History
The City of Las Piñas (Filipino: Lungsod ng Las Piñas) is a city in the National Capital Region of the Philippines with a population of population was 552,573 as of the 2010 Census.
Since its establishment as a small fishing port and a major salt-making center during the Spanish Era, Las Piñas has grown into an important residential, commercial and industrial suburb of Metro Manila.
Las Piñas is famous for its Bamboo Organ, located inside the St. Joseph Church of the Parish of Las Piñas, formerly known as San Jose Parish Church in the Spanish Period, as the only organ of its kind in the world. Built in 1824 by Catholic priest, Fr. Diego Cera, created out of bamboo, wood, and metal, this famous organ is praised for its unique, rare, and melodious sound.
The Sarao Motors factory is also located in Las Piñas, the place where Jeepneys are assembled piece by piece in painstaking individual production. The factory remains open to buyers and curious visitors all year round.
Las Piñas has a large shopping mall named SM Southmall, which has an area of 205,120 square meters and is located along Alabang–Zapote Road. The newest shopping mall development in the city is SM Center Las Piñas, located few meters away from the City Hall. The first high rise building in the city is 16 story residential building Almanza Metropolis.
Las Piñas, also known as one of the cleanest cities in Metro Manila, is in the list of the "Clean and Green Hall of Fame" awarded by the Philippine Government. It is also the first local government unit in the Philippines that has been honored with the prestigious Global 500 Roll of Honour of the United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP). These honors were in recognition of the city's outstanding achievements in the protection and improvement of the environment.
Las Piñas has recently acquired the status "Most Competitive City" in the Philippines, together with Davao City, Makati, Muntinlupa and Marikina.
The story about the true origin of the city's name, "Las Piñas", varies. Some said that traders from the province of Cavite and Batangas shipped first their piña (pineapples) for sale to this town before they are distributed in nearby markets. Others related that it was "Las Peñas" (not Las Piñas) evident by the quarrying of stones and adobe which were used to construct buildings and bridges. The name could have also originated from two political groups that ruled the place at that time.
But an inscription in an old church bell that has been preserved inside the museum of the Las Piñas Parochial Church, stated "Siendo Cura-del Pueblo de las Peñas el M.R.P. Padre Diego Cera se Fundio este equilon ano de 1820". It shows that even during the time of Fr. Diego Cera, the town's first parish priest, the town has been called "Las Peñas" until after sometime that the spelling of the town's name was changed into "Las Piñas".
Las Piñas was one of the earliest fishing settlements on the shores of Manila Bay and was proclaimed a town either in 1762 or 1797. Its exact date of creation cannot be ascertained because historical records vary. Cavada, a Spanish historian and Fr. Juan Medina placed it at 1762, while Buzeta recorded the date at 1797.
Besides being famous for its Bamboo Organ, which was built by Fr. Diego Cera and completed in 1824, the town of Las Piñas was also a major war theater during the 1896 Philippine Revolution, as it was occupied by Gen. Emilio Aguinaldo's forces. Las Piñas was also, occupied by the Japanese during Second World War, to be followed by the liberation period, when the combined Filipino and American forces fought the Japanese Imperial armed forces until the end of war.
In 1901, the Municipality of Las Piñas was incorporated from Cavite to the newly created province of Rizal pursuant to Philippine Commission Act No. 137. Two years later, it was combined with Parañaque, the latter being the seat of a new municipal government.
It became a separate municipality from Parañaque on March 27, 1907 by virtue of Philippine Commission Act No. 1625. Then, with the founding of the Metropolitan Manila Area (Metro Manila in short) in 1976, Las Piñas became one of the municipalities making up the region.
On February 12, 1997, President Fidel V. Ramos signed the bill declaring Las Piñas a new city. A plebiscite held a month after found the residents in approval of cityhood and Las Piñas became the 10th city of Metro Manila on March 26, 1997.
Since its establishment as a small fishing port and a major salt-making center during the Spanish Era, Las Piñas has grown into an important residential, commercial and industrial suburb of Metro Manila.
Las Piñas is famous for its Bamboo Organ, located inside the St. Joseph Church of the Parish of Las Piñas, formerly known as San Jose Parish Church in the Spanish Period, as the only organ of its kind in the world. Built in 1824 by Catholic priest, Fr. Diego Cera, created out of bamboo, wood, and metal, this famous organ is praised for its unique, rare, and melodious sound.
The Sarao Motors factory is also located in Las Piñas, the place where Jeepneys are assembled piece by piece in painstaking individual production. The factory remains open to buyers and curious visitors all year round.
Las Piñas has a large shopping mall named SM Southmall, which has an area of 205,120 square meters and is located along Alabang–Zapote Road. The newest shopping mall development in the city is SM Center Las Piñas, located few meters away from the City Hall. The first high rise building in the city is 16 story residential building Almanza Metropolis.
Las Piñas, also known as one of the cleanest cities in Metro Manila, is in the list of the "Clean and Green Hall of Fame" awarded by the Philippine Government. It is also the first local government unit in the Philippines that has been honored with the prestigious Global 500 Roll of Honour of the United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP). These honors were in recognition of the city's outstanding achievements in the protection and improvement of the environment.
Las Piñas has recently acquired the status "Most Competitive City" in the Philippines, together with Davao City, Makati, Muntinlupa and Marikina.
The story about the true origin of the city's name, "Las Piñas", varies. Some said that traders from the province of Cavite and Batangas shipped first their piña (pineapples) for sale to this town before they are distributed in nearby markets. Others related that it was "Las Peñas" (not Las Piñas) evident by the quarrying of stones and adobe which were used to construct buildings and bridges. The name could have also originated from two political groups that ruled the place at that time.
But an inscription in an old church bell that has been preserved inside the museum of the Las Piñas Parochial Church, stated "Siendo Cura-del Pueblo de las Peñas el M.R.P. Padre Diego Cera se Fundio este equilon ano de 1820". It shows that even during the time of Fr. Diego Cera, the town's first parish priest, the town has been called "Las Peñas" until after sometime that the spelling of the town's name was changed into "Las Piñas".
Las Piñas was one of the earliest fishing settlements on the shores of Manila Bay and was proclaimed a town either in 1762 or 1797. Its exact date of creation cannot be ascertained because historical records vary. Cavada, a Spanish historian and Fr. Juan Medina placed it at 1762, while Buzeta recorded the date at 1797.
Besides being famous for its Bamboo Organ, which was built by Fr. Diego Cera and completed in 1824, the town of Las Piñas was also a major war theater during the 1896 Philippine Revolution, as it was occupied by Gen. Emilio Aguinaldo's forces. Las Piñas was also, occupied by the Japanese during Second World War, to be followed by the liberation period, when the combined Filipino and American forces fought the Japanese Imperial armed forces until the end of war.
In 1901, the Municipality of Las Piñas was incorporated from Cavite to the newly created province of Rizal pursuant to Philippine Commission Act No. 137. Two years later, it was combined with Parañaque, the latter being the seat of a new municipal government.
It became a separate municipality from Parañaque on March 27, 1907 by virtue of Philippine Commission Act No. 1625. Then, with the founding of the Metropolitan Manila Area (Metro Manila in short) in 1976, Las Piñas became one of the municipalities making up the region.
On February 12, 1997, President Fidel V. Ramos signed the bill declaring Las Piñas a new city. A plebiscite held a month after found the residents in approval of cityhood and Las Piñas became the 10th city of Metro Manila on March 26, 1997.