Contemporary and traditional elements fuse together during Roxas City's Capiztahan Festival. The streets come alive with colorful dances and parades that pay homage to the province's illustrious past and the city’s most notable son. Amidst the celebrations, both residents and tourists enjoy an array of cultures, seafood specialties, and the everlasting joie de vivre the Capiznons are known for.
Joining the Capiztahan Revelry in Roxas City | Capiz
Capiztahan began as a lively tribute to Manuel A. Roxas, the first Filipino president of the Third Republic. The province bursts into life beginning on the fifteenth—the date of Roxas' death—with “CAPIZtahan,” which adjoins the province name with the word kapistahan, which means “festival.” This festivity marks the beginning of the celebration of Roxas's legacy and the province’s culture, and lasts until the end of the month.
Together with the Tourism Promotions Board of the Philippines, we arrived in Roxas City just as the celebrations got underway. Colorful street banners and a slew of performers adorned in colorful garbs amplified the already festive mood.
The festival was already nearing its end, having completed a slew of activities such as the Maragtas Sang Capisnon Cultural Show, the boodle treat Surambaw Seafood Fest, the National Pyromusical Competition, and dozens of cultural, musical, and sporting competitions.
The Unity Dance & Closing Festivities
We did, however, arrive in time to see the closing festivities, which included the Unity Dance where a record number of participants from various schools paraded the streets of Roxas City performing a choreographed waltz. More dancing ensued during “Saot Capiz,” a Capisnon folk dance showcase in which performers from sixteen municipalities—plus a component city—showcased the province's published folk dances.
On our last night in Roxas City before traveling to Masbate the next day, we witnessed the Capiztahan’s curtain-drop affair, “Indak, Galaw, and Sayaw,” which was curated and organized by the NCCA (National Commission for Culture and the Arts).
Attractions in and around Roxas City
In between covering the many fun events of the Capiztahan, we ventured outside of the city to pay a visit to a few religious and pilgrimage sites, including the Sacred Heart monument in Roxas City's Pueblo de Panay, St. Martin de Tours church in Dumalag, Christ the Redeemer in Ivisan, and the Healing Chapel at Meditation Hills in Sapian.
Since everybody knows by now what one should do in the seafood capital of the Philippines, we made sure to have a memorable lunch while on a relaxing cruise down the Cadimahan River by indulging in fresh seafood.
The province of Capiz is also famous for its windowpane oysters, which have a flat, semi-transparent shell that shimmers with an iridescent sheen. These shells have since been referred to as Capiz shells.
At a tiny backyard Capiz-shell factory in Roxas City called Kapis Atbp., we witnessed the sizing, sorting, cutting, washing, binding, and shaping processes that go into creating exquisite Capiz shell decorative pieces.
Because of their longevity and translucent nature, Capiz shells were commonly used for windows in older homes, including, as I recall, my late grandparents' house in Bulacan.
This community-based tourism program was started in 2008 and is managed by members of the local community. Many of them are former fishermen who have found a secure income through this program.
We also dropped by the Sta. Monica Parish Church in Pan-ay, Capiz, which is home to Asia’s biggest church bell. The “Dakong Lingganay,” as the bell is known locally, dangles from the five-story bell tower. When the bell is rung, you may hear it from up to eight kilometers away.
Legend has it that seventy sacks of smelted coins were contributed by local people after a typhoon destroyed the first 1770s-built church in 1875. These coins were supposedly used to cast Dakong Lingganay during the 1884 construction of the present church.
Roxas City: A Charming Coastal Destination
Our city tour concluded with pit stops at Ang Panublion Museum and the Pres. Manuel A. Roxas Ancestral House located not far from each other near Roxas City Hall and the Capiz Provincial Capitol.
Despite a few prior visits witnessing the Sinadya sa Halaran Festival and going on a seafood fix a number of years ago, I still welcome the chance to return to this idyllic seaside city for a variety of reasons, namely: food, of course, history, local culture, and the relaxed pace of life.
As our small group of travel writers (with me barely breaking a move) attempted to dance with hundreds of others during the closing part of “Indak, Galaw, and Sayaw,” I marveled at the sight of a crowd of people celebrating not just the 122nd anniversary of the city's civil administration, but also the local culture that has been passed down through the years with great joy and celebration.
