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ROXAS CITY, CAPIZ: "Seafoods Capital of the Philippines"

Roxas City is situated at the Northeastern tip of the Island of Panay within the geographical coordinates of 122° 45’ longitude and 11° 35’ latitude. Its boundaries are: Visayan Sea on the North, Municipality of Panit-an on the South, Municipality of Ivisan on the West, and Municipality of Panay on the East. It is located 250 nautical miles southeast Manila, 118 kilometers northeast of Iloilo City, and 86 kilometers east of Kalibo, Aklan. Travel Time to Manila is 45 minutes by air and 18 hrs. by boat.

The city classified, as a second Class Component City, belongs to the first political district of the Province of Capiz along with the Municipality of Maayon, Panay, Panit-an, Pilar, Pontevedra, and Pres, Roxas. It comprises forty-seven (47) barangays of which eighteen (18) are urban and twenty-nine (29) are rural.

History

Originally founded as the town of Capis in 1693, Roxas City is the site of Miguel Lopez de Legaspi's settlement when he arrived from Cebu. Panay used to be the capital of the province. Capiz, the name of the province, was the old name of Roxas City. he settlement was accepted as a visita of the town of Panay. The settlement was originally named El Puerto de Capiz. 

It is a former seat of a royal kingdom during the Indo-Malay era. According to a 1732 census, there were 327 inhabitants. In 1746, Capiz was made the seat of the military government, although it was still theoretically controlled by the Bishopric of Cebu. According to a 1760 census, there were 17,683 inhabitants. 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 city on May 12, 1951 with the issuance of the city charter, Republic Act No. 603, with Lorenzo Arnaldo as its first mayor. This city was named Roxas City in honor of President Manuel Roxas.

Festivals

Sinadya Sa Halaran . The Sinadya sa Halaran Festival is celebrated every first week of December in commemoration of the founding of the city followed by the Diwal Festival signifying the city's importance as the country's "Seafood Capital" along with the Aswang Festival that symbolizes the rich heritage of myth and folklore in the province. There used to be two separate and distinct festivals, the Halaran ("Offering") and the Sinadya ("Celebration"), the latter celebrated by the Province of Capiz and the other by the City of Roxas. The Halaran used to be held at the same time as the Feast of the Immaculate Conception, which was celebrated by the Immaculate Conception Metropolitan Cathedral. However, considering the huge costs of holding two festivals in a year, the two festivals were merged, with both the Province of Capiz and the City of Roxas contributing to the expenses.

Diwal Festival. The Roxas City Seafood Festival is held to commemorate and promote the resurgence of the Angel wing clam or diwal, which neared extinction until protected and cultivated in Roxas City.

Investment Climate 

As of 2006, the number of registered establishments under the License Division of the City Mayor totaled to 1,409 establishments. Operating in the city are seventeen (17) banks, twenty four (24) lending institutions, and forty one (41) pawnshop/jewelry stores.

The central business district of the city is found along Roxas Avenue and in the area where the Teodoro Arcenas Trade Center is situated. A minor commercial center or commercial strip could also be found along Burgos Street and Gregorio del Pilar Street, Arnaldo Boulevard where Gaisano Mall is located. Market day in the City is Sunday.

Goods exported by the city through its national port and the port of Iloilo are mostly agricultural and marine products like palay, rice, corn, copra, kapis shells, green mussels or “tahong”, oyster or “talaba”, dried fresh fish, prawns, crabs and shrimps

Small and medium scale industries operate in the city such as an electronic manufacturing firm, one (1) prawn processing plant, one (1) crabmeat processing, bangus and prawn fry hatcheries, shellcraft business, rattan and wood furniture manufacturing, ice plants, hollow blocks manufacturing, rice mills, the cutflower and garments industries, and commercial poultry farms. To help out businessmen who wish to invest in the city, a special body has been formed – the City of Roxas Investment Board or CRIB.

Banks and Their Locations. Business entities can find easy convenience in the City of Roxas with many banks available.These banks are connected with their national and international branches and also have online and ATM capabilities.

• Allied Banking Corporation – Roxas Avenue, Roxas City
• Bank of the Philippine Islands – Roxas Avenue, Roxas City
• Business and Commercial Bank – Burgos St., Roxas City
• Capiz Settlers Cooperative Rural Bank, Inc. – San Roque Ext., Roxas City
• Veterans Bank, P. Gomez, Roxas City
• China Banking Corporation – Roxas Avenue, Roxas City
• Development Bank of the Philippines – Antonio Belo St., Roxas City
• Equitable PCI Bank – Roxas Avenue, Roxas City
• Farm Bank, Inc. – Roxas Branch, Teodoro Arcenas Trade Center, Roxas City
• Green Bank - Arnaldo Boulevard, Roxas City
• Land Bank of the Philippines – P.Gomez St., Roxas City
• Maybank Philippines, Inc. – Roxas Avenue, Roxas City
• Metropolitan Banking Corporation – Roxas Avenue, Roxas City and Arnaldo Boulevard, Roxas City
• Philippine National Bank – Magallanes St., Roxas City
• Queen City Development Bank – Roxas Avenue, Roxas City
• Rizal Commercial Banking Corporation – Plaridel St., Roxas City
• Rural Bank of Pilar – Roxas Branch, Teodoro Arcenas Trade Center, Roxas City
• United Coconut Planters Bank – Arnaldo Boulevard, Roxas City

Roxas City's Economy mainly thrives on its fishing industry where it attracts its tourists by famously known as the Seafood Capital of the Philippines. Roxas City's Economy can be found here.