Previously belonging to the Archdiocese of Manila, the Ecclesiastical District of Parañaque (formerly, PPLM) was declared an independent diocese on December 7, 2002, by Pope John Paul II by virtue of the papal bull Ad Efficacius.[2] The district bishop, Jesse Eugenio Mercado, also one of the auxiliary bishops of Manila, was designated as its first and only bishop and was formally installed on January 28, 2003.
The diocese comprises 50 full-fledged parishes (five of which are pronounced diocesan shrines, 3 of which are national shrines, and 1 Minor Basilica), 2 quasi-parishes, and 1 non-parochial shrine. The Diocesan Shrine of Nuestra Señora del Buen Suceso de Palanyag – Saint Andrew Cathedral-Parish in La Huerta, Parañaque serves as the episcopal see of the diocese.