Pilar, officially the Municipality of Pilar (), is a

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

in the

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

Bataan Bataan (, , , ; ) , officially the Province of 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 entire Bataan Peninsula ...

Philippines The Philippines, officially the Republic of the Philippines, is an Archipelagic state, archipelagic country in Southeast Asia. Located in the western Pacific Ocean, it consists of List of islands of the Philippines, 7,641 islands, with a tot ...

. According to the 2020 census, it has a population of 46,239 people.

Etymology

The town was named in the honor of the image of the

Our Lady of the Pillar Our Lady of the Pillar () is the name given to the Blessed Virgin Mary in the context of the traditional belief that Mary, while living in Jerusalem, supernaturally appeared to the Apostle James the Greater in AD 40, AD 40 while he was pre ...

, 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 (; ; ), is a province in Central Luzon in the Philippines. Lying on the northern shore of Manila Bay, Pampanga is bordered by Tarlac to the north, Nueva Ecija to the northeast, Bulacan to the east, ...

. 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 Bataan (, , , ; ) , officially the Province of Bataan, is a Provinces of the Philippines, province in the Central Luzon Regions of the Philippines, region of the Philippines. Its capital is the city of Balanga, Bataan, Balanga while Mariveles, ...

, bordering Balanga (the provincial capital) to the north, Orion to the south, Bagac to the west, and

Manila Bay Manila Bay (; ) 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 the Philippines and ...

to the east. It is from Balanga and from

Manila Manila, officially the City of Manila, is the Capital of the Philippines, capital and second-most populous city of the Philippines after Quezon City, with a population of 1,846,513 people in 2020. Located on the eastern shore of Manila Bay on ...

. 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. According to the

Philippine Statistics Authority The Philippine Statistics Authority (; PSA) is the central statistical authority of the Philippine government that collects, compiles, analyzes, and publishes statistical information on economic, social, demographic, political affairs, and gene ...

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

Climate

Barangays

Pilar is politically subdivided into 19

barangay The barangay (; abbreviated as Brgy. or Bgy.), historically referred to as ''barrio'', is the smallest Administrative divisions of the Philippines, administrative division in the Philippines. Named after the Precolonial barangay, precolonial po ...

s. Each barangay consists of

purok A ''purok'' () is an informal division within a barangay in the Philippines. While not officially considered a local government unit (LGU), a ''purok'' often serves as a unit for delivering services and administration within a barangay. ''Pur ...

s and some have

sitios A ''sitio'' (Spanish language, Spanish for "site") in the Philippines is a territorial enclave that forms part of a barangay. Typically rural, a ''sitios location is usually far from the center of the barangay itself and could be its own bar ...

Demographics

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

Economy

Government

Local government

Pursuant to the Local Government Code of the Philippines", 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 The Sangguniang Bayan () is the local legislative branch of the municipal governments in the Philippines. It is responsible for passing ordinances and resolutions for the administration of a municipality. Its powers are defined by the Local Go ...

(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) and Vice Mayor Marino Caguimbal ( National Unity). 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 List of islands in the Philippines, island in the Philippines. Located in the northern portion of the List of islands of the Philippines, Philippine archipelago, it is the economic and political ce ...

* 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 a Latin Church diocese of the Catholic Church in the Philippines, established on March 17, 1975, by Pope Paul VI. The diocese has jurisdiction over the whole province of Bataan, with 38 parishes, 5 diocesan shrines, one ...

(''Dioecesis Balangensis'') Part of the Ecclesiastical Province of San Fernando, Pampanga.

Notable personalities

Mel Tiangco Carmela "Mel" Corro Tiangco (; born August 10, 1955) is a Filipino television newscaster and television host. She is one of the news pillars of GMA Integrated News, GMA Public Affairs and a multi-awarded news anchor. Biography Carmela Co ...

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

University of the Philippines The University of the Philippines (UP; ) is a Higher education in the Philippines#State universities and colleges, state university system in the Philippines. It is the country's national university, as mandated by List of Philippine laws, Re ...

Gallery

File:Flaming Sword of Bataan, Pilar, Bataan, Feb 2024.jpg, The Flaming Sword Shrine File:Pilar Church, Bataan, Feb 2024.jpg, Our Lady of the Pillar Parish Church Museo ng Kagitingan, Pilar, Bataan, Feb 2024.jpg, Museo ng Kagitingan File:Pilar,Bataanjf3772_06.JPG, Health center File:PilarBataanjf3804_01.JPG, Light house File:Pilar,Bataanjf3783_10.JPG, Port and bancas

References

External links

* Philippine Standard Geographic Code {{Authority control Municipalities of Bataan Populated places on Manila Bay