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.