HISTORY OF ROXAS CITY

Roxas City is a medium-sized city in the province of Capiz, Philippines. It is considered as one of Panay Island's center of education, trade, economic activity and logistics. Once known as the Municipality of Capiz, the origin of the present name of the province, was renamed into Roxas City in honor of native Manuel Roxas, the First President of the Philippine Third Republic, after it became a chartered city on May 12, 1951.
Languages spoken in Roxas City are Capiznon and Hiligaynon.
Based on the 2010 census of population, the city has a population of 156,197 and a density of 1,542.89/km2 (3,996.07/sq mi) people with 95.4% literacy.
The abundance of marine life makes Roxas City the "Seafood Capital of the Philippines." It has received Cleanest and Greenest Component City in Western Visayas Award in the Gawad Pangulo sa Kapaligiran (GPK) Cleanliness and Environmental contest. The Department of Health (DOH) awarded the 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 won the Best Police Station in the region by the Philippine National Police.

Seal of Capiz Roxas

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Roxas City Private School

St. Mary's Academy of Capiz

St. Mary's Academy – Roxas (abbreviated as SMA or SMA-P) is a private, co-educationalCatholic school in the city of roxas in the Philippines. It is an Ignacian-Marian educational institution providing Catholic education which promotes "a solid foundation in Christian faith and the readiness to serve the Church and to the society".

Colegio dela Purisima Concepcion

CPC is an extension of a Catholic home, and the Catholic Church. It trains students to assume religious, civic, and social responsibilities. By exposing them to the discipline of arts, mathematics and science, and by cultivating their abilities and talents, CPC fulfills its continuing mission to the religious, civic, intellectual and moral life of the students. In this process, it integrates Catholic education with academic competence for needed leadership in national development.

Filamer Christian University

Filamer Christian University indeed can claim a significant historical existence. It began in a small and unpretentious way or a home for orphans.

Rev. Joseph C. Robbins and his wife started it all when sometime in August, 1904; they were entrusted with the care of three little children, 2 boys and a girl. The children’s father then the ladron chief of the mountains was captured and condemned to life imprisonment and the mother was dead. So the commanding officer of the Capiz Constabulary wrote to the Robbins and they went to the barracks and took home with them the 3 children where they stayed until they left for America. This situation of neglected, homeless children particularly in this District touched their hearts which led to the establishment of Baptist Home School with the first building as a gift from the American Women. Thus, Filamer Christian University began as an orphanage which offered Christian nurture under the sponsorship of the American Baptist Foreign Mission Society.

College of St. John Roxas

College of St. John-Roxas, De La Salle Supervised (CSJ-R De La Salle), simply known as St. John, is private College run under the supervision of the De La Salle Brothers, located in Roxas City, Philippines. It is formerly known as University of St. La Salle – Affiliate College and La Salle Affiliate College. In June 2000, the school managed the high school department of Our Lady of Mount Carmel Learning Center (Mount Carmel La Salle).

St. Pius X Seminary Roxas City

The Seminary of St. Pius X (Latin: Seminarium Sancti Pii Decimi), or St. Pius X Seminary (SPXS), is a Filipino Roman Catholic secondary school and seminary in the Lawaan hills, Roxas City, Capiz, in the Philippines, run by the Catholic priests of theArchdiocese of Capiz. The seminary and its surrounding areas comprise some three hectares of rocky hills. The late Cardinal Sin was the first rector of the school. In 1999, the college (Philosophy and Theology) of St. Pius X Seminary transferred to Cagay, Roxas City,Capiz, and named the school Sancta Maria, Mater et Regina, Seminarium (SMMRS) to honor the Blessed Virgin Mary.SPXS decided to retain and maintain its High School and Pre-College until 2012, Pre-College was transferred in SMMRS.

Roxas City, Capiz: Where To Eat In The Seafood Capital Of The Philippines

No other place in the Philippines is dubbed “The Seafood Capital of the Philippines” but the progressive Roxas City. The flourishing marine agriculture of Capiz‘s economic epicenter even turned the thriving seafood industry into an annual celebration due to its abundance. During my visit, there were neither parades, marching bands, norbanderitas, but there was certainly a gastronomic festival from my mouth down to my tummy.

La Playa de Roxas, or commonly known as People’s Park, serves as a hub for recreation and leisure with a picturesque view of the grey sanded shores of Baybay Beach and the vast Sibuyan Sea as the backdrop. Locals and tourist alike flock in the coastal baranggay to hangout, exercise, swim, and above all, to indulge on the savory seafood delicacies of Roxas City.

The succulent juices of seafood and meat dripping into charcoal filled the air with aromatic fumes which comes from the array of restaurants and grills that line up along Baybay Beach. One of the biggest establishments in Baybay is the Seafood Court at People’s Park Plaza which hosts seven independent stalls all under one roof. Choose from a wide variety of delicacies, have them 

cooked your way, then indulge.

Picking which stall or restaurant serves the best seafood dishes would be a lifetime debate. But what Roxas City guarantees is that you could eat the freshest seafood delights at really bargain prices if you compare it to Manila. I’m not sure about the metro’s price range, but just to give you an idea, a huge bowl of steamed oysters cost me P35.00, while the grilled oysters smothered in butter and sprinkled with roasted garlic cost P80.00. Oh and by the way, I’m no big fan of seafood, but those oysters and blue marlin were really good.

Roxas City Tourist Attractions

 OLOTAYAN ISLAND

An hours’ travel from the city proper is this island baranggay of Olotayan. This island is blessed with a coarse white sand beach and serene shores that fits everyone’s desire for a private beach. A boat ride can be arranged at the Banica wharf for a certain fee.

BAYBAY BEACH

One of the sites to see in Roxas City is Baybay Beach. It is just three kilometers away from the city circle. The place is a favorite weekend spot for the local populace and those coming from nearby towns and provinces. Considered a “must not miss” spot in Roxas City, Baybay beach is ideal for swimming, snorkeling, and kayaking. It has a seven-kilometer stretch of sugar-fine, glittery, ebony sand. The water sometimes washes up to the shore a substance known as “margaha” to the locals, which is fine iron particles that an ordinary magnet can pick up and collect!


 

MANTALINGA ISLAND

Nearby Mantalinga island which is a kilometer away from the shoreline of Baybay beach has been identified as an ideal diving spot for scuba divers and a perfect rotunda for sailboat (dilayag) and kayaking contests. Recently nicknamed “Good Luck Island” by tourism consultants, the place is believed to be a source of luck for local fisherfolk. They write the names of their fishing boats on the side of the island before they set out to sea for the first time.

ANG PANUBLI-ON, THE ROXAS CITY MUSEUM

Located just across the City Hall, this impressive circular piece of architecture offers every visitor a comprehensive view of what Roxas City was then, what it is now and its vision for the future – a complete record those who have given their share in making Roxas City what it is today. Constructed in 1910, the museum used to be a water tank that served the local residents for more than three decades.

 

IMMACULATE CONCEPTION METROPOLITAN CATHEDRAL

One of the oldest in Panay Island, this church is a silent witness to events that have unfolded in the city over the past centuries. Its imposing view complements the city plaza fronting the Panay River and the Capiz bridge. Fiesta lights add glitter to the church.

ANCESTRAL HOUSE OF THE LATE PRES. MANUEL ROXAS

The birthplace of Pres. Manuel Roxas, First President of the Philippine Republic and Roxas City’s most illustrious son in whose honor the city got its name, still stands at its original site at Rizal St., (corner Zamora St.,), a few minutes walk from the city hall and the city plaza.

THE CITY BRIDGE

The old and imposing Spanish City Bridge has remained strong and firm since it was built in 1910. Connecting the commercial center of the city to the main thoroughfare, traversing the Panay River, the bridge is a silent witness to various changes that ushered in progress and development in the city. Like the old bridge, equally alluring is the huge stretch of the Panay River that traverses the very heart of the city. For this, Roxas City has been dubbed as the "Venice of the Visayas".

BAYBAY SEAFOOD GRILLS

Located at Baybay beach is a stretch of stalls serving the freshest seafood in town. These establishments offer a laid-back atmosphere where one can simply dine and relax to the refreshing sea breeze, sparkling fine gray sand, serene blue waters and pristine shoreline. It specializes in “talaba” steamed in hot boiling water or broiled over charcoal for P25-P35 pesos per basket. It also offers other mouth-watering dishes like chicken and pork barbecue, pantat, hito, squid, and other grilled delicacies at affordable prices. It is a perfect venue for an intimate dinner for 2 or lively family gatherings.

HORTUS BOTANICUS

Hortus Botanicus houses a collection of both introduced and endemic plants that are properly labeled and arranged according to families. The Hortus Botanicus or garden is set in Milibili, a barangay of Roxas City, which is around 3.12 kms. from the city proper and 950 meters away from the national road. The site is nestled along the gentle rolling hills of Milibili, a natural setting for the different plant collections. The existing body of water at the site can hold aquatic plant accessions and facilities for recreation. Its location is ideal for seminars, hands-on training programs, for retreats or simply a place to unwind. Plant hobbyists, on the other hand can learn more here and avail of planting materials for their collection.
The gardens are not only a living museum of plants or a sanctuary and conservation area for the city’s plant species but also a learning center where livelihood activities like the setting-up of backyard gardens, training for garden services and other allied activities can be conducted.

Culajao Mangrove Eco-Park

Experience a breath-taking view of the 4.69 hectare mangrove reservation zone; a reforestation project of the Roxas City Government in partnership with Katunggan Sa Culajao Salbaron Association (KACUSA), Inc. and PEW Fellows Program in Marine Conservation to address the dwindling mangrove forest in the City of Roxas.

People's Park (La Playa de Roxas)

Found at the end of Arnaldo Boulevard, roughly a three- minute tricycle ride from Roxas City Airport and a stone's throw away from Roxas City Seafood Plaza is a Seashore-manmade Park. With a cool breeze blowing "round the clock" and the sound of the ocean waves splashing against the park’s break water (when the tide rolls in), this place is ideal for family picnics at daytime and a romantic date at night. Take a guitar and just jam with your friends as it gives you a "Caribbean feel" with its mixture of "cobble-stone-feel" footpath, palm trees and the scent of the sea or just lounge and relax to a sun setting over the Visayan sea.