A 3-day Captivating Trip in Roxas City and Capiz

Posted by Junnjun M.

Dec 15

Roxas City in Capiz has been our jump point going to Masbate but I seem to just pass by this city without exploring it. Last December 4^th until 6^thI was able to stay for at least 3 days and 2 nights in this emerging city in Panay. It was such a perfect timing to tour Roxas and explore Capiz just in time for the Sinadya sa Halaran Festival and the Western Visayas Tourism Assembly 2009 (WVTA), the biggest tourism fare in the region.

Day 1:

Fresh seafoods at Baybay Beach, Roxas City

From Iloilo me, Junelle and Marcos agreed to meet Friday early morning of December 4^th at Andoks in Jaro as our jump off point for Roxas. After more than a two-hour trip we arrived in Roxas at around 9:30A.M, first thing we did was to look for the hotel/inn that a friend made a reservation for us. We reserved ahead expecting the influx of people flocking to Roxas City with the two big events celebrated simultaneously. After setting things up we decided to go to Villareal Stadium to take a glimpse of the event’s venue, dip in various exhibits and trade fairs while waiting for Eric to arrive from Aklan. After a quick lunching at Gaisano City of Roxas (Jollibee) we headed to the city’s plaza as the Parade of Festivals which is the highlights of WVTA is starting at 2PM, which actually started late. It was a whole afternoon of photo opportunities for us witnessing at least 12 festivals of Western Visayas at one setting. During the night we settled at Baybay Beach for our dose of seafood cravings, not to mention we are in the Seafood Capital of the Philippines.

Day2:

Dante’s Cafe & Bar in front of Gaisano Marketplace, Roxas City

Ang Panublion Museum

Sta. Monica Church, Pan ay, Capiz

La Playa de Roxas (People’s Park of Roxas), Baybay Beach

Grandville Complex, Roxas City

On our second day we were joined by a fellow blogger from Roxas City Sheilla who served as our city guide also, Thanks to Sheilla, we didn’t have to locate the streets on the map everytime. We had our breakfast at Dante’s Café & Bar in front of Gaisano Marketplace, thereafter we headed to the province’s Museum called Ang Panublion Museum which is a whitewashed museum building that was once a circular water tank, a good example of intelligent architectural reuse. Unfortunately they are not allowing photos to be taken inside the antique repository for security reasons. The museum hosts memorabilias of well known Capiznons in the Philippine history such as President Manuel Roxas and Jovita Fuentes to name a few. Then we headed to the nearby Balay Capiznon that houses local and indigenous products display of Capiz and the City Tourism information center where we got directions on how to go to Culajao Mangrove Eco Park and provided us with a much detailed map of Roxas City. We wasted no time and headed to Brgy. Culajao following the directions of the tourism officer. Culajao Mangrove Eco Park is a massive reserve of diverged mangroves and it was the first time I got to see such one.

After that, we planned to go directly to Dumolog Fish Drying area when it rained, so we decided to go back to the inn to get some things. Marcos’ friends arrived and tripped with us to Pan ay, the town next to Roxas City in the Southern part of Capiz, home to the famous Santa Monica Church with its humongous church bell. We were permitted to go up to the bell tower by batches to see the largest Christian bell in Asia. We got a tour also of the Museo de Santa Monica that houses a collection of the old materials and memorabilias used in the church through time. It was already getting late in the afternoon so we moved back to Roxas and we had a sidetrip to Banica wharf to arranged our boat ride going to Olotayan Island the next day but unfortunately the coast guards isn’t supportive enough of tourists going to Olotayan when they even suggested that we go to Boracay or Carles either. Such an ironic thing when the City and provincial tourism of Roxas and Capiz are busy promoting the island as a tourist destination while the coast guards won’t allow the boats to cross Olotayan.

As it was already dusk we headed to La Playa de Roxas or known as the People’s Park of Roxas along Baybay Beach which resembles a mini Baywalk of Manila with a cleaner environment and a fresh clean air breeze. After relaxing and taking photos we moved to the nearby array of seafood serving restaurants to have our repast of a purely seafood dinner again. After that some went back to the inn and we decided to experience a night life in Roxas City.

Day 3:

Patpat’s Kansi Lawas

Ford’s Point (“Dońa Maria”)

Dumolog Fish Drying Area, Brgy. Dumolog, Roxas City

Baybay Beach Seafood Restaurants

We finally realized the itinerary of going to the dried fish drying area in Dumolog which was haltered by the rain the other day. That was after we had a late breakfast Pat-pat’s Kansi and Seafoods in Baybay and trekking the heights of a mountain to see the statue known as the Ford’s Point or otherwise “Dońa Maria” as the locals known it. The statue oversees the sea from a hilltop of rocks that greets passing fishermen and boatmen. After the Dumolog fish drying area we dropped at Tracy’s Bakeshop for Junelle to buy pasalubong and at the nearby Panulce in Magallanes Street. We were off to Iloilo with a plan to have a sidetrip to Passi City Hall and Dingle Church. The church of Saint John the Baptist in Dingle is one of the oldest and most elegant church in Iloilo. Its façade was just so amazingly massive and intricately handcrafted. Not in the plan but we proceeded to the nearby Moroboro Dam with the suspended bridge beside it. Along the way to the dam we had a glimpse at the Memorial to the Cry of Lincud Heroes Park. We visited Dingle Cemetery also and then we head all the way to Iloilo City.

Saint John the Baptist Church in Dingle, Iloilo