Las Piñas was one of the earliest settlements on the fringes of Manila, which explains its colorful past that dates
back to the 17th century. It used to be a barrio of Parañaque, then a sleepy fishing village with only 1,200 residents.
For the early Las Piñeros, the main means of livelihood were salt-making, fishing, sea shell picking and planting
rice. The community was headed by cabezas de barangay, a westernization of the local chieftains and the
principalia as the local aristocrats were called, a very durable social institution since they were the political
absorbers.
Later simple industries like dye-making, salt-production and handicrafts began to develop in the old town.
On March 27, 1907, Las Piñas was proclaimed an independent municipality by virtue of Philippine Commission
Act No. 1625.
By the 1960s, with the construction of the South Superhighway, Las Piñas became a first class municipality. Las
Piñas’ geographic proximity to Manila and its transportation became a major attraction to real estate developers
and business investors, eventually transforming this once-quiet and rustic coastal town into a booming urban
center of residential subdivisions and large industries.
The Coastal Road or the Manila-Cavite Expressway is a radial road that runs up to 6.6 kilometers and connects
Las Piñas and the province of Cavite to Roxas Boulevard in Manila and Seaside Drive in Paranaque. Its
construction in the 1970’s brought about displacement to salt makers and fishermen of Las PIñas.
But even until now, some Las Piñeros from barangays E. Aldana, Pulang-lupa 1 and Daniel Fajardo are fisher
folks planting and harvesting mussels and clams as a means of livelihood. In their behalf, a fish port was
constructed in Bernabe Compound, Pulang lupa 1 to help them in their livelihood.
Las Piñas was officially included as one of the towns and cities comprising the then Metro Manila area
(now National Capital Region) in 1976.
In recognition of its rapid urbanization and steady growth, Congress passed a bill authored by former Las Piñas
Congressman Manuel B. Villar Jr. converting the municipality into a highly-urbanized city.
On February 12, 1997, President Fidel V. Ramos signed the Las Piñas cityhood bill into law. Residents approved
their cityhood in a plebiscite on March 26, 1997, making Las Piñas the 10th city of Metro Manila.