Paco Park

Last updated

Paco Park
View from the pathway at Paco Park.JPG
Paco Park
Paco Park
Type Urban Park
Location Paco, Manila, Philippines
Coordinates 14°34′52″N120°59′20″E / 14.58122°N 120.98889°E / 14.58122; 120.98889
Area0.411 hectares (1.02 acres)
Created1966
Operated byNational Parks Development Committee
Public transit access BSicon SUBWAY.svg ManilaLine1Logo.svg United Nations
Bus-logo.svg   6    17   United Nations

The Paco Park (originally named as Cementerio General de Dilao) is a recreational garden and was once Manila's municipal cemetery built by the Dominicans during the Spanish colonial period. It is located on General Luna Street and at the east end of Padre Faura Street in Paco, Manila, Philippines.

Contents

Paco Park has also become a popular venue for TV and film shootings, weddings, pre-nuptial shoots, private gatherings and cultural programs. [1] [2] One of its exposures in a movie was in Starting Over Again (2014).

History

Spanish period

Cementerio General de Dilao, 1870's Cementerio General de Dilao 1870's.jpg
Cementerio General de Dilao, 1870's
Cemetery HRMC historical marker IJVPacoCemetery1.jpg
Cemetery HRMC historical marker
Bust of Jose Rizal inside Paco Cemetery PacoParkjf0872 09.JPG
Bust of Jose Rizal inside Paco Cemetery

According to an on-site inscription, an order for the construction of a cemetery in Bagumbayan was issued in 1807, due to the outbreak of a cholera epidemic in Manila. Maestro de Obras Don Nicolas Ruiz developed a plan for the Paco Cemetery, while Don Jose Coll served as supervisor of the construction work. The cemetery was primarily designed as a municipal cemetery for the affluent and established aristocratic Spanish families who resided in the old Manila, or the city within the walls of Intramuros during the Spanish colonial era. It was on April 22, 1822, when the cemetery was officially inaugurated, although it had been in use for two years prior to its completion.

In 1859, Governor Fernándo Norzagaray y Escudero proposed the extension of the cemetery to approximately 4,500 square yards, enclosing the original plan with another circular outer wall. For the amount of Php 19,700, a Chinese builder won the bid to build the outer portion of the cemetery. At that time, the niches cost Php 20 for three years, which was subject to renewals as no one was granted privilege to own the niches in perpetuity.

On December 30, 1896, Philippine national hero Dr. José Rizal was interred at Paco Park after his execution at Bagumbayan.

Interment at the Paco Cemetery ceased in 1912. It had been the burial ground for several generations and descendants of those buried in the park had the remains of their ancestors exhumed and transferred to other cemeteries in Manila. However, 65 people still remain buried at Paco.

American and Japanese period

During the Second World War, Japanese forces used Paco Park as a central supply and ammunition depot. The high thick adobe walls around the park were ideal for defensive positions of the Japanese. Prior to the liberation of Manila in 1945, the Japanese dug several trenches and pill boxes around and within the Park with three 75 millimeter guns to defend their fortification against the charging 1st Battalion of the 148th Infantry Regiment of the United States Army and Philippine Commonwealth Army.

Post-war and modern period

Paco Park entrance marker Paco Park Entrance.JPG
Paco Park entrance marker

The park was converted into a National Park in 1966 during the term of President Diosdado Macapagal. Paco Park's grandeur was slowly restored after the war and since then has remained as a public park and promenade for the community.

Paco Park and its care was placed under the responsibility of the National Park's Development Committee (NPDC) during the regime of President Ferdinand E. Marcos. During the Marcos period, through the efforts of First Lady Imelda R. Marcos, culture was given emphasis and priority in the country and Paco Park was one of the few venues chosen to host events related to culture. On February 29, 1980, then Press and Cultural Attache of the Embassy of the Federal Republic of Germany in the Philippines, Dr. Christoph Jessen with then NPDC Vice-Chairperson Teodoro Valencia started a classical concert at the park as part of the celebrations for the “Philippine-German Month.” The program became a tradition, a weekly fare held every Friday afternoons called the “Paco Park Presents.”

The event featured and highlighted the exchange of Filipino and German musical artists who performed at Paco Park and it served as a means to strengthen the bond between Germany and the Philippines. In 1998, the celebration of Philippine-German month was moved from February to March, with the concert starting at 7:00 pm. However, Paco Park Presents continues to celebrate its anniversary every February. In addition, "Paco Park Presents" features the finest musical artists and chorales, local and guests performers for an evening of classical and traditional Filipino music every Friday by sunset but it was used to aired on the People's Television Network (PTV).

Due to the COVID-19 pandemic, Paco Park was temporarily closed to the public. [3]

Architecture and design

St. Pancratius Chapel at the rear of the park St. Pancratius Chapel, Paco Cemetery.JPG
St. Pancratius Chapel at the rear of the park

Paco Park is circular in shape, with an inner circular fort that stood as the original cemetery. Its walls were made hollow to serve as niches, and as the population continued to grow, a second outer wall was built with thick adobe walls. The top of the walls were then made into pathways for promenades. A small, domed Roman Catholic chapel was also built inside the walls of the park and was dedicated to St. Pancratius.

Ildefonso P. Santos, Jr., a noted landscape architect who was given recognition as a Philippine National Artist, was involved in the designing of Paco Park. [4]

St. Pancratius Chapel

Inside the Paco Cemetery is a chapel dedicated to St. Pancratius, a Roman citizen who converted to Christianity, and was beheaded for his faith at the age of just 14 around the year 304. His name is Greek and literally means "the one that holds everything."

The chapel is under the care of the San Vicente de Paul Parish and the Vincentian fathers who also manage the nearby Adamson University.

Notable interments

Temporary burial site of Jose Rizal at Paco Park in Manila. Slightly renovated and date repainted in English. Jose Rizal's first grave in Paco Park, Manila edit.jpg
Temporary burial site of José Rizal at Paco Park in Manila. Slightly renovated and date repainted in English.

See also

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Metro Manila</span> Metropolitan area and region of the Philippines

Metropolitan Manila, commonly shortened to Metro Manila and formally the National Capital Region, is the capital region and largest metropolitan area of the Philippines. Located on the eastern shore of Manila Bay, the region lies between the Central Luzon and Calabarzon regions. Encompassing an area of 636.00 km2 (245.56 sq mi) and with a population of 13,484,462 as of 2020, it consists of sixteen highly urbanized cities: the capital city, Manila, Caloocan, Las Piñas, Makati, Malabon, Mandaluyong, Marikina, Muntinlupa, Navotas, Parañaque, Pasay, Pasig, Quezon City, San Juan, Taguig, and Valenzuela, along with one independent municipality, Pateros. As the second most populous and the most densely populated region in the Philippines, it ranks as the 9th most populous metropolitan area in Asia and the 6th most populous urban area in the world.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Manila</span> Capital city of the Philippines

Manila, officially the City of Manila, is the capital and second-most populous city of the Philippines, after Quezon City. Located on the eastern shore of Manila Bay on the island of Luzon, it is classified as a highly urbanized city. Manila is the world's most densely populated city proper, with 43,611.5 inhabitants per square kilometer (112,953/sq mi) and a population of 1,846,513 people in 2020; it is also the historic core of a built-up area that extends well beyond its administrative limits. Manila was the first chartered city in the country, designated by Philippine Commission Act No. 183 on July 31, 1901. It became autonomous with the passage of Republic Act No. 409, "The Revised Charter of the City of Manila", on June 18, 1949. Manila is considered to be part of the world's original set of global cities because its commercial networks were the first to extend across the Pacific Ocean and connect Asia with the Spanish Americas through the galleon trade. This marked the first time an uninterrupted chain of trade routes circling the planet had been established.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Ermita</span> District of Manila, Metro Manila, Philippines

Ermita is a district in central Manila, Philippines. It is a significant center of finance, education, culture, and commerce. Ermita serves as the civic center of Manila, bearing the seat of city government and a large portion of the area's employment, business, and entertainment activities.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Intramuros</span> Historic walled city and district of Manila, Philippines

Intramuros is the 0.67-square-kilometer (0.26 sq mi) historic walled area within the city of Manila, the capital of the Philippines. It is administered by the Intramuros Administration with the help of the city government of Manila.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Gomburza</span> Group of three Filipino martyred priests

Gomburza, alternatively stylized as GOMBURZA or GomBurZa, refers to three Filipino Catholic priests, Mariano Gómes, José Burgos, and Jacinto Zamora, who were executed by a garrote on February 17, 1872, in Bagumbayan, Philippines by Spanish colonial authorities on charges of subversion arising from the 1872 Cavite mutiny. The name is a portmanteau of the priests' surnames.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Paco, Manila</span> District of Manila, Metro Manila, Philippines

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. According to the 2020 census, it has a population of 79,839 people.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Rizal Park</span> Historic urban park in Manila, Philippines

Rizal Park, also known as Luneta Park or simply Luneta, is a historic urban park located in Ermita, Manila. It is considered one of the largest urban parks in the Philippines, covering an area of 58 hectares. The site on where the park is situated was originally known as Bagumbayan during the Spanish colonial period. It is adjacent to the historic Walled City of Intramuros.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Malate, Manila</span> District of Manila, Metro Manila, Philippines

Malate is a district of Manila, Philippines. Together with the district of Ermita, it serves as Manila's center for commerce and tourism.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Manila North Cemetery</span> Public cemetery in Manila, Philippines

The Manila North Cemetery is one of the oldest cemeteries in Metro Manila, Philippines. The cemetery is owned by and located in the City of Manila, the national capital, and is one of the largest in the metropolis at 54 hectares. It is located alongside Andrés Bonifacio Avenue and borders two other important cemeteries: the La Loma Cemetery and the Manila Chinese Cemetery. Numerous impoverished families notably inhabit some of the mausoleums.

The gates of Intramuros refer to the original eight gates of the Walled City of Intramuros in Manila, built during the Spanish colonial era in the Philippines. The gates are called by the original Spanish word for "gate", puerta.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Rizal Monument</span> Monument in Manila, Philippines

The Rizal Monument is a memorial in Rizal Park in Manila, Philippines built to commemorate the executed Filipino nationalist, José Rizal. The monument consists of a standing bronze sculpture of Rizal, with an obelisk, set on a stone base within which his remains are interred, holding his 2 famous novels "El Filibusterismo and Noli Me Tangere". A plaque on the pedestal's front reads: "To the memory of José Rizal, patriot and martyr, executed on Bagumbayan Field December 30 1896. This monument is dedicated by the people of the Philippine Islands."

<span class="mw-page-title-main">José Rizal</span> Filipino nationalist, writer and polymath (1861–1896)

José Protasio Rizal Mercado y Alonso Realonda was a Filipino nationalist, writer and polymath active at the end of the Spanish colonial period of the Philippines. He is considered a national hero of the Philippines. An ophthalmologist by profession, Rizal became a writer and a key member of the Filipino Propaganda Movement, which advocated political reforms for the colony under Spain.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Padre Burgos Avenue</span> Street in Manila, Philippines

Padre Burgos Avenue, also known as Padre Burgos Street, is a 14-lane thoroughfare in Manila, Philippines.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Tourism in Metro Manila</span>

In Metro Manila, Philippines, tourism is a significant industry. In 2012, the city and the region welcomed 974,379 overnight visitors. Serving as the main gateway to the Philippines' numerous destinations, the city attracts mainly international tourists, with a total of 3,139,756 visitors in 2012. Global Blue ranks Manila as the eleventh 'Best Shopping Destination' in Asia. The city holds the tenth position in MasterCard's global top 20 fastest-growing cities for international visitors from 2009 to 2013.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Battle of Manila (1896)</span> Battle

The Battle of Manila of 1896 occurred in Manila in the Spanish colony of the Philippines during the Philippine Revolution. Katipunan under Andres Bonifacio attempted to take the city but the attempt failed, and Bonifacio retreated to the city's outskirts. The Battle of San Juan del Monte was joined a day later when Bonifacio attempted to capture the San Juan's powder magazine, but this too failed.

The Iglesia Watawat Ng Lahi, Inc. is a socio-folk religious group based on Lecheria Hill in Calamba, Laguna, Philippines which believes in the divinity of José Rizal, a historic figure of the Philippine Revolution. It is often considered as the original Rizalist group among the many other Rizalista religious movements.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Ildefonso P. Santos Jr.</span> Filipino architect (1929–2014)

Ildefonso Paez Santos Jr., popularly known simply as "IP Santos", was a Filipino architect who was known for being the "Father of Philippine Landscape Architecture." He was recognized as a National Artist of the Philippines in the field of Architecture in 2006.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Index of Metro Manila–related articles</span>

The following is an alphabetical list of articles related to the Philippine capital region of Metro Manila.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">City of Greater Manila</span> Former administrative division of the Philippines

Greater Manila, officially the City of Greater Manila and sometimes referred to as the Greater Manila Area (GMA), was a chartered city that existed during the Japanese occupation of the Philippines in World War II, from 1942 to 1945. Governed by the Commonwealth of the Philippines, it served as a model for the present-day Metro Manila and the administrative functions of the governor of Metro Manila—both established three decades later during the administration of President Ferdinand Marcos. It was a merger of Manila, Quezon City, and the then-Rizal towns of Caloocan, Makati, Mandaluyong, Parañaque, Pasay, and San Juan, all present parts of Metro Manila.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">National Parks Development Committee</span>

The National Parks Development Committee (NPDC) is an agency of the Department of Tourism (DOT) of the Philippines that is mandated to develop, preserve, and manage Rizal Park (Luneta) and Paco Park in Manila and other parks that may be assigned to it. Its main office is located in the Old Planetarium Building, Padre Burgos Avenue, Rizal Park, Ermita, Manila. Both the Executive Director and the Deputy Executive Director are appointed by the President of the Philippines.

References

  1. "Laden with layers of history, Paco Park turns 200". Lifestyle.INQ. May 10, 2022. Retrieved December 8, 2023.
  2. "Paco Park". National Parks and Development Committee.
  3. "Rizal Park, Intramuros sites temporarily closed amid COVID-19 spread". Manila Bulletin. Retrieved March 16, 2020.
  4. "National Artist Ildefonso P. Santos Passes Away". January 29, 2014. Retrieved May 4, 2014.

Bibliography