REGION VI
Western Visayas, one of the regions of the Philippines, is designated as Region VI. It consists of six provinces; Aklan, Antique, Negros Occidental, Capiz, Guimaras and Iloilo and 16 cities making it the region with the highest number of cities. Iloilo City is the regional center.[1]
Western Visayas is composed of six provinces and the highly urbanized cities of Bacolod and Iloilo.
Capiznon is derived from kapis, the name of the seashells that are primarily used as square panes for windows; the suffix “-non”, on the other hand, means “people”. They are also known as Capizeños or Capiceños. Moreover, they're concentrated in Capiz, a province in the northeastern portion of Panay Island (Western Visayas region). An Austronesian language, Capiznon is part of the Visayan language family; it has its own intonation and vocabulary, which periodically includes Akeanon and Waray words. Consequently, it's sometimes mistaken for Hiligaynon or Ilonggo languages. The younger generations of Capiznon currently use a variation with a slower pace, and softer, longer vowels, similar to Ilonggo.
The Ilonggos are concentrated in the Western Visayas Region, particularly in Panay Island (Iloilo, Capiz, etc.) and Negros Occidental. They are also found in some areas of Mindanao. The word “Ilonggo” normally refers to a person, whose language is Hiligaynon. The term Hiligaynon originated from Yligueynes, which means “people of the coast.”
The Ilonggo population is mostly Catholic, but old pagan traditions are nevertheless still applied, sometimes combined with Christianity. The best example is the practice of bathing a statue of the Santo Nino (Child Jesus) for good luck or to bring rain.
Negrenses are noted for their artistic abilities as well as for their love for sports. Many Negrense artists-designers/architects, cartoonists/visual artists have gained national and international distinction in their fields. The province is also noted for its world-class athletes in track and field, swimming, football, softball, golf and boxing among others. Even in the field of cock-fighting, it is known as the home of the best handlers and gamefowl breeders.