Paete Municipal Hall

The name of Paete is derived from the Tagalog word paet, which means chisel. The proper pronunciation of the town’s name is believed to be “Pa-e-te”, but the natives call it Pī-té, long i, short guttural ê, sound at the end. The town’s residents use the first mentioned pronunciation rather than the second only when conversing with non-residents. The town was referred to as “Piety” by the American Maryknoll Missioners when they came to the town in the late 1950s. In the year 1580, missionaries of the Franciscan Orders arrived to a place north of the Laguna Lake. It was called mission of St. Laurence the Deacon headed by Fr. Juan de Placencia and Diego de Oropesa. The name “Paete” came about when one of the young friars was instructed by his father superior to visit their mission at the coast of the lake. He saw one woodcarver with a carving tool called “PAET”. The young friar in his desire to know the name of the place asked this woodcarver how is this place being called in the language only he could understand. The woodcarver thinking that what was being asked for was the name of the tool he was holding answered “PAET PO”. When the young friar returned to his father superior, he told that he was able to reach “PAETE”. From then on, the name Paete came about and the St. Laurence was later called Paete.

https://paete.gov.ph/about-paete/