MUNICIPALITY OF PARAÑAQUE, RIZAL, Historical Data of

This is an attempt to present a brief history of Parañaque. Scanty records and references were available and much reliance was perforce given to stories handed down through generations and to testimonies of the old folks of the place.

Submitted by:

HISTORY AND CULTURAL LIFE OF PARAÑAQUE
History

Various tales have been handed down from our great, great ancestors regarding the origin of the name of this town which, a large tract of land seven miles south of Manila, is now one of the largest and most progressive municipalities of Rizal. The following are the most popular versions of how the town got its name or names:

a. At the mouth of the Parañaque River, there stood long ago an imposing balite tree which, appearing like a boat sailing slowly and majestically in the distance, served as a landmark or navigation guide for sailors and fishermen. "Palayug," which means point of navigation, the town was thus named, which later was smoothed out into "Palanyag."

b. The natives along the shore were salt-makers and fishermen who were called "Palalayag" from their practice of sailing out to sea, while those in the interior were farmers. The former supplied the latter with fish while the latter supplied the former with rice, and so amicable was their relation that they decided to hold a feast in token of their friendship. While they were feasting and getting gorged and drunk, they agreed to give a name to their two places together. The farmers wanted to have the name "Palayan" but the fishermen would have "Palalayag." After a while of noisy contention, both sides bowed to a compromise — that they would have a name beginning with "Pala" and ending with the combined terminal syllables of their two proposed names: "Palalanyag." But just before they parted from one another, a drunken member shouted loud and clear, "Palanyag! Mabuhay Palanyag!" The whole party was struck by the aptness and euphony of the shortened name, and thus, it was generally adopted.

c. One day, a group of Spaniards, bound for no place in particular, boarded a calesa. When they came to this populated place, one of them shouted, "Para aqui, para aqui." The driver, not knowing what the words meant, continued to whip his horse. The Spaniards shouted again, "Para aqui!" and gave a gentle tug at the driver's shoulder. The driver, sensing that his passengers wanted to alight, halted his vehicle. The Spaniards alighted but the last one said, "No sabes para aqui!" The driver was confounded, and he talked about the incident to bystanders, quoting what he heard the Spaniards say, "Para aniya ake." Such tale was bruited around in the village until "Parañaque" was formed out of "Para aniya ake."

The church records, the only available source of the information on the matter, place the official creation of this municipality around 1572 (Fray Agustin Cavada).

Many historians, however, say that Parañaque had long been an established fishing village before the coming of the Spaniards, and that it was one of the oldest communities along Manila Bay and a center of trade and commerce.

a. Spanish Time
(Capitan Municipal or Gobernadorcillo)

(1) Andong Vitales, 1821 (2) Andong Masangkay, 1822 (3) Miguel Cornelio, 1823 (4) Miguel Espiritu, 1824 (5) Agustin Cervantes, 1825 (6) Cristobal Cervantes, 1826 (7) Cristobal Cervantes, 1827 (8) Francisco Ramos, 1828 (9) Guillermo Masangkay, 1829 (10) Valerio, 1830 (11) Atoy Rodriguez, 1831 (12) Diego Santos, 1832 (13) Francisco de Leon, 1833 (14) Muning Eugenio, 1834 (15) Cristobal Cervantes, 1835 (16) Adriano Leonardo, 1836 (17) Antero de Leon, 1837 (18) Balbino Bonifacio, 1838 (19) Lorenzo Tadeo, 1839 (20) Esmeraldo Santos, 1840 (21) Mimong Cruz, 1841 (22) Florentino de Leon, 1842 (23) Juan de Guzman, 1843 (24) Lorenzo Tadeo, 1844 (25) Ciriaco Padilla, 1845 (26) Sotero de Leon, 1846 (27) Potenciano Jose, 1847 (28) Fabiano Rodriguez, 1848 (29) Santos Lopez, 1849 (30) Diego Santos, 1850 (31) Pedro Tomas, 1851 (32) Raymundo Bonifacio, 1852 (33) Lorenzo Tadeo, 1853 (34) Estanislao Espiritu, 1854 (35) Esmeraldo Pascual, 1855 (36) Lucio Cruz, 1856 (37) Gabriel Mijares, 1857 (38) Felipe de Leon, 1858 (39) Pedro Tomas, 1859 (40) Diego Santos, 1860 (41) Esmeraldo Cruz, 1861 (42) Gabriel Mijares, 1862 (43) Pedro Tomas, 1863-64 (44) Raymundo Bonifacio, 1865-66 (45) Fortunato Quiogue, 1867-68 (46) Mariano Domingo, 1869-70 (47) Diego Santos, 1871-72 (48) Mariano Fernando, 1873-74 (49) Francisco Tadeo, 1875-76 (50) Hermogenes Rodriguez, 1877-78

(51) Tomas Cruz y Castillo, 1879-80 (52) Juan de Leon, 1881-82 (53) Jose Pascual, 1883-84 (54) Catalino Flores, 1885-86 (55) Narciso Mayuga, 1887-88 (56) Maximo Rodriguez, 1888 (57) Felipe Ramos, 1889-90 (58) Geronimo Tomas, 1891-92 (59) Francisco A. Cruz, 1893-94 (60) Silvino Santos, 1895-96 Teniente Mayor 1. Cesario Lopez de Leon 2. Sebastian Laquindanum Cura Parroco 1. Antonio Velasco 2. Emilio Bulye 3. Eulalio Almeida 4. Manuel Okol Jueces de Cementeria y Policia 1. Juan Lopez de Leon 2. Timoteo Bernabe 3. Tomas Cruz 4. Hermogenes Rodriguez 5. Sebastian Laquindanum 6. Felipe Ramos Maestro Municipal 1. Cesario Vetalez (Normal Grad) 2. Apolinar Generoso 3. Simporoso Rodriguez 4. Fausto Santiago 5. Eusebia de Leon de Rodriguez •••

(1) Patricio Bernabe, 1901-03 (2) Valentino de Leon, 1904 (3) Flaviano Rodriguez (4) Bernabe Lorenzo (5) Andres Buenaventura

(6) Victor Medina (7) Dr. Juan Gabriel (8) Andres Buenaventura (9) Sabas de Guzman (10) Francisco Gabriel

(1) Manuel Rodriguez (2) Dr. Marcelino Hallare (3) Laureano Cipriano

(4) Jose Loya (5) Nicanor Cruz

(1) Eleuterio Rodriguez

(1) Esteban Pascual (2) Clemente Sta. Ana

(3) Telesforo Rodriguez (4) Isaias Angel

(1) Jose Estrella (2) Juan Velasco (3) Manuel Jose

(4) Eulalio Munsod (5) Ponciano Santos

(1) Florentino de Leon

(2) Ponciano Santos

a. The first Catholic missionary of Parañaque was Rev. Diego de Espinal, O.S.A. companion of Salcedo in the reconnaissance of Camarines.
b. The veneration of Nuestra Señora del Buensuceso at Parañaque dates from 1525.
c. The church and convent was built by Rev. Dionisio Suarez, O.S.A., parish priest from 1836-1950. This church was administered by the eminent historian, the Rev. Joaquin Martinez de Zuñiga, O.S.A. from 1801 to 1806. Parañaque was the birth place of our first botanist, Rev. Ignacio Mercado, O.S.A.

(1) 1882 - Total eclipse.
(2) 1825 - Complete drought and daily procession.
(3) 1832 - Strong typhoon and the appearance of rolling fire in one of the streets of La Huerta, which was called fuego santellino.
(4) 1837 - Death of the notorious bandit Sta. Maria in Pulanglupa.
(5) 1838 - The first circulation of money in the Philippines.
(6) 1839 - Typhoon which lasted for three consecutive Fridays.
(7) 1845 - Change of the feast day from Saturday to Sunday.
(8) 1848 - Many arms were confiscated from the town.
(9) 1849 - The people suffered from a terrible drought.

(10) 1856 - Very strong typhoon and rising of water.
(11) 1863-64 - Very strong earthquake.
(12) 1875-76 - A very big fire in Dongalo and drought.
(13) 1879-80 - Frequent strong earthquakes.
(14) 1881-82 - A very strong typhoon which lasted for two consecutive Fridays; cholera epidemic; comet.
(15) 1883 - A heavy storm blew almost every house down. An earthquake opened the earth in many places, especially in front of the Parañaque church and bridge.
(16) 1885 - A devastating fire swept throughout the town.
(17) 1885-1886 - Locusts infested the town.
(18) 1887 - Another storm lasted for two days.
(19) 1888 - Installation of the Justice of the Peace.
(20) 1889-90 - Another cholera epidemic.

(1) The institution of civil government in Parañaque dated as far back as 1901, when the Province of Rizal was created. In this year, Parañaque was detached from the jurisdiction of Manila and annexed to the newly-created Province of Rizal. From 1901 to 1934, Parañaque made considerable progress in education, sanitation, and industry. The Right to Suffrage was passed.
(2) The Commonwealth period (1935-41) was marked by the continued progress started in the American occupation, most noteworthy of which being in embroidery handwork, which brought considerable wealth to the town.

(1) During the Japanese occupation (1942-44) Parañaque suffered great setbacks in its progress. Many of its schools were made garrisons; its foodstuffs were commandeered by the Japanese; many men were subjected to forced labor, torture, imprisonment in Fort Santiago, and even death. Its nearness to Camp Nichols doubtless contributed to the sufferings of the people. Opposition arose and underground activities and sabotage were carried out against the enemy.
(2) The liberation period (1945-1946) was of great rejoicing among the people, for it meant freedom and return to the good things of life.
(3) Under the Republic (1946 to present), much progress in all lines was achieved. Many new schools and factories were opened, and government finance increased considerably. Parañaque has become one of the first class municipalities.

Such is the brief but comprehensive history of Parañaque as gathered from inadequate records, interviews of old folks, and other sources furnished by helpful friends of the town.

Birth -	At the birth of a child, the parents receive congratulatory messages from relatives and friends. Others offer gifts so that the child may have good fortune.
Baptism -	It is customary to have a child baptized a few months after birth. The parents choose the name of the child and the sponsor at the Baptism, who usually is one of good character and social standing. It is the belief that the kind of person will have an influence on the future of the child or that the child will develop after the characteristics of the godfather or godmother. Baptism is accompanied by feasting.
Courtship -	Courtship starts as early as the beginning of adolescence. Affection is manifested by paying visits, serenading, giving gifts, rendering services, etc. Some young men employ intermediaries. In the olden times, courting was difficult for the young man, for the girl was always in the presence of her parents or her chaperon when she went out. Now, there is more freedom for both sexes.
Marriage -	Marriage is either held simply or elaborately depending upon the financial capacity of the parents. Dowries and gifts are usually presented to the bride-elect by the parents of the groom. Relatives and friends also give gifts to the couple.
Death -	People believe in the hereafter, which serves as a consolation to them in the event of the death of someone dear. For nine nights, prayer is said for the soul of the departed so that it may be saved from the dangers of hell.
Burial -	Burial takes place a day of two after the day of death. The social and financial status of the deceased determines the kind of burial the deceased will have. The poor have their dead buried in the bare lots with the spots marked only by crosses. Contributions from neighbors are often given to the poor bereaved. Friends and relatives follow the coffin to the graveyard in token of sympathy, with the procession sometimes heralded with funereal air by a band of music. The rich have their dead embalmed and placed in costly caskets and deposited in beautiful tombs accompanied by the most elaborate church services available for a fee.
Superstitions and beliefs -	The people are mostly Christians and they believe in one God, heaven and hell, and other injunctions of the said religion. Extraordinary heavenly appearances are given interpretations. The appearance of a comet means a disastrous war. A solar eclipse forbodes either

	plenty or want, good or disasters, war or peace depending upon aspects of it. Witchcraft is believed in. The "asuwang" is an evil person who, with the power to assume the forms of animals particularly dogs, prey on the human fetus and is, therefore, the terror of pregnant women.
Games and amusements -	Old and new forms of amusement exist hand in hand. People play sungka, tubigan, bao, luksong-tinik, and others. They go to the cockpit and play cards. The go hunting and fishing and outings. They play modern ballgames, softball, basketball, tennis, volleyball, baseball, etc. They go to nightclubs and theaters and concerts.
Puzzles and riddles -	People, whenever they gather idly, enjoy exchanging riddles and puzzles in the vernacular. The following are some of the common riddles: "Narito na, narito na, bago wala pa." — hangin ("He is here, he is here, yet you cannot see it." — wind) "Kung kailan mo pinatay, saka humaba ang buhay." — kandila ("The more I kill it, the more it lives." — candle) "Bumili ako ng alipin mataas pa sa akin." — sombrero ("I bought a slave who proved taller than I." — hat) "Hindi hayop, hindi tao, tanungan ng buong mundo." — orasan ("Neither a man nor an animal, yet it is asked a question by all." — timepiece)
Proverbs and sayings -	"Kapag may isinuksok ay may titingilain." (If you put up something in the ceiling, you will have something to look up at when the time comes.) "Kapag may utang, may pagbabayaran." (If you have a debt, you have something to pay.) "Kung ano ang puno, siya ring bunga." (Whatever the tree is, so is its fruit.)

a. Madaling maging tao, mahirap magpakatao. (It is easy to be a child; it's difficult to be a man.)
b. Lumaking parang kawayan, nguni't walang kasaysayan. (He is growing up like a bamboo but he is not being properly brought up.)

a. Mabaho man ang daliri mo, di mo maipapalamon sa aso. (Your finger may be rotten but you will not feed it to dogs.)

a. Di man ibigin, huwag mong hiyain. (You may not like him but do not humiliate him.)
b. Ang marahang mangusap, sa puso ay nakakalunas. (Soft words comfort the heart.)
c. Di marunong maki-ugali, walang kabuluhang umuwi. (He who ignores good customs may leave to no one's regrets.)

a. Ang bayaning masugatan, nag-iibayo ang tapang. (A brave man who is wounded becomes still braver.)
b. Ang di magsapalaran, hindi makakatawid ng karagatan. (He who will not venture can never cross the sea.)

a. Mahanga'y puring patay sa masamang puring buhay. (It is better to die with honor than to live without it.)

a. Walang matibay na baging sa matiagang maglambitin. (A creeper will give way to one who clings with perseverance.)

a. Ang babae sa lansangan, gumigiring parang tandang. (A woman on the street is like a strutting rooster.)
b. Ang mahinhing dalaga sa kilos nakikilala. (A modest maiden is known by her behavior.)

9. Value of Counsel

a. Ang taong mapagtanong, hindi mababalatong. (He who frequently asks is not likely to be mistaken.)

a. Mabuti sa tingin, nakakahirin kung kanin. (It is good to the sight but it chokes you when you eat it.)

a. Mabigat man ang kalan, kung tulong-tulong ang magkakamag-anak, magaan ang pagbuhat. (No matter how heavy the stove is, it becomes light when carried by many.)

1. By the position of the sun.
2. By the crowing of the roosters.
3. By the positions of heavenly bodies like the stars and the moon.
4. The modern clocks and other timepieces.

1. Personal interviews.
2. Philippine Social Life and Progress
3. Encyclopedia of the Phil. Vol. 8, p. 436
4. 1951 Rizal Prov. Souvenir Issue
5. Records - Office of the Mun. Treasurer and Roman Catholic Church, Parañaque

Historical Data of the Municipality of Parañaque, Province of Rizal, online at the National Library of the Philippines Digital Collections.