Information about Pateros, MNL

This municipality is famous for its duck-raising industry and especially for producing balut, a Filipino delicacy, which is a boiled, fertilized duck egg. Pateros is also known for the production of red salty eggs and “inutak”, a local rice cake. Moreover, the town is known for manufacturing of “alfombra”, a locally-made footwear with a carpet-like fabric on its top surface. Pateros is bordered by the highly urbanized cities of Pasig to the north, Makati to the west, and Taguig to the south.

Pateros is the smallest municipality both in population and in land area, in Metro Manila, but it is the second most densely populated at around 37,000 inhabitants per square kilometer or 96,000 inhabitants per square mile after the capital city of Manila.

South of Manila is Pateros, the smallest of the seventeen cities and municipalities comprising the Metropolitan Manila. Pateros before 1700 was only a barrio of Pasig called “Aguho” or “Embarcadero”. Aguho was derived from the name of numerous shady trees planted along the Pateros River, while “Embarcadero” means a small port. As a port, Pateros was the focal point of trade and commerce not only for the entire Municipality of Pasig but also for the neighboring towns. It also served as harbor for the Malay, Chinese, Swedish and Indian vessels that periodically called to disembark merchandise and to engage in commerce. These were the reasons why Pateros, as the most progressive barrio of Pasig was given the name Aguho or Embarcadero.

The name of the town itself symbolizes trade and industry because Pateros got its name from the word “PATO”, the duck that lays the eggs for balut making. “Pateros” meaning duck-raisers and from early shoemakers “SAPATERO”. Balut-making and shoe-making were introduced to the town by Chinese settlers.

The sound and stable income of Pateros led to issuance by the Spanish Governor General of a decree in 1700 creating it as a Municipality. In 1896, when the Philippine Revolution broke out, many Pateros inhabitants joined the Katipunan in the struggle of freedom from Spanish rule. These patriots attacked the Spanish soldiers fortified at the Pasig Church. The following year, the Spaniards retaliated, and after burning Pasig, swooped down on Pateros, Malapad na Bato and Taguig. On August 6, 1898, Pateros joined the revolutionary government of Emilio Aguinaldo.

Two years after on March 29, 1900, Pateros was incorporated as a Municipality with the newly created province of Rizal by virtue of General Order No. 40 Act No. 137 of the Philippine Commission promulgated on June 11, 1901. Two years later (October 12, 1903), Act No. 942 consolidated Pateros, Taguig and Muntinlupa for purposes of economy and centralization with Pateros as the seat of Municipal Government. On March 22, 1905, the “Municipality of Pateros” was changed to “Municipality of Taguig”. Later, Executive Order No. 20 dated February 29, 1908 separated Pateros from Taguig. Pateros gained its independent status as a Municipality on January 1, 1909 by virtue of Executive Order No. 36. On November 7, 1975, Pateros became part of the Metropolitan Manila through Presidential Decree No. 924.

The foremost tourist attraction in Pateros is also its biggest and most famous industry – balut-making. Balut are duck eggs, and have been the source of a thriving industry in Pateros, which has been handed down from generation to generation. It presently accounts for about 23% of the total industry. Balut makers mostly come from Aguho.

Another attraction, and another industry, in Pateros is its popular Alfombra slippers. In fact, slipper manufacturing was one of the earliest and original skills of the people of Pateros. Today, the Alfombra slipper business ranks fourth in the registered industrial establishments of Pateros, with stores situated along the streets of M. Almeda and B. Morilla.