Vitalez

Vitalez, officially Barangay Vitalez, is an urban barangay located in the first district of Parañaque, Philippines. Located near the Ninoy Aquino International Airport, it is the smallest barangay in the city. As of the 2020 census, the population was 5,100. The barangay was created on April 3, 1978.

Etymology
According to an October 2020 infographic by Marvin Lopez, shared by the Parañaque City Public Library, Vitalez was named after the Vitalez Compound, which the barangay encompasses. In the case Office of the City Mayor of Parañaque City, et al. v. Mario D. Ebio, et al. (G.R. No. 178411), it was claimed that a 406 m2 parcel of land in the compound was originally owned by Jose Vitalez.

History
The land where Vitalez is situated today was once part of Nichols Field, a United States military airfield located south of Manila. In 1957, the then-barrio of Tambo in Parañaque acquired that land, while majority of the airfield was transferred to Pasay. Vitalez was created as an independent barangay on April 3, 1978, after then-President Ferdinand Marcos signed Presidential Decree No. 1327, detaching the Airlane Village, Baltao, Gat Mendoza, Jetlane Village, and Vitalez subdivisions from Tambo.

Geography
Vitalez is the smallest barangay in Parañaque, with its land area totaling 21.52 ha. The barangay is bordered to the west, north, and east by Barangays 196, 197, and 198 in Pasay, separated by Cut-Cut Creek, and to the south by Barangay Santo Niño in Parañaque.

Demographics
As of the 2020 Philippine census, there were 5,100 residents living in Vitalez.

Government
Since the 2023 barangay and Sangguniang Kabataan elections, the incumbent barangay captain (kapitan ng barangay) of Vitalez is Alexander Alvarez. He is assisted by current elected barangay councilors (barangay kagawad) Daniel Abad, Lambert Feliciano, Misa Ralston, Ado Canlas, Divina Fajarillo, Allan Gonzales, and Rommel Dauigoy. Jonika Angel Quilpio is the current chairperson of the Sangguniang Kabataan.

Education
One public elementary school can be found in Vitalez: Rogelio G. Gatchalian Elementary School. The school began operations in June 2002 as Vitalez Elementary School and was renamed in August 2003 in honor of the late namesake barangay captain. , the barangay has one day care center with one day care worker serving 92 children.

Landmarks
The Manila Airport Hotel is situated at Airlane Village in Vitalez, within the Ninoy Aquino International Airport Terminal 1 Complex. Cargohaus, a service provider of bonded warehouse and logistics, has a building inside the barangay. It houses offices for businesses such as the logistics companies Air21 and U-Freight.

Transportation
, Vitalez has a total road network of 3.3 kilometers. Pedicabs are the most prevalent transportation used to ply around the barangay.