About Us
Pilar was formerly a barrio of Sierra Bullones, known as Lungsodaan.
It became a separate municipality on 29 December 1961, by Executive
Order No. 460 issued by President Carlos P. Garcia.
Its total land area is politically subdivided into 21 barangays, to wit: Aurora, Bagacay, Bagumbayan, Bayong, Buenasuerte, Cagawasan, Cansungay, Catagda-an, Del Pilar, Estaca, Ilaud, Inaghuban, La Suerte, Lumbay, Lundag, Pamacsalan, Poblacion, Rizal, San Carlos, San Isidro, and San Vicente.
Major industry of the town is farming. Projects of the government are implemented to help these farmers grow and produce more crops. Example of these projects is the one implemented by NIA (National Irrigation Administration) that helps improve water distribution and of the performance of the irrigation systems.
Pilar was awarded as “best in LGU Engagement” last 2006 by the KALAHI-CIDSS Region 7. The town and its municipal officials were highly praised by the Director Gerardo Eusebio of the Department of Social Welfare and Development Social Marketing Service (DSWD-SMS) for exemplary service. They were able to recognize the efforts exerted both by the community and by the government officials.
Because of its successful community-driven development, three World Bank representatives from Indonesia and Jakarta and US-Based Intern Elizabeth Fleshman who studied World Bank funded projects visited the town in the year 2008.
Brief History of Pilar
(Adopted December 15, 2008)
The municipality of Pilar was once a barrio of Sierra Bullones where its seat of government was located. However, during the Filipino-American war, the area around which the church, convento, and the municipal hall were situated were burned, essentially erasing it from the map of the island province. The survivors then fled and settled to a new site called Candagas where they reestablished the town while the previous site was relegated into a barrio called Lungsodaan which literally means “old town”, leaving only the church bells of the Nuestra Senora del Pilar.
Geographically, Lungsodaan was separated from the new Poblacion by two major rivers, making it practically difficult for its people to get to the town proper should they have to make official transactions with its local government during rainy season as back then, there were no bridges and transportation that could bring them across these two, often flooded rivers. The town officials who were residing in Lungsodaan then sought permission, first in 1936, to create a town in itself along with the rest of the barrios around it but failed until the world war II commenced.
In February 1960, the barrio council along with a municipal councilor moved reconsidered the matter and a campaign to support the plan was made among its people and of the neighboring barrios. Seeing the readiness of its leadership and economy, the municipal leaders of its mother town finally agreed and endorsed the request through resolutions and petitions, to the Provincial Board, who also endorsed it to the national government. The latter was more challenging for the group as this had to be lobbied before the Malacanan in Manila during a time when travel was considered expensive and time-consuming. Few delegations were sent to do the job but only the one sent in December 26, 1961 participated by Francisco P. Auguis, who was said to be a relative and childhood playmate of the seated president Carlos P. Garcia, succeeded.
The municipality of Pilar was then created into a town by virtue of Executive Order No. 460, signed by President Carlos P. Garcia on December 29, 1961. It was named after its patron saint, Virgen del Pilar.