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We pass through and along them every now and then. We always
have a glimpse of them, even to the point that we even don’t bother to take a
note whether or not they really matter. But whether we see them as structures
of historical and cultural significance, or mere public adornments, these
little-known structures and spots have been silent witnesses to some of the
most significant events in our history, a living memory of years bygone that we
have to cherish and protect.
Sites like the Roxas City Bandstand, unknown to others, are
as old as the city itself. While Calle Revolucion and Tadiao Bridge in Pan-ay
have their marks have their share in our province’s history, though they remain
relatively obscure and their historical importance unknown to most of us.
We esteem our province too little, but taking another look
and you will see that Roxas City is actually home to some of the country’s most
historically significant sites. So, let’s take a peek at these bridges to the
past and relive our story.
The Roxas City Band Stand
Standing even before the municipality of Capiz was chartered
as a city, the Roxas City bandstand is a quintessential pre-war infrastructure
that epitomizes the wealth of old society and flamboyance of prewar architecture.
It was built in 1926 under the auspices of the city’s premier social club, Circulo Galante, and its Presidente Honorario, then-House Speaker
Manuel Roxas. Typical of every town-capital, the band stand, designed in an ornate
and ostentatious manner, became the center of town life in the past, as it
continues to be center of local activities today. It had before served the
venue of the coronation of the fiesta queens and also graced celebrations that
colored the everyday prewar life.
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| The Roxas City Band Stand |
Tadiao Bridge
Tadiao Bridge is the gateway to the town proper of Panay. Though no historical mark emanates the importance of this bridge, word-of-mouth, and a glance at a reliable source unveiled the fact that Tadiao Bridge is where revolutionary leader Gen. Esteban Contreras drove the Spanish troops in Capiz. Tadiao Bridge was indeed a strategic location that aided the then-scarcely armed revolutionary troops in their efforts to successfully drive the Spaniards out from Capiz.
Calle Revolution
Calle Revolucion, according to the Provincial Tourism Office, is considered as the country’s second oldest street in the Philippines. It located at the heart of the municipality of Pan-ay, functioning as the town’s main thoroughfare. Indeed, it is only fitting for the street to be the country’s second oldest since it is in shores of Pan-ay that the Spaniards landed and established the second Spanish settlement in the country after Cebu.
