Busay of Sibuyan

The historical town of San Fernando during the reign of the Shri-Visayan Empire in the 1250's the seat of the municipal government was on small settlement in Punta Kawit now known as Azagra. Dua to the scarcity of water, finally in 1903, transfer of the seat of the municipal government from Azagra to Pag-alad was effected with the name changed from Pag-alad to San Fernando, allegedly in honor of Ferdinand Magellan, according to history books discovered the Philippines.

San Fernando is a coastal area town located at the foot of the mountain. It lies on the southwestern portion of the island of Sibuyan, and is the biggest among the three towns comprising Sibuyan. Seventeen kilometers north is Magdiwang. The municipality has high and steep mountain ranges. Life in this island with its exotic forest and lust life of creatures is a paradise itself.

San Fernando has a total land area of 190,608.231 sq. km. the central part is mountainous and covered with verdant forests. Mt. Guiting-Guiting reaching to a height of more than 2,052 meter is the highest mountain the Province of Romblon. The other mountains are Mt. Sibuyan and Mt. Conico.

The municipality has an irregular coastline broken by beautiful presenting a view of long stretches of sandy beach shaded by fruit laden coconut palms, sheltering quaint fishing villages from Barangay Agtiwa to Canjalon.


Cantingas River

People of Roxas

The residents of Roxas City are peace-loving, hospitable and God-loving people. The city houses many churches and denominations, and during weekends, these houses of worship are fully packed.

Population Statistics

In the 2000 NSO Census of Population, Roxas City registered a total population of 126,352 resident and a household population of 125,901. It had a total 25,126 household with an average household size of 5.03 persons per household. The City’s gross density in 2000 was 1,239 persons per square kilometer.

The people of Capiz Province predominantly belong to the brown race. Initially,    they were a blend of the indigene, the Negrito, the Indonesian and the Malay, but later the Arab, Chinese, Spanish, American and other races modified the blend. Before the Spaniards arrived in Capiz in 1565, the province was called Ilaya because it was the hinterland of what is now the Aklan Province. In short, in precolonial times, Capiz was part of Aklan (and not the other way around, as many believe) and its people were called Ilayanhon or Ilayanon.A colonial legacy, the mix-up started with the way the colonial rulers (the Spaniards in 1693; the Americans in 1901) dealt with the names of Capis (Ca-PIS: accent on the second syllable), the town renamed Roxas City on April 11, 1951, and Capiz (CA-piz), the old province which under the Spanish regime included what is now Aklan.[1]

Before 1693, the year Fr. Agustin Estrada set up the CaPIS section[2] of the town of Pan-ay (Panay), there was no confusion about people’s names in the province. The inhabitants of Capis were called Capisnon (Ca-pis-NON). 

The name Capiceños entered the cultural world of the Capisnon, Pan-ayanon, Daonhon, Panit-anon and other groups in what is now the Capiz Province after the Spaniards reorganized Panay island in 1703[3] with three component provinces, namely, Iloilo, Antique and Capiz (which included Aklan).

To avoid confusion in 1703, the Spaniards called the people of Capiz ProvinceCapiceños. But it had been the practice of the natives of every barangay[4](village) in the province to identify themselves with the place where they were living; and to signify that they were from that place, they would attach the suffix “non” (meaning “of” or “from”) to the place name. Thus the natives of Pan-ay called themselves Pan-ayanon; and for the natives  of Capis, their name was CapisNON. Even though the Spaniards kept on calling all the people of the province Capiceños, the folks in all towns, influenced by the traditional practice, called themselves Capisnon (Ca-PIS-non), not Ca-PIZ-non since they had difficulty in articulating the “z”. They said CapisNON when they referred to the residents of CaPIS town; and as natives of Capiz province, they called themselves CaPISnon.While the elite adopted “Capiceños” as their provincial name, the masses in the various towns continued calling themselves CaPISnon even if they were aware that the name of the natives of Capis which was CapisNON was different from the provincial name only by a matter of accent.

After World War 11, especially from the 1960s until the start of the 21^st century, the local broadcast media – radio and cable TV – used CaPISnon, CapisNON, CaPIZnon, CapizNON, Capiceños and Capizeños interchangeably. In print media, “Capisnon” was also spelled “Capiznon.”

Municipality of Roxas City

Roxas City is a medium-sized city in the province of Capiz, Philippines. It is the provincial capital and a component city. As of 2010, the city mayor is former city vice mayor Angel Alan Celino who was elected during the 2010 election.

The city is a center of copra and aquaculture production. The surrounding area grows sugarcane, rice, coconut, fruit, hemp, and tobacco. The language spoken in Roxas City are Capiznon and Hiligaynon.

According to the 2007 census, the city has a population of 147,738 people with a density of 1,449/km2 (3,752.8/sq mi)

The abundance of marine life makes Roxas City the "Seafood Capital of the Philippines." This environment-friendly city is home to one of the richest fishing grounds in the country.^{[citation needed]} Roxas City's Baybay Beach is just over 7 kilometers long. The tallest sea cliffs in Western Visayas can be found on the city's north side. Roxas City has been a Hall of Famer of the Regional Cleanest and Greenest Component City in Western Visayas Award of the Gawad Pangulo sa Kapaligiran Program of the national government.^{[citation needed]}

Municipality of Sibuyan Island

* San Fernando is a 4th class municipality in the province of Romblon, Philippines. According to the 2000 census, it has a population of 21,214 people in 4,159 households.
Variant Romblomanon language locally called Sibuyanon dialect (Sibuyanon Magdiwang-España Style) is the native language in 4 eastern barangays of the municipality, while the rest speaks Sibuyanon (Sibujanon Azagra-San Fernando Style).

* Cajidiocan is a 4th class municipality in the province of Romblon, Philippines. According to the 2000 census, it has a population of 19,369 people in 3,911 households.

Roxas Festival

The Sinadya sa Halaran Festival is the joint festival of the City of Roxas and the Province of Capiz. It is a mixed festival in that it is celebrated for both cultural and religious reasons. It is celebrated every first weekend of December in commemoration of the Feast of the Virgin of the Immaculate Concepcion who also happens to be the patroness of the City of Roxas. Sinadya sa Halaran boasts of colorful activities like the grand parade of festivals, the fluvial parade, the lighted river floaters. There is also the traditional seafood festival and the grand pyrotechnic display.

Sinadya sa Halaran is one of Roxas City’s most important annual events and is fusion of two festivals – “Sinadya” (City) and “Halaran” (Province) which literally means joy in sharing and thanksgiving. It is celebrated on December 4-8 to commemorate the religious activities that embody the true Capiceño spirit. The highlights of the celebration are the Dancing Parade, ”Higantes”, Fluvial Parade, Fireworks display, Mutya sa Halaran beauty pageant, Coronation of the Fiesta Queen, and Agri-Aqua Trade Fair.

Roxas Seafood Capital

Life in Roxas City, Capiz, Philippines is simple and peaceful. It is an ideal refuge for those who wishes to escape the fast-paced life in modern cities. It owes much of its charms to a mixture of its rich history and natural beauty untrammeled by modernity and this is the reason Captivating Capiz is truly amazing.Capiz is one the five provinces of Panay Island, Western Visayas. Located 375 miles southwest of Manila, 136 kilometers northwest of Iloilo City and 86 kilometers east of Kalibo, Aklan, once a part of the early Malay settlement known as Aklan. It is composed of 16 municipalities, 1 chartered city (Roxas City) and 472 barangays. Its capital, Roxas City is the seat of the provincial and city governments and center of trade. Capiz’ topography varies from rolling lands and hills to mountain peaks and ranges. Entrancing Capiz was divided into two (2) districts:

§  1st District

§  Roxas City, Panay, Panit-an, Pontevedra, Pres. Roxas, Pilar,Maayon

§  2nd District

§  Ivisan, Sigma, Sapian, Mambusao, Jamindan, Dao, Cuartero, Dumalag, Dumarao, Tapaz

Beautiful Spot in Roxas

History of the Parish of
Immaculate Conception Metropolitan Cathedral
Roxas City

Roxas City was formerly called Capiz.  Capiz came from the word "Kapris", a kind of shell still common today.  As a town, it was founded in 1693, as a parish, in 1707.

In spite of its having been destroyed several times by the moros, Capiz became the capital of the province around the middle of 18th century due to its strategic location and prosperity.

The Capizeños have always been friendly and peace-loving.  Only once was the public order disturbed during the Spanish regime. This happened during the time of Governor Duran who committed so many injustices.  As a result of these rampant abuses around 1,000 rose up against Duran. The timely intervention of the parish priest saved Duran his life; but only after he swore to correct the abuses.

When Capiz became a diocese in 1951, Msgr. Vicente Gonzales was the incumbent parish priest. He was succeeded by the following: Msgr. Edmundo Fuerte, Msgr. Vicente Hilata, and Archbishop Onesimo C. Gordoncillo, the present parish priest.

OLOTAYAN ISLAND

An hours’ travel from the city proper is this island baranggay of Olotayan. This island is blessed with a coarse white sand beach and serene shores that fits everyone’s desire for a private beach. A boat ride can be arranged at the at Banica wharf for a certain fee. Baybay beach in Roxas City is the one-stop destination for seafood gourmands to savor the pride of Capiz. It has an array of seafood restaurants that serve nothing but the fresh catch of crustaceans and famous fish favorites such as blue marlin. They have comparably lower prices and they’ll cook your choice of seafood into your liking whether steamed in broth or just simply grilled. Feel the fresh clean sea breeze while dining at Baybay or watch the sun goes down at La Playa de Roxas (People’s Park) nearby before plunging into a dose of seafood fares. Seafood restaurants in Baybay are open for meals from breakfast ’til dinner. Sta. Monica Parish Church stands as a reminder of the First Christian Faith in the island. In 1566, Fr. Martin de Rada, O.S.A was the first to proclaim the Gospel in the island of panay at the riverbank of Bamban (now known as the town of Panay). Now, Panay is known as the Heritage Capital of Capiz because of the rich history and the deep culture it owns.  Panay Bell Sta. Monica Parish Church is a 3 century-old church which homes the biggest bell in Asia. The bell was cast in 1878 from 70 sacks of coins, 7 ft. wide by 7 ft high, weigh of 10,400 kilograms (10.4 tons). Sta. Monica Parish Church is internationally renowned Parish Church, declared a National Historical Landmark by the National Historical Institute, and a National Cultural Treasure in 2004 by the National Commission on Culture and the Arts.