| City of Las Piñas Lungsod ng Las Piñas |
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| — City — | |||
| Zapote River and Quirino Avenue | |||
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| 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 | |||
| Map of Metro Manila showing the location of Las Piñas City | |||
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City of Las Piñas
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| Coordinates: | |||
| Country | Philippines | ||
| Region | National Capital Region | ||
| Districts | Lone District of Las Piñas City | ||
| 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) | ||
| • Sangguniang Panlungsod | |||
| Area | |||
| • Total | 41.54 km2 (16 sq mi) | ||
| Population (2007) | |||
| • Total | 532,330 | ||
| • Density | 12,815/km2 (33,190.7/sq mi) | ||
| Time zone | Philippine Standard Time (UTC+8) | ||
| Area code(s) | 2 | ||
| Website | www.laspinascity.gov.ph | ||
The City of Las Piñas (Filipino: Lungsod ng Las Piñas) (population: 532,330, 2007 Census) is a city in the National Capital Region of the Philippines. It is bounded on the north and northeast by the Parañaque City; on the east and southeast by Muntinlupa City; on the south by the Municipality of Imus, Cavite; on the southwest and west by the Municipality of Bacoor, Cavite; 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 City consists of three zones: Manila Bay, coastal margin and Guadalupe Plateau.
The city is bisected by Real (Spanish for Royal) Street, also known as the Alabang-Zapote Road . It forms part of the Maharlika Highway which spans the whole country. The Alabang–Zapote Road connects the South Luzon Expressway which passes through Muntinlupa City in the east to the Coastal Road along Manila Bay.
The Coastal Road, despite its name, is a major tollway which runs the southern length of Metro Manila's shoreline with Manila Bay. It is an important artery for people commuting to and from Las Piñas City and Cavite to Manila.
In 2004, a new road called "Daang Hari" (Tagalog for King's Way) was completed in the eastern part of Las Piñas City, which connects the city to the neighbouring towns of Bacoor, Cavite, Muntinlupa City, and San Pedro, Laguna, allowing residents to avoid heavy traffic in the Zapote and Alabang (Muntinlupa) districts. Daang Hari is a popular route for cyclists, especially on weekends.
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Since its establishment as a small fishing port and a major salt-making center during the Spanish Era, Las Piñas City has grown into an important residential, commercial and industrial suburb of Metro Manila.
Las Piñas City is world 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 the year 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 City, the place where the world-famous Jeepney is 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 City, 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 City has recently acquired the status "Most Competitive City" in the Philippines, together with Davao City, Makati City, Muntinlupa City and Marikina City.
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 the year 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 Pinas 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 (now Metro Manila) 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.
Las Piñas City, 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.[1] 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.
Las Piñas City is divided into 20 barangays. These barangays are grouped into two legislative districts, each with its own set of representatives in the city council. District 1 comprises the northwestern half of the city while District 2, the remaining half.
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District 1 Barangays
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District 2 Barangays
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Las Piñas City is home to unique festivals like the "Bamboo Organ Festival", "Waterlily Festival", "Bamboo Festival" and "Parol (Lantern) Festival".
Las Piñas City will soon be served by the LRT-1 (via Manuyo Uno Station and Las Piñas Station).
Las Piñas City is accessible through these major roads:
There are several bus lines linking Las Pinas and Metro Manila. Bus services that operates in Las Pinas 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 .
| Manila Bay | Parañaque | |||
| Las Piñas | ||||
| Bacoor, Cavite | Muntinlupa |
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| Largest cities of Philippines Philippines 2007 Census |
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|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Rank | City name | Region | Pop. | Rank | City name | Region | Pop. | ||
| 1 | Quezon City | Metro Manila | 2,679,450 | 11 | Dasmariñas | CALABARZON | 556,330 | ||
| 2 | Manila | Metro Manila | 1,660,714 | 12 | Cagayan de Oro | Northern Mindanao | 553,966 | ||
| 3 | Caloocan | Metro Manila | 1,378,856 | 13 | Parañaque | Metro Manila | 552,660 | ||
| 4 | Davao City | Davao Region | 1,363,337 | 14 | Las Piñas | Metro Manila | 532,223 | ||
| 5 | Cebu City | Central Visayas | 798,809 | 15 | General Santos | SOCCSKSARGEN | 529,542 | ||
| 6 | Zamboanga City | Zamboanga Peninsula | 774,407 | 16 | Makati | Metro Manila | 510,383 | ||
| 7 | Antipolo | CALABARZON | 633,971 | 17 | Bacolod | Western Visayas | 499,497 | ||
| 8 | Pasig | Metro Manila | 617,301 | 18 | Muntinlupa | Metro Manila | 452,943 | ||
| 9 | Taguig | Metro Manila | 613,343 | 19 | Tagum | Davao Region | 450,526 | ||
| 10 | Valenzuela | Metro Manila | 568,928 | 20 | San Jose del Monte | Central Luzon | 439,090 | ||