Paranas

Paranas Wright
Municipality
The famous Ulot River in the Municipality Paranas, Samar
Map of Samar with Paranas highlighted
Paranas Location within the Philippines
Coordinates: 11°51′N 125°07′E / 11.850°N 125.117°E / 11.850; 125.117Coordinates: 11°51′N 125°07′E / 11.850°N 125.117°E / 11.850; 125.117
Country	Philippines
Region	Eastern Visayas (Region VIII)
Province	Samar
District	2nd district of Samar
Barangays	44
Government
• Mayor	Eunice Uy-Babalcon
• Vice Mayor	Yolanda Tan
Area
• Total	556.12 km2 (214.72 sq mi)
Population (2015 census)
• Total	30,557
• Density	55/km2 (140/sq mi)
Time zone	PST (UTC+8)
ZIP code	6716
IDD : area code	+63 (0)55
Income class	2nd municipal income class
	086022000
Electorate	20,003 voters as of 2016
Website	elgu.ncc.gov.ph/ecommunity/paranas-wsamar/

Paranas is a 2nd class municipality in the province of Samar, Philippines. According to the 2015 census, it has a population of 30,557 people.

It was formerly known as Wright named after American Governor General Luke E. Wright.

Many of the townsfolk work or attend school in nearby Catbalogan City. Trade is also prevalent with Calbayog City farther north.

A part of Paranas is devoted to a nature reserve watershed designated as such by the Department of Environment and Natural Resources.

Paranas is politically subdivided into 44 barangays.

A strip of sand bordering along the coast of the Maqueda Bay, nestling at the foot of a hill which shields it from floods and storms was inhibited by a few natives who engaged in fishing and farming. As time went on, the number of people increased. More and better houses were built and a village was farming. So it attracted many people to trade with the natives and to dwell in it.

The trees along the line of sand were cut down and a street was laid. The increasing inhabitants built nipa houses on both side of the street. As the village expanded the people opened other streets toward the hill.

Shortly after the occupation of the Spaniards in Catbalogan some of them went to Wright, the newly made village. When they reached the village, the tide was low and many of the natives were along the stony coast picking and gathering shellfish and crabs. The banca headed toward the place where the people settled. One of the Spanish Officials asked for the name of the place or the village in Spanish language. The ignorant native looked boastfully at the over tall stranger. Thinking that the Spaniard was asking for the name of slippery rock which the Spaniard was apparently looking at, the native answered “Palanas”, name of the rock. The Spaniard then pronounced the word “Paranas” instead of palanas and recorded it as the name of the village. They went ashore and organized the village government and appointed its officials under the banner of Spain.