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Seafood Capital
of the Philippines
Capiz is another province whose name possesses
a rather interesting etymology. It was named
based on the story that when the Spaniards
came to Capiz in 1570, it was the time when
Datu Bankaya’s wife of the Aklan district gave
birth to twin daughters. Twin is "Kapid" in
the local dialect, so the Spaniards adopted
the name Capiz (Kapid) as inadvertently
miscommunicated to them by the natives.
Capiz, known as Aklan in pre-Spanish times,
was one of the early settlements of the
Malayas, centuries before the coming of the
Spaniards to the Philippines. It was part of
the Confederation of Madjaas, formed after the
purchase of Panay by the Bornean datus from
the Negrito king named Marikudo.
It ranks as the second largest province among
the four provinces of Panay Island. It is also
the birthplace of Manuel A. Roxas, the First
President of the Republic of the Philippines,
after whom the provincial capital, Roxas City,
was named.
Brief History
Aklan is the oldest province in the
Philippines, organized in 1213 by settler from
Borneo as the Minuro it Akean to include what
is now Capiz.
The capital of Aklan changed location several
times. Towards the end of the fourteenth
century Datu Dinagandan moved the capital to
the present site of Batan which was captured
in 1399 by Chinese adventurers under Kalantiaw,
who forth with ruled Aklan. In 1433 the son of
Kalantiaw, Kalantiaw III laid down a written
code of laws now known as the Code of
Kalantiaw. The short- lived Kalantiaw dynasty
ended when Kalantiaw III was slain in a duel
with Datu Manduyog, legitimate successor to
Datu Dinagandan. When Manduyog became the new
ruler, he moved the capital to Bakan (ancient
name of Banga) in 1437. Several datus
succeeded Manduyog and when Miguel Lopez de
Legaspi landed in Batan in 1565, Datu Kabayag
was ruling Aklan from what is now the town of
Libacac.
Lopez de Legaspi divided the Minuro it Akean
into 5 encomiendas which he distributed among
his faming followers. Those encomiendas were
in Mambusao, Batan and Panay. Along with
political changes, the Spaniards introduced
Christianity and in a short while thousands of
Aklanons were baptized.
Towns were laid following the Spanish pattern,
each organized around a plaza with church,
municipio and school. Roads were carved out of
forests to link principal towns. In 1716, the
area of the Minuro it Akean was designated a
province. But to the dismay of Aklanons it was
called Capiz and until Aklan became a province
on its own in 1956, the Aklanons never knew
rest.
In 1896 an Aklanon member of Bonifacio´s
Katipunan arrived in Batan and he organized
Aklan for the fight against Spain. Battles
marking this struggle are commemorated today
with numerous municipal holidays, notable
among them being New Washington’s "Pacto de
Sangre" celebration.
Having developed an identity of their own, a
distinct dialect being no problem, the people
of Aklan felt they should govern themselves.
After the Americans took the country from
Spain in 1901 an Aklan delegation petitioned
the Taft Commission, which structured the new
civil government of the country for separation
from Capiz.
The petition was not turned down, but it was
not granted. As a sop, the Americans promised
to set up at the right time a separate court
of first instance for Aklan at Batan. They
appointed Simeon Mobo Reyes as first
provincial secretary. But the struggle for
separation never let up. The newspaper "
Aklanon" which began publication in 1914
advocated creation of a separate province
while Aklanons in Congress filed numerous
bills for the same purpose, including the
Urquiola-Alba bill in 1920, the Laserna-Suner
bills in 1925 and 1930 and the Tumbokon bill
in 1934.
Aklan finally became an independent province
when President Magsaysay signed into law on
April 25,1956, Republic Act 1414 separating
Aklan from Capiz. This law authored by
Congressman Godofredo P. Ramos and the
province was inaugurated on November 8, 1956.
Ramos became the first congressman of Aklan;
he was succeeded by Jose B. Legaspi. The third
congressman, serving until the declaration of
martial law in 1972, was Rafael B. Legaspi.
Jose Raz Menez was appointed the first
governor of Aklan by President Magsaysay and
he served until December 30, 1959. In 1960,
Godofredo P. Ramos became the first elected
governor but upon resigning to run for
Congress he was succeeded by the vice
governor, Virgilio S. Patricio. In 1964, Jose
B. Legaspi succeeded Patricio and he held
office for two consecutive terms, 1964-71.
LANGUAGE/DIALECT
Languages / dialect spoken are English,
Tagalog, Akeanon, Hiligaynon, Cebuano and
others.
MAJOR INDUSTRIES
Capiz is now considered as the "Seafood
Capital of the Philippines" fishing grounds in
the country. Blue marlin, tuna, milkfish (bangus),
prawns and shrimps, seaweed, crabs, eel,
shellfish such as oysters and angel wings "diwal",
squid and other marine species are abundant in
the province. Prawns and popular fish
varieties are cultured in farms. In view of
the very large supply of oysters in Capiz, it
was chosen as the site of the biggest oyster
processing plant in the Philippines to export
canned smoked oysters. The culture of seaweeds
along the province’s coastal municipalities,
for processing is also being developed into
carrageenan for export.
Capiz is also known for its cutflower
production and marketing. Orchids, heliconias,
anthuriums, roses, and other ornamental plants
are suitable for propagation in the province.
Having a 400-hectare site ready for
contract-growing arrangements, the cutflower
industry is poised to become a major
income-earner for the province.
Getting there and away:
Buses are going from Iloilo city and Kalibo to
Roxas City regularly. |
