PILA, LAGUNA, Philippines—Another “heritage village” will rise in the central plaza of Pila town in Laguna after the Department of Tourism (DOT) approved funding for its cultural restoration and preservation.
“The local government, together with its citizens, has beautifully preserved their homes and historic edifices, placing these landmarks into adaptive re-use to fit their present lifestyle and needs,” said Louella Jurilla, regional tourism director.
The plaza displays elements of town planning that prevailed during the Spanish colonial period—a church, municipal hall and a school building on site, she said.
It is surrounded by 31 centuries-old houses, which have been preserved by the old clans in the town.
The museum, which used to be an Escuela Pia (school supervised by the church), displays antique handicraft items, including a copper plate that dates back to 900 A.D. and said to be the oldest written record in the Philippines.
P3-M initial funding
Jurilla said the DOT approved the proposal to make Pila a heritage village in April. She said some P3 million would be released as initial fund to help the commu nity put up bed-and-breakfast restaurants and to rehabilitate its museum.
More funding would come from the 2012 national budget, she added.
Pila’s central plaza has heritage houses similar to those in the City of Vigan in Ilocos Sur, only that “the town (Pila) is precolonial but the structures are younger,” Jurilla said. The country has 10 sites declared heritage villages, including Taal town in Batangas.
In an earlier interview, Pila Mayor Edgardo Ramos welcomed the DOT project, saying the town was pinning its hopes for a better economy on tourism. Pila remains a fourth-class municipality dependent on agriculture.
River project
The local government also plans to develop the Bulusukan River into an eco-tourist destination, Ramos said.
“It will generate jobs and income for small store owners and kakanin (native delicacies) vendors,” said Cora Relova of the Pila Historical Society Foundation. She owns one of the heritage houses.
Relova, however, said she was not willing to open her home to the public, although she pledged support to the tourism program by helping train tour guides and historical lecturers.
“This should be studied and laid out carefully,” she added.
Jurilla encouraged other towns with historical and cultural heritage to impose ordinances and to carefully plan zoning projects to prevent the construction of high-rise structures that might ruin the ancient sites.
“The DOT is ready to provide its support for cultural preservation, especially to small towns with meager income,” she said.