Trip to Roxas City

    This November I was given opportunity to go to roxas for a consultation meeting with local goverment units.  Well, that was an advantage for me because Roxas City is my moms birthplace and my aunt and uncle are still living in there.  The consultation was lasted for a week and during our last day we’ve been given a chance to roam around and visit the beautiful and historic places of Roxas City.  We went to Santa Monica Church which is located at Municipality of Panay just  five kilometers away from Roxas City.  

  In that church you could see the oldest and biggest bell in asia but during our visit we were so unlucky because there were mass going and going to the top to see the biggest bell while  there is mass scheduled is strictly prohibited by the priest.  At first it was prostrating because we taught we could see the real biggest bell but all in all we are still fortunate that there was a reflica of the bell which can be found just outside the Santa Monica church.  Also we were given a chance to a get inside in their mini museum where in you could see the oldest chruch documents and stuffs.  After our visit to the Santa Monica church we went to Wendy’s Garden where in you cant different kind of plants and animals.  After visiting wendy’s garden we dropped by at the roxas market where we bought various kind of “UGA” dried fish.   Cool… right!

Pan-ay Santa Monica Church

In 1566, Fray Martín de Rada is said to have preached the Gospel in Bamban (Pan-ay) and from there he proceeded to evangelize Dumangas to the south. The Augustinians continued to spread their net of evangelization to the south and west of Pan-ay until they had established footholds in the whole island.  By the late 1500s, they had been had been the sole evangelizers of Panay island until the Jesuits arrived at this time.

Because of lack of food, Miguel Lopez de Legazpi transferred the Spanish settlement from Cebu to Pan-ay in 1569. The town was formally founded in 1572 (1581 according to Jorde), although by that time Legazpi had moved the capital of the Philippines, further north, to Manila. Fr. Bartolome de Alcantara was named the prior of the town with Fr. Agustin Camacho as assistant. A prosperous town due to trade, Pan-ay became capital of Capiz for two centuries, until Capiz was named capital. The town name was eventually given to whole island. After 1607, Fr. Alonso de Méntrida, noted for his linguistic studies and Visayan dictionary became prior. In the 18^th century, Pan-ay was famous for its textile industry which produced a cloth called suerte and exported to Europe. In the 19^th century, Don Antonio Roxas, grandfather of Pres. Manuel Roxas, opened one of the largest rum and wine distilleries in the town. The Augustinians held the parish until 1898, when administration tranferred to the seculars.

The first church was built before 1698 when it is reported that a typhoon had ruined it. In 1774, Fr. Miguel Murguía rebuilt the church, but it was later damaged by a typhoon on 15 January 1875. Fr. Jose Beloso restored the church in 1884. The church is best known for its 10.4 ton bell popularly called dakong lingganay (big bell). The bell was cast by Don Juan Reina who settled in Iloilo in 1868. Reina who was town dentist was also noted as a metal caster and smith. The bell was cast at Pan-ay from 70 sacks of coins donated by the townspeople. The bell was completed in 1878. It bears an inspiring inscription which translated reads: “I am God’s voice which shall echo praise from one end of the town of Pan-ay to the other, so that Christ’s faithful followers may enter this house of God to receive heavenly graces.”

Source:http://www.admu.edu.ph/offices/mirlab/panublion/r6_stamonica.html