History of Pila

The economic bubble burst in the thirties when the coconut industry in Laguna collapsed. The price of copra and coconut oil had begun to plunge sharply in 1929 and continued on its downward trend up to 1936. Pila was crestfallen. The crisis, however, witnessed the development of religious vocations among the young Pileños. The town’s first nun, Sister Assumpta (the former Magdalena Alava y Bartolome) joined the “Pink Sisters” of the Perpetual Adoration in 1932. Sor Consuelo (the former Milagros Relova y Rivera) professed her vows as a Benedictine nun in 1932. The first priest, Fr. Felix Codera was ordained in 1938 (Gleeck 1981: 93-98). (67)

Once again, the importance of having a profession in times of crisis was brought to the fore. The first two graduates from Pila of the prestigious College of Medicine of the University of the Philippines finished at this time: Drs. Rogelio Relova (1931) and Jaime O. Rivera (1935) (University of the Philippines College of Medicine 1982:182-187). So did the young lawyers, Attorneys Luis O. Rivera and Benjamin R. Relova (U.P. 1936) and Lorenzo R. Relova (Ateneo de Manila, 1934-40), son of the first lawyer, Atty. Jose Relova. Ms. Araceli O. Rivera earned her BS Music degree (Major in Piano) at St. Scholastica’s College in 1937. The first mechanical engineer, Mr. Regino Relova, Jr. graduated in 1949 from the Mapua Institute of Technology.(68)

In the midst of widespread poverty, the Sakdal Movement among the farmers gained momentum and exploded into a brief uprising in 1935. It was anti-American, anti-Commonwealth and anti-big haciendas. It found support even from some of the elite like Fernando Alava of Pila. Reminiscent of the Agrarian Revolt of 1745, the unrest centered in Cabuyao, Laguna and did not reach Pila. It was crushed within a day by the Philippine constabulary led by Governor Cailles of Revolutionary fame. In the subsequent elections, the Sakdalistas were rejected by the people of Laguna who, even though they sympathized with their cause, did not approve of their violent means (Zaide 1979, Gleeck 1981:106-113). (69)