History

 

Barangay Dela Paz is one of the four original barrios of Antipolo Rizal, a mountain sanctuary of the Virgin of Antipolo more popularly known in English as the Our Lady of Peace and Good Voyage and in Spanish as the NUESTRA DELA PAZ Y BUEN VIAJE.  It is a town rich in legend, tradition and history. The story of Antipolo is so interwoven with that of the Virgin’s that neither can be told completely without telling the other.

 

            The history of Barangay Dela Paz can be traced simultaneously with that of the founding of the town of Antipolo.  Whenever the history of the image of the Blessed Virgin is mentioned naturally the town of Antipolo is also mentioned and Barangay Dela Paz cannot be left out.  According to available records that survived the last war, the town of Antipolo was established with only 100 families, and it became the seat of the towns of Antipolo, Taytay, Cainta, Baras and Sta. Catalina.  The image of the Blessed Virgin arrived in Manila from Acapulco, Mexico in 1626 brought by Governor-General Juan Nino de Tabora aboard the galleon ship Almirante and enshrined in Intramuros.  Upon the death of the Governor-General in 1632 the statue was entrusted to the care of the Jesuits in Antipolo and was temporarily housed in a little chapel in Sitio Sta. Cruz in Barangay Dela Paz from where tradition and legend say she disappeared on two occasions only to be found nestled on the branches of a Tipulo tree from where the name of Antipolo was coined.  The Jesuits and the town people later decided to cut the trunk of the Tipulo tree and made it as the pedestal for the image and later erected a church around it with the cut off trunk as the permanent site of the altar where the image rested.

 

            During the May time pilgrimage season, Barangay Dela Paz has a key role in the festivities.  To the religious excursionists or plain fun seekers.  Every trip to Antipolo and the eventual homage to the image of the Virgin will not be complete without a side trip to the famous Hinulugang Taktak Falls located in Barangay Dela Paz.  Also the said barangay plays another important role connected with the Virgin and the town activities for it has the Pinagmisahan Hill where the annual religious procession of devotees with the image of the Virgin in their midst traditionally trek on every first Tuesday of May to celebrate a holy mass marking the formal opening of the Antipolo pilgrimage season.  According to records about 200 years ago during the Spanish regime, a deadly epidemic broke out in the town killing thousands of people.  The people consulted the parish priest and they were advised to look for a hill not far from the church where the blessed image will be brought and where he will say a holy mass.  The Town people responded and miraculously after the said mass, the epidemic stopped and they attributed it to the intercession of the Blessed Virgin.  Thus came to birth the Pinagmisahan Hill.

 

            In 1947, the late Archbishop O’Doherty authorized the yearly celebration of the holy mass at the Pinagmisahan Hill on every first Tuesday of the Month of May to formerly open the pilgrimage season.  It was on the day of the Holy Cross, May 3, 1947 that the people of Antipolo erected a big white wooden cross.  Since the thousands of devotees trek to this hill to celebrate the holy mass.

 

Nature of Existence

 

Following the provision of Republic Act. No. 3590, Barangay Dela Paz, upon approval of the Barrio Charter on June 22, 1963, became a fully independent and recognized barangay of Antipolo.

 

Mission

 

Barangay Dela Paz is committed to our people-excellent service philosophy. We shall strive to be the most progressive and dynamic in Antipolo City by providing a high quality in the delivery of services. Our future success will be founded on our commitment to the guiding principles and shared values:

 

• 1. Our focus is excellent delivery of services
• 2. Our foundation is our people
• 3. Our core is quality
• 4. Our challenge is Innovation
• 5. We will be responsible

 

In adhering to these guiding principles and values, we will build a beautiful barangay where we are proud to be associated with; proud of our ability to deliver services and proud of our people. 

 

Geographical Location

 

The present day, Barangay Dela Paz stands at the northwestern part of Antipolo and eastern Rizal.  It bounds adjacent to Barangay San Juan, Bagong Nayon I and Barangay Inarawan on the north, Barangay San Roque on the south, Barangay San Jose and Barangay San Isidro on the eastern most part of the area and Barangay Sta. Cruz and Barangay Munting Dilao on the west side.

 

            Having been a piece of the vast lands of Antipolo with an upper and lower territorial otherwise known as Bagong Nayon II, Barangay Dela Paz has a total land area of 2,571.25 which is 5.09% of the totally of Antipolo.

 

            It has a distance of half a kilometer (1/2) from the poblacion, six (6) kilometers from Taytay which is the nearest neighboring municipality, stands in close proximity to the Provincial Highway which is the Sumulong Highway, eighteen (18) kilometers from the Provincial Capitol and two (2) kilometers from the National Highway.

         

   More over, it is also classified as an urban area with twenty-seven puroks as follows:

 

1. H. Alarcon St.                         25.  Lower Lucban

2. Bukal ng Buhay                     26.  Phase IV-B

3. Monteberde                            27.  Sitio Broadway

4. Pinagmisahan                       28.  Sitio Langhaya

5. Purok Singkalan                    29.  Purok Seppina

6. Palmera V                               30.  Purok Imelda

7. Tawid-Tawid                           31.  Purok Silangan

8. Daang Bakal                           32.  Purok Sumulong

9. Sitio Uulan                               25.  Phase III-D

10. Purok Kalayaan                     33.  Sitio Saguipin

11. Bankers Village                     34.  Purok Mapayapa

12. Purok Angela                         35.  Phase V-B

13. Sitio Malanim                         36.  Logcom Vill.

14. Gawad Kalinga                      37.  Sitio Kabute

15. Lower Citadel                         38.  Victoria Valley                

16. M.L. Quezon St.                      39. Lucban Phase V

17. Gen Luna St.                           40. Sitio Olalia-Dela Rosa

18. C. Lawis St.                             41. Baniko/Green Forest

19. P. Oliveros St. (bounded

by Ninoy Aquino Park)           

20.Phase V-A

21. F. Asuncion St.                            

22. Block 17

23. Dela Paz St.

24. Purok Summerville/Pantayanin                            

 

Barangay Dela Paz is 235 meters above sea level on the average.  Its urban core is located at coordinates 14 degrees 35’12” latitude and 121 degrees 10’40” longtitude as re-established by the latest Global Positioning System (GPS) survey via satellite.

 

Barangay Officials: