Roxas City
Roxas City is a 2nd class city in the province of Capiz, Philippines. It is the capital and component city of Capiz. The current mayor is former governor Vicente Bermejo who was elected in the 2007 election.
It is a center for copra and aquaculture production. The surrounding area grows sugarcane, rice, coconuts, fruit, hemp, and tobacco. The native dialect of Roxas City is Hiligaynon or more commonly known as Ilonggo.
According to the 2000 census, it has a population of 126,352 people in 25,126 households.
The abundance of marine life makes Roxas City the "Seafood Capital of the Philippines."[citation needed] This environment-friendly city is home to one of the richest fishing grounds in the country.[citation needed] Roxas City's incredible Baybay beach is 16 miles long, and one mile wide and is also the 15th largest natural Bay in the world.[1] The tallest sea cliffs in Western Visayas can be found on Roxas's north side. Roxas City has been a three-time recipient of the Regional Cleanest and Greenest Component City in Western Visayas Award of the Gawad Pangulo sa Kapaligiran (GPK) Program of the national government.
History
Originally founded as the town of Capis in 1693, Roxas City is the site of Miguel Lopez de Legaspi's settlement when he arrived from Cebu. Panay used to be the capital of the Province. Capiz, the name of the province, was the old name of Roxas City. The settlement was accepted as a visita of the town of Panay. The settlement was originally named El Puerto de Capiz. It is a former seat of a royal kingdom during the Indo-Malay era. Roxas is one of the youngest geological formations in the world. According to a 1732 census, there were 327 inhabitants. In 1746, Capiz was made the seat of the military government, although it was still theoretically controlled by the Bishopric of Cebu. According to a 1760 census, there were 17,683 inhabitants. On May 31, 1847, a Royal Decree turned the province into an alcadia.
Roxas City was once known as the "Municipality of Capiz" and it became a city on May 12, 1951 with the issuance of the city charter, Republic Act No. 603. Lorenzo Arnaldo was its first mayor. This city was named Roxas City in honor of President Manuel Roxas.
According to a 1990 census, there were 103,171 inhabitants. In 1732 it had a population of 2,327. In 1760, 3,971. 16 were Spaniards. In 1876, 17,683 persons. In 1990, 103,171.
Location
Roxas City is situated at the Northeastern tip of the Island of Panay within the geographical coordinates of 122( and 25' longitudes and 11( 35' latitude. Its boundaries are: Visayan Sea on the North, Municipality of Panitan on the South, Municipality of Ivisan on the west, and Municipality of Panay on the East. It is located 250 nautical miles (460 km) southeast of Manila, 135 kilometers northeast of Iloilo City, and 86 kilometers east of Kalibo, Aklan. Travel time to Manila its 45 minutes by air and 18 hours by boat.
Notable people
- Manuel Acuña Roxas - First president of the independent Republic of the Philippines
- Josefa Abiertas - The first woman bar topnotcher and proponent of the Women's Suffrage Bill
- General Esteban Contreras - Fought for the freedom of the Capiznons, was never captured by the Americans.
- Jose "Tabai" Altavas - Municipal Councilor of Capiz (1903 – 1906); member of the provincial board of Capiz (1906 - 1907); Delegate to the First Philippine Assembly (1907 – 1909); Provincial Governor of Capiz for two terms (1910 – 1916); Senator from Iloilo, Capiz and Romblon (1916 – 1922); and Representative from the second district of Capiz (1925 – 1928). He was a member of the “goodwill” Legislative Delegation to Japan in 1917 and was elected Delegate, from the first district of Capiz, to the constitutional convention in 1934.
Barangays
Roxas City is politically subdivided into 47 barangays.
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Festivals
- Sinadya Sa Halaran
- The Sinadya sa Halaran Festival is celebrated every first week of December in commemoration of the founding of the city followed by the Diwal Festival signifying the city's importance as the country's "Seafood Capital" along with the Aswang Festival that symbolizes the rich heritage of myth and folklores in the province. (note that there used to be two separate and distinct festivals, the Halaran (Offering) and the Sinadya, the latter celebrated by the Province of Capiz and the other by the City of Roxas. The Halaran used to be held at the same time as the Feast of the Immaculate Conception, which festival was celebrated by the Immaculate Conception Metropolitan Cathedral. However, considering the huge costs of holding two festivals in a year, the two festivals were merged, with both the Province of Capiz and the City of Roxas contributing to the expenses.
- Diwal Harvest: Roxas City Seafood Festival, held to commemorate and promote the resurgence of the diwal (angel wing clam) which neared extinction until protected and cultivated in Roxas City.
