History of Pila

Governor-General Don Narciso Clavería, Count of Manila, issued a decree on 21 November, 1849 ordering the systematization of Filipino surnames. Some Pila families at that time still carried saint’s names as patronymics. This was discouraged by the decree because the civil rolls sounded more like a conventual list of monks and nuns. Thus, the family name San Gabriel became Álava; Sto. Tomás was changed to Agra; and San Antonio was transformed to Relova. A Chinese mestizo family which had migrated from Pasig, the Relovas soon emerged as another illustrious clan of Pila when the principalia selected Don Regino Relova de San Antonio as the mayor in 1855-56. Henceforth, the Relovas became the friendly political rivals of the Riveras with whom they intermarried as with the other old families (Claveria y Zaldua 1973:vii-xvi; Ruiz 1969). (47)