# Paco, Manila

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 | Southern Paco | 5th District |
| Zone 74: Barangays 677, 678, 679, 680, 681, 682, 683, 684, and 685 | Southern Paco | 5th District |
| Zone 75: Barangays 686 and 687 | Southern Paco | 5th District |
| Zone 88: Barangays 809, 810, 811, 812, 813, 814, 815, 816, 817, 818, 819, and 820 | Southern Paco | 5th District |
| Zone 89: Barangays 821, 822, 823, 824, 825, 826, 827, and 828 | Southern Paco | 5th District |
| Zone 90: Barangays 829, 830, 831, and 832 | Northern Paco | 6th District |
Fifth District
Southern Paco
| Barangay | Land area (km$^2$) | Population (2020 census) |
| Zone 71 |||
| Barangay 662 | 0.01324 km$^2$ | 1,601 |
| Barangay 664-A | 0.1585 km$^2$ | 640 |
| Zone 73 |||
| Barangay 671 | 0.03397 km$^2$ | 1,227 |
| Barangay 672 | 0.09134 km$^2$ | 3,133 |
| Barangay 673 | 0.08489 km$^2$ | 2,764 |
| Barangay 674 | 0.1768 km$^2$ | 1,398 |
| Barangay 675 | 0.08596 km$^2$ | 1,988 |
| Barangay 676 | 0.1475 km$^2$ | 1,431 |
| Zone 74 |||
| Barangay 677 | 0.06482 km$^2$ | 1,591 |
| Barangay 678 | 0.06117 km$^2$ | 1,294 |
| Barangay 679 | 0.4506 km$^2$ | 931 |
| Barangay 680 | 0.03812 km$^2$ | 968 |
| Barangay 681 | 0.03503 km$^2$ | 1,094 |
| Barangay 682 | 0.06793 km$^2$ | 822 |
| Barangay 683 | 0.01948 km$^2$ | 784 |
| Barangay 684 | 0.02984 km$^2$ | 2,730 |
| Barangay 685 | 0.04547 km$^2$ | 1,044 |
| Zone 75 |||
| Barangay 686 | 0.04315 km$^2$ | 3,250 |
| Barangay 687 | 0.03438 km$^2$ | 1,434 |
| Zone 88 |||
| Barangay 809 | 0.01958 km$^2$ | 1,189 |
| Barangay 810 | 0.02513 km$^2$ | 2,293 |
| Barangay 811 | 0.03306 km$^2$ | 2,332 |
| Barangay 812 | 0.05098 km$^2$ | 1,703 |
| Barangay 813 | 0.02246 km$^2$ | 1,001 |
| Barangay 814 | 0.01700 km$^2$ | 2,196 |
| Barangay 815 | 0.2892 km$^2$ | 1,374 |
| Barangay 816 | 0.01067 km$^2$ | 781 |
| Barangay 817 | 0.008420 km$^2$ | 1,716 |
| Barangay 818 | 0.01419 km$^2$ | 1,388 |
| Barangay 819 | 0.01458 km$^2$ | 2,007 |
| Barangay 820 | 0.04513 km$^2$ | 1,417 |
| Zone 89 |||
| Barangay 821 | 0.01365 km$^2$ | 1,995 |
| Barangay 822 | 0.01358 km$^2$ | 897 |
| Barangay 823 | 0.01714 km$^2$ | 3,002 |
| Barangay 824 | 0.03873 km$^2$ | 1,302 |
| Barangay 825 | 0.05945 km$^2$ | 388 |
| Barangay 826 | 0.02126 km$^2$ | 1,760 |
| Barangay 827 | 0.1127 km$^2$ | 2,661 |
| Barangay 828 | 0.01625 km$^2$ | 2,658 |
Sixth District
Northern Paco
| Zone/Barangay | Land area (km$^2$) | Population (2020 census) |
| Zone 90 |||
| Barangay 829 | 0.1688 km$^2$ | 4,226 |
| Barangay 830 | 0.4191 km$^2$ | 5,191 |
| Barangay 831 | 0.1731 km$^2$ | 3,350 |
| Barangay 832 | 0.09123 km$^2$ | 2,888 |

## 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 Sikh Temple 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 to Calabarzon region via South Luzon Expressway and Southern Tagalog Arterial Road that starts in Magallanes Interchange, Makati and ends in Batangas City.
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, Cardinal Jose 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.
* San Fernando de Dilao Church
* Plaza Dilao marker on the foreground, and Takayama's statue on the background.
* Facade of the Paco railway station.
* Paco Citizen Academy Foundation
* Pius XII Catholic Center