skills Olympics Award

2007-12-01T18:12:00.000+08:00

San Antonio de Padua College Foundation Inc. of Pila, Laguna captured the first place team award in the recently concluded 4th Laguna Provincial Skills Olympics held at the Colegio de San Agustin campus in Binan, Laguna.

The Hotel and Restaurant Management majors of SAPC captured the gold medal in napkin folding, silver medal in table skirting, silver medal in pasta recipe, 3rd place in cake decorating, 6th place in bar tending and 8th in the waiter relay.

Colegio de San Juan de Letran of Calamba, Laguna took home the 2nd over-all award while NST Cavite placed third.

SAPC improved their second place finish last year while 2006 champion St Michael College of Binan and third place Colegio de San Agustin failed to maintain their ranking this year.

Unveiling of Pila Town Historical Marker

2007-12-01T17:58:00.000+08:00

The National Historical Institute Marker will be unveiled on December 4, 2007, 8:30 AM, Pila Town Plaza. Former President Fidel V. Ramos will grace the occasion and witness the installation of the NHI marker

Program of Activities:

National Anthem - San Antonio de Padua College Drum & Lyre Band

Invocation - Councilor Zaldy Pantua

Welcome Remarks - Vice Mayor Edgardo Ramos

Unveiling of the Marker - Former President Fidel Ramos
Pila Mayor Wilfredo Quiat
NHI Executive Director Ludovico Badoy

Blessing of the Marker - Father Mar Castillo - Parish Priest of Pila

Presentation of the HIstorical Marker - Executive Director Ludovico Badoy

Signing of Certificate of Transfer -

Mayor Wilfredo Quiat for the Municipality ofPila and Exec. Dir. Ludovico Badoy for the NHI. Witnesses: Former President Fidel V. Ramos, NHI Deputy Exec Director Emelita Almasora, PHSF* President Monina Rivera

Acceptance and Response - Mayor Wilfredo Quiat

Introduction of Guest of Honor - PHSF Vice President Cora Relova

Message - President Fidel Ramos

Master of Ceremonies - Mr. Jojo Gonzales and Ms. Maiel de Lumban

A short cultural presentation by the Liksilaw Dance troupe of SAPC will follow.

Heartbreak Loss For Pila, Laguna Team

2007-11-26T18:59:00.000+08:00

San Antonio de Padua College of Pila, Laguna was booted out of the crossover semifinal round via 21-25, 25-22, 24-26 closely fought loss against defending champion University of Santo Tomas yesterday at the University of the East Recto Gym.

The Pila, Laguna volleybelles joined the Toribio Cup as part of the team's preparation for the upcoming Laguna Provincial Volleyball Meet. The SAPC Raiders team is aiming to wrest from Perpetual Help College of Binan the Laguna crown.

SAPC DEFEATS UP, PRENZA

2007-11-18T13:08:00.000+08:00

San Antonio de Padua College scored a twin kill today by beating UAAP member team, University of the Philippines Integrated School (2-0) and Central Luzon Champion Prenza National High School of Bulacan (2-0). SAPC will battle University of Santo Tomas for a slot in the semifinals on November 25, 2007 at the University of the East Recto Gym.

San Antonio de Padua College is the current Pila,Laguna and Unit 3 Volleyball Champion and will compete for the Laguna Provincial Volleyball Crown on December 3-6, 2007 at the San Luis Sports Complex, Sta. Cruz, Laguna.

8th F.C. Toribio Cup

2007-11-17T18:38:00.000+08:00

Twelve girls volleyball teams are now competing for the 8th F.C.Toribio Cup. Last year's semifinalist, San Antonio de Padua College of Pila, Laguna started their quest for the cup with a 2-0 win over Valenzuela National High School last November 4, 2007 at the University of the East Recto Gym.

Other teams competing are the following:

Group A

Hope Christian High School
University of the East
Imus Institute
St James School of Malabon
Chiang Kai Shek College
ST Pedro POVEDA College

Group B

University of Santo Tomas
San Antonio de Padua College
Valenzuela National High School
Prenza National High School
Philippine Institute of QC
UP Integrated School

Ten Schools are currently participating in the Boys Division namely: De La Salle Lipa, Colegio de San Juan de Letran, University of the East, Lourdes School of Mandaluyong, St James School of Malabon, San Sebastian College Manila, Canossa Academy Lipa, University of Santo Tomas, Imus Institute and Ateneo de Manila University.

Calumpang Dam Repaired!

2007-11-05T18:32:00.000+08:00

After more than one year of waiting, the farmers of Pila, Laguna can now plant rice again. Thanks to the fast repair of the Calumpang River Dam done by the National Irrigation Administration. The Calumpang River Dam was totally damaged during typhoon Rosing last September 29, 2006.

This horse is also very happy! A refreshing cool bath along the NIA irrigation canal located in Masico, Pila, Laguna.

Pila Pipe Organ Project

2007-10-22T18:46:00.000+08:00

Pila Rediscovery: Our search for identity that is reshaping Philippine history.

The project aims to return the Pila pipe organ and Center for Church Music in the Diocesan Shrine of St. Anthony of Padua. The Pila organ will be the core of new liturgy centered musical activities: training of children's voices, education of young organists and choirmasters, solo organ performances and choir and organ performances. All these activities will become part of our collection of Sacred Music for the future of our Church music heritage.

Several important documents and artifacts recently discovered here and abroad point to Pila as one of the oldest and important town of the Philippines. Another document was discovered by William Henry Scott in the Franciscan Archives in Spain and was given to Pila historian Dr. Luciano Santiago. It is a letter written by Juan de Jesus O.F.M in 1703. The letter of Juan de Jesus O.F.M. described the choir and pipe organ of Pila and the first known Filipino pipe organ builders. The musical tradition described by Father Juan de Jesus started in 1606 when the Franciscans established Philippines' first music school in Laguna. Unfortunately today, not a single pipe organ or tertiary school of music is present in Laguna. The letter inspired the people of Pila to embark on this historic project.

Join us in our new journey of rediscovery. Please email us for details.

Pila Historical Marker Unveiling

2007-10-21T07:55:00.000+08:00

Pila Historical Society Foundation Inc. met last Thursday, October 18, 2007 to finalize the unveiling of the National Historical Institute Pila Historical marker. The meeting was attended by Vice Admiral Mateo M. Mayuga, Evangeline Tayag Mayuga, General Efren Abu, Lorna Agra Abu, Dr. Antonio Rivera, Sosoy Relova, Jaime F. Tiongson, Vic Del Mundo, Beth Miranda, Monina Rivera, Cora Relova, Jovit Tomas and Cecille Carillo.

The Pila Historical Society Foundation Inc. will announce soon the date of the unveiling of the NHI Pila Historical Marker.

Pila's Best Kept Secrets Revealed

2007-09-23T21:25:00.000+08:00

Pinagbayanan Crematorium. 13th to 14th Century. The only pre-hispanic crematorium of the Philippines. Oldest "adobe" structure in the Philippines.
Vocabulario de Lengua Tagala. A must for individuals interested in the study of Philippine Anthropology. Written and printed in Pila, Laguna.
Ifugao Highland Hut in Lowland Pila. Campo, Pila, Laguna. September 23, 2007. Featured in Heritage Conservation Society 2008 Calendar.

"Kabulusan". Pristine Roadway. Pila-Victoria Road, September 23, 2007.

Click on images for larger view.

Pila Day 2007 on YouTube

2007-09-02T11:11:00.001+08:00

Pila Day 2007 Images

2007-07-30T21:40:00.000+08:00

Coke Donation for Pila Town Plaza Food Stall Improvement

2007-07-20T18:40:00.000+08:00

Coca Cola Bottlers Philippines Inc. thru representative Francis Tatlonghari donated P200,000.00 for the improvement and beautification of the food stalls located beside the Pila Museum. Picture above shows Mayor Boy Quiat together with the Sanguniang Bayan of Pila and Cora Relova of the Pila Historical Society Foundation Inc. receiving the check donation last July 16, 2007 after the weekly flag ceremony.

Clearing of old Pila PNP Station

2007-07-16T19:13:00.000+08:00

The old PNP station beside the Pila Municipal Center is currently being cleared as previously planned. The clearing is part of the restoration of Pila Municipal Center. The Pila Municipal Center was inaugurated on June 13, 1931. It was inaugurated during the septenary of St. Anthony of Padua. The Pila Municipal Center is now 76 years old.

Pila Museum Improvement

2007-07-07T18:37:00.000+08:00

Pila Historical Society Foundation Inc. is currently spearheading the improvement of the Pila museum. Please visit Pila Museum to view Treasures of Pila boards and read the story about our town.

One can also read the articles in Treasures of Pila by clicking this link.

New Bayang Pinagpala Section - Philippine Villas

2007-06-28T20:31:00.000+08:00

POMP, PAGEANTRY AND GOLD:THE EIGHT SPANISH VILLAS IN THE PHILIPPINES (1565-1887)
PQCS 33 (2005): 57-75

Dr. Luciano P.R. Santiago

A villa is a Spanish territorial classification as well as an institution. It is little known in the Philippines, even among historians, because it was sparsely granted in these parts during the Colonial Period. Though small in number, the villas were huge in significance as the centers for regional consolidation as well as, when linked together, the general dissemination of Spanish rule, commerce and culture in the archipelago. In current works, the term is usually, but inaccurately, translated as “village.” However, its closest English equivalent is “borough” (as in Marlborough).i In this article, we shall retain the Spanish word villa.

In the more than three centuries of Spanish domination in the Islands, only eight settlements or towns were raised into the status of a villa - one each in five major ethno- linguistic regions (Cebú, Bicol, Ilocos, Panay and Pampanga) and in three Tagalog provinces (Laguna, Tayabas [now Quezón] and Batangas). Thus, the eight Philippine villas were Cebú (founded 1565), Libón, Albay (1573), Vigan (1574), Arévalo, Iloilo (1581), Pila, Laguna (c1610), Tayabas, Tayabas (1703), Bacolor, Pampanga (1765) and lastly, Lipá, Batangas (1887).

Please read full article.

Still No Irrigation Water

2007-06-24T22:49:00.000+08:00

There is still no irrigation water for the rice fields of Pila. Pila farmers already missed two planting cycles because of lack of irrigation water due to the destruction of Calumpang dam last year. The National Irrigation Administration is rushing the completion of the new dam and according to them it will be completed this coming November 2007.

June 20, 2007: Pinagbayanan 50th Foundation Day

2007-06-20T18:54:00.000+08:00

Pinagbayanan will celebrate its 50th founding anniversary today. It was converted into a barrio on June 20, 1957. Pinagbayanan was formerly a sitio of Linga, Pila, Laguna. It is the site of Philippines’ oldest crematorium found in 1967 by a group of archeologists from the University of San Carlos, Cebu City. Various activities are scheduled today to mark the golden anniversary.

Republic Act No. 1689 is printed in full below.

H. NO. 5140

REPUBLIC ACT NO. 1689

AN ACT CONVERTING THE SITIO OF PINAGBAYANAN, MUNICIPALITY OF PILA, PROVINCE OF LAGUNA, INTO A BARRIO OF SAID MUNICIPALITY.

Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of the Philippines in Congress assembled:

SECTION 1. The Sitio of Pinagbayanan, Municipality of Pila, Province of Laguna, is converted into a barrio of said municipality.

SECTION 2. This Act shall take effect upon its approval.

Approved, June 20, 1957

From: Official Gazzette, August 31, 1957 page 5136
GPD PI.6 1957 53(16)
Philippine National Library

Rizal Day

2007-06-19T13:13:00.000+08:00

Today is the birthday of Dr. Jose P. Rizal.

Our national hero was born on June 19, 1861 in Calamba, Laguna. The provincial government of Laguna declared June 19 a public holiday.

The municipal government of Pila, in preparation for Rizal day festivities, transferred to the Northeast corner of the town plaza the statue of Dr. Jose P. Rizal.

San Antonio Miracle:Plaza Spring Flows Again

2007-06-18T10:13:00.000+08:00

Several days after the start of the novena for San Antonio last June 4, 2007, spring water started to trickle out. Since the installation in 1911 of the Pila Plaza fountain by the Americans, water continuously flows out of the well until last April when the well slowly went dry. After ninety-six (96) years, the water stopped coming out of the well. Global warming and lack of irrigation water due to Calumpang dam collapse last year could have caused the sudden stoppage.

Thanks to the miracle of San Antonio, Pila is once again blessed with abundant supply of spring water. Pila, Laguna is indeed a Bayang Pinagpala.

776th Feast Day Celebration of San Antonio de Padua

2007-06-14T22:34:00.000+08:00

Diocesian Shrine of San Antonio de Padua celebrated last June 13, 2007 the 776th Feast Day of San Antonio de Padua. From June 3 up to June 13, Eucharistic Celebration, Novena and different activities were held at the church and Pila town plaza respectively. The celebration started with a motorcade followed by Palarong Pinoy last June 3, 2007. Gabi ng Parokya and Kabataan were scheduled the following day. Pila Idol Singing Contest was held last June 5, 2007.

San Antonio de Padua College presented Hataw ng Lahi show highlighting different dances from North to South Philippines on the 4th day. Gabi ng Barangay and Turismo, Agaw Buhay play of Colegio Monterei de Pila and Gabi ng Liceo where also held in the same plaza. The celebration was spearheaded by the new parish priest of Pila, Rev. Msgr. Mario Rafael Castillo, EV.

The life story and miracles of San Antonio de Padua was presented by San Antonio de Padua College. Pictures of the play can be viewed below.

The New Bulusukan River Bridge: 360 Degrees View of Pila History

2007-06-11T20:56:00.001+08:00

The new bridge connecting pre-hispanic Pila (now Pinagbayanan) and current Pila town is due for completion soon. Every Pila resident should visit this new bridge which was built right beside the confluence of Sta. Clara and Bulusukan River. One can view Pila's historic sights like Pinagbayanan, Pagalangan, the current town, all the mountains surrounding the town and Pila's Jala-jala and Victoria lands. Mt. Banahaw is best viewed in this area.

The Wawa ng Bulusukan (Bulusukan River Mouth) and Laguna de Bay is less than a kilometer away and one can reach the river mouth by riding a banca or by following the Kabolusan (Royal Road). This shallow river was harnessed by the early settlers of Pila for irrigating the rice fields around the bridge.

The bell tower of Pila' church can be seen with ancient rice fields at the foreground and Mt. Banahaw at the background. The local government of Pinagbayanan plans to develop this area into a major tourist site.

Doctrina Christiana

2007-05-10T20:49:00.000+08:00

Doctrina Christiana, en lengua española y tagala published in 1593 in Manila is now available in digital form on the Library of Congress website. This book is part of the Lessing J. Rosenwald Collection at the Library of Congress. Just follow this link to view and download high resolution pictures. The Doctrina Christiana was written by the first Franciscan priest of Pila, Laguna, Fray Juan de Plasencia and is considered the first book printed in the Philippines. Interested individuals may also download text or HTML format of the book from the Gutenberg website. The Gutenberg online book includes the introductory essay of Edwin Wolf 2nd. The Lessing J. Rosenwald Collection stands out among the distinguished resources of the Rare book and Special Collections Division of the United States Library of Congress.

The Philippine National Historical Institute published a facsimile copy of the book with a foreword by Carlos Quirino. Copies may be purchased at NHI, T.M. Kalaw St., Ermita, Manila.

Huerta's Villa de Pila

2007-05-08T20:47:00.000+08:00

R. P. Félix de Huerta, OFM (de su libro, “Estado geográfico, topográfico, estadístico histórico-religioso de la santa y apostólica provincia de S. Gregorio Magno, de los religiosos menores descalzos de la regular y más estricta observancia de N.S.P.S. Francisco, en las islas filipinas, comprende el número de religiosos, conventos, pueblos, situación de estos, años de su fundación, tributos, almas, producciones, industrias, cosas y casos especiales de su administración espiritual, en el Archipiélago Filipino, desde su fundación, en el año 1877 hasta el de 1863, Binondo, 1865”)

Translation: Fr. Emmanuel C. Marfori, 2005

VILLA DE PILA

The foundation of this Villa dates back to the year 1578, in which time our apostolic men Fr. Juan de Plasencia and Fray Diego de Oropesa announced the name of the Lord, being this town the principal residence of the latter, without ceasing to evangelize through all the coasts and mountains of the great Laguna de Bay, until their apostolic zeal penetrated into the province of Tayabas. Long ago, it used to be joined to the Laguna de Bay, in a place called Pagalangan, and because of heavy flooding in the rising waters of the said Laguna, it was transferred in the year 1800 to the site it occupies today.

Its situation is at 14º13´latitude, in an wide plain, to the right of an average river which originates from the mountain of San Cristobal, and, running from S to N, it flows into the lagoon which gives the name to the province. Bordered in the north with the said lagoon, it is half a league away. It is bordered on the NE with the town of Sta. Cruz, five fourths of a league; on the E with the town of Magdalena, a bit less than the same distance; on the SSE with the town of Nagcarlang, two leagues away; on the SSW with that of Calauang, a bit less than the same distance; and on the WSW with that of Bay, same as before.

It enjoys a mild, healthy and very well ventilated climate. The most common sickness are the fevers (tercianas), which usually come from May to September. It provides itself with waters from springs which come from N. of the town, and from wells, all of the very big. It has two main roads towards the towns of Santa Cruz and Bay, with two bridle paths for the towns of Nagcarlang and Magdalena. Mails are received weekly from the headquarters of the province.

The Church, under the advocacy of the marvelous S. Anthony of Padua, was originally made of wood. In the year 1599, permission was given by the Superior Gobierno to make it out of stone, which should have been verified in the following years, because in 1617, the said Church and rectory of stone were already finished. In 1800, the Church and rectory were demolished because of the aforementioned transfer, and the existing edifice was constructed under the direction of the Rev. Frs. Fray Antonio de Argobejo and Fray Domingo de Valencia, the town contributing for it. The said Church is of good material and very spacious (capaz), and in it is venerated, aside from the titular Saint, the other to whom the faithful have a very particular devotion, the glorious S. Roche, of whose image many miracles are found in our files (registros), some of them juridically proven.

The rectory (casa parroquial) is also made of stone, constructed under the direction of the Rev. Fr. Fray Benito del Quintanar, around 1840 until 1849. This villa has six straight streets from N. to S., and five cross streets, all of them wide, with excellent roads covered with a good mixture. There is a court (tribunal), a school of primary education, offered by the banks (cajas) of the Community, with some eight hundred houses, all of them of wood and nipa. It is administered by the Rev. Fr. Fray Antonio Santiago, confessor, 54 years of age, with a Fr. coadjutor.

STATUS OF THE PARISH
Tributos      …      4715
Souls           …     5551

The boundary extends league and a half from N. to S., and the same from E. to W. Through it, four medium–sized rivers, all coming from San Cristobal mountain, and whose waters are used in irrigation. The terrain cultivated produces much rice, sugar cane, for whose benefits there are six sugar mills (ingenios), many coconuts from which they extract oil, some indigo, cocoa, coffee, bonga (Tag., bunga?), and many fruit trees and some legumes. The natives dedicate themselves to agriculture, to the benefit of the abovementioned articles, and to fishing, which is produced by the Laguna, the products of which are exported for the market of Santa Cruz and for the Capitol.

The hospital (enfermería) of the male religious was in this villa from the year 1618 until 1673, when it was transferred to the town of Santa Cruz.

Franciscan Printing Press History

2007-05-06T20:44:00.000+08:00

(Translated by Jaime F. Tiongson from Historia de la imprenta en los antiguos dominios españoles de América y Oceanía by Jose Toribio Medina.)

The Franciscan printing press was first established in Villa de Pila. Tomas Pinpin and Domingo Loag, printers. It is not known that it had nor exist traces of the printing press prior to 1655. It appears in Tayabas in 1702. It was transferred to Manila in 1705. It is taken to Dilao (Paco, Manila). The brother Franciscan de los Santos and Capitan Lucas Francisco Rodriguez, printers. Fray Julian de San Diego and Fray Pedro de la Concepcion. Fray Francisco de Paula Castilla and Juan Eugenio. Fray Jacinto de Jesus Lavajos.

In Villa de Pila, founded in 1578 along the shores of the Laguna de Bay, by the year 1606 the Franciscans established Philippines' second printing press. On 20th of May that year, Tomas Pinpin and Domingo Loag, Tagalos, began the printing of the Vocabulario de Lengua Tagala of Fray Pedro de San Buenaventura, which was completed only seven years later. It is probable that Pinpin began the printing and Loag continued the work once tutored, at least during the year 1610 in which Pinpin was in Bataan working on the publication of the Arte Tagalo of Fray Francisco de San Jose.

Neither the name of Loag nor the printing press of the town of Pila is registered in books that we know later. What became of that press whose first production yielded so much hope,in view of the elements in which it has been arranged to make it?. She might have been placed in a corner in some of the Franciscan convents, or the Franciscans gave it to other religious orders at that time and counted already as one of the printing shops in the Islands?

None of the typographic works of the printing press of the Franciscans appeared before 1655, the year B. Lampao (we do not know his first name) gives light in Manila the Constituciones de la provincial de San Gregorio and soon lost its tracks again, until by the beginning of the 18th century it was established in Tayabas by Fray Antonio de Santo Domingo. According to Father Huerta "In 1699 the elected maestro provincial left, whose position was carried with much fervor…, sending five monks to the missions of these Islands, and two to Cochinchina; it established the press in Tayabas and it gave to the press the Diccionario Tagalog, composed by Fray Domingo de los Santos…"

It is not easy to resolve if the one in Tayabas is the same press that the Franciscan Order had a century ago or that the press had just been mounted, although the last one seems more probable. It is certain though, that the printing of the book started in Colegio de Santo Tomas in Manila, and was completed in muy noble villa de Tayabas in 1702, it is not known who was the one who ran the press, although it is to be conceited that he was under the care of brother Franciscan de los Santos.

The Tayabas press was transferred to the Faculty of San Francisco in Manila, which was placed under their custody from 1705 to 1708, and from there to the convent of Nuestra Señora de la Candelaria of the town of Dilao, thus called, although in fact it is just a suburb of Manila. It is located there only during the years of 1713 and 1714, under the care of brother Franciscan de los Santos, who was associated later with Capitan Don Lucas Francisco Rodriguez. In 1718, it appeared again in the Manila convent, run by Julian de San Diego, and ten years later in the same convent of Nuestra Señora de los Angeles de Manila under the immediate direction of brother Pedro de la Concepcion who manage to credit himself as the maestro en el arte tipografico with the printing of the Ceremonial romano reformado of Father Torrubia.

The printing press was situated here for eight years before it was transferred to the convent of Nuestra Señora de Loreto de Sampaloc, located again, like the one of Dilao, in one of the suburbs of Manila.

In this Sampaloc convent, according to Father Huerta, there was a community of monks and it was the Casa de Noviciado from 1614 to 1619. In 1692, the printing press of the Province of San Gregorio was established in the same convent, that by long time was of great use to these islands, until through the years of 1808 it was passed on to the venerable Orden Tercera de Penitencia, who lately alienated it to be deteriorated enough and not able to compete with the modern ones established in Manila during this period.

We see that the Franciscan chronicler made a mistake in writing that the printing press in Sampaloc was established in 1692 since in that date not even the print shop founded first in Tayabas worked. We note though, still in 1809, it continued with the same primitive designation, although under the property of the Ordern Tercera.

We said then, that the transfer of the press in the convent of Loreto de Sampaloc happened in 1736; the year in which the reprinting of the Arte de la lengua pampanga of Fray Diego Bergaño, although without the indication of who the printer was, probably Fray Juan de Sotillo, whose name is seen for the first time, and was honored in books printed there in 1738, the Cronica de la Provincia de San Gregorio of Fray Juan de San Antonio, the third volume was finished in 1744, making the typographic work the most voluminous in the Philippines during that time. He was then succeeded by brother Lucas de San Francisco, whose works had to be the books printed in that convent from 1749 and probably until 1768. Perhaps by modesty, the printer did not sign the books printed during that period.

In 1770, he was replaced by Tomas Adriano, who very shortly before or until then in charge of the printing press of the Colegio de Santo Tomas. Until 1788, no printed works of the Imprenta de Sampaloc carry the name of the printer. From that year, the name of brother Baltasar Mariano appeared, who in 1794 was replaced by another one, fray Pedro Arguelles de la Concepcion, who carried the load and signed his works only after being ordained as a priest, from 1798 to 1803, without interval except in 1797 in which, perhaps he was burdened by studies needed for priesthood, replaced by Juan Eugenio and Fray Francisco de Paula Castilla. In 1805, the print shop seems to have a manager named Vicente Atlas, and finally, in 1809, the responsibility (cargo de taller) was passed to Fray Jacinto de Jesus Lavajos, who arrived in Manila four years before.

How much was How much was the SB Vocabulario in 1613?the SB Vocabulario in 1613?

2007-05-05T20:39:00.000+08:00

How much was the Vocabulario de Lengua Tagala by Pedro de San Buenaventura in 1613? Antoon Postma gave us a microfilm copy of the tasado(appraised) and it cost 30 reales! It is worthwhile to note that the cost was edited out in the 1994 reprint of the vocabulario.

The first printed book in the Philippines, the Doctrina Christiana, the tasado was only 2 reales.

Download pdf of both 1994 reprint and microfilm copy of the tasado and compare! Please note that the British Museum seal is also absent in the 1994 reprint.

Pila's Rio Nuevo

2007-05-03T20:38:00.000+08:00

One of the oral traditions in Pila is the story of the travel of Pila residents to nearby towns by banca and that the residents board the banca at the back of the Old Pila Market (now a gym). One may conclude that the water of the lake might have reached the town in olden times, but gradually receded to its present position. Recent discovery of the intelligence report of 1st Lt. Leon L. Roach written in February 12, 1902 could shed light to one of the oral traditions of Pila.

The report of 1st Lt. Leon L. Roach was published in Report No. 17, PILA, MAGDALENA, MAJAYJAY AND LOS BAÑOS, LAGUNA PROVINCE, Headquarters Division of the Philippines, Adjutant Generals Office, Military Information Division, Manila, P.I., 1902. The file below was annotated by Jaime F.Tiongson.

Please download this file and read the report. The report is a good complement to Huerta's description of Villa de Pila.

1703 Letter of Juan de Jesus OFM

2007-05-02T20:36:00.000+08:00

Dr. Luciano P.R. Santiago provided us a copy of the 1703 Carta of Juan de Jesus OFM describing Pila Choir in 1686.

The Carta de Juán de Jesús, OFM (1703) was cited by Cayetano Sánchez, OFM in La Provincia Franciscana de San Gregorio Magno de Castilla: memoria histórica minima de sus cuatrocientos años de vida. A typewritten copy of the carta was sent to Dr Santiago by the late William Henry Scott. Document found in Archivo Franciscano Ibero Oriental, Madrid. Download copy of the carta.

Tagalog Vocabularios

2007-05-01T20:35:00.000+08:00

Antoon Postma gave us a copy of an article he wrote in 2001 describing the seven Tagalog vocabularios written during the Spanish period. Of the seven vocabularios, only four were printed while the remaining three are currently being edited by Antoon Postma.

Antoon Postma is the editor of the Ruiz Dictionary and San Antonio Dictionary, both were published by the Ateneo de Manila University. He is now busy editing the Blancas de San Joseph dictionary and will be published by the same university soon. Download Tagalog Vocabularios article.

San Antonio Dictionary is the second dictionary written in Pila, Laguna.

The Shrine of San Antonio de Padua in Pila, Laguna

2007-04-25T20:50:00.000+08:00

By Dr. Luciano P.R. Santiago

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. The town itself was officially called “San Antonio de Padua de Pila,” or simply, “San Antonio de Pila.” The parish seal depicts the saint holding a lily, the symbol of purity, in his right hand and carrying the Child Jesus on his left arm. Known as “the miracle worker” even during his lifetime, St. Anthony is the most venerated Franciscan saint next to the founder of the order himself, St. Francis of Assisi. Thus, the choice of St. Anthony as the patron saint of Pila reflected the pivotal role given by the Franciscans to the parish and town.

Even before the coming of the Spaniards, Pila was already noted for its spiritual ambience. The center of the town was known as Pagalangan, which means “The Place of Reverence.” The original site of the town, Pinagbayanan was hallowed by the venerable graves of the dead laid out with exquisite Chinese porcelain and local jars of handsome design as pabáon (provisions) for the afterlife. St. Anthony (1195-1231) lived in Europe during the Golden Age of Pila at Pinagbayanan when, as indicated by archeological studies, it was one of the most important centers of trade, as well as of religion and culture during the early part of the second millenium. Little did the “saint of lost causes and finder of lost things” know that Padua would form a spiritual link with Pila at the other side of the globe via Spain and Mexico more than three centuries later.

The Order of St. Francis (OSF), also known as the Order of Friars Minor (OFM), arrived in Manila in 1577. Next to the Augustinians, they were the second religious order to reach the Philippines. Being a mendicant order, they were the only religious congregation which renounced ownership of haciendas. At once, they built their main church in honor of Our Lady of the Angels in the walled city. The cult of St. Anthony of Padua was introduced in this church, which became popular as the Tuesday Devotion in Old Manila. A statue of the saint was erected in front of the church in the 19th century.

To the southern region, the congregation lost no time in sending the intrepid pair, Fray Juán Portocarrero de Plasencia and Fray Diego de Oropesa de San José who soon earned the title “The Apostles of Laguna and Tayabas.” Moved by the faith of the Pileños, Oropesa decided to establish among them his “principal residence” also dedicated to St. Anthony while Plasencia chose Lumbang as his home base in honor of St. Sebastian. From these two missionary centers, they radiated out to evangelize the other towns of Laguna and Tayabas (now Quezón).

From a reducción - where the new converts were gathered for instruction in the Faith - Pila was elevated to a parish on the feast  of its titular, St. Anthony of Padua on June 13, 1581. Oropesa became its first pastor (1581-83). Next to Pila, the second Antonine parish to be organized by the Franciscans was that of Masbate (c1583), followed by Iriga, now a city in Camarines Sur (1683) and Siruma, also in Camarines Sur (1687).

Impressed by the nobility of the townspeople, the conquistadors conferred on the town the special title, “La Noble Villa de Pila.” It took eighteen years to build the first stone church from 1599 to 1617. The sacred edifice was described as “the most beautiful church in the province of Laguna” by the Alcalde Mayor (Governor) Don José Peláez, father of Padre Pedro Pablo Peláez, the leader of the secularization movement in the 19th century.

From the beginning to the present, the cult of St. Anthony has flourished in Pila in an unbroken chain of promise (pangako) and practice of the faithful. It consists of the Tuesday Devotion and an association which has become part of the worldwide Pious Union of St. Anthony. The parish also became famous for its mellifluous choirs and elegant processions in homage to the saint from the 17th to the 19th centuries. To signify their gratitude for the favors and miracles granted to them, the devotees wear a simple dark brown dress with white cincture during mass. Healed of serious illnesses, small boys are also dressed in the holy habit. An annual novena for his intercession is held prior to his feast day, June 13, which is celebrated as the town fiesta and highlighted with a grand procession. Groups of Pileños in other towns or cities who could not come home for the
occasion also pray the novena together wherever they are.

In the noble villa, the Franciscans established the second printing press in the Philippines in 1611. The first Tagalog dictionary was printed here in 1613 by Tomás Pinpín and Domingo Loag. The local pastor Fray Pedro de San Buenaventura compiled the dictionary to facilitate the evangelization of the Tagalog region. In 1618, the Franciscan infirmary was transferred from Lumbang to Pila where the sick and retired missionaries were taken care of and breathed their last, comforted by the spirit of St. Anthony. Manila Archbishop Fernando Montero de Espinosa, newly arrived from Madrid, also died here in 1644 on his way to take possession of his see. After 55 years in Pila, the infirmary moved to Sta. Cruz, Laguna in 1673.

The oldest surviving church bell of Pila was cast on the centenary of the parish in 1681 with the Franciscan emblem and the inscription “San Antonio de Pila.” The faithful hid it from the rampaging British invaders in 1762 by submerging it in Laguna de Bay facing the church. It is now the third oldest church bell in the Philippines. With the erection of a new stone belfry in 1890, the parish recast another undated old bell in honor of St. Anthony in 1893. It is the only church tower in the Philippines which bears two bells inscribed with St. Anthony’s name. (The second oldest church bell dedicated to the saint pertains to Paeté dated 1847, followed by Sta. María, Bulacán, 1877 and then Majayjay, 1929.)

Because of several social crises in the 18th century, San Roque was invoked as the second patron saint of Pila. Due to persistent severe flooding in Pagalangan in the late 18th century, the town center was transferred to its present site in Sta. Clara, which was the hacienda of the three Brothers Rivera, Don Felizardo, Don Miguel and Don Rafael. Part of the estate is the adjacent Barangay San Antonio, among others. Marred by controversy, the relocation took almost two decades to complete under the leadership of Don Felizardo de Rivera y Evangelista (1755-1810), the eldest of the brothers, who also drew up the grid plans for the new site. Thus, he is considered the founder of Nueva Pila. He pledged the spiritual and material support of the Riveras to the church of St. Anthony in perpetuum up to the last of their line. Stone by stone, the old church in Pagalangan was the last edifice to be transplanted to Sta. Clara under the inspiration of St. Anthony. For the main duration of the move, the townspeople were exempted from payment of tributes, forced labor and personal services.

For almost a quarter of a century, from 1812 to 1835, Filipino secular priests served for the first time as the acting pastors of Pila due to a shortage of Franciscan priests. They put the finishing touches to the stone church of Nueva Pila. The pastor who served the parish for the longest time during the Spanish era was Fray Benito del Quintanar, OFM (1839-52). He supervised the construction of the present convent for nine years until it was completed in 1849. In behalf of the Pileños, he had the following prayer-poem in Latin inscribed in a rectangular stone tablet over the main gate of the convent:
“Fave, Protege, Custod., / Bened. Que S.e Antoni: / Domui Istam Novam /
Quam Tibi Dedicavi.” (“St. Anthony, look with favor on, protect, guard and bless this new house which is dedicated to you.”) The saint has answered
Pila’s fervent prayer. The stone church and convent have survived to the present.

Fray Benito also started the Archicofradía del Nuestro Señor Padre San Francisco which was next in rank to the Venerable Orden Tercera (VOT) of the Franciscan Order. The archconfraternity was empowered to affiliate lay groups of the same character from the other parishes. The religious festival of Flores de Mayo, for which Pila is now well known, was introduced in 1888 and brought to the fore the deep Marian devotion in the parish.

The placid life of the town and parish was rent asunder from 1896, when the Revolution against Spain broke out, until 1902 when the American colonizers, took over and reorganized the municipal government. Before this, the American soldiers had occupied the belfry and convent for more than a year destroying and looting the furniture and other properties of the church.

Since the beginning of the 20th century, Filipino pastors have been serving the faithful of Pila. The parish was transferred from the Archdiocese of Manila to the Diocese of Lipá when the latter was erected in 1910 and finally, to the newly established Diocese of San Pablo in 1966. The first Pileño nun, Sor Consuelo, OSB (the former Miss Milagros Relova y Rivera) professed her vows as a Benedictine nun in 1932. The first Pileño priest, Fr. Félix Codera was ordained in 1938. Although he was born in Marinduque, His Eminence, Ricardo Cardinal Vidal, Archbishop of Cebu, hails from Pila. They are all ardent devotees of St. Anthony.

During World War II, Pila became the center of guerilla activities in Laguna and Fr. Codera, together with Frs. Atienza and Báez, volunteered as chaplains of the underground. Ironically, there was a rice boom in the town during the war and thus, it became the rice granary of Laguna which the faithful unselfishly shared with those in want from the surrounding towns and as far as Manila and its suburbs. Naturally, this abundance at a time of war was attributed by the Pileños to St. Anthony, “the miracle worker.” As expected, Pila was the first town in the province to be liberated by the guerillas in January 1945 sparing it from any major destruction.

Pope Pius XII declared St. Anthony a Doctor of the Universal Church with the title Doctor Evangelicus on January 16, 1946.  The following year, a group of grateful parishioners founded a college in his honor, St. Anthony Academy, now the Liceo de Pila.

With the destruction of the Franciscan church in Intramuros at the close of the Second World War, the site of the cult of St. Anthony was moved in 1947 to the Venerable Orden Tercera (VOT) Friary in Sampaloc,Manila, which is now the Shrine of the saint in the archdiocese. (The monumental statue of St. Anthony in Intramuros was, however, transferred to the grounds of the Sanctuario de San Antonio in Forbes Park in Makati. The Sampaloc friary had been dedicated together with the adjacent Church of Our Lady of Loreto in 1616, thirty five years after the inauguration of the parish of San Antonio de Padua de Pila.) The Manila shrine has submitted a petition to the Catholic Bishops’ Conference to declare it the National Shrine of St. Anthony of Padua.

For the Jubilee Year 2000, the historic Church of San Antonio de Padua of Pila was selected as a Pilgrim Church of the Diocese of San Pablo. The parish is the center of the Vicariate of San Antonio de Padua which includes the parishes of the Immaculate Conception (Sta. Cruz), St. Joseph (Linga, Pila) and The Risen Lord (Victoria).

Revolving around the Church of St. Anthony of Padua, the town center of Pila, comprising 35 old houses and buildings, was proclaimed a National Historical Landmark by the National Historical Institute on May 17, 2000.

The church was elevated as the Diocesan Shrine of St. Anthony of Padua and solemnly inaugurated by the Most Reverend Francisco San Diego, DD, Bishop of San Pablo in the presence of His Eminence Ricardo Cardinal Vidal on July 9, 2002.

As Bayang Pinagpala (Blessed Town), Pileños ascribe their unique blessings through the centuries to the intercession of their triumvirate of patron saints, San Antonio de Padua, San Roque and the Virgen de las Flores.

Pila Satellite Images

2007-03-21T20:01:00.000+08:00

Residents of Pila, Laguna should try this Google service. Just type Pila, Philippines in the search page. If you have a DSL connection, we suggest you download Google Earth. You can also download this satellite picture of Laguna de Bay and Pila from National University of Singapore Center for Remote Imaging, Sensing and Processing. Happy Viewing!

Another Banner Year For Pila, Laguna Team

2007-03-19T05:24:00.000+08:00

San Antonio de Padua College defeated San Beda Alabang, 2-1, grabbing 2nd runner-up honors in the recently concluded 2007 Women's Volleyball League held at San Beda College Manila Gym. St. Scholastica College of Manila captured the gold medal while School of St.Anthony took home the silver.

For the third straight year, San Antonio de Padua College received the Team Sportsmanship Award. The Team Sportsmanship Award is the highest award given by the league to top teams. San Antonio de Padua College middle blocker, Judy Caballejo, is the best server of the league.

School year 2006-2007 is another banner year for the team and Coach Ramon F. Tiongson. Last August 2006, the team captured the Nestea Inter-secondary Beach Volleyball Tournament held at La Salle Greenhills. The SAPC Volleyball team captured the Pila District and Unit Meet Championship plum. The team placed second in the Laguna Provinical Meet and landed in the semi-finals of the Toribio Cup.

The Torbio Cup Championship trophy was won by Hope Christian School and this team eventually became the National Capital Region champion squad and will represent the region in this year’s Palarong Pambansa. Two SAPC middle blockers, Judy Caballejo and Jenine Peñaranda, were chosen to be part of the Southern Tagalog volleyball team which will also compete in the same sports fest to be held in Koronadal City this coming April, 2007.

More stories here.

Cane Frog: Palakang Nazareth

2007-03-02T20:53:00.000+08:00

Did you know that the cane frog now common here in the Philippines was first introduced here in Pila?

In March 1934 a number of cane toads were imported from the Hawaiian Sugar Planters' Association on Oahu to control insect pests in sugar-cane plantations in Manila on the Island of Luzon (Rabor 1952). Some escaped into the nearby countryside, where several years later the species had become established in large numbers. At around the same time cane toads were deliberately released in Calauang and Pila in Laguna Province, and in the Central Luzon provinces: before 1941 they had become as common in Central Luzon as in Laguna. Source: Naturalized Reptiles and Amphibians of the World

Pila, Laguna School Bags Women’s Volleyball League Semifinal Slot

2007-02-20T17:55:00.000+08:00

San Antonio de Padua College high school girl’s volleyball team defeated St. James of Malabon, 2-1, to barged into the semifinal round of the 2007 Women’s Volleyball League last February 18, 2007 at the Xavier School Sports Complex in Greenhills, San Juan.

The three-time WVL champion squad will battle title hungry School of Saint Anthony. The clash of the two Antonine schools is scheduled on March 4, 2007 at the Xavier School Sports Complex. St. Scholastica’s College-Manila will be pitted against San Beda College-Alabang A in the other semifinal match. The winners of both semifinal matches will contest the championship trophy on March 11, 2007.

Fifteen elementary school teams and 31 high school squads competed in this year’s competition organized by BEST Center and sponsored by Milo.

High School competitive level:

San Antonio de Padua College-Pila, Laguna, Assumption College, Holy Family School, School of St. Anthony, Sienna College, St. Mary’s College, St. Scholastica’s College-Manila, St. Theresa’s College-Quezon City, Antipolo Lady of Lourdes, Poveda Learning Centre, PWU-JASMS, San Beda College-Alabang A and St. James Academy of Malabon.

High School developmental level:

Assumption Antipolo, Notre Dame of Greater Manila, Our Lord’s Grace Montessori, Paref-Rosehill School, SBC-Alabang B, St. Joseph School Fairview Inc., St. Scholastica’s College-Manila B, St. Theresa’s College-QC B, Angelicum College, Cavite School of St. Mark, Day Spring Academy, Holy Trinity Academy, Immaculate Heart of Mary, La Salle College Antipolo, New Era University, SBC-Rizal and Southville
International School.

Elementary competitive level:

Colegio San Agustin, Mercedarian School, Miriam College, PWU-JASMS, San Pedro Poveda LC, Diliman Prep School, Golden Sunbeams Christian School, Holy Family, Holy Trinity Academy and St. Scholastica’s College.

Elementary developmental level:

Assumption College, Baesa Adventist Elementary School, Day Spring Academy, Sienna College and Southville International School.

Philippine Daily Inquirer Articles About Pila, Laguna

2007-02-17T06:54:00.000+08:00

Below are articles about Pila, Laguna published by the Philippine Daily Inquirer recently.

Pila townsfolk preserve heritage town

Couple delights Laguna town, survives competition

An animal and plant lover's haven

No business being in business?

Pila and Jala-jala According to Huerta

2007-02-02T21:14:00.000+08:00

From page 573-574 of Huerta:

La villa de Pila era la propietaria de todo el terreno
conocido con el nombre de Jalajala. Con motivo de
haber fundado nuestros religiosos un hospital en el
sitio que ocupa hoy el pueblo de los Banos de la
provincia de la Laguna, suplicaron a los naturales de
Pila, que para subvenir a las necesidades del referido
hospital permitiesen la cria de ganado vacuno el
terreno de Jalajala, a cuya suplica a cedieron
gustosos, otorgando escritura publica el ano de 1610,
la cual se conserva en nuestro archivo de Manila, y en
la que se hallan las siguientes palabras:Que
conceden a los religiosos de San Francisco el derecho
de tener pastando en el sitio de Jalajala hasta el
numero de 300 vacas para subvenir a las necesidades
del hospital, que dichos padres franciscanos tienen en
el sitio de los Banos, entendiendose esta concesion
por solo el tiempo que el referido hospital se halla
administrado por religiosos franciscanos, y
conservando siempre la susodicha villa de Pila la
propiedad del terreno, etc.

Al tratar sobre el hospital de los Banos, notaremos la
adversa fortuna que corrio tan piadoso
establecimiento, y ahora solo diremos, que habiendose
que mado el hospital el ano de 1676, los habitantes de
Jalajala fueron separados espiritual y civilmente de
su matriz Pila, formando un nuevo pueblo con el nombre
que lleva, por decreto del Superior Gobierno fechado
el dia 7 de Setiembre de 1676, y cuyo primer ministro
fue nuestro R.P. Fr. Lucias Sarro.

Se halla situado en terreno montuoso hacia los 14
(degrees sign) 21' 50'' de latidud N., confinando por
este rumbo con el pueblo de Pililla, y en todo lo de
mas con la Laguna.

La primer iglesia construida de cana y nipa por Fray
Lucas Sarro, fue dedica a S. Pascual Bailon, y dico
religioso celebro en ella la primera misa el dia 1
(degrees sign) de Octubre de 1678. El ano de 1733 se
edifico de piedra, y el ano de 1755 se hallaba de
ministro nuestro R.P. Fray Juan de Azahuche y Castro.
Este es el ultimo documento que se conserva en nuestro
archivo sobre Jalajala, como pueblo independiente,
ignorandose la epoca en que fue reducido a visita de
Pililla. Despues hallamos que a peticion del hacendero
fuen separado de Pililla el ano de 1786, y continuo
como pueblo hasta el ano de 1816, en cuya epoca fue
otra vez agregado a Pililla, volviendo a separarse el
ano de 1825, y no constando la causa por que siendo
administracion de nuestros religiosos, se halla hoy a
cargo del clero secular.

(Sent by Eliza Hidalgo Agabin, Graduate Student, UST Cultural Heritage Studies)

Philippine Presidents and Pila, Laguna

2007-01-30T15:43:00.000+08:00

I was informed by Cora Relova that the National Historical Institute will invite President Gloria Macapagal Arroyo to officially inaugurate the NHI marker declaring the Town Plaza and surrounding heritage houses a National Historical Landmark.

GMA will be the third Philippine President to visit Pila, Laguna. President Ramon Magsaysay went to Pila on February 24, 1956. President Magsaysay officiated the ground breaking ceremony of the P3,180,000.00 Santa Cruz-Mabacan river irrigation project which irrigated some 6,000 hectares of land. President Fidel V. Ramos went to Pila sometime in June 1993 and launched the Laguna Lake Development Authority’s program for the development and management of Laguna de Bay.

President Ramos was stationed in Pila, Laguna during the Philippine Constabulary’s campaign against the Hukbalahap. He stayed in Camp Nazareth (now Campo, San Antonio, Pila, Laguna).

According to Nick Joaquin, in his book Joseph Estrada and other sketches published in 1977, Joseph Estrada attended the Cursillo in Pila, Laguna.

The Three Mindanao Language-Spanish Dictionaries (1565-1898)

2007-01-26T08:51:00.000+08:00

In 1892, the year when Jose P. Rizal formed the La Liga Filipina and was subsequently arrested and banished to Mindanao and Andres Bonifacio started forming the Katipunan, a group of dedicated missionaries studiously completed writing their magnum opus. During the eve of the Philippine Revolution, the three members of the Compañia de Jesus (Society of Jesus) were meticulously preparing the Bagobo, Tiruray and Moro-Maguindanao dictionaries for publication. While the Katipuneros were getting ready to oust the Spaniards from Philippine soil, the Manila printing presses were busy printing the dictionaries that will be used for the evangelization of Mindanao. A task assigned to the Jesuits when they returned to the Philippines in 1859.

Only three Mindanao language-Spanish dictionaries were printed during the Spanish Period (1565-1898) of our history (1) . All of them were published by the Compañia de Jesus and all of them were printed in 1892. The following are the three dictionaries:

1.Bennasar, Guillermo. Diccionario tiruray-español. Manila. Tipo-Litog. de Chofre y Comp., 1892. 201 pp. 80.

Part 1. Diccionario Tiruray-Español
Part 2. Diccionario Español-Tiruray

2.Gisbert, Mateo. Diccionario español-bagobo. Manila: Est. Tip. De J. Marty. 1892. 188 (2), 65 pp. 80.

Part 1. Español-bagobo.
Part 2. Bagobo-español

3.Juanmarti, Jacinto. Diccionario Moro-Maguindanao-Español. Manila. Tipografia “Amigos del Pais,” 1892. 270, (2), 242 pp. 80.

Part 1. Moro-Maguindanao-Español.
Part 2. Español-Moro-Maguindanao

All the three dictionaries listed above are included in the Filipiniana Book CD Collection except for Part II Diccionario Español-Tiruray. The scanned images were obtained from the Southeast Asian Collection of the University of Michigan Library using open source software. The images were compiled, bookmarked and indexed using the latest optical character recognition software and converted to Portable Document Format (pdf) for trouble-free use. The Part II Diccionario Español-Tiruray can be viewed at the University of the Philippines Main Library or Ateneo de Manila University Rizal Library. The missing section will be included in the future version of this collection. It is worthwhile to note that the University of the Philippines copy of the Part II of the Gisbert Bagobo dictionary was printed by Tipografico de Ramirez y Cia while the copy included in this collection was printed by Tipografico de J. Marty. This brings to four the total number of printers employed by the Compañia de Jesus to produce the Mindanao dictionaries. The number of printers commissioned by the Compañia de Jesus can give us an indication of the magnitude of the endeavor in 1892.

The Bogobos traditionally live in the east and south of Mount Apo and the eastern side of Cotabato while the Tirurays inhabit the southwestern Mindanao mountain range facing the Celebes Sea. The Maguindanaons dwell in the Philippine province of Maguindanao concentrated in the towns of Dinaig, Datu Piang, Maganoy and Buluan and historically in the low-lying delta of the Pulangi River, the present location of the modern city of Cotabato. Tirurays inhabit the towns of Upi, South Upi, Dinaig and Ampatuan also in Maguindanao and are in continuous contact with the Maguindanaons while maintaining their cultural uniqueness. In addition, there is also a Tiruray group in the provinces of Sultan Kudarat and North Cotabato(2).

Aside from the dictionaries, the missionaries also wrote Mindanao language grammar books. Father Guillermo Bennasar wrote the 54 pages Observaciones gramaticales sobre la lengua tiruray which was printed in Manila by Lit. de M. Perez, also in 1892 and the fifth printer commissioned by the Jesuits. Father Jacinto Juanmarti wrote a Maguindanao grammar book, the 110 pages Gramatica de la lengua de maguindanao, del la Isla de Mindano, printed in Manila by Amigos de Pais and also in 1892. The 1906 English translation by Cornelius Cole Smith is included in the CD collection.

The missionaries are not only writers but explorers as well. The highest mountain of the Philippines, Mt. Apo, was ascended for the first time by Father Mateo Gisbert, S.J. together with Don Joaquin Rajal, Dr. Joseph Montano and Datu Manig and 18 of his men. The group started their trek on October 6, 1880 and reached the summit on October 10, 1880. For the next twelve years as a missionary of Davao, Father Gisbert studied and compiled the Bagobo vocabulary. In 1891, a year before the publishing of the dictionaries, Fathers Jacinto Juanmarti and Eusebio Barrado undertook the first exploration of the Pulangui River in Mindanao. One started from Cotabato and one from Bukidnon. Following the course of the river, they met on May 26, 1891 in the middle of the mountains(3).

The 1,394 pages computer text format of the 1613 Vocabulario de Lengua Tagala of Pedro de San Buenaventura prepared by Jean-Paul G. Potet motivated this author to put together this dictionary collection. Bapa Antoon Postma gave this author an electronic copy of the Potet work and immediately became an indispensable linguistic research tool. Another stimulus is the support given by the Society of Jesus for the editing and publishing of early Tagalog dictionaries. Two dictionaries were already released to the public, the Tagalog-Spanish Dictionary of Miguel Ruiz, O.P.(4)and the Vocabulario Tagalo (5)compiled by Francisco de San Antonio, O.F.M. A third dictionary, the Blancas de San Joseph compilation is currently being edited by Bapa Antoon Postma and will soon be published by the Ateneo de Manila University.

To complete the list of dictionaries published during this period though not in Spanish, are the two English-Sulu-Malay Vocabularies written by William Clark Cowie(6) and T. H. Haynes(7). The English-Sulu-Malay Vocabulary of William C. Cowie can be viewed at the University of the Philippines Diliman Main Library and Ateneo de Manila University Rizal Library.

_______________
(1) Based on the following references:

Library of Congress. A list of books (with references to periodicals) on the Philippine islands in the Library of Congress by A. P. C. Griffin; with Chronological list of maps in the Library of Congress by P. Lee Phillips. Washington: Govt. print. off., 1903, 52-57.

Library of Congress. Griffin, Appleton P. C. (Appleton Prentiss Clark), 1852-1926., Phillips, Philio Lee, 1857-1924., Pardo de Tavera, T. H. (Trinidad Hermenegildo) 1857-1925. Bibliography of the Philippine islands ... Published under the direction of the Library of Congress and the Bureau of insular affairs, War department. United States. Bureau of Insular Affairs. Washington: Govt. print. off., 1903.

Quilis, Antonio. Los Estudios de Las Lenguas Filipinas Hasta 1898 in “Fray Francisco de San Jose Arte y Reglas de la Lengua Tagala”. Spain, 1997, 63-78.

(2)Peralta, Jesus T. Glimpses: Peoples of the Philippines. Pasig City, 2003. 13-52.

(3)Bernad, Miguel A. S.J. The “Snows” on Mount Apo in “History Against the Landscape: Personal and Historical Essays”. Manila. 1968.

(4)Edited by Jose Mario C. Francisco, S.J.; electronic copy of the dictionary is also available.

(5)Edited by Bapa Antoon Postma.

(6)Cowie, Andson. English-Sulu-Malay vocabulary, with useful sentences, tables. London, 1893.

(7)Haynes, T.H. English, Sulu and Malay Vocabulary in Journal of the Straits Branch of the Royal Asiatic Society, Dec., 1885, no. 16, pp. 321-384; Dec., 1886, no. 18, pp. 193-239

Making History by Searching "History"

2007-01-06T19:15:00.000+08:00

Congratulations Citizen Scholars and Historians!

For the third straight year, Philippines topped the list of countries searching "History" using Google. The data below are from Google Trends which started their free service last May 10, 2006. The service aims to provide insights into broad search patterns. Herewith please find ranking per year:

2006

1. Philippines
2. Nigeria
3. Australia
4. New Zealand
5. South Africa
6. United States
7. Pakistan
8. Ireland
9. United Kingdom
10.Sri Lanka

2005

1. Philippines
2. Nigeria
3. Australia
4. New Zealand
5. Ireland
6. United States
7. South Africa
8. United Kingdom
9. Pakistan
10.Canada

2004

1. Philippines
2. Australia
3. New Zealand
4. Nigeria
5. South Africa
6. United States
7. Ireland
8. United Kingdom
9. Canada
10.Pakistan

Our Kababayans are interested in the following History topics:

1. Political History: 2004-1st; 2005-2nd; 2006-2nd

2. World War II: 2004-2nd; 2005-2nd; 2006-2nd

3. World War I: 2004-3rd;2005-3rd;2006-2nd

4. Heroes: 2004-9th;2005-8th;2006-5th

5. Cultural History: 2004-1st; 2005-1st; 2006-1st

6. Art History: 2004-1st; 2005-1st; 2006-3rd

7. Anthropology: 2004-2nd; 2005-2nd; 2006-2nd

8. Social History: 2004-1st; 2005-1st; 2006-1st

9. Economic History: 2004-1st; 2005-2nd; 2006-2nd

10. Military History: 2004-3rd; 2005-2nd; 2006-3rd

11. World History: 2004-2nd; 2005-1st; 2006-5th

12. Asian History: 2004-1st; 2005-1st; 2006-1st

13. Prehistory: 2004-not in top ten; 2005-1st; 2006-1st

14. Chronology: 2004-1st; 2005-1st; 2006-1st

15. Big History: 2004-not in top ten; 2005-2nd; 2006-3rd

16. Social Change: 2005-1st; 2005-2nd; 2006-2nd

17. Human Evolution: 2004-1st; 2005-1st; 2006-1st

18. Historian: 2004-not in top ten; 2005-8th; 2006-8th

19. Local History: 2004-3rd; 2005-2nd; 2006-3rd

20. Naval History: not in top ten

21. Maritime History: not in top ten

22. Veterans: 2004-5th;2005-6th;2006-6th

23. Ancestry: 2004-8th;2005-8th;2006-8th

24. Genealogy: 2004-9th;2005-9th;2006-9th

25. Independence Day: 2004-3rd; 2005-3rd;2006-4th

26. Revolution: 2004-1st;2005-3rd;2006-2nd

27. Rebellion: 2004-5th;2005-6th;2006-6th

28. Insurgency: 2004-not in top ten;2005-1st;2006-1st

29. Japanese Occupation: 2005-2nd;2006-2nd

30. Colonialism: 2004-2nd;2005-3rd;2006-3rd

31. Imperialism: 2004-2nd;2005-3rd;2006-2nd

32. Communism: 2004-1st;2005-1st;2006-2nd

33. Democracy: 2004-8th;2005-6th;2006-9th

34. List of Presidents: 2004-2nd;2005-1st;2006-1st

35. Demography 2004-1st;2005-1st;2006-1st

36. Population: 2004-2nd;2005-3rd;2006-4th

37. History of China: 2004-1st;2005-1st;2006-1st

38. History of Spain: 2004-1st;2005-1st;2006-1st

39. History of United States: 2004-2nd;2005-2nd;2006-2nd

40. History of Japan: 2004-1st;2005-1st;2006-1st

41. History of Germany: 2005-1st;2006-1st

42. History of Malaysia: 2005-2nd;2006-2nd

43. History of Singapore: 2004-2nd;2005-2nd;2006-2nd

44. Geography: 2004-3rd;2005-2nd;2006-5th;

45. Human History: 2004-1st;2005-1st;2006-1st

2007-01-02T23:15:00.000+08:00

Calumpang Dam Totally Destroyed

2006-12-29T12:41:00.000+08:00

The Calumpang River Dam which is the main structure of the Santa Cruz-Mabacan River Irrigation System was totally destroyed last September 25, 2006 at the height of Typhoon Milenyo’s fury. The 50 year old dam collapsed because of the unabated river sand quarrying downstream. According to this report, the government will spend 160 million pesos of taxpayer’s money to construct a new dam upstream. It will take the government two years to build a new dam. In the meantime, the rice farmers of Pila will have to install temporary shallow wells to irrigate their rice fields.

President Ramon Magsaysay personally officiated on February 24, 1956 the ground-breaking ceremonies of the P3,180,000 Santa Cruz-Mabacan river-irrigation project at Pila, Laguna.

1818 Pila Population

2006-12-29T08:25:00.000+08:00

Below is the population of Pila in 1818 or seven years after the completion of the town transfer to sitio Sta. Clara:

Individuos Contribuientes de Natural y M. = 1117
Reservados = 157
Soltieros y Solteras de Naturales y Mestizos = 404
Escuelas y Parbulos = 347
Españoles = 0
Mestizos Españoles = 3
Morenos = 0
Negros convertidos = 0
Sangleyes Cristianos = 0

Total = 2028

Bautizalos = 63
Casados = 28
Difuntos = 45
Numero le tributes o familias contribuyentes = 558

Source: Aragon, Ydelfonso de. Estados de la poblacion de Filipinas correspondiente a el año de 1818: lo da ad publico a Excmo. Ayunamiento del M.N.Y.L. ciudad de Manila. Manila: Imprenta de D.M. M. Por D. Anastacio Gonzaga. 1820.

The Pila - Jala-jala Story

2006-12-23T07:00:00.000+08:00

There are two secondary sources confirming Jala-jala, Rizal was part of Pila, Laguna namely:

Foreman, John. The Philippine Islands. London: S. Low, Marston & co., ltd. 1899.

Dery, Luis Camara. A History of the Inarticulate: Local History, Prostitution and Other Views from the Bottom. Quezon City: New Day Publishers. 2001.

We are still searching for the Pila – Jala-jala primary documents specifically the Pila lawsuits or Jala-jala claims during the 17^th and 18^th century.

On page 359 to 361 of the The Philippine Islands, Foreman wrote the following story:

LOS BAÑOS (the baths) owes its origin to the hot springs flowing from the volcanic Maquiling Mountain, which have been known to the natives from time immemorial when the place was called Maynit, which signifies “hot.”

At the close of the 16^th century these mineral waters attracted the attention of martyr Saint Pedro Bautista, who sent a brother in his Order to establish a hospital for the natives. The brother went there, but shortly returned to Manila and died. So the matter remained in abeyance for years. Subsequently a certain Fray Diego de Santa Maria, an expert in medicine and healing art, was sent there to test the waters. He found they contained properties highly beneficial in curing rheumatism and certain other maladies, so thenceforth many natives and Spaniards went there to seek bodily relief. But there was no convenient abode for the visitors; no arrangements for taking the baths, and the Government did nothing. A Franciscan friar was appointed chaplain to the sick visitors, but his very incommodious residence was inadequate for the lodging of patients, and, for want of funds, the priest abandoned the project of establishing a hospital, and returned to Manila. In 1604, the Governor General, Pedro Bravo de Acuña, gave his attention to this place, and consented to the establishment of a hospital, church, and convent. The hospital was constructed of bamboo and other light material, and dedicated to Our Lady of Holy Waters.

Fray Diego de Santa Maria was appointed to the vicarage and the charge of the hospital. The whole was supported by gifts from the many sick persons who went there, but the greatest difficulty was to procure food. Several natives made donations of lands, with the produce of which the hospital was to be maintained. These gifts, however, proved insufficient. The priests then solicited permission from the villagers of Pila (on the lake shore near Santa Cruz) to pasture cattle on the tongue of land on the opposite coast called Jalajala, which belonged to them. With their consent a cattle-ranche was established there; subsequently, a building was erected, and the place was in time known as the Estancia de Jalajala. Then the permission was asked for and obtained from the Pila natives to plant cocoanut palms, fruit-trees, and vegetables. Later on the Austin and Franciscan friars quarreled about the right of dominion over the place and district called Maynit, but eventually the former gave way and ceded their rights in perpetuity to the Franciscans.

In 1640 Los Baños (formerly a dependency of Bay, under the Austin friars) was constituted a “town.” The Franciscans continued to beg one concession after another, until at length, in 1671, stone buildings were commenced – a church, convent, hospital, bathing-pond, vapour-house, etc., being contructed. Natives and Europeans flocked in numbers to these baths, and it is said that people even came from India to be cured. The property lent and belonging to the establishment, the accumulated funds, and the live-stock had all increased so much in value that the Government appointed an administrator. Thenceforth the place declined; its popularity vanished; the administrator managed matters so particularly for his own benefit that food again become scarce, and the priest was paid only 10 pesos per month as salary. In Jalajala a large house was built; the land was put under regular cultivation; tenants were admitted; but when the property was declared a royal demesne the Pila inhabitants protested, and nominally regained possession of the lent property. But the administrator re-opened and contested the question in the law-courts, and, pending these proceedings, Jalajala was rented from the Government. During the long process of legal entanglements the property had several times been transferred to one and another until the last holder regarded it as his private estate.

At the beginning of last century Jalajala came into the possession of M. Paul de la Gironniere, from whom it passed to another Frenchman, at whose death a third Frenchman, M. Jules Daillard, became owner. On his decease it became the property of an English Bank, from whom it was purchased by the Franciscan friars, in 1897, for the sum of P.50,000, and re-sold by them to a Belgian firm in 1900.

Luis Camara Dery wrote a similar story on page 52 to 53 of his book:

The Franciscan administrators of the hospital did not just rely on external help. They endeavored to supplement their meager resources by cultivating the land, devoting it to agricultural crops and raising of livestock. Thus, the native families residing in sitio Danpalit learned additional skills which enabled them to meet the various colonial requirements. Sometime in 1670, the Franciscan administrator negotiated with the town of Pila, Laguna for some of its vacant lands to server as pasture lands for the excess herds of cattle that the hospital had in sitio Danpalit. The Pila townfolks gave sitio Jalajala, on of their vacant lands. The hospital was allowed to use it as its pastureland but ownership remained with the townfolks of Pila. On 1 September 1673, the Franciscan father provincial petitioned the governor-general to allow his order to build a church and convent at sitio Jalajala for a member of their Order who would be assigned as the religious minister of the said sitio. By this time, sitio Jalajala had become a major transit point for those coming to and from the hospital in sitio Los Baños. It had also become a residence of many bagamundos (“persons without fixed residences”) and converted inhabitants. The petition, according to the Franciscan father provincial, was thus influenced by the need to serve their religious requirements a newly-converted Christians. Moreover, the inhabitants of Pila volunteered to build said church and convent if they would be exempted from the polos y servicios personales by the colonial government for a period of one and one-half years. The governor-general approved all these petitions.

The church and convent at sitio Jalajala was inaugurated on 1 October 1678 and San Pascual Baylon was chosen as the sitio’s patron saint. Fray Lucas Sarro, definidor of the Franciscan Order, celebrated the first mass at sitio Jalajala. The sitio was also made a Visita of the town of Pila. Thus, the early beginnings of Jalajala was also influenced by the hot springs of sitio Los Baños.

Jose Burgos: A Laguna Town for 194 Days

2006-12-23T06:44:00.000+08:00

During the Philippine-American war, Juan Cailles, the General and Politico-Military Governor of Laguna issued a decree creating the town of Jose Burgos, Laguna.

General Camp. No. 4, TIERRA LIBRE,

(Laguna), November 19, 1900

To the local presidentes of Lumban, Longos, Paete, Paquil, Siniloan, Famy, Mavitac and Santa Maria.

I take the pleasure in informing you that I have this day approved provisionally the proceeding in the matter of the organization of the new town of “Jose Burgos” from its matrix Nagcarlan and comprising the barrios of Cabubuhayan, Lagulo, Sibrolan, Maravilla, Bancabanca, Lagatan, Bucal, Mojon and Calumpan of the aforesaid town, and Dita, Mojon, Buhanginan and Bancoro of the town of Lilio; also approving the election of officials who shall form the “Junta Popular” of the said town as well as the organization of the Popular Committee of the same.

I furnish you this for your information and the proper action.

Transmit this communication from one town to another and the last one shall return it to this office with the acknowledgments of all.

JUAN CAILLES,

General and Politico-Military Governor.

(Source: Philippine Insurection Record, Exhibit 1120. Original in Spanish. Contemporary copy. P.I.R., 941.9)

Juan Cailles with 600 officers and men armed with 386 rifles and 4,000 rounds of ammunition surrendered to the Americans on June 24, 1901 ending the dreams of the people of Jose Burgos.

Of the three martyred priests, Father Jose Burgos is the most popular in Laguna. In Pila, Laguna, instead of the usual Philippine acronym Gomburza, the town chose to write it starting with the name of Jose Burgos, Burzagom, and even named a street this way.

The Music of Judge Ramiro R. Relova

2006-12-17T16:10:00.000+08:00

Every Pileño will never forget the late Judge Ramiro R. Relova and his music. Please visit this link and enjoy viewing the short video clip of Judge playing the piano. The video was uploaded by his grandson, Michael.

Historic Payla!

2006-12-12T19:34:00.000+08:00

Payla made history today! Not the Payla in Norzagaray, Bulacan but our very own Filipino Flyweight Boxer. Violito Payla defeated Somjit Jongjohor of Thailand to capture the 15th Asian Games Flyweight Gold Medal via 31-15 rout.

The Laguna Copperplate Inscription Purchase Story

2006-12-12T18:18:00.000+08:00

Below is the story prepared by Ramon N. Villegas regarding the source of the Laguna Copperplate Inscription. Antoon Postma gave us a signed copy of the story which can be downloaded here. The Laguna Copperplate Inscription came from Albert Dealino of Siniloan, Laguna. Albert Dealino and several individuals from Pila, Laguna (Barcenas, Estrada, Ambrocio etc) are second generation antique dealers. Their parents were porcelain brokers during the great Laguna pot rush in the 1960s which haunted the National Museum and brought happiness and sorrow to collectors. The stores of these traders can be seen along the highway from Labuin, Pila, Laguna to Duhat, Sta. Cruz, Laguna..

Re: Provenance of the Lumban Codex

After a conversation (5 July, 1990) with Fr. Antoon Postma, I attempted to independently verify the alleged providence of a metal plaque inscribed with an old Southeast Asian script, which came to the attention of the National Museum in the first half of 1990. It was purported to have come from Laguna. There were some suggestions however, that if the artifact were not a forgery; then it may have come from a non-Philippine site. The plaque’s seller, Venancio Magbuhos is known to handle pieces from other Southeast Asian countries.

Magbuhos confirmed to this writer, however, that the piece came from William (Bill) Elwell, a coin dealer in A. Mabini, who bought it from Albert (Abet) Dealino, another coin dealer, originally from Siniloan, Laguna but also residing in Metro Manila.

I had the opportunity to interview Dealino on the 10^th and 12^th of this month. He has been known to me for over twelve years, as a generally trustworthy dealer of antiques. He learned from his father Manuel, a dealer since the 1960’s, whose antiquarian training came from the late Don Felipe Hidalgo.

Dealino acquired the Codex for P350.00 in August 1989. The strange writing on metal intrigued and challenged the numistmatist in him. He tried to decipher the script, looking up his college history textbooks. Giving up, he exhibited it in the bourse of the Philippine Numismatic and Antiquarian Society (PNAS, founded 1929). Scores of viewers saw it (including this writer, who miserably failed to realize its importance at that time). Dealino tagged it at P5,000.00, and nearly gave it to collector Vicenta Escobar’s counter-offer of P3,000.00. Fellow PNAS member Elwell bought it at Dealino’s asking price, and subsequently passed it on for double to Magbuhos, who offered it to the National Museum.

Dealino acquired the Codex from a source he had cultivated over many years: workers in a sand and gravel quarry in the delta of the Pagsanjan River, in Sitia Wawa of Lumban town. On the to Dealino’s hometown, Siniloan, the workers had been trained by Dealino to watch out for artifacts as sand or gravel was conducted to trucks via conveyor belt. The workers had, over time, recovered coins, gold ornaments, stones adzes, small clay and porcelain artifacts, jade ornaments and others. Dealino pays them token amounts for each find, but shells out beer money even when there are no finds.

The Lumban quarry is near a gravesite, already opened by pothunters years ago, on the west bank of the river, some kilometers inland from the shore of the lake. There, Sung and Ming porcelain, though “not as good as those found in Pakil” (on the Eastern shore of the Lake), were found. Presumably, alluvial deposit built up the present delta, but the site must have originally been the mouth of the river. Pothunters had also opened up minor sites in Pagsanjan town, upriver.

Dealino knows of no other metal finds of like size or technology in that area: no mirrors, containers, bowls, utensils or the like. However, gold ornaments found in the same manner over the years include a Palawan-type “Ling-ling-o” ornaments (A. Gutierrez); a ring with zoomorphic figures on the shanks (B. Yap); a garment clasp (R. Villegas) and other ornaments (W. Villareal).

From these interviews we may include:

a. The codex was a surface find in Sitio Wawa, Lumban, Laguna on or shortly before August 1989.

b. The site’s assemblage of artifacts and its geological character indicate alluvial deposition. It must be pointed out the out that August is the beginning of the rainy season proper.

c. The Lumban Codex may be reasonably associated with the ancient Lumban or Pagsanjan settlements.

Addendum: The manufacture of large objects of metal, such as this plaque, requires a degree of skill and knowledge of metallurgy different from the crafting of small ornaments of gold. The latter is quite malleable. The presence of almost pure native gold did not necessitate knowledge of refining and forming techniques. The working of base metals on the other hand would have required knowledge (and availability) of imported copper and tin, and annealing and forming techniques. The absence in that site of related artifacts of similar manufacture suggest, that we cannot, at the moment, attribute to the Lumban Codex to an industrial tradition in that locality.

(Signed) Ramon N. Villegas

Makati, 14, July 1990

Cc: Fr. Antoon Postma

Dr. Alfredo Evangelista

File

1903 Pila Population

2006-12-10T08:16:00.000+08:00

The first Philippine census during the American period was conducted on March 2, 1903 in accordance with Section 6 of the Philippine Bill of 1902. Below is the 1903 census report for Pila, Laguna:

Pila Total Population = 6,040

Poblacion (Santa Clara) = 1,623
Banca banca = 89
Bucal = 38
Concepcion = 100
Daniw = 84
Labuin = 378
Linga = 1,021
Masico = 264
Nanhaya = 662
Masapang = 72
Mojon = 131
Pansol = 246
San Antonio = 93
San Benito = 131
San Felix = 48
San Francisco = 188
San Miguel = 120
San Roque = 615
San Vicente = 43
Tubuan = 94

It is interesting to note that that the census included barrio San Vicente which is not part of current Victoria or Pila.

The seven barrios above namely: Banca-banca, Nanhaya, Masapang, San Benito, San Felix, San Francisco, San Roque and Daniw are now part of Victoria, Laguna.

Based on the 2000 Census, the total population of Pila was pegged at 37,278 while Victoria was listed with 29,765 individuals. The population of Old Pila grew 10 times since 1903.

Source: Population of the Philippines: by islands, provinces, municipalities, and barrios / taken in the year 1903. United States. Bureau of the Census. [Washington. D.C.]: Department of Commerce and Labor, Bureau of the Census: Gov’t Print. Office, 1904

Manila Champion defeats Pila Team in Volleyball Semis

2006-12-04T19:21:00.000+08:00

Hope Christian School outclassed rookie laden San Antonio de Padua College Girls Volleyball Team, two sets to nil yesterday in the semifinal round of the 6th F.C. Toribio Cup at the University of the East Recto Gym. The 2006 Manila Volleyball Champion will meet Toribio Cup defending champion University of Santo Tomas on December 9, 2006 for the championship plum. UST defeated UE Warriors in the other semifinal match 2-1. The young SAPC team will battle 2005 UAAP champion University of the East for the bronze medal.

SAPC is assured of the highest Toribio cup ranking since joining the Manila-based volleyball league last year. With an average age of 14 years, SAPC is the youngest and has the most number of freshmen players among the semifinalists.

Vocabulario de la Lengua Tagala by Fr. Domingo de Los Santos O.F.M. On Sale At eBay

2006-11-29T18:07:00.000+08:00

The 1835 copy of the Vocabulario de la Lengua Tagala by Fr. Domingo de los Santos O.F.M. was offered for sale at eBay last September. Staring bid was pegged at $3,999.00. No bids were received till September 19, 2006 closing.

The Vocabulario de la Lengua Tagala was first published in 1703 in Muy Noble Villa de Tayabas and was reprinted in 1794 and 1835. Only one copy of the 1703 edition is still extant today and is now at the King's College Library in London. The 1703 copy was among the valuable documents looted by the British in 1762. King's College also has a copy of the 1794 and the 1835 edition. Ateneo de ManilaUniversity and National Library has a copy of the 1794 edition while University of Santo Tomas and Filipinas Heritage Library has a copy of the 1835 edition similar to the one being sold.

Pailah is Pila, Laguna

2006-11-29T11:15:00.000+08:00

By Jaime F. Tiongson

This author wrote an e-mail to Antoon Postma and suggested that Pailah in the Laguna Copperplate Inscription is Pila, Laguna. In his reply, Antoon Postma (2005) wrote that “ai” in Pailah or Payla is a dipthong and can not develop into Pila as suggested. The list below shows that the Tagalog dipthong /ai/ can develop into /i/ or /e/ in disagreement to what he has stated. The following are examples of such development:

Baynat (SB, 1613 page 116) to Binat (UP, 2001, page 121)
Saynat (SB, 1613 page 367) to Sinat (UP, 2001, page 787)
Taynga (SB, 1613, page 458) to Tenga
Baywang (SB, 1613, page 617) to Bewang (UP, 2001, page 116)
Mayroon to Meron (UP, 2001, page 553)
Kailan (SB, 1613, page 60) to Kelan
Bayki to Beke (UP, 2001, page 111)
Kaysa to Kesa (UP, 2001, page 442)

Before the arrival of the Spaniards, Tagalog had only three vowel phonemes: /a/, /i/, and /u/. The list was later expanded to five vowels with the introduction of Spanish words. In Tagalog phonology, the dipthong /aI/ can also be pronounced [e~E~eI] and /e/ can sometimes be pronounced as [i~I] thus the development of Pailah to Pila and the rest of the words above.

Laguna Copperplate Inscription bears the date 900 A.D. (Postma, 1992). The Laguna Copperplate Inscription was written during the Emergent Filipino Period [1 to 1500 A.D.(Jocano, 1998) or 500 to 1521 A.D. (Solheim, 2002)]. Jocano (1998) defines this period as the appearance of definable political, economic, and religious organization and certain dominant patterns of culture such as burial practices, ceramic art, and social statuses. The placenames in the Laguna Copperplate Inscription namely: Tundun, Puliran, Pailah and Binwangan are the leading centers of trade, commerce as well as governance of the whole region (Francisco, 1995)

According to Wilhelm G. Solheim II (2002), there are three such concentrations of population known archaeologically to have been in place before A.D. 1000 here in the Philippines. The three emergent Filipino Period areas are Butuan, an area on the shore of Laguna de Bay and an area on the shore of Lake Taal.

In 1967, a team from the University of San Carlos and Locsin group led by Dr. Rosa C.P. Tenazas conducted another archaeological study in Pinagbayanan, Pila, Laguna. The team uncovered Iron Age burials. Tenazas (n.d.) wrote in her report: “The presence of earthenware pots quite different from those encountered in the Sung levels in size and form, as well as in decoration, set them off as a distinct cultural horizon.” She further wrote: “Due to the fact that pots had no association with export ceramics, they tentatively have been attributed an Iron Age date. The burial locations not too far below if not on the same level as the lowest Sung burials, would put it just prior to trade contacts with China near the end of the first millennium A.D. or a little earlier.” The team of Tenazas also uncovered Philippines’ oldest horse bones and crematorium.

In the same year, the Esso-Elizalde archaeological team supervised by Dr. Robert Fox and Mr. Avelino Legaspi of the Anthropology Division of the National Museum conducted excavations in Pinagbayanan and Bagong Pook, Pila. The team recovered 12^th to 15^th century trade potteries (Valdes, 2003).

The series of archaeological studies and vast amount of trade potteries recovered in Pila, Laguna led scientists and archaeologists to conclude that Pila, Laguna is an important pre-hispanic center of culture and trade. The scientific conclusion became one of the bases for declaring the town of Pila, Laguna a National Historical Landmark[1].

Historian Dr. Luciano Santiago (1997) wrote that “some scholars believe that the copper plate inscription refers instead to barangays in Bulacan Province rather than in Laguna. However, the places referred to in Bulacan are nowhere as significant in Philippine prehistory as those in Laguna”. The Postma suggested Paila site which is located in San Lorenzo, Norzagaray, Bulacan is not even listed as one of the barangays of the said town. The town of Norzagaray was named after General Fernand de Norzagaray y Escudero, Govenor General of the Philippines from 1857-1860. Barrios Casay, Lawang, Tigbi and Bayabas of Angat were formed into the town of Norzagaray during his governorship. (Erecciones, 1764 -1890).

Postma (1992) defines Pulilan as the area along the south east Laguna de Bay area which includes Pila. He further wrote that Pila is within the area of Pulilan and LCI clearly indicates two separate localities with each own leader. This is the reason why he chose instead Pulilan, Bulacan and Paila, San Lorenzo, Norzagaray, Bulacan. This author already explained previously that Pulilan is not the south east area of Laguna de Bay but the Laguna de Bay itself and Puliran Kasumuran[2] is the Laguna de Bay water source. The Puliran Kasumuran region includes present town of Nagcarlan, Liliw, Mahayhay, Lucban, Tayabas and distinctly separate from Pila, Laguna

If Kasumuran is the source of water of Pulilan, Bulacan (Angat and surrounding communities including Norzagaray), the Paila of San Lorenzo, Norzagaray is within the Kasumuran region of Pulilan, Bulacan. Using the same argument raised by Postma above then Paila in Norzagaray is not the Pailah in the Laguna Copperplate Inscription.

____________________
[1]The National Historical Institute of the Philippines declared the town plaza and surrounding ancestral houses a National Historical Landmark on May 17, 2000.

[2]According to the article of Antoon Postma in Sulat sa Tanso January/February 1996 issue, page 5, sumur in Malay and Java means “well” and in Tagalog sumur means “bukal” (bukal=pinagmumulan ng tubig, UP Diksyonaryong Filipino, 2001)

Sources:

Almario, Virgilio S. ed. 2001. UP Diksiyonaryong Filipino. Pasig City.

Ereccion del Pueblos-Bulacan, 1764-1890. Paper creating the barrios Casay, Lawang, Tigbi and Bayabas into new town named Norzagaray, apart from Angat. Bundle no. 45, Legajo no. 129.

Francisco, Juan R. 1995. “Tenth Century Trade/Settlement Area In South East Asia: Epigraphic and Language Evidence in the Philippines,” National Museum Papers: Vol. 4, No.2:10-35.

Jocano, Landa F. 1998. Filipino Prehistory. Quezon City.

Kuang-Jen Chang, “A Comparative study of trade ceramics as grave goods in Pila, Laguna and Calatagan, Batangas, SW Luzon, the Philippines,” presented at Congres International, European Association of Southeast Asian Archaeologists, 11^th International Conference, Bougon, France, 2006.

Postma, Antoon. 1992. “The Laguna Copperplate Inscription,” Philippine Studies 40:183-203.

Postma, Antoon, <mangyanhc@catsi.net.ph> “Reply to letter for Mr. Antoon Postma from the Pila Historical Society Foundation Inc”, Personal Email (11 November 2005)

San Antonio, Francisco de. 2000. Vocabulario Tagalo. Tagalog-Spanish Dictionary. Quezon City.

San Buenaventura, Pedro de. 1613. Vocabulario de Lengua Tagala. Pila.

Santiago, Luciano P.R. 1997. “The Roots Of Pila, Laguna, A Secular And Spiritual History Of The Town (900 AD To The Present),” Philippine quarterly of culture and society 25:125-155.

Solheim, Wilhelm G. 2002. The Archeology of Central Philippines. A study c hiefly of the iron age and its relationships. Revised Ed. Quezon City.

Tenazas, Rosa C.P. n.d. A Report on the Archeology of the Locsin-University of San Carlos Excavations in Pila, Laguna (September 4, 1967 – March 19, 1968). privately printed.

Tiongson, Jaime F. The Laguna Copperplate Inscription and the Route to Paracale in “Heritage and Vigilance: The Pila Historical Society Foundation Inc. Programs for the Study and Preservation of National Historical Landmarks and Treasures,” presented at Seminar on Philippine Town and Cities: Reflections of the Past, Lessons for the Future, Pasig City, 2006.

Tiongson, Jaime F. 2004. The Paracale Gold Route. Unpublished Manuscript. Cited in Santiago, Luciano P.R. 2005. “Pomp, Pageantry and Gold: The Eight Spanish Villas in the Philippines (1565-1887),” Philippine Quarterly of Culture and Society: 33:57-75.

Valdes, Cynthia O. “Archaeology in the Philippines, the National Museum and an Emergent Filipino Nation,” Wilhelm G. Solheim II Foundation for Philippine Archaelogy, Inc. 25 Feb 2004. http://homepages.uni-tuebingen.de/alfred.pawlik/Solheim/philippine_archaeology.html

________. 2003. “Pila in Ancient Time,” in Treasures of Pila. pp 3-6.

Vocabulario de Lengua Tagala Celebration

2006-11-26T07:09:00.000+08:00

The Pila Historical Society Foundation Inc. is organizing the 400th celebration of the printing of the Vocabulario de Lengua Tagala by Father Pedro de San Buenaventura. Interested parties who want to be part of this important celebration may contact the Foundation thru this email address.

As part of the commemoration preparation, the Foundation will post on this website various articles about the Vocabulario.

Interested parties may download the draft English and Tagalog version of the El VOCABULARIO DE LENGUA TAGALA DE PEDRO DE SAN BUENAVENTURA, OFM Valor historico y linguistico de un importante incunable hispanofilipino written by Cayetano Sanchez Fuertes of Ibero-Oriental Franciscan Archive, Madrid. The English translation was done by Virgil Reyes while the Tagalog translation was provided by Father Emmanuel Marfori.

Antoon Postma gave us a copy of an article he wrote in 2001 describing the seven Tagalog vocabularios written during the Spanish period. Of the seven vocabularios, only four were printed while the remaining three are currently being edited by Antoon Postma.

Antoon Postma is the editor of the Ruiz Dictionary and San Antonio Dictionary, both were published by the Ateneo de Manila University. He is now busy editing the Blancas de San Joseph dictionary and will be published by the same university soon. Download Tagalog Vocabularios article.

San Antonio Dictionary is the second dictionary written in Pila, Laguna.

How much was the Vocabulario de Lengua Tagala by Pedro de San Buenaventura in 1613? Antoon Postma gave us a microfilm copy of the tasado(appraised) and it cost 30 reales! It is worthwhile to note that the cost was edited out in the 1994 reprint of the vocabulario.

The first printed book in the Philippines, the Doctrina Christiana, the tasado was only 2 reales.

Download pdf of both 1994 reprint and microfilm copy of the tasado and compare! Please note that the British Museum seal is also absent in the 1994 reprint.

Pila Artifacts at the University of San Carlos Museum

2006-11-23T12:26:00.000+08:00

A team of archeologists led by Dr. Rosa C.P. Tenazas from the University of San Carlos in Cebu City conducted an archaeological study in Pinagbayanan, Pila, Laguna from September 4, 1967 to March 19, 1968 together with the group of Cecilia Locsin.

The team uncovered Philippines’ only prehispanic crematorium dated 12^th to 14^th century and three inhumation Iron Age burials dated near the end of the first millennium or earlier (900 AD). (see picture of Pinagbayanan Crematorium)

The recovered imported proto-historic tradeware ceramics and Iron Age potteries are housed at the USC University Museum in Cebu City.

Every Taga-Pila should visit the USC University Museum collection to learn more about Pila’s heritage and culture.

The 250 to 300 specimens currently in the Pila Museum are from the Elizalde-Esso archaeological diggings in Pinagbayanan from May to October 1967.

They Painted The Town (Hall) Red

2006-11-22T09:55:00.000+08:00

Last year, the Office of the Mayor of Pila, Laguna re-painted the Pila Municipal Center in shocking red. The colonial structure which was inaugurated on June 13, 1931 during the 700^th death anniversary of St. Anthony of Padua is traditionally painted white. The town hall is a colonnaded American period structure designed by Architect Paulino G. Agra.

The red town hall caught the attention of the Heritage Conservation Society and is one of the heritage structures featured in the their 2007 Krag and Concrete Calendar.

The Pila Municipal Center is a perfect match to the red and white quasi-Romanesque facade of the Sta Lucia church of Sta Lucia, Ilocos sur. It is worthwhile to note that the town of Sta. Lucia has two barangays named Pila, Pila West and Pila East. Pila in Ilocano means very hard earth (tierra muy dura).

Pila School Gains Semis in Toribio Volleyball Cup

2006-11-20T20:54:00.000+08:00

San Antonio de Padua College High School girls volleyball team outplayed Holy Trinity Academy, 25-7, 25-17, yesterday to barge into the semifinal round of the 2006 Toribio Cup at the University of the East Caloocan Gym.

The three-time Milo Best Women's Volleyball League champion will battle Hope Christian School on December 3, 2006 at the UE Recto gym. University of the East will face University of Santo Tomas for the other championship slot.

San Antonio de Padua Raiders defeated Hope Christian School in the recently concluded Nestea Inter-Secondary Beach Volleyball tournament held at the La Salle Greenhills sand court and will try to beat the same school again. SAPC Raiders went home with the Beach volleyball crown last August with Hope Christian School placing second and UST, third.

En route to the Toribio cup semifinals, the SAPC Raiders defeated St Anthony School of Lagro and Valenzuela National High School in straight sets.

SAPC Raiders also won the Laguna Unit 3 Volleyball crown last November 11, 2006 and will represent Unit 3 in the Laguna Provincial Meet scheduled on December 5-8, 2006. The 2002 and 2003 Laguna Champion will attempt to regain the crown from University of Perpetual Help Biñan.

No Water, No Rice

2006-11-13T12:18:00.000+08:00

Typhoon Milenyo (international codename Typhoon Xangsane) which hit Laguna and surrounding provinces last September 29, 2006 is now history with all major damages fixed, electricity restored and uprooted trees and billboards removed but the effects of the strongest typhoon to hit the area since Typhoon Rosing are still being felt in Pila, Laguna.

The Calumpang River Dam which supplies water for Pila’s rice fields still has to be repaired and according to unconfirmed reports, it will take 1 to 2 years before the National Irrigation Administration complete the installation of a new dam which means no rice for 2 to 4 crop cycles. The dam was damaged at the height of typhoon Milenyo’s fury.

Lanzones production which peaked this year after more than ten years of poor production brought about by the ash fall of the Mt. Pinatubo eruption and Typhoon Rosing in 1995 will again go down. Coconut farms also took a beating. As a consequence, copra output will remain low within the next two years.

Yesterday, travel to Pila was affected by the mudflows in Calamba. Mudflows and floods continue to disrupt highway traffic in Calamba since Typhoon Milenyo ravaged the resort capital. Heavy shower causes mudflow from Mount Makiling to Pansol and Bucal in Calamba.

Please read related story.

New Kababayan Hero

2006-11-13T08:31:00.000+08:00

Ronnie “Calamba” Alcano is the new World Pool Champion. He defeated 1996 WPC champion Ralf Soquet in the finals, 17-11. En route to the championship, Alcano defeated two other WPC champions, 1999 WPC Champion Efren “Bata” Reyes in the round of 64 and 2005 WPC champion Wu Chia-Ching in the quarterfinals.

Alcano is from Calamba City. He is the third Filipino WPC champion. Efren Reyes won the championship in 1999 and Alex Pagulayan in 2004.

No wikipedia yet for this guy but with his patented soft break and winning the championship crown in front of his Kababayans, an article about him will definitely be on the wiki site soon.

Puliran in the Laguna Copperplate Inscription: Laguna de Bay or Pulilan, Bulacan?

2006-11-11T09:40:00.000+08:00

by: Jaime F. Tiongson

According to the Laguna Copperplate Inscription website, Antoon Postma first thought that Pailah was Pila, Laguna and Puliran was the southeastern area of the lake because that was what the place was called in the old days. The website further states that “Pila was then part of the area known as Pulilan. However, he opted to take Pulilan and Paila both along the Angat River in Bulacan as better candidates because the document clearly referred to two separate places, not one inside a larger jurisdiction.” Antoon Postma statement that Pulilan is the southeastern area of the lake was probably based on the San Antonio Dictionary which he edited. In page 213 of the San Antonio dictionary, Pulilan was defined as: "El lugar, que esta a la manzo izquierda de donde sale el sol en la Laguna, como Pila, Lumban hasta Bay, y los que estan al Oriente en la Laguna, que son Paete, Pangil, llaman Silangan. Y asi, ir a Pila y Lumban, es: namomulilan, ir a Paete y Pangil, es: Naninilangan."

The Pulilan entries and examples in the Vocabulario de Lengua Tagala written by Pedro de San Buenaventura may refine the definition above. There are several entries in the 1613 San Buenaventura Dictionary that clearly defines Pulilan as the old name of the Laguna de Bay. The following are the entries in the SB Dictionary about Pulilan:

Laguna: Dagat pp: L. asi nombran en comun a la Laguna de Bay, dito sasang dagatang ito, en toda esta laguna. l. Dito sasang doongang ito (SB page 383). (The L. after the pp. means used in Laguna)
Laguna: Pulilan pp: M. de Bay en respeto de Manila, namumulilan .3.ac. ir acon tratar de Manila y sus contornos a la laguna de Bay, ipinamumulilan .3.P. lo q llenan, aco, y, namumulilan, boy a la laguna a tratar, tagapulilan ca, eres natural de la laguna? Preguntan en Manila: (M after the pp means used in Manila) (SB page 383)
Laguna: Doongan pp: respeto de los del Bondo y Tingiuianes, tutugpa aco sa doongan, boy a la laguna, doon sasang doongan man, aungue sea alla en toda la laguna. (For those living in Nagcarlan, Liliw , Mahayhay, Laguna de Bay to them is Doongan). (SB page 383)
Laguneros: Taga-doongan pp: respeto de los Tingues, y taga Pulilan, respeto de Manila. (SB page 383)
Ir: Pulilan pp: M. los de manila a la laguna de Bay. Vi. Laguna. Maygi at acoy mamumulilan hani? Bueno ser ir yo a la laguna, que te parece? Mamulilan ca, ve a la laguna de Bay. (SB page 372).
Ir: Lovas pc: A Manila los de la laguna y tinges, lungmolovas .l. ac.l. naglolovas .2. ir a Manila, ylinolovas .1.P. lo que lleva a uender, linolovas. lo a que va alla, imp: lumovas ca, ve a Manila, anong ylolovas co? que e de llevar alla? lovasin mo ang asin, ve por tal a Manila. (SB page 372)

With the above definitions, it is crystal clear that Pulilan is the Laguna de Bay. However, for the past two years this author is at a lost interpreting the LCI using the above Pulilan definition. Is Ka Sumuran the Lord of the Lake? Is there such a ruler? The problem was settled when Antoon Postma gave this author a copy of the Sulat sa Tanso January/February 1996 issue. In page 5 of the newsletter, he wrote that sumur in Malay and Java means “well” like Sumur Bandung or Candi Sumur Upas in Indonesia and in Tagalog sumur means “bukal” (bukal=pinagmumulan ng tubig, UP Diksyonaryong Filipino, 2001). Kasumuran is not a name of a person but a placename. Kasumuran is a region of wells and springs, the source of water. Puliran Kasumuran in the Laguna Copperplate Inscription thus means Laguna de Bay water source.

A quick look at this satellite image will show that the most likely candidate for the Kasumuran region is the area from Nagcarlan, Laguna to Lucban, Quezon including Mt. Banahaw, Mt. San Cristobal and Mt. Lucban. As a testament to the vast amount of water in the area, the first two hydroelectric power plants in the Philippines, the Botocan and Caliraya Hydroelectric Power Plants were constructed in this area. The Botocan Falls and the Pagsanjan falls are also located in this region. Liliw and Nagcarlan municipal water supply comes from the mountain springs and Volcan de Agua is the Spanish name of Mt. Banahaw.

The P'u-li-lu in Chu Fan Chih book written by Chao Ju-Kua in 1225 most probably is the Laguna de Bay. William Henry Scott suggested that "P'u-li-lu is Polillo island" old interpretation must be rejected because of the remote and rugged Pacific coast of Luzon is unlikely to have attracted Asian shipping and the name itself looks supiciously like the Spanish diminutative for Tagalog pulo (Scott, 1984). However, since Laguna de Bay is inland, the source of the precious branch coral shan hu must be further investigated.

As for Pulilan, Bulacan, the place probably got its name in reference to the great Candaba Swamp beside the town. According to the Municipality of Pulilan website, the town of Pulilan, Bulacan was created out of the districts of Baliuag and Quinqua. Quinqua is from the Pampango word "kengwa" which means on the other side (of the Candaba swamp).

Kababayan Hero

2006-11-07T12:25:00.000+08:00

Last year, a kababayan was featured in the Philippine Daily Inquirer newspaper. Published on page A19 of the February 27, 2005 issue of the newspaper was the heroism of Apolinar Tabernilla of Pila, Laguna. His heroism was caught on camera by the Agence France Presse and Associated Press. Inquirer was able to track down Tabernilla and his story through the pictures. Please read full story.

PHILIPPPINE TOWNS & CITIES: Reflections Of The Past, Lessons For The Future

2006-11-07T11:52:00.000+08:00

The Heritage Conservation Society (HCS), in collaboration with the Urban Partnerships Foundation, and the University of the Philippines History Department, will be conducting a seminar on November 8, 2006 at the Development Academy of the Philippines, San Miguel Avenue, Pasig City. The seminar aims to promote heritage conservation as a strategy for urban development and revitalization that will redound to local socioeconomic growth.

Pila Historical Society Foundation Inc. will present the coordinated programs of the group for the study and preservation of Pila, Laguna historical sites and treasures representing a recently identified phase of our national history.

Download seminar program and objectives.

Laguna Copperplate Inscription and the Route to Paracale

2006-11-06T08:49:00.001+08:00

The Pila Historical Society is actively working on a different interpretation of the Laguna Copperplate Inscription found in Lumban River in 1989. The Pila Historical Society is collaborating with Antoon Postma and other scholars on a new interpretation of the LCI that may further unlock its secret. The society firmly believes that the placenames in Bulacan as suggested by Antoon Postma are nowhere as significant in Philippine prehistory as those in Laguna especially the town of Pila (Santiago, 2003). The group believes that Paila which was mentioned twice in the Laguna Copperplate Inscription is the present town of Pila. Antoon Postma wrote in one of his correspondence to the society that Paila or Payla is a diphthong and can not develop into Pila as recommended. The society noted and informed Antoon Postma of the development of several tagalog words namely: baywang to bewang, baynat to binat, kailan to kelan, mayroon to meron, taynga or tainga to tenga. The dipthong ai became e or i.

Puliran is not the Bulacan town of Pulilan but the Laguna de Bay. According to the

Philippines

’ oldest printed dictionary, Pulilan is the old name of Laguna de Bay (San Buenaventura, 1613, page 383). Kasumuran is not a name of a person. According to Antoon Postma, the root word of kasumuran is sumur which means source of water. Puliran Kasumuran thus means Laguna de Bay water source. Puliran Kasumuran most probably is the region from Nagcarlan (Laguna) to Mauban (Quezon). As a testament to the vast amount of water of the Kasumuran region, the first two hydroelectric power plants of the

Philippines

were constructed in the same region. The Botocan Hydroelectric Power Plant and Caliraya Hydroelectric Power Plant were built before World War II and provided electricity to Manila and surrounding areas up to the present. The famous Pagsanjan and Botocan Falls are also within the Puliran Kasumuran region.

Binwangan is not the nameplace in Obando but Binawangan, Capalonga, Camarines Norte, the town next to Paracale, the source of gold of the Tagalogs. Capalonga and Paracale were listed in early Spanish chronicles as part of the Tagalog region (Blair and Robertson, 1903-1909). The Laguna Copperplate Inscription which was dated 900 AD defined the boundaries of the Tagalog region from Tondo to Capalonga, Camarines Norte. The same region occupied by the Tagalogs six hundred years later when the Spaniards conquered Luzon. It is interesting to note that Juan de Salcedo used the same route to capture the gold mines of Paracale (Blair and Robertson, 1903-1909). Perhaps the people who wrote the Laguna Copperplate Insciption are related to the Indios Mutilaos found by the Spaniards during the conquest of Pila and the Puliran Kasumuran region and were conceded (repartimiento) to Juan Lopez de Goyaz and Llorente Machado in 1572 (Nuchera, 1994).

In October 3, 1997, J. G. de Casparis wrote to Antoon Postma and suggested that the word dikrama in line 4 of the LCI means marriage. He also wrote that it is a solemn word for “to marry” in new Javanese and in Old Javanese under krama and panakramen meaning “to join in matrimony.” The Laguna Copperplate Inscription could have documented the marriage and love story of Jayadewa and Namwaran.

He also suggested in his 1994 letter that ganasakti is not a name of a person but a function. He noted that the term literally means “strong in counting” or “who acts as an accountant”. Bisruta is also not a name but a person who is famous or learned. Pila Historical Society recommends additional archaeological studies in Pinagbayanan and surrounding areas, Kasumuran region and Binawangan, Capalonga, Camarines Norte in light of the recent Laguna Copperplate Inscription findings.