Monday, 3 September 2012

Las Piñas City



Information of the City:
Las Piñas City
Lungsod ng Las Piñas
Highly-Urbanized City
City of Las Piñas

Nickname(s): Home of the Bamboo Organ, City of Love and Progress, Salt Center of Metro Manila, Lantern Capital of Metro Manila
Motto: Las Piñas, Our Home

Location in the Philippines:
Coordinates: 14°26.6728′N 120°59.6324′E

Country             : Philippines
Region: National Capital Region

Districts: Lone District of Las Piñas
Barangays: 20
Incorporated (Town): 1762 or 1797
Incorporated (Separated from Parañaque)             : March 27, 1907
Incorporated (City): March 26, 1997

Government
 • Mayor: Vergel A. Aguilar (Nacionalista)
 • Vice Mayor: Luis I. Bustamante (Nacionalista)

Area
 • Total: 41.54 km2 (16.04 sq mi)

Population (2010)
 • Total: 552,573
 • Density: 13,302/km2 (34,450/sq mi)

Demonym: Las Piñero


Time zone: Philippine Standard Time (UTC+8)
Area code(s): 2

Website: www.laspinascity.gov.ph

About:
is a city in the National Capital Region of the Philippines with a population of population was 552,573 as of the 2010 Census. It is bounded on the north and northeast by the Parañaque; on the east and southeast by Muntinlupa; on the south by the Imus; on the southwest and west by Bacoor; and on the northwest by the scenic Manila Bay. Half of its land area is residential and the remaining half is used for commercial, industrial and institutional purposes. The present physiography of Las Piñas consists of three zones: Manila Bay, coastal margin and Guadalupe Plateau.

Background:
From its days as the salt center of Manila to its bright present as a rapidly urbanizing residential-commercial center, Las Piñas has indeed come a long way. Known nationwide for its bamboo organ, salt beds, and jeepney factories, Las Piñas is distinguished as one of Metro Manila’s fastest-growing communities. Continued economic growth, coupled with effective local governance, have earned Las Piñas the distinction of being Metro Manila’s cleanest and most peaceful city for three years straight.

Although it became a city only in 1997, Las Piñas was one of the first settlements on the outskirts of Manila. In 1797, during Spain’s four-hundred-year rule, a Spanish missionary by the name of Fr. Diego Cera was brought to a barrio in Parañaque with a mere 1,200 inhabitants—what was to later become Las Piñas. This holy man’s hard work, persistence, and vision put the sleepy fishing village on the road to progress and development, leading to the establishment of the Las Piñas Church in 1819, the six-year construction of the bamboo organ, as well as the building of roads and bridges that spawned the industries of dye making, salt production, and handicrafts.

The years that followed were trying times for the barrio as it fell prey to roaming bandits, and then in 1880, they lost hundreds of residents from outbreaks of cholera and smallpox. More residents were lost sixteen years later when, during the Philippine revolution against Spain, Las Piñas became the battlefield of several bloody encounters between the forces of Gen. Emilio Aguinaldo and the Spanish troops. Some years after the Philippine-American war, on March 27, 1907, Las Piñas was spun off from Parañaque and was proclaimed an independent municipality.
With the construction of the South Super Highways in the 1960s, Las Piñas became a first-class municipality. For urbanites wanting to escape the congestion of Greater Manila’s inner cities, it became a welcome alternative, whether for residence or business. The once quiet and rustic coastal town was transforming into a bustling urban center for residential subdivisions and large industries, its proximity to Manila and transportation and communication advantages drawing in real estate developers and other business investors. This economic growth was further boosted with the construction of the Coastal Road in the mid-80s which directly linked Metro Manila to Cavite. From the early ’90s to today, Las Piñas has served as the gateway to the CALABARZON (Cavite, Laguna, Batangas, Rizal, and Quezon), an industrial-growth corridor whose rapid expansion is led by the demands of a sophisticated suburban populace and high-technology industries.

History:
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.



Map:
File:Ph locator ncr laspinas.png File:Ph map laspinas.png
(Map of Las Piñas City in Metro Manila)`         (Map of Las Pinas)

The City:
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.

Etymology:
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".

Government:
Las Piñas, like other cities of the Philippines, is a local government unit whose powers and functions are specified by the Local Government Code of the Philippines. In general, as a city, Las Piñas is headed by a mayor who heads the city's executive function and the vice mayor who heads the city's legislative function, which is composed of twelve councilors, six each from the city's two city council districts. For representation, the city is considered as one district, and therefore one representative, in the country's House of Representatives.

Additionally, like other cities and municipalities, Las Piñas is subdivided into barangays.


Districts and Barangays:

District 1 Barangays
CAA-B.F. International
Daniel Fajardo (Poblacion)
Elias Aldana
Ilaya
Manuyo Uno
Manuyo Dos
Pamplona Uno
Pamplona Tres
Pulanglupa Uno
Pulanglupa Dos
Zapote

District 2 Barangays
Almanza Uno
Almanza Dos
Pamplona Dos
Pilar Village
Talon Uno
Talon Dos
Talon Tres
Talon Cuatro
Talon Singko

Culture:
Las Piñas City is home to unique festivals like the "Bamboo Organ Festival", "Waterlily Festival", "Bamboo Festival" and "Parol (Lantern) Festival".

Transportation:

Rail Transportation
Las Piñas City will soon be served by the LRT-1 (via Manuyo Uno Station and Las Piñas Station).


Road Network:
Las Piñas City is accessible through these major roads:

Aguinaldo Highway
Alabang-Zapote Road
Carlos P. Garcia Avenue (C-5 Road Extension)
Daang Hari (Las Piñas, Muntinlupa, Bacoor, San Pedro Link Road)
J. Aguilar Avenue
Manila-Cavite Expressway
Marcos Alvarez Avenue
Padre Diego Cera Avenue (Quirino Avenue)

There are several bus lines linking Las Piñas and Metro Manila. Bus services that operates in Las Piñas including Tas Trans Corp./Bensan Trans, Reinalyn Bus Lines, WLH Trans/WLLH Liner, Erjohn And Almark Transit Corp., MJ Sunville Transport, Arabia Boy Express & ALTRANSCO and various jeepney routes also ply the roads between the city and neighboring cities and towns in Parañaque, Muntinlupa & Cavite .

Sister Cities:
Parañaque, Metro Manila, Philippines
Ufa, Russia
Sochi, Russia
Markham, Ontario, Canada
Bacoor, Cavite, Philippines

Bibliography/ Reference/ Source:




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