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Capiz - History
Capiz, a province where myth and reality merge. One enduring legend about how Capiz got its name goes like this: Balingangan, Datu Bankaya’s eldest son, named his two territories “Kapid” and“Akean” (meaning twin) in honor of his twin daughters “Bulan” and “Adlaw” (moon and sun). Spaniards who later settled in the area adopted the names of Capiz and Aklan.
The arrival of Spaniards in 1569 brought about major changes in the lives of the Capizeños. May 8, 1570, marked the conquest of Panay and consequently the district of Aklan by the Spaniards under the leadership of Martin de Goiti. Capiz was created into a separate ‘encomienda’ and later was organized into a politico-military province in 1716, embracing the neighboring island of Romblon, Tablas, and Sibuyan. The American takeover of the Philippines resulted in the establishment of a civil government in Capiz on April 15, 1901.
The City of Roxas is the provincial capital of Capiz, a part of Panay Island where Miguel Lopez de Legaspi settled when he arrived from Cebu. In 1746, Capiz was made the seat of the politico-military government although it was still ecclesiastically controlled by the Bishopric of Cebu. On May 31, 1847, a Royal Decree turned the province into an alcadia. Roxas City was once known as the Municipality of Capiz and it became a chartered city on May 12, 1951 by virtue of Republic Act No. 603 otherwise known as the City Charter. The late Hon. Lorenzo Arnaldo was its first City Mayor. This city was named “Roxas City” in honor of its most illustrious son, the first president of the Republic of the Philippines, President Manuel Acuña Roxas.
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