Roxas City

Roxas City Siyudad sang Roxas Lungsod ng Roxas
City
Seal
Nickname:  Seafood Capital of the Philippines
Map of Capiz showing the location of Roxas City
Country	Philippines
Region	Western Visayas (Region VI)
Province	Capiz
District	First District of Capiz
Founded	1693
Cityhood	May 12, 1951
Barangays	47
Government
• Mayor	Angel Alan Celino (Liberal Party)
Area
• Total	101.96 km2 (39.37 sq mi)
Population  (2010)
• Total	157,313
• Density	1,500/km2 (4,000/sq mi)
Time zone	UTC+8 (PHT)
ZIP Code	5800
Income class	2nd class city
Website	Official website

Roxas City is a medium-sized city in the province of Capiz, Philippines and the chief port of Northern Panay. Formerly known as the Municipality of Capiz but was named Roxas City after it became a chartered city on May 12, 1951. As of 2010^[update], the city mayor is former city vice mayor Angel Alan Celino who was elected during the 2010 election.

The city is famed for its aquaculture production dubbed as the country's seafood capital. The old Capiz Bridge (now Roxas City Bridge) made the city known as the "Venice of the Visayas".

The language spoken in Roxas City are Capiznon and Hiligaynon.

Based on the 2010 census, the city has a population of 157,313 people with a density of 1,542.89/km2 (3,996.07/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. Being a recipient of the Cleanest and Greenest Component City in Western Visayas Award in the Gawad Pangulo sa Kapaligiran (GPK) Cleanliness and Environmental contest is a clear testament of its people's commitment in ensuring a healthier and brighter future for all its residents and visitors as well. Recently, Roxas City has been a recipient of major awards from various government agencies. The Department of Health (DOH) awarded this city with the Red Orchid Award for being "100 percent tobacco-free." It has also gained the Department of Interior and Local Government (DILG) Seal of Good Housekeeping and lauded the Best Police Station in the region by the Philippine National Police.

The City of Roxas, once known as the municipality of Capiz is the provincial capital of Capiz.

In 1569, Captain Diego de Artieda who was sent by Miguel Lopez de Legazpi from Cebu, landed on the town of Pan-ay and proclaimed it as the capital. Later the capital was moved to its present site upon discovering that the town of Capiz was near the sea where they can have better docking facilities. The Spaniards saw the long coastal cover and envisioned a trading and shipping center. Ports were constructed in Libas and later in Culasi.

A river meanders across the town, cuts it at the heart and divides it almost equally into two. Tributaries from the mountains flowed into the head of Panay River through settlements formed along its shores, irrigating and fertilizing the land to provide food to the people. Following its course into the sea, it provides water to fishponds during high tide.

In 1590, the Navy of Acapulco, Mexico made Capiz port its arsenal (naval yard) where they can seek shelter when the sea was rough. Capiz then eventually grew into a bustling port and several houses of stones were built. The social and political status enjoyed by the native chieftains of Capiz often resulted in mixed marriages with the Spaniards. The mestizo descendants became the base of the principalia or influential citizens. Their privileged positions allowed them to build houses around the favored square of the poblacion - around the church and the government complex.

Their children became the beneficiaries of the Augustinian mission in 1593.

In 1746, Capiz was made the seat of the politico-military government, although it was ecclesiastically controlled by the Bishopric of Cebu. In the latter part of 1795, under Gobernadorcillo Miguel Bautista, the old road to Baybay Beach was built as an extension of San Roque Street.

The town of Capiz was frequently attacked by Muslims that in 1814, stone forts at Baybay Beach (Baluarte) were built through the initiative of Gobernadorcillo Jose Consolacion.

In 1870, the ground was broken for the foundation of the Cathedral of Capiz under the guidance of Reverend Apolonio Alvarez. It was built by sturdy hands, sweat and blood of Capizeños who were victims of forced labor.

In 1876, the diocese of Jaro in Iloilo was erected and Capiz came under its jurisdiction. In 1877, the cathedral was finally finished. Prior to its construction, a chapel was built in Burgos Street beside the municipal building.

In August 1899, the Spanish colonial government represented by Governor Juan Herrero formally surrendered to General Ananias Diokno in Baybay Beach.

Economic debacle hit the town of Capiz in 1914 when the Ayala Distillery grounded to a halt. What could have been an ambitious forerunner of nationalized industrialization became the victim of the Internal Revenue Law under American control.

In 1917, Division Superintendent of Schools F.E. Hemingway founded Capiz Trade School for intermediate pupils and offered woodworking as the only vocational course. The next division superintendent opened Capiz High School.

In 1926, Division Superintendent Arthur Wittman authorized teaching of complete secondary curriculum in the Capiz Trade School. In the same year, Culasi Port was built to accommodate inter-island ships.

On February 15, 1951 the diocese of Capiz became a separate ecclesiastical jurisdiction from Jaro. Its first bishop was Msgr. Manuel Yap. In the same year, former Vice Mayor Libertad Conlu became the first female mayor of Capiz.

Capiz became a chartered city on May 12, 1951 through House Bill 1528 sponsored by Ramon Acuña Arnaldo, the representative of the First District of Capiz. It was approved by President Elpidio Quirino on April 11, 1951 as Republic Act 603.^[1] Consequently, the town was named Roxas City after her greatest son, President Manuel Acuña Roxas, the last president of the Commonwealth and the first president of the Philippine Republic.

The first appointed mayor was Lorenzo Acuña Arnaldo followed by Ramon Berjamin Blanco, Jose Dorado and Juliano Alovera Alba. In 1959, Lorenzo Acuña Arnaldo again became the head of the city as the first elected mayor. The next mayor was Teodoro Roxas Arcenas who was succeeded by Juliano Alovera Alba who was also the representative of the First District of Capiz at the House of Congress when Martial Law was declared.

Hon. Antonio A. Del Rosario, who is now the Congressman of the 1st District of Capiz, was elected to three terms as mayor of Roxas City, serving from 1998 to 2007.

Hon. Vicente B. Bermejo, who is the former governor of the province of Capiz, was elected mayor and served for three years, from 2007 to 2010.

The incumbent mayor of Roxas City is Hon. Angel Alan B. Celino, who also served as Vice Mayor of the city from 2004 to 2007. ^[2]

Roxas City is situated just east of the north-central coast of Panay Island with geographic coordinates of 11°35' N, 122°45' E. Its boundaries are: the Visayan Sea to the north, the municipality of Panitan to the south, the municipality of Ivisan to the west, and the municipality of Panay to the East. It is located 250 nautical miles (460 km) southeast of Manila and 135 kilometers northeast of Iloilo City(Regional Capital). Travel time to Manila is 45 minutes by air and 18 hours by sea.

Roxas City has basically an agri-based economy. Farming and fishing are the major economic activities which claim 52.87% of the city’s total land area. Although agricultural, the city is now moving towards commercialization and industrialization as it is the center of trade and commerce not only in the province of Capiz but also in the northern part of Panay Island The city's urban area starts to expand on the southern part primarily on the site of 150 hectare master-planned area, Pueblo de Panay, which aims to build a new business district that would connect the major highways of the city namely, Lawaan and Sibaguan Highway. Currently it is already occupied by several restaurants and hotels and soon the 74, 000 sq. m. Robinsons Mall.

The National Port of Culasi and Roxas Airport serve as the main gateway to the city from the capital city of Manila.

• Carol Square Plaza
• City Square Trade Roxas
• Crescent Mall - (proposed) part of the Health Centum
• Gaisano Grand Roxas City
• Gaisano Grand Marketplace Roxas
• Robinsons Place Roxas - (ground breaking: April 15, 2012)

Currently there are 29 banks in the city namely:

Bank	Location
Allied Bank	Roxas Avenue, Roxas City
Banco De Oro	Roxas Avenue, Roxas City
Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas	Arnaldo Blvd., Roxas City
Bank of Commerce	Gaisano Arcade, Arnaldo Blvd., Roxas City
Bank of the Philippine Islands	Roxas Avenue, Roxas City
Bank of the Philippine Islands	Gaisano Arcade, Arnaldo Blvd., Roxas City
Business and Commercial Bank	Burgos St., Roxas City
Capiz Settlers Cooperative Rural Bank, Inc	San Roque Ext., Roxas City
Card Bank, Inc	Arnaldo Blvd., Roxas City
China Banking Corporation	Roxas Avenue, Roxas City
CitySavings Bank	McKinley St., Roxas City
Development Bank of the Philippines	Roxas Avenue, Roxas City
Farm Bank, Inc.	Arnaldo Blvd., Roxas City
Green Bank of CARAGA	Arnaldo Blvd., Roxas City
Iloilo City Development Bank	Burgos St., Roxas City
Land Bank of the Philippines	P. Gomez St., Roxas City
Maybank Philippines Incorporated	Roxas Avenue, Roxas City
Metropolitan Bank and Trust Company	Roxas Avenue, Roxas City
Metropolitan Bank and Trust Company	Gaisano Arcade, Arnaldo Blvd., Roxas City
OK Bank	Elemar Business Center, San Roque Ext., Roxas City
Philtrust Bank	Roxas Avenue, Roxas City
Philippine Resources Savings Bank	San Roque Ext., Roxas City
Philippine Savings Bank	Arnaldo Blvd., Roxas City
Philippine Veterans Bank	P. Gomez St., Roxas City
Queen City Development Bank	Roxas Avenue, Roxas City
Rizal Commercial Banking Corporation	TATC, Roxas City
Rural Bank of Pilar (Capiz)	TATC, Roxas City
United Coconut Planters Bank	Gaisano Grand Roxas, Arnaldo Blvd., Roxas City
Valiant Bank	Burgos St., Roxas City

• Manuel Acuña Roxas, first President of the independent Republic of the Philippines.
• Josefa Abiertas, first woman bar topnotcher and proponent of the Women's Suffrage Bill.^[3]
• General Esteban Contreras, revolutionary leader during the Philippine-American War.^[4]
• Gerardo Roxas, Philippine Senator and son of President Manuel Roxas.
• Manuel Roxas II, Philippine Senator, grandson of President Manuel Roxas and currently the Department of Transportation and Communications (Philippines) secretary.
• Lorenzo Acuña Arnaldo, first appointed Mayor (1951) and the first elected Mayor (1959) of Roxas City
• Julito Elegino Sr., First Director of Classified Intelligence and former Commander in Chief of the New Peoples Army (Currently in Exile in Canada)
• Barbie Almalbis, Singer, former frontman of Hungry Young Poets and Barbie's Cradle.
• Geraldine Villarruz Asis - Bb. Pilipinas-Universe 1987, Miss Universe 1987 finalist.
• Lino F. Villarruz, (Fine Arts, University of Santo Tomas) Best known as the No. 1 Abstract Painter in the whole province of Capiz.^[5]
• Jose "Tabai" Altavas, (1916 – 1922)
• Cornelio “Agurang” T. Villareal, Sr., Former House Speaker, House of Representatives
• Lirah Linn Paz Bermudez - Finalist of GMA's Show "Protege", TV personality of GMA kapuso Channel.^[6]

The Sinadya sa Halaran Festival is celebrated the first week of every 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 folklore in the province. There used to be two separate and distinct festivals, the Halaran ("Offering") and the Sinadya ("Celebration"), the former is celebrated by the Province of Capiz and the latter by the City of Roxas. The Sinadya was formerly held at the same time as the Feast of the Immaculate Conception, which was celebrated by the Immaculate Conception Metropolitan Cathedral. The Halaran was usually held by the last week of October each year (A prelude to All Souls Day and All Saints Day festivals). However, because of the costs of holding two separate festivals year, the two festivals were merged, with both the Province of Capiz and the City of Roxas contributing to the expenses.^{[citation needed]}

The Roxas City Seafood Festival is held to commemorate and promote the resurgence of the Angel Wing or diwal, ^{[citation needed]}

All private elementary, high school and colleges are members of Capiz Private Schools Association (CAPRISA).

Pre-Elementary and Elementary

High School

Elementary

High School

• Roxas Memorial Provincial Hospital (formerly Roxas Memorial General Hospital)
• Capiz Emmanuel Hospital
• St. Anthony College Hospital**
• Capiz Doctors Hospital
• The Health Centrum* (u/c)

* Hospitel (integrated hospital, hotel and mall complex)

** PhilHealth Center of Excellence

The City of Roxas is politically subdivided into forty-seven (47) barangays of which thirty-one (31) are urban and sixteen (16) are rural. It is classified as a second Class Component City belonging to the first political district of the Province of Capiz along with the Municipality of Ma-ayon, Panay, Panitan, Pilar, Pontevedra, and President Roxas.

Bago Balijuagan Banica Barangay 1 Barangay 2 Barangay 3 Barangay 4 Barangay 5 Barangay 6 Barangay 7 Barangay 8 Barangay 9 Barangay 10 Barangay 11 Barra Bato

Baybay Bolo Adlawan Cabugao Cagay Cogon Culajao Culasi Dumolog Dayao Dinginan Gabu-an Inzo Arnaldo Village (Cadimahan) Jumaguicjic Lanot Lawa-an

Li-ong Libas Loctugan Lonoy Milibili Mongpong Olotayan Punta Cogon Punta Tabuc San Jose Sibaguan Talon Tanque Tanza Tiza

• Philippine Standard Geographic Code
• 2000 Philippine Census Information
• 2007 Philippine Census Information
• Sen. Jose Altavas

Template:Capiz Private Schools Association, Incorporated