The City of Parañaque (pop. 449,811; 2000 Census), or simply Parañaque (Tagalog: Lungsod ng Parañaque), is one of the cities and municipalities that make up Metro Manila in the Philippines. It is bordered on the north by Pasay City, by Taguig City to the northeast, Muntinlupa City to the southeast, by Las Piñas City to the southwest, and by Manila Bay to the west.
The name "Parañaque" is derived from the phrase "para na aque," which was commonly used in the past when people wished to disembark from kalesas (horse-drawn carriages). The phrase literally means "stop now, boy": "para" from the Spanish parar (to stop), "na" from the Tagalog word for "now" or "already," and "aque" from the Tagalog word for boy, lalaki. An alternative meaning of "para na aque" could be "stop here," with "aque" being derived from the Spanish aquí ("here").
Araw ng Palanyag (Parañaque Day), February 15. Originally set on November 30, Araw ng Palanyag or Parañaque Day was moved to January 15 by the City Council to commemorate Parañaque's cityhood anniversary. Usually a week-long affair, the city-wide celebrations include such notable events as the Sambalilo Festival, Regatta de Palanyag, and the Komedya. Komedya. Aside from being a highlight in the celebrations on the Feast of St. Dionisus, Araw ng Palanyag is also commemorated with stage plays called Komedyas or Moro-Moros where local actors and actresses called Komedyantes and Prinsesas take center stage and do choreographed swordfights and render long poetic verses. The stage plays change plots yearly and depicts 16th-17th century romance, religious conflicts, war, and peace. The Komedya was born in the classic community of San Dionisio. They gained national attention and acclaim when the Komedya garnered the top award in the Board of Travel (now Philippine Tourism Authority) - sponsored first Santacruzan Festival in 1958.
Parañaque is composed of two congressional districts and two legislative districts which are further subdivided into 16 Barangays. Legislative District One contains eight barangays in the western half of the city, while legislative District Two contains the eight barangays in the eastern portion of the city.
While barangays are the administrative divisions of the city, and are legally part of the addresses of establishments and homes, many residents indicate their subdivision (village) instead of their barangay.