location at the town square in 1800 due to frequent flooding in the original town center. Transfer and reconstruction of the church was finished along with the convent in 1849. Both however, were severely damaged by an earthquake in 1880. It was once more built in the early 19th century after the damage caused by the earthquake. The church was luckily spared from the ravages of WWII. Pila Church is among the Newest churches in Laguna. This is evident in its strong stone structure. Its red bell tower is one of its distinguishable features. The church is dedicated to Saint Anthony of Padua and it was declared by the Pontificate of Pope John Paul II as the Diocesan Shrine of the said saint on July 9, 2002. Inside, wood is prominently seen as the material of choice for the chairs and altar. The altar is a massive structure that holds a relic of St. Anthony's garment. Pila Museum Pila Museum is one of the Municipal Museums in Laguna—the other one being in Paete. The museum is under the direct jurisdiction of the office of the mayor of Pila. It was built through the efforts of the Pila Historical Society Foundation, a group of concerned citizens that seek to preserve the cultural heritage of Pila. The museum was built on November 10, 1993, from funds raised by the foundation. The foundation was also responsible for securing the declaration of the town as a National Historical Landmark, which was granted in the year 2000. The declaration was formalized by the installation of a landmark in the middle of the open field adjacent to the museum on December 4, 2007, with former President Ramos as the guest of honor. It occupies a part of the Pila Elementary School with an area of about 50 square meters. The majority of what is contained within are artifacts dating from the Chinese period like jars, plates and jugs. The rest of the exhibit consist of American period appliances like sewing machines, Bakelite telephones, and adding machines. Most of the Chinese period artifacts were dug from the Pinagbayanan Crematorium while others were donated by old families in the town. The Elizalde family donated 250–300 specimens to the Pila museum—with the museum also donated by them. The contents of the museum were transferred to a heritage building in 1994. Some of the specimens given are the following: Celadon