Pilar, officially the Municipality of Pilar ( tl, Bayan ng Pilar), is a 3rd class

municipality A municipality is usually a single administrative division having corporate status and powers of self-government or jurisdiction as granted by national and regional laws to which it is subordinate. The term ''municipality'' may also mean the ...

in the

province A province is almost always an administrative division within a country or state. The term derives from the ancient Roman ''provincia'', which was the major territorial and administrative unit of the Roman Empire's territorial possessions out ...

Bataan Bataan (), officially the Province of Bataan ( fil, Lalawigan ng Bataan ), is a province in the Central Luzon region of the Philippines. Its capital is the city of Balanga while Mariveles is the largest town in the province. Occupying the enti ...

Philippines The Philippines (; fil, Pilipinas, links=no), officially the Republic of the Philippines ( fil, Republika ng Pilipinas, links=no), * bik, Republika kan Filipinas * ceb, Republika sa Pilipinas * cbk, República de Filipinas * hil, Republ ...

. According to the 2020 census, it has a population of 46,239 people. The Bataan Government Center and the historic Mount Samat National Shrine (''Dambana ng Kagitingan'') are both situated within the municipality in Barangays Diwa and Ala-uli, respectively.

Etymology

The town was named in the honor of the image of the Our Lady of the Pillar, hence the town was called "Pilar".

History

One of the oldest towns of Bataan, Pilar was previously part of

Pampanga Pampanga, officially the Province of Pampanga ( pam, Lalawigan ning Pampanga; tl, Lalawigan ng Pampanga ), is a province in the Central Luzon region of the Philippines. Lying on the northern shore of Manila Bay, Pampanga is bordered by Tarlac ...

. Spaniards in the galleon landed in a ''sitio'' of Balanga and were greeted by the natives.

Geography

Pilar is located in eastern part of Bataan Peninsula, bordering Balanga (the provincial capital) to the north, Orion to the south, Bagac to the west, and

Manila Bay Manila Bay ( fil, Look ng Maynila) is a natural harbor that serves the Port of Manila (on Luzon), in the Philippines. Strategically located around the Manila, capital city of the Philippines, Manila Bay facilitated commerce and trade between t ...

to the east. According to the

Philippine Statistics Authority The Philippine Statistics Authority ( Filipino: ''Pangasiwaan ng Estadistika ng Pilipinas''), abbreviated as PSA, is the central statistical authority of the Philippine government that ''collects, compiles, analyzes and publishes statistical in ...

, the municipality has a land area of constituting of the total area of Bataan.

Climate

Barangays

Pilar is politically subdivided into 19

barangay A barangay (; abbreviated as Brgy. or Bgy.), historically referred to as barrio (abbreviated as Bo.), is the smallest administrative division in the Philippines and is the native Filipino term for a village, district, or ward. In metropolita ...

Demographics

In the 2020 census, Pilar had a population of 46,239. The population density was .

Economy

Government

Pursuant to the

Local Government Code of the Philippines Codification of laws is a common practice in the Philippines. Many general areas of substantive law, such as criminal law, civil law and labor law are governed by legal codes. Tradition of codification Codification is predominant in countri ...

", the political seat of the municipal government is located at the Municipal Hall. In the Spanish period, the ''Gobernadorcillo'' was the Chief Executive who held office in the ''Presidencia''. During the American rule (1898–1946), the elected Mayor and local officials, including the appointed ones held office at the Municipal Hall. The legislative and executive departments perform their functions in the Sangguniang Bayan (Session Hall) and Municipal Trial Court, respectively, and are located in the Town Hall.

Elected officials

Pilar, Bataan's elected officials are Mayor Alice D. Pizarro (

National Unity Nationalism is an idea and movement that holds that the nation should be congruent with the state. As a movement, nationalism tends to promote the interests of a particular nation (as in a group of people), Smith, Anthony. ''Nationalism: T ...

) and Vice Mayor Marino Caguimbal (

). The eight Sangguniang Bayan Members led by the Vice Mayor hold office at the Pilar Sangguniang Bayan Session Hall.

Tourism

Landmarks and festivals of Pilar include: * Mount Samat Zipline — longest zipline in

Luzon Luzon (; ) is the largest and most populous island in the Philippines. Located in the northern portion of the Philippines archipelago, it is the economic and political center of the nation, being home to the country's capital city, Manila, as ...

* Veterans Park — located in Poblacion, Piazza Della Virgen del Pilar * Mount Samat National Shrine — War Memorial Cross some above sea level. * The Flaming Sword — located at Panilao, is a landmark depicting a hand holding a flaming sword up in the air, which symbolized the Filipino patriots' courage and gallantry as they face the adversary and threats to their democracy and freedom. The ''ESPADA'' was inaugurated on April 8, 1967. * Dunsulan Falls * '' Araw ng Kagitingan'' — celebrated every April 9

Our Lady of the Pillar Parish Church

The 1801 Our Lady of the Pillar Parish Church (Nuestra Señora del Pilar Parish Church, belongs to the

Roman Catholic Diocese of Balanga The Diocese of Balanga is one of the 72 dioceses of the Catholic Church in the Philippines. It was established on March 17, 1975, by Pope Paul VI. The diocese comprises the whole civil province of Bataan, with 37 parishes, one minor basili ...

(''Dioecesis Balangensis'') Suffragan of the Archdiocese of San Fernando, Pampanga.

Notable personalities

* Mel Tiangco — Barangay Santa Rosa - news Anchor of GMA7 * Manuel C. Herrera — lawyer, an instructor in the University of the Philippines

Gallery

File:Pilar,Bataanjf3772_06.JPG, Health center File:01195jfBurgos Hall Center Offices Shrine Pilar Bataanfvf 03.JPG, The Flaming Sword Shrine File:Pilar,Bataanjf3783_10.JPG, Port and bancas File:0945jfAlauli Poblacion Rizal Park Pillar Church Pilar Bataanfvf 03.JPG, Our Lady of the Pillar Parish Church File:PilarBataanjf3804_01.JPG, Light house

References

External links

Philippine Standard Geographic Code The Philippines (; fil, Pilipinas, links=no), officially the Republic of the Philippines ( fil, Republika ng Pilipinas, links=no), * bik, Republika kan Filipinas * ceb, Republika sa Pilipinas * cbk, República de Filipinas * hil, Republ ...

{{Authority control Municipalities of Bataan Populated places on Manila Bay