Paco, formerly known as Dilao, is a district of Manila, Philippines, located south of the Pasig River and San Miguel, west of Santa Ana, southwest of Pandacan, north of Malate, northwest of San Andres Bukid, and east of Ermita. It had a population of 79,839 people as of the 2020 census.

History

Paco was known as Dilao because of the Amaryllis plants that were once plentiful in this district. Dilao or dilaw is a Tagalog word for the color yellow. Although, some sources say, it was named Dilao or "Yellow Plaza" by the Spanish settlers because of the Japanese migrants who lived there, describing their physiognomy. Spanish Franciscan missionaries founded the town of Paco as early as 1580. It was a town part of the province of Tondo, which was later renamed Manila in 1859, until 1901.

The Japanese established an enclave quite early or Nihonmachi in Dilao where they numbered between 300 and 400 in 1593. A statue of Takayama can be found there. In 1603, during the Sangley rebellion, their numbers reached up to 1,500; and later up to 3,000 in 1606. The Franciscan friar Luis Sotelo was involved in the support of the Dilao enclave between 1600 and 1608.

The name Dilao was used until 1791. The name San Fernando was added, making it San Fernando de Dilao. In the 19th century, the town of San Fernando de Dilao was given the nickname of Paco (which means Francisco). Paco, along with Sampaloc, Santa Ana, San Juan del Monte, and San Pedro de Macati became the second largest district to become part of Manila. It came to be known as Paco de Dilao and eventually Paco, as it is known today.

The Japanese led an abortive rebellion in Dilao against the Spanish in 1606–1607. Their numbers rose again during the interdiction of Christianity by Tokugawa Ieyasu in 1614, when 300 Japanese Christian refugees under Takayama Ukon settled in the Philippines. As population assimilated to native population, numbers dimmed. However, there are today around 200,000 recorded Japanese people in the Philippines, based on modern day immigrants' records distinct from the population of colonial era immigrants which assimilated to the native population.

Paco was incorporated as a district of the newly chartered city of Manila in 1901, thus reducing from its independent municipality status.

From 1907 to 1949, Paco was part of the 2nd congressional district of Manila. Reapportionment of districts made Paco part of the 4th district from 1949 to 1972. In the 1987 Constitution, Paco was split to the 5th and 6th congressional districts, with the former covering the southern half and the latter covering the northern areas.

List of barangays Zone and barangay Administrative district Legislative districts Zone 71: Barangays 662 and 664-A Southern Paco 5th District Zone 73: Barangays 671, 672, 673, 674, 675, and 676 Zone 74: Barangays 677, 678, 679, 680, 681, 682, 683, 684, and 685 Zone 75: Barangays 686 and 687 Zone 88: Barangays 809, 810, 811, 812, 813, 814, 815, 816, 817, 818, 819, and 820 Zone 89: Barangays 821, 822, 823, 824, 825, 826, 827, and 828 Zone 90: Barangays 829, 830, 831, and 832 Northern Paco 6th District Fifth District

Southern Paco BarangayLand area (km2)Population (2020 census) Zone 71Barangay 6620.01324 km21,601Barangay 664-A0.1585 km2640 Zone 73Barangay 6710.03397 km21,227Barangay 6720.09134 km23,133Barangay 6730.08489 km22,764Barangay 6740.1768 km21,398Barangay 6750.08596 km21,988Barangay 6760.1475 km21,431 Zone 74Barangay 6770.06482 km21,591Barangay 678 0.06117 km21,294Barangay 6790.4506 km2931Barangay 6800.03812 km2968Barangay 6810.03503 km21,094Barangay 6820.06793 km2822Barangay 6830.01948 km2784Barangay 6840.02984 km22,730Barangay 6850.04547 km21,044 Zone 75Barangay 6860.04315 km23,250Barangay 6870.03438 km21,434 Zone 88Barangay 8090.01958 km21,189Barangay 8100.02513 km22,293Barangay 8110.03306 km22,332Barangay 8120.05098 km21,703Barangay 8130.02246 km21,001Barangay 8140.01700 km22,196Barangay 8150.2892 km21,374Barangay 8160.01067 km2781Barangay 8170.008420 km21,716Barangay 8180.01419 km21,388Barangay 8190.01458 km22,007Barangay 8200.04513 km21,417 Zone 89Barangay 8210.01365 km21,995Barangay 8220.01358 km2897Barangay 8230.01714 km23,002Barangay 8240.03873 km21,302Barangay 8250.05945 km2388Barangay 8260.02126 km21,760Barangay 8270.1127 km22,661Barangay 8280.01625 km22,658

Sixth District

Northern Paco Zone/BarangayLand area (km2)Population (2020 census) Zone 90Barangay 8290.1688 km24,226Barangay 8300.4191 km25,191Barangay 8310.1731 km23,350Barangay 8320.09123 km22,888

Landmarks

The San Fernando de Dilao Church is a Roman Catholic parish church that served as the temporary pro-cathedral of the Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Manila from 2012 to 2014 during the renovations of Manila Cathedral in Intramuros.

A Gurudwara and Unilever Philippines is located on United Nations Avenue. Unilever was moved to Bonifacio Global City, Taguig. There is a ten-minute walk away is a Hindu temple at Looban Street. Presently, Dilao is traversed by Quirino Avenue. A loop road from Quirino Avenue is named Plaza Dilao to commemorate the once flourishing Japanese and the Japanese-Filipino communities and districts there in Japantown in Manila.

Paco Park, was a former municipal cemetery of the old city of Manila, and once contained the remains of Philippine national hero, José Rizal and the GOMBURZA priests.

The Osmeña Highway starts in this district and it leads both to Batangas City (South Luzon Expressway (SLEX) and Southern Tagalog Arterial Road (STAR Tollway)) and Visayas at Matnog, Sorsogon (SLEX).

Philippine National Railways owns and operates the Paco railway station.

The Paco Public Market located along the edge of Estero de Paco was designed by William Parsons and built in 1911.

Schools include the Colegio de la Inmaculada Concepcion de la Concordia, or simple Concordia College, and the Paco Catholic School.

In January, 2024, Archbishop of Manila Jose Cardinal Advincula unveiled the Important Cultural Property (Philippines) marker for Pope Pius XII Catholic Center along United Nations Avenue in Paco, Manila with Charles John Brown and Jeremy R. Barns, National Museum of the Philippines Director-General, witnessed by 80 bishops gathered for the Catholic Bishops' Conference of the Philippines's 127th plenary assembly.

Notable people Fernando Amorsolo Marvin Agustin Joaquin Domagoso Panchito Alba

See also Nihonmachi Dom Justo Takayama

References

External links