Pila celebrates 437th year

Mayor Edgardo Ramos reports the accomplish-
ments of his government.

Pila celebrated its 437th founding anniversary, July 28, with a program held at the Municipal Quadrangle.

The municipal government held activities and rendered services to the residents of Pila such as vegetable seeds distribution, distribution of PhilHealth membership cards, mobile NBI clearance, medical and optical missions, job fairs, and blood donation.

The program started with a prayer and doxology from public school and day care center pupils. Dr. Edna Hemedez, district supervisor, gave her opening remarks. Mayor Edgardo Ramos then gave a report of accomplishments of the local government. Vice Mayor Querubin Relova, Jr. also gave his message to the Pileños which was followed by a narration of the history of Pila from the pre-Hispanic era by Colegio Monterei de Pila.

Bahaghari Cultural Dance Group entertains the audience with a
dance that reflects Pila's history.

Rainbow Institute of Learning, Inc. (RILI) also took part in the program. RILI's official folk dance group, Bahaghari Cultural Dance Group, rendered two folk dances which reflect the history of Pila. Other private schools and the pupils of the different Day Care Centers also rendered special numbers.

The first dictionary in the Philippines--Vocabolario de Lengua Tagala--was printed in Pila. The National Historical Institute declared Pila's town plaza a historical landmark in 2000. Two years after, the Catholic church declared Pila's parish as the Diocesan Shrine of San Antonio de Padua. This makes Pila the only town in the Philippines that is declared a historical landmark by both the government and the Catholic church.