Leisurely Walk in Pila, Laguna

I will admit that I envy towns or cities that still preserve a portion of its past: be it structures, food, tradition, or even ambience. Pila, Laguna still has the last one. Although more famous for its well-preserved and well-maintained ancestral houses (which fortunately survived the last world war), the town is unique for that old times ‘feel’. The houses reinforce that feeling, add to that the silent watcher that is the town church. One brief rest at its center, at its town plaza would definitely remind you that it still good to have those things from the Spanish era. Despite the busy street on all sides (one being a main thoroughfare for both jeepneys and buses), the town center is surprisingly peaceful in general. Of course these are the views of a visitor and I hope such views can be maintained and be seen as well by the others.

 

On a different note, upon closer examination of the houses, one may want to make detailed study of their designs as well as treir similarities. I have come across a book in National Bookstore that  discusses house designs in the Philippines but then, ‘localized’ historical researches would not ne bad at all I believe.  For now, the aesthetic aspects of the Pila ancestral houses would suffice.

What remains to be seen and visited are: 1) the Pila Museum (‘di ko pa maabutang bukas), and the original location of the town.