WEDNESDAY is Baclaran Day. It is the day of the week when tens of thousands of people from Metro Manila and neighboring provinces converge in this small barangay in Parañaque to attend the novena and Mass at the National Shrine of Our Lady of Perpetual Help and do some shopping on the side.

Baclaran has not always been like this. Originally a fishing village on the southern side of Manila Bay, its name is derived from the word 'baklad,' a bamboo fence used to trap fish until they were ready to be sold in the market. Over time, 'bakladan' became Baclaran. When Dewey Boulevard (now Roxas Boulevard) was constructed in the 1910s, the northern part of the area became a hub for leisure-oriented establishments like hotels, exclusive clubs, and restaurants, while the quieter southern section became home to schools, hospitals, vacation houses, and churches. In 1932, the Redemptorist congregation established their headquarters on this side of the boulevard.