Parañaque
Highly urbanized city
Aerial view of western Parañaque Welcome Sign Baclaran Church Parañaque City Hall PITX Parañaque Cathedral Manila Memorial Park
Seal
Nickname:  Mega City by the Bay
Motto:  Dedicated to God
Anthem: Bagong Parañaque (English: New Parañaque)
Map of Metro Manila with Parañaque highlighted
OpenStreetMap
Parañaque Location within the Philippines
Coordinates: 14°30′03″N 120°59′29″E / 14.5008°N 120.9915°E / 14.5008; 120.9915
Country	Philippines
Region	National Capital Region
Province	none
District	1st and 2nd district
Founded	May 11, 1580
Cityhood and HUC	February 13, 1998
Barangays	16 (see Barangays)
Government  [1]
• Type	Sangguniang Panlungsod
• Mayor	Eric Olivarez (PDP-Laban)
• Vice Mayor	Joan Villafuerte (Liberal)
• Representatives	Edwin Olivarez (Lakas–CMD) (1st District) Gustavo Tambunting (NUP) (2nd District)
• City Council	Members 1st District Daniel Eric Baes Pablo Gabriel Jr. Brillante Inciong Pablo Olivarez II Vandolf Quizon Marvin Santos Allen Ford Tan Jose Maria Yllana 2nd District Florencia Amurao Edwin Benzon Rafael Lito Dela Peña Maria Kristine Esplana Jerome Bart Frias Jose Enrico Golez Nina Celine Sotto John Ryan Yllana
• Electorate	346,078 voters (2022)
Area [2]
• Total	46.57 km2 (17.98 sq mi)
Elevation	11 m (36 ft)
Highest elevation	108 m (354 ft)
Lowest elevation	0 m (0 ft)
Population  (2020 census)[3]
• Total	689,992
• Density	15,000/km2 (38,000/sq mi)
• Households	182,216
Demonym(s)	Parañaqueño (male) Parañaqueña (female)
Economy
• Income class	1st city income class
• Poverty incidence	2.50 % (2021)[4]
• Revenue	₱ 7,924 million (2020)
• Assets	₱ 14,896 million (2020)
• Expenditure	₱ 6,182 million (2020)
• Liabilities	₱ 4,796 million (2020)
Service provider
• Electricity	Manila Electric Company (Meralco)
Time zone	UTC+8 (PST)
ZIP code	1700–1720
PSGC	1381000000
IDD : area code	+63 (0)02
Native languages	Tagalog
Website	paranaquecity.gov.ph

Parañaque, officially the City of Parañaque (Filipino: Lungsod ng Parañaque, Tagalog pronunciation: [paɾaˈɲäke̞]), is a first class highly urbanized city in the National Capital Region of the Philippines. According to the 2020 census, it has a population of 689,992 people.^[3]

It is bordered to the north by Pasay, to the northeast by Taguig, to the southeast by Muntinlupa, to the southwest by Las Piñas, and to the west by Manila Bay. Like the rest of Metro Manila, Parañaque experiences a tropical climate with only two distinct seasons, wet (July to September) and dry (October to June). The city enjoys an annual rainfall of 1,822 millimeters (71.7 in) and an average daily maximum temperature of 34.4 °C (93.9 °F).^[5]

Parañaque is the home of the Entertainment City, a gaming and entertainment complex under development by the state owned Philippine Amusement and Gaming Corporation spanning an area of 8 km² (3.1 sq mi) in Bay City, where four large integrated resorts are based namely Solaire Resort & Casino, City of Dreams Manila, Okada Manila, and the soon to be completed Westside City Resorts World. It is also the home of the Parañaque Integrated Terminal Exchange public transport terminal and the Aseana City business district development which includes Ayala Malls Manila Bay.

Etymology

Several myths exist as to how Parañaque got its name. One story holds that long ago, a balete (banyan) tree that looked like a majestic ship stood at the mouth of what is now called the Parañaque River. It earned the name Palanyag, taken from the term "palayag", which means “point of navigation”.^[6]

Another folktale says that before the Spaniards arrived, there were natives who lived close to Manila Bay, and their occupation was fishing (pangingisdâ). Their neighbours to the east in present-day Muntinlupa were farmers and called "tagá-palayán" ("of the rice paddies"). One day, the fishermen and rice farmers held a feast, and were drunk from tubâ (coconut toddy). One farmer suggested they name the whole place "Palayán" as a sign of cooperation and goodwill between them. A fisherman protested, saying they should name it "Palalayag" instead. As a compromise, they agreed to merge the two words and came up with "Palalanyag". Another drunken guest shouted, “Mabuhay ang Palanyag at ang mga tagá-Palanyag!” ("Long live Palanyag and those of Palanyag!") The rest liked this word better, and the place was called "Palanyag".^[6]

A third myth tells that Spanish soldiers in a horse-drawn carriage asked to be taken to a certain place. When they arrived, one of the soldiers ordered, "¡Para aquí! ¡Para aquí!" (“Stop here! Stop here!”), which the coachman did not understand. The soldier repeated it and later, the coachman left the carriage and told others “These Spaniards are repeatedly saying "para aniya ake...para aniya ake” to the laughter of the crowd. The story spread, and the term "Para Aniya Ake" stuck.^[6]

Historical account

"On the coast near Manila are Laguo (i.e. Lagyo), Malahat, Longalo, Palañac, Vakol, Minacaya, and Cavite. All these villages are in the neighborhood of Cavite, and belong to His Majesty, to whom they pay tribute." – Miguel de Loarca, Relación de Yslas Filipinas (1582)^[7]

Historically speaking, the earliest Spanish records (de Loarca's Relación etc.) listed the settlement as "Palañac", which indicates that by at least the late 16th century, the place's name was something akin to "Palanyag".

History

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Early history

Due to their proximity to the sea, the early Parañaqueños traded with the Chinese, Japanese, Indonesians, Indians, and Malays. Traditional occupations and trades included saltmaking, fishing, planting rice, shoemaking, slipper-making and weaving.^[6]

Spanish and American colonial eras

Parañaque was officially founded in the year 1580 by Order of Saint Augustine and it was Fray Diego de Espiñar, O.S.A. who became the first minister of the town. The Council of the Definitors (a conference of chiefs of the religious orders) held on May 11, 1580 (Conquistas delas Islas of Fray Gaspar San Agustin, O.S.A.) accepted the village of Palanyag, as Parañaque, as an independent pueblo.^[8] Other towns in the islands which simultaneously established on the same date according to the 1580 chapter of the Augustinians were Malolos (in Bulacan), Bulacabe (on Panay) and Bantayan (in Cebu). The image of Palanyag's patroness, Nuestra Señora del Buen Suceso de Palanyag, was brought to Saint Andrew's Parish in La Huerta on August 10, 1625. Nuestra Señora del Buen Suceso de Palanyag is the third oldest Marian Image in the Philippines.

Early Spanish census dated 1591 to 1593 also mentioned Longalo and Parañaque as two villages along Manila Bay composed of some 800 tribute-payers. Politically, Don Galo and Parañaque were then under the Encomienda and Provincia de Tondo. The community was headed by cabezas de barangay, a westernized version of datus (chieftains), and the principalía (Hispanicised local nobility), who together justified and moderated the demands of the Spanish colonizers. Education was limited to the principalía as they were the only ones who could afford it.

Historical accounts state that the town's strategic location enabled the townspeople to play an important role in Philippine history. Palanyag was located at the crossroads of Manila, between the provinces of Cavite and Batangas. In 1574, during the invasion of the town by the Chinese pirate Limahong, Parañaquenos, particularly those from Don Galo, heroically aided in preventing the attack on Manila. This incident became known as the "Red Sea Incident" due to the blood that flowed through the sacrifice of the people of barrio Santa Monica. With the arrival of Spanish forces led by Captain Juan de Salcedo from Ilocos, Limahong was finally repulsed, and the occupation of the town was averted.

When the British invaded Manila in 1762, the townspeople once again remained loyal to the Spanish colonizers, especially the Augustinians. The invasion however showed that the Spaniards was not invincible and that their rule was not to be permanent. More than a hundred years later, this would prove to be true. During the Philippine Revolution of 1896–1898, the Spaniards realized that the town was a practical gateway to Cavite, the bastion of the revolutionary Katipuneros. Conversely, the Katipuneros based in Cavite saw the town as their gateway to Intramuros, the Spanish seat of government in Manila. Prominent Paraqueños such as Manuel Quiogue and secular priest Father Pedro Dandan y Masangkay became leading revolutionary figures.

During the American Period of the Philippines, Parañaque became part of the newly established province of Rizal in 1901. The municipality was previously part of the province of Manila, which was in turn disestablished.

On October 12, 1903, Las Piñas was merged to become part of Parañaque.^[9] However, it was later separated on March 27, 1907 to become an independent town once again.^[10]

Japanese occupation era

On January 1, 1942, Parañaque was one of the towns of Rizal that was merged with Manila and Quezon City to form the City of Greater Manila.^[11] During the Japanese occupation of the Philippines in World War II, Parañaque supplied leadership to guerilla movements such as the Hunters ROTC, as well as food and arms. Parañaque was one of the first towns to be liberated and its guerillas helped pave the way for the combined American and Philippine Commonwealth forces to enter the south of Manila. As can be gleaned from the above, Parañaque has played and continues to play a strategic role in the Philippines' political and economic progress, as shown by the quick recovery the town shown following the damage it incurred during the long Battle of Manila in 1945. The City of Greater Manila was disestablished effective August 1, 1945.^[12]

Philippine independence

In late 1959, 17-year-old Arturo Porcuna murdered Serafin Ong, a Lyceum of the Philippines student who belonged to a prominent family in Manila, at the Barbecue Plaza along Dewey Boulevard (now Roxas Boulevard); it was among Porcuna's first criminal acts that lead to his notoriety as a gangster of the alias "Boy Golden".^[13][14]

In 1965, barrios Baclaran and Tambo were excised from Parañaque to form part of the newly-established municipality of Baclaran.^[15] However, the Supreme Court of the Philippines later voided the creation of the new municipality, thus returning the aforementioned barrios to Parañaque.^[16]

On November 7, 1975, Parañaque was separated from Rizal and became part of Metropolitan Manila or the National Capital Region by virtue of Presidential Decree No. 824.^[17]

Cityhood

Parañaque was later converted as the eleventh city of Metro Manila on February 15, 1998, and was chartered and urbanized through President Fidel V. Ramos during the celebration of the city's 418th Founding Anniversary. Incumbent Joey Marquez became its first city mayor.

Contemporary

Owing to Parañaque's strategic location, it is an important center for trade and business in Metro Manila. Baclaran, where a large number of dry goods stores are located, is one of the busiest markets in the country. Small fishing villages called “fisherman's wharves” are also situated alongside Barangay La Huerta, where the famous DAMPA, a seaside market with numerous restaurants serving fresh seafood, is found. This has the country's international airport and the Duty Free Philippines for imported goods^[18] and Entertainment City where three integrated resorts (IR) licensed by Philippine Amusement and Gaming Corporation (PAGCOR) are located. On October 9, 2018, the Parañaque Integrated Terminal Exchange, the first landport in the Philippines, was officially opened.

Geography

Parañaque is situated in the southern portion of Metro Manila.^[19] It is subdivided into two distinct districts, each of which contains eight barangays. The 1st District consists of Baclaran, Tambo, Don Galo, Santo Niño, La Huerta, San Dionisio, San Isidro and Vitalez, while the 2nd District consists of Barangays BF Homes, San Antonio, Marcelo Green, Sun Valley, Don Bosco, Moonwalk, Merville and San Martin de Porres.

Districts and barangays

Parañaque is politically subdivided into 16 barangays.

Territorial disputes and discrepancies

Parañaque is involved in an unresolved territorial dispute with Muntinlupa. The sitio of Bagong Silang, currently under the jurisdiction of Muntinlupa's Barangay Sucat, is disputed with Barangay BF Homes. It occupies a former property of National Power Corporation spanning an area of 4.1 km² (1.6 sq mi).^[21][22] Additionally, Sitio Pagkakaisa in barangay San Martin de Porres is erroneously considered as part of Sucat.

Moreover, in around 2001, Parañaque resolved a territorial dispute with Taguig, agreeing that the Bicutan Market and the Bicutan Interchange would be part of Parañaque.^[23]

Climate