Borja: Let’s work together to erase Capiz’s ‘aswang’ image
ROXAS CITY -- A Capiceño lawyer who is successfully practicing in Manila has urged his fellow provincemates, especially public officials, to help erase the image of Capiz as haven of “aswang” (witch).
Lawyer Nelson Borja said the Capiceños, most especially in Manila, are always victim of public humiliation as they are called “aswang” having come the province of Capiz.
Borja observed that many Capiceños in other places are not proud to be identified as such and sometimes never admitted to be a native of the province to avoid being called a witch.
He also noticed that products coming from Capiz and its component city are affected when it reached to other places especially in Manila. He added that tourism is not booming like the other places in Panay Island such as Boracay, Iloilo and rest of the provinces in Western Visayas.
Borja also said that despite the good name and impressive records of the Capiceños, there appears a negative perception of the province which he believes is a nightmare for its economic development—and that is, the false and malicious perception by some people that Capiz is the home of witches.
Such baseless and unfounded perception though casually taken as a mere “joke” is grossly unfair and a continuing humiliation not only to our beloved province but also to its wonderful people elsewhere and the future Capiz generation, Borja said. And unless this bad impression is properly addressed though the implementation of Tourism Act of 2009, our people would never heave a sigh of relief as respected Capiceños, Borja stressed.
Borja added that tourism is not only to create livelihood among the people, but also for the tourists to have a better taste of seafood and to dispel any speculation that Capiz is a haven of “aswangs” – such being a product of wild imagination, so to speak.
Due to his concern regarding the plight of Capiceños, Borja has appealed to Department of Tourism (DOT) Secretary Joseph Durano to consider the province’s potential for development as another tourist destination, in line with the Tourism Act of 2009 recently signed by President Arroyo which declares tourism as an engine of investment, employment, growth and national development.
In his letter to the secretary, Borja said that Capiz has Baybay beach resort in Roxas City with a long stretch of sand beaches; the mystic island of Olotayan; the biggest church bell in Asia; the Panay and Pilar beaches and their religious artifacts; the mountainous terrain of Maayon; the Ivisan white sand; the unexplored Dumalag suhot cave; the scenic-waterfalls and majestic Tapaz mountain lake; and to say the least, the memorabilia of the first President of the Philippine Republic.
Borja said that being the Seafood Capital of the Philippines, the province has produced a former Senate President and later President of the Republic Manuel Roxas, a former Senator and opposition leader Gerardo Roxas, a former Speaker of the House Cornelio Villareal, and a number of distinguished Justices of the Supreme Court and the Court of Appeals.
A present, Roxas City is under the stewardship of Mayor Vicente Bermejo who distinguished himself excellent in public service being a three-time mayor of Panay and governor of Capiz, and was voted most outstanding governor of the Philippines in 2006.
It has also in its fold a 2004 top-Senator Mar Roxas who is eyeing for President in 2010 and a great number of successful businessmen and professionals, Borja said.