Paco Park is a 4,114.80 square meter recreational garden area and was once Manila’s municipal cemetery during the Spanish colonial period. It is located along General Luna St. and at the east end of Padre Faura Street in Paco district in the City of Manila, the Philippines.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 many teen age sweethearts who could spend quiet moments along the park’s benches and private alcoves.
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 former 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 within Paco Park as part of the celebrations for the “Philippine-German Month,” and the program became a tradition, a weekly fare held every Friday afternoons and called the, “Paco Park Presents.”
This 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 P.M. But Paco Park Presents continues to celebrate its anniversary every February.
The park is open Monday to Sunday (except on Wednesday) from 8:00AM to 5:00PM and every Friday by sunset, "Paco Park Presents" feature the finest musical artists and chorales, local and guests performers for an evening of classical and traditional Filipino music.
Paco Park has become a very popular venue for weddings and receptions for couples who prefer a garden-like settings. The Chapel of St. Pancratius is under the care of the Vincentian fathers who also manage the nearby Adamson University.