History

The town of Pan-ay is the second oldest Spanish settlement established in the Philippines. In 1569, the Spaniards partially evacuated the city of San Miguel, in Cebu, and settled in the plains of Capiz. Miguel Lopez de Legazpi chose to settle in Capiz to escape the Portuguese blockade of Cebu and because food was in greater abundance in the area.

In 1716, Pan-ay became the capital of the province bearing the same name. Previously, it was under the jurisdiction of the province of Ogton (Oton). Pan-ay included what presently are the provinces of Aklan, Romblon and northern Antique. After the capital was moved to the town of Capiz, the province was referred to as such.

Moro raiders ravaged much of the coast of Capiz in the 17^th and 18^th centuries. As a result, large fortress-like churches were constructed to protect the Christian settlements from frequent incursions. One notable landmark in Capiz is the Pan-ay church. The edifice has walls made of coral blocks, floors made of marble and possesses an elaborately sculpted altarpiece. Its five-story belfry shelters a seven-foot, 10.4 ton bell, reputed to be the biggest in Southeast Asia.

The province was the scene of bloody battles between Revolutionary and Spanish forces from the onset of the Philippine Revolution of 1896. After a decisive battle in June 1898, Filipino forces gained control of almost all of province, except the capital town. In December, the capital was liberated from the Spaniards. The Americans occupied the province in 1900 and civil government returned in April 1901.

People, Culture and the Arts

Hiligaynon is the principal dialect of Capiznons. They share much of the culture of the people of Iloilo, although Capiz has a local reputation of being a center for supernatural activity that harks to the pre-Christian belief system. The coast of Capiz sustains the vibrant fishing industry of the province. The rich fishing grounds of Capiz easily makes it an angler’s paradise. Many fishponds line the Capiz coast and produce shellfish, bangus or milkfish and other cultured marine products that find a ready market in Manila. The manufacture of patis or fish sauce is a thriving home industry.

The ancient folklore and traditions of Capiz remain vividly alive in the culture of the people. In the first weekend of October, the city of Roxas commemorates the coming of the legendary Bornean datus by holding the Halaran Festival. It celebrates the gifts given by the datus to the Negritos as tokens of goodwill. Babaylans, or native priestesses give offerings to the spirits as riotous dancing takes place in the city’s streets.

The forested hills west of Tapaz are the home of the Mundos, a small cultural community of Indonesian ancestry. They still make their weapons like spears, swords, and shields, with ornately carved designs and mythological figures, and use these in their rituals. These people are known for their courage and their performance of the sinulog. Sinulog is a dance derived from traditional fertility rites, where the men imitate the erotic body movements of the rooster, while the women mimic those of the hen, to the accompaniment of drums and gongs. This practice has been adapted by other Visayan communities in Cebu and Negros in celebrating semi-religious festivals.

Trade and Investments

The landscape of Capiz is much like a pearl increasing its luster, in the face of dramatic economic change. This change is anchored on the province’s rich agricultural lands, bountiful fishing grounds and dynamic human resources. Capiz has a total land area of 2,633 square kilometers and a population of 624,469, of which 90.5% is literate. The labor force is estimated to be 445,246 strong and characterized by educated and skilled workers that have managed a strike-free environment since 1989. The agricultural bounty include rice, corn, palay, coconut, bananas and cutflowers. The province's marine resources include some of the richest fishing grounds in the country making Capiz a seafood center. Fish harvests include blue marlin, tuna, milkfish, prawns, shrimps, seaweeds, angel wings, squid and oysters. Capiz also has deposits of metallic and non-metallic mineral resources.

Capiz is only 45 minutes away from Manila by plane and is along the routes of major shipping lines. The province’s land transport system operates on a 336.7 kilometers of road network. Capiz has five seaports run and managed by the government and an airport that offers regular flights to Manila. A local electric cooperative supplies the power needs of Capiz. The water needs of Roxas City is provide for by a local water district while the supply of water for the entire province is augmented by rivers, and several spring water sources. Four big private telecommunication companies offer telegraph, telex and telephone services. There are 33 banking institutions and 116 financial intermediaries operating in the province.

The investment opportunities in Capiz tap deep into the province's resource base. The rich fishing grounds invite investors to venture into prawn culture, prawn feed manufacture, seaweed farming and the distribution and processing of other marine products. The province has an area of 20,000 hectares suitable for prawn culture and a steady supply of raw materials for prawn feed production. The combined bounty of the land and the sea are enough to sustain a food processing industry. At present, Capiz hosts the largest oyster processing plant in the country while crops like coffee, cassava, seaweeds and even mineral deposits such as limestone have enough volume to support processing plants. Off-farm investment opportunities include the manufacture of electronic and computer chips and the production of gifts, toys and houseware items. The skilled workers and the artisans of Capiz could easily handle modern manufacturing technology as well as transform local resources to meet export quality standards. Ventures into tourism and resort development in Capiz are equally attractive. The range of places and activities tourists could enjoy in the province are many and include a long coastline of fine sand, unpolluted waters, dive sites as well as the caving excitement in the three hectare cave in Maayon or in the multi-chambered cave in Quipot.

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