Pila Historic Town Center

The Pila Historic Town Center is a historic district located at Barangay Santa Clara Norte, Pila, Laguna, Philippines. The district preserves examples of Spanish and American-era architecture found in its town proper laid out with the Spanish colonial town planning system for the Indies and is also a pre-Hispanic archaeological site. The National Historical Institute declared a specific portion of Pila as a National Historical Landmark in 2000. The town has been recognized by scholars as a possible contender in UNESCO as a World Heritage Site.

Rationale for Declaration as Historic Town Center

The NHI board resolution cites several reasons for the declaration of certain areas in downtown Pila as National Historical Landmark:

The present-day town of Pila is a pre-Hispanic center of culture and trade in the Laguna area as proven by clay potteries unearthed in an archaeological site in Pinagbayanan in 1967;
Spaniards used to refer to Pila as La Noble Villa de Pila in reference to its well-mannered citizens and rich culture;
As of writing, Pila is one of the few, existing towns in the Philippines following the Spanish colonial town planning system with the town center being the plaza complex surrounded by government and religious infrastructure; and
Pila features a collection of well-preserved of Spanish and American-era houses, government structures, and church.

According to the board resolution, the following streets in Brgy. Santa Clara Norte are identified as part of Pila Historic Town Center: