Historic Capiz town rings its giant bell for tourists
ROXAS CITY – Pan-ay, Capiz, one of the oldest towns in the Philippines, will make another effort to entice tourists and visitors to come and enjoy its varied attractions during a well-prepared occasion which is no other than its town fiesta come May 1-4, 2008.
Mayor Dante B. Bermejo said they have chosen as theme "Tourism in Focus" for their town fiesta dubbed this year "Lingga-anay 2008" because they believe that their town has a rich treasure trove of history, culture, natural wealth and people that are worth visiting.
Pan-ay, whose name is also carried by the entire island of Panay in Central Philippines where the town is located, was founded by the Spanish Augustinian friars in 1581 and became the second Spanish settlement in the country next to Cebu.
The towns, one of the 16 municipalities of Capiz, was once the center of Catholicism in the whole island and was the first organized community in the province by virtue of its being its first capital during the early Spanish regime.
The provincial capital was later moved to Roxas City, known then as the town of Capiz.
One of the world's largest church bells – and the biggest in Southeast Asia – now hangs at the belfry of the Sta. Monica Parish Church and rings regularly for masses and special events involving the parish church.
The gigantic bell, which weighs 10.4 metric tons and has a diameter of 7 feet, was made from 70 sacks of coins from the townspeople back in 1878. Inscribed on one side of the bell is the statement in Spanish which in English means: "I am the voice of God which shall echo and praise from the beginning till the end of this town of Pan-ay, so that the faithful of Jesus Christ may come to the house of God to receive heavenly graces."
The Sta. Monica church was established 306 earlier in 1572. It has been declared as a National Historical Landmark by the National Historical Institute (NHI).
The whole town itself has recently been declared as "The Heritage Capital of Capiz, Philippines" by the Sangguniang Panlalawigan of this province. Its people numbering about 42,000 are known for their hospitality.
It is one of the province's major food producers. Its fishponds that produce milkfish, crabs, shrimps and prawns constitute 7,000 hectares or about one-half of the town's total land area.
A portion of its coastal waters along its border with Roxas City is home to the prized exotic and succulent bivalve called "diwal" or angel-wings, as well as oysters and mussels. Its municipal waters are also one of the richest grounds for a wide variety of edible and commercial fish species.
The town boasts of its Pawa-Buntod Beach and Napti Island which is ideal for swimming, water sports and picnic. The latter is also a good place for snorkeling, diving and camping.
Pan-ay, located 8 kilometers from here, lately has started to showcase its wide tracts of mangroves for ecological tours among its natural wealth, alongside man-made attractions that include Villa Magdalena resort, Bibal integrated and organic farm, Berjamin plant and flower garden, and Weny's butterfly and plant garden.
Vice Mayor Gualberto Bernas III pointed out that the whole of the municipality is the tourist come-on of Pan-ay.
The town has been included by local tour operators in day tour packages for foreign and domestic tourists.
President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo has vowed that her administration would help develop tourism assets in the countryside, saying that ''tourism has the potential to be a major driver of economic development for our rural areas."
In her brief message at the recent opening of the First Siargao Game Fishing Invitational Tournament in CARAGA Region, the President said economic development in the rural areas is not all about developing modern agricultural methods but also ''working to responsibly develop those parts of our country that are uniquely suited for development as environmentally sensitive destinations for domestic and international tours.''
She said her administration would help the local governments improve their infrastructure facilities such as airports and roads which are badly needed to make tourist destinations more accessible.
The President said that in her travels abroad, she always make it a point to invite foreign businessmen to invest in tourism ventures in the Philippine countryside.
The President stressed, however, that in developing tourist destinations, the integrity of the environment must always be of primary consideration.
A third class municipality, Panay has an annual income of around P45 million from local sources and the Internal Revenue Allotment (IRA) Fund.
Mayor Bermejo said the fiesta celebration in honor of their Patron Saint Sta. Monica will begin May 1 with a community mass, to be followed by a formal opening program, product expo and trade fair, Local Government Unit Night, and Ihaw-Ihaw (grill) festival.
The coronation of the fiesta queen (Her Majesty Queen Mary Kris Capunong Balatayo) is slated May 3 before a fireworks display. This year's fiesta queen is the daughter of Sangguniang Bayan Member Nicomedes Balatayo and Ma. Victoria Capunong Balatayo.
A drum and lyre exhibition, civic parade, playground demonstration and kantahan sa Pan-ay (singing competition) will cap the four-day event.
The municipal government held a press conference April 16 to launch the activities lined up for the celebration. With Bermejo at the presscon were Vice Mayor Bernas, other local officials, department heads, officers of working committees, the fiesta queen and her parents and escort, and representatives from the private sector and community organizations. (PIA-JSC)