Today is National Heroes Day, and we remember on this day the heroism of those who came before us for the freedom and liberty of our country. So today, the Urban Roamer revisits the city of Las Piñas to pay a visit to a certain place there that has bore witness to such heroism more than a century ago. The place in question is in the barangay of Zapote, at the bridge which connects the Las Piñas with Bacoor in Cavite, where on February 17, 1897 an important battle of the Philippine Revolution took place, now known as the Battle of Zapote Bridge.
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The Villars and Las Piñas
In the story of modern Las Piñas, one man (and to an extent, family) has managed to put the city on the map and help it progress to what it is today. I’m talking about Manuel Villar, the real estate developer who became member of the House of Representatives and the Senate and a one-time candidate for the Philippine presidency in 2010. He has then gone back to his property development business Vista Land (at least at this time of writing) while wife Cynthia is in the Senate and son Mark is the House of Representatives. (two other children, Paolo and Camille, remain in the business side) Villar has been known for…
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Sarao and the Jeepney Legacy
What else can be said about the jeepney? In such a short amount of time since its introduction after World War II, this transportation innovation has become an icon that has become representative of the country itself. Love it or hate it, there is no doubt that as far as Philippine roads go, the jeepney is indeed the king. And in the realm of the jeepneys, the most recognized name behind them is an icon by itself: Sarao Motors, the jeepney manufacturer that has helped elevate the status of the jeepney to what it is today. The Urban Roamer has been privileged to get to visit their headquarters in Barangay Pulang Lupa, Las…
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Music in the form of bamboo: the Las Piñas Church and its Bamboo Organ
Mention the name of that southern metropolitan city which is Las Piñas and automatically, the first thing that comes to mind is its renowned and beloved treasure that is the Bamboo Organ found in the old Las Piñas Church, known formally as St. Joseph Church. And to tell the story of the Bamboo Organ, one cannot disassociate it with the history of this Baroque-inspired, stone-built Catholic church. In 1795 to be precise, when the Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Manila deemed it necessary to have a church built in a growing fishing village south of the city we now know as Las Piñas. The task of building that church fell in…
