Capiz is one of the provinces in the island of Panay, along with Antique, Aklan and Iloilo. Coming from excursion in Iloilo province, I took the opportunity to visit the capital city of Roxas for some seafood and adjacent Panay town for the largest Catholic church bell in Asia. I never thought that this province is rich in heritage and abundant in seafoods that I enjoyed my lunch while gazing at Sibuyan Sea. Also, the provincial museum is worth a visit to learn about its culture and famous sons such as Manuel Acuña Roxas, the fourth president of the Philippines and the first of the independent post-American Third Philippine Republic.
A heritage and seafood-rich province with natural scenic spots and heritage churches, in this post, I’ll show some tourist destinations I visited in Capiz, my 29th province so far. I’ll post here in my #project81 the articles related to each province. Presenting my sightseeing itinerary below with Iloilo Airport (ILO) as my sole entry and exit point, as I came a day before from Iloilo province and would go back here for my departure to Manila. Roxas City Integrated Transport Terminal is the main transportation hub of Capiz province, where you can go to major cities and provinces of Panay island.
CAPIZ PROVINCE HIGHLIGHTS:
Roxas City
📍Capiz Provincial Capitol
📍Immaculate Concepcion Metropolitan Cathedral
📍Roxas City Hall
📍Roxas City Plaza
📍Ang Panublion Museum
📍Pres. Manuel A. Roxas Ancestral House
📍La Playa de Roxas People’s Park for seafood dining by the bay
Panay
📍Santa Monica Parish – Panay Church, a National Cultural Treasure
📍Pan-ay Bell also know as Dakong Lingganay
📍Paseo de Evangelizacion 1566
📍Pan-ay Municipal Hall
📍Centro Turismo de Panay for buying local products
It is originally known as the Municipality of Capiz (from which the province derives its name), the area became a chartered city on May 12, 1951, and was renamed in honor of native Manuel Acuña Roxas, the fourth president of the Philippines and the first of the independent post-American Third Philippine Republic.
MANUEL ACUÑA ROXAS
1946-1948
Location: Rizal Street corner Lopez Jaena, Roxas City, Capiz
The whitewashed museum is originally built as a water tank on 1910 provided water to the local residents during the dry season — an embodiment of a brilliant adaptive reuse. Luckily, it was spared from the fiasco of World War II because of its strong framework.
“Panublion”, a Hiligaynon term which means “the guardian of precious things”, is the official name of the museum. The water tank stood still like a tough warrior and knocking it down is nothing less like cutting our connection to the past. Over the years, it has outlived its purpose since the City of Roxas came up with a new water system. Thus, the birth of the Panublion Museum by Mayor Juliano Alba in the year 1992. It was named Panublion since it is considered as a gift from the past.
The Panublion Museum features the memorabilia of the prominent sons and daughters of the Province of Capiz and collections of cultural icons, artifacts and artworks.
Panubok is the traditional embroidery of Panay Bukidnon women. It is a word in the Kinaray-a language that comes from the archaic word tubok which means “to embroider” while the Kinaray-a manugtubok refers to the “embroiderer.” The panubok motifs represent nature and characters and events from the Sugidanon epic. Tinubkan means embroidered. Many consider the barangay of Tabon in Tapaz, Capiz, as the birthplace of panubok. Lore has it that the Tabon folks of old preferred to stay home and preen themselves rather than work in the fields and eventually conceptualized the panubok. The village became famous for the craft that women from other mountains traveled for days just to have their clothes embroidered by the Tabon women. Eventually, the craft was learned by other communities and became widespread in Central Panay. Binukot (kept maidens) are known to be especially adept at embroidery, as they are not allowed to leave the house during the daytime before they are married, and master the arts of dance, embroidery, and epic chanting.
This public park is situated at Barangay Baybay, Roxas City. It faces the Sibuyan Sea and the scenic coastline of Northern Panay. At the left-end of the Park showcases the colorful dancing fountain. There is a beach that people swim at and the park has grass area and security both. The park also has cheap street food and a children’s playground. At the right-end of the park is the kapis shells-inspired Seafood Court, where the city’s marine products are served fresh at very reasonable prices.
Roxas City as Seafood capital of the Philippines exporting seafood products to various countries such as Taiwan, Japan and the United States. Phillips Seafood Philippines Corporation is the sole seafood production company with processing plant located in Banica, Roxas City. The main aquaculture farms are oyster and milk fish farms that take advantage of natural tidal bays and other low-lying areas near the coast.
Pan-ay is the site of the famous coral-stone Santa Monica Church, home to the largest Catholic Church bell in Asia.
I’m not able to visit the original bell in the belfry as there’s a wedding inside the church and tourists are not allowed to climb that time.
#CaptureCapiz! 😁🏖️ (n_n)
Ben Goes Where 
1 thought on “Capiz: Seafood Capital of the Philippines”