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Brief History of Pasay City

Pasay city was one of the original four cities that make up Metro Manila in the Philippines. Due to its proximity to manila, the town quickly became an urban city. Its neighboring cities along its border are Manila, the country’s capital on the north, to the northeast by Makati, to the east by Taguig City, and Parañaque City to the south.

There are several stories about where the name Pasay originated, one they say, came from the wail of a brokenhearted swain. Jose and Paz were in love with each other and were intent on a life together. But in those days their love was forbidden. Jose's father was one of many tenants of the hacienda of the father of Paz. Jose was ordered to stay away from Paz. Couldn't take the misery and misfortune, Paz died.

At her funeral the elite came to mourn and pray. Jose stood at a distance, and when everybody left, dug a tunnel into the earth to be with her. Once joined, he let out a sharp and anguished cry "Paz-ay!" In sorrow and regret, the parents of Paz named their hacienda Paz-ay. In time the whole town came to be called Pasay.

Historians have another explanation to the origin of name of the city. It is said that the Pasay was then thick with pasaw, a plant with an exotic aroma. It was said that a Spanish botanist, Antonio Pineda, frequented a place called Basal in the vicinity of San Rafael to gather pasaw.

Records show that Pasay City originated way back during the reign of Rajah Soliman who married a Sumatran princess who bore him two heris, namely Princess Pasay and Prince Sowaboy. Even before his death, he distributed his realm to his two children. Princess Pasay got a portion of that realm, hence the name Pasay.

But the deemed most credible is the y was named after a princess of the Namayan Kingdom, Dayang-dayang Pasay. The Namayan Kingdom was a confederation of barangays that began to peak in 1175 and extended from Manila Bay to Laguna de Bay. Dayang-dayang Pasay inherited the lands...