Passi City
Encyclopedia
Passi City is a 3rd class city in the province of Iloilo in the Philippines
. According to the recent census, it has a population of 82,869 people in 16,234 households and a population density of 330/km2.It has a total land area of 251.39km2 or 25,139.13 has., making up 5.39% of the provincial land area of Iloilo. Its relatively flat land stretches alongside the Jalaur and Lamunan rivers.
Passi is a rice and sugar-rich area and the only component city and the largest in the Province of Iloilo in terms of land area, population and income. It is popularly called the "Sweet City" of Panay due to its vast pineapple plantations and annual output in fruit production.
The City of Passi is geographically located South of Dumarao, Southeast of Bingawan, East of Calinog, Northeast of Dueñas, North of San Enrique, and Southwest of San Rafael.
According to popular legend, Spanish
conquistador
s stumbled on a small hut by the river’s bank where an old woman was fond winnowing pounded rice. One of them asked her, “¿Cómo se llama este lugar?” not knowing the native language of course. Much to the old woman’s surprise and perhaps excitement, she replied without much ado, “Ah, pasi,” which means some of the unhusked rice on her basket held in both hands. She must have thought that they were eager to know what was in the basket and what she was doing, because she could not understand their language. From that time on, the Spanish begun to call the place Pasi at first until it later evolved into Passi. Such legends about name origins are common throughout towns and cities in the Philippines, the core plot being a Spaniard asking the non-Spanish speaking natives what the name of the place is and the latter responding in what would end up eventually as the name of the place.
It is said that the first Spanish settlement was established in the area in 1766, marking the onset of Spanish colonial rule. In the traditional story, Spanish explorers anchored in Ansig, a place located at the mouth of Lamunan River. The name of the city is probably derived from Pasi, a Hiligaynon word meaning “unhusked grains of palay.”
In 1957, the sitio of Agtabo in the barrio of Salngan was converted into a barrio. In the same year the barrio of Santa Rosa was renamed Santo Tomas.
, Filipino
and English
are also widely understood.
Some festivals in the province of Iloilo have either come back from near extinction or have evolved. And because of this, efforts have been undertaken by the community to breathe life into these cultural presentations that form part of a larger program of the tourism initiatives of the province to fully claim the title as the festival capital of the region, and to promote Ilonggo culture through the revival and preservation of traditional music and dances.
The Pintados de Pasi Festival, in Passi City, central of Iloilo province, is perhaps one of the best known and established festivals of the Visayan region that have evolved through the years. It has played a big part in the lives of most Passinhons. It is the most popular spectator cultural event and the most popular for the community that has a large following. Theatrical-like street dancing performances are a celebrated part of the Pintados festivity that is characterized by heavy and aggressive body movements. Here, performers adorned in traditional body tattoo with elaborate geometrical designs in their body, including their arms, legs and torso dramatizes stories in which the towns’ ancestral beings laid down every feature of the area, especially, their way of life.
Characterized by heavy and aggressive body movements, the dances seem to have developed independent of any external influences, as in the combat dances, folk plays, ritual actions, or character types. Historical or cultural sources are essential materials in sustaining a festival such as theirs. The festivity changed over the years, though its cultural presentation remained popular up to this day, and has resurrected and form part in a celebration that reflected function and transition. It also represented a major change in style and subject matter.
ImageTourism, through this cultural celebration brings thousands of local and international visitors interested to know the city’s rich history, considerable scenic beauty, and a number tourism attraction. The Passinhon 2000 Incorporated devotes their efforts of promoting the festival in the local and national scene. These efforts focus on the cultural festivity—at least in the early promotional stage, is the best way to keep it alive, and a variety of innovative efforts are underway to do just that. This year, 2008 marks the 10th Foundation Anniversary.
Body painting as well as carabao(water buffalo) painting contests are being practiced followed by a beauty pageant, a boat and bicycle racing events, and a tribal dancing competition.
Passi City celebrates the feast of its patron saint, San Guillermo (St. William) on the 10th of February along with the coronation of a fiesta queen.
Passi is a 3rd class component city with this year’s annual income of P300, 860,719-General Income, P26,732,922-Special Educational Fund, P37,287,853-Trust Fund, with a total current operating income of P364,881,424 .
Passi City has played an important role in reaching its peak of progress. Centrally situated in the province, Passi City is locally important as the District Agri-Industrial Center of Iloilo with three sugar centrals. It is rich with agriculture resources that have long formed the backbone of its economy and agricultural diversification
produces crops such as rice, corn, vegetables, coconut, sugarcane and pineapple. Passi City has been an important pineapple producer for years, it has long been known for other industries including fruit processing, wallboard production, metalworking production and cut-flower propagation. Its locally produced pineapple wine, jam and fruit preserves have already established captured market with its exposure to various local trade fairs and exhibits such as the annual Fiesta in the City celebration during May; TUMANDOK in September; and WOW Philippines: the Best of the Region.
Passi, a component city (R.A. No. 8469 by Pres. Fidel Valdez Ramos last January 30, 1998.
) is bounded on the north by San Enrique; Dumarao, Capiz on the south; east by Calinog; and Lemery on the west. Predominantly a mountainous area, it is politically divided into 51 barangays. It is about 50 kilometers from the city of Iloilo, 70 kilometers from the city of Roxas and has an area of 25,139 hectares or 251.39km2---the largest in the province.
According to recent census, Passi City had a population of 82,869. An influx of Cebuano and Tagalog-speaking businessmen and investors in the years increased their numbers and were added. The Passinhon people are predominantly Karay-a-speaking, with Roman Catholicism as the religion of 95 percent of its population.
Famous attractions in the city are the wide pineapple plantations, the cock farms, the Baroque Church of Saint William, the old Mascuvado Chimney, the Chameleon Butterfly Garden, the Amorotic caves of Brgy. Magdungao, the breath-taking highway view with good sunset and the old Railway Bridge which needs some preservation and attention spanning the Jalaur River.
Industrial development is one of the priority concerns of the local unit being one of the five Agro-Industrial district in the Province and the site for People's Industrial Enterprise (PIE's) District Agro-Industrial Center (PAIC) in the 4th District. The PIE's / DAIC's provide intermediate processing of indigenous raw materials produced in their respective influence area for final processing at the DAIC. They also manufacture finished goods cooperative advantage for such manufacturing activities would prove viable.
Potable water resources can also be tapped from natural springs or from ground water which is bountiful in the area especially in the barangays of Imbang Grande, Bayan, Sarapan, Sablogon, and Jaguimitan.
As of this time, the barangays of Agdayao and Quinagaringan Gde. has level III type water supply and the Barangays of Jaguimitan and Bagacay has level II type of water system. The water needs of the Poblacion is served by the City of Passi which get its supply from the six deep wells and two springs at Brgy. Sablogon, Bacuranan and Man-it.
Vice Mayor: Jovi Palmares
Congressman: Ferjenel D. Biron
City Councilors
Ex-officio Councilors:
Philippines
The Philippines , officially known as the Republic of the Philippines , is a country in Southeast Asia in the western Pacific Ocean. To its north across the Luzon Strait lies Taiwan. West across the South China Sea sits Vietnam...
. According to the recent census, it has a population of 82,869 people in 16,234 households and a population density of 330/km2.It has a total land area of 251.39km2 or 25,139.13 has., making up 5.39% of the provincial land area of Iloilo. Its relatively flat land stretches alongside the Jalaur and Lamunan rivers.
Passi is a rice and sugar-rich area and the only component city and the largest in the Province of Iloilo in terms of land area, population and income. It is popularly called the "Sweet City" of Panay due to its vast pineapple plantations and annual output in fruit production.
Geographical Location
The City of Passi is centrally located in the island of Panay and can be reached by IBRD Expressway within 45 minutes from Iloilo City and one hour to Roxas City.The City of Passi is geographically located South of Dumarao, Southeast of Bingawan, East of Calinog, Northeast of Dueñas, North of San Enrique, and Southwest of San Rafael.
History
Although its young distinction as a city, Passi is considered to be one of the oldest Spanish settlements in Iloilo. It was organized as a pueblo in 1766 with Don Martin Saligumba as its first leader.But the place has actually been settled by Malay migrants long before the arrival of the Spaniards.According to popular legend, Spanish
Spain
Spain , officially the Kingdom of Spain languages]] under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages. In each of these, Spain's official name is as follows:;;;;;;), is a country and member state of the European Union located in southwestern Europe on the Iberian Peninsula...
conquistador
Conquistador
Conquistadors were Spanish soldiers, explorers, and adventurers who brought much of the Americas under the control of Spain in the 15th to 16th centuries, following Europe's discovery of the New World by Christopher Columbus in 1492...
s stumbled on a small hut by the river’s bank where an old woman was fond winnowing pounded rice. One of them asked her, “¿Cómo se llama este lugar?” not knowing the native language of course. Much to the old woman’s surprise and perhaps excitement, she replied without much ado, “Ah, pasi,” which means some of the unhusked rice on her basket held in both hands. She must have thought that they were eager to know what was in the basket and what she was doing, because she could not understand their language. From that time on, the Spanish begun to call the place Pasi at first until it later evolved into Passi. Such legends about name origins are common throughout towns and cities in the Philippines, the core plot being a Spaniard asking the non-Spanish speaking natives what the name of the place is and the latter responding in what would end up eventually as the name of the place.
It is said that the first Spanish settlement was established in the area in 1766, marking the onset of Spanish colonial rule. In the traditional story, Spanish explorers anchored in Ansig, a place located at the mouth of Lamunan River. The name of the city is probably derived from Pasi, a Hiligaynon word meaning “unhusked grains of palay.”
In 1957, the sitio of Agtabo in the barrio of Salngan was converted into a barrio. In the same year the barrio of Santa Rosa was renamed Santo Tomas.
Culture
Kinaray-a is the most spoken language, although HiligaynonHiligaynon language
Hiligaynon, often referred to as Ilonggo, is an Austronesian language spoken in the Western Visayas region of the Philippines.Hiligaynon is concentrated in the provinces of Iloilo, Negros Occidental and Capiz but is also spoken in the other provinces of the Panay Island group, including Antique,...
, Filipino
Filipino language
This move has drawn much criticism from other regional groups.In 1987, a new constitution introduced many provisions for the language.Article XIV, Section 6, omits any mention of Tagalog as the basis for Filipino, and states that:...
and English
English language
English is a West Germanic language that arose in the Anglo-Saxon kingdoms of England and spread into what was to become south-east Scotland under the influence of the Anglian medieval kingdom of Northumbria...
are also widely understood.
Some festivals in the province of Iloilo have either come back from near extinction or have evolved. And because of this, efforts have been undertaken by the community to breathe life into these cultural presentations that form part of a larger program of the tourism initiatives of the province to fully claim the title as the festival capital of the region, and to promote Ilonggo culture through the revival and preservation of traditional music and dances.
The Pintados de Pasi Festival, in Passi City, central of Iloilo province, is perhaps one of the best known and established festivals of the Visayan region that have evolved through the years. It has played a big part in the lives of most Passinhons. It is the most popular spectator cultural event and the most popular for the community that has a large following. Theatrical-like street dancing performances are a celebrated part of the Pintados festivity that is characterized by heavy and aggressive body movements. Here, performers adorned in traditional body tattoo with elaborate geometrical designs in their body, including their arms, legs and torso dramatizes stories in which the towns’ ancestral beings laid down every feature of the area, especially, their way of life.
Characterized by heavy and aggressive body movements, the dances seem to have developed independent of any external influences, as in the combat dances, folk plays, ritual actions, or character types. Historical or cultural sources are essential materials in sustaining a festival such as theirs. The festivity changed over the years, though its cultural presentation remained popular up to this day, and has resurrected and form part in a celebration that reflected function and transition. It also represented a major change in style and subject matter.
ImageTourism, through this cultural celebration brings thousands of local and international visitors interested to know the city’s rich history, considerable scenic beauty, and a number tourism attraction. The Passinhon 2000 Incorporated devotes their efforts of promoting the festival in the local and national scene. These efforts focus on the cultural festivity—at least in the early promotional stage, is the best way to keep it alive, and a variety of innovative efforts are underway to do just that. This year, 2008 marks the 10th Foundation Anniversary.
Body painting as well as carabao(water buffalo) painting contests are being practiced followed by a beauty pageant, a boat and bicycle racing events, and a tribal dancing competition.
Passi City celebrates the feast of its patron saint, San Guillermo (St. William) on the 10th of February along with the coronation of a fiesta queen.
Economy
The physical resources of Passi consists of relatively good soil types along rolling hills and narrow valley plains with substantial surface and ground water, with no distinct dry and wet season which is suitable for a wide range of agricultural products like rice, sugarcane, and pineapple. When the sugar industry experience a slump due to falling sugar prices and quotas in the world market, farmers diversified into other agricultural products like corn, pineapple, mongo, root crops, and other farm- based products. The City has investment potentials for Agri- Industrial developments.Passi is a 3rd class component city with this year’s annual income of P300, 860,719-General Income, P26,732,922-Special Educational Fund, P37,287,853-Trust Fund, with a total current operating income of P364,881,424 .
Passi City has played an important role in reaching its peak of progress. Centrally situated in the province, Passi City is locally important as the District Agri-Industrial Center of Iloilo with three sugar centrals. It is rich with agriculture resources that have long formed the backbone of its economy and agricultural diversification
Agricultural diversification
In the agricultural context, diversification can be regarded as the re-allocation of some of a farm's productive resources, such as land, capital, farm equipment and paid labour, into new activities...
produces crops such as rice, corn, vegetables, coconut, sugarcane and pineapple. Passi City has been an important pineapple producer for years, it has long been known for other industries including fruit processing, wallboard production, metalworking production and cut-flower propagation. Its locally produced pineapple wine, jam and fruit preserves have already established captured market with its exposure to various local trade fairs and exhibits such as the annual Fiesta in the City celebration during May; TUMANDOK in September; and WOW Philippines: the Best of the Region.
Passi, a component city (R.A. No. 8469 by Pres. Fidel Valdez Ramos last January 30, 1998.
) is bounded on the north by San Enrique; Dumarao, Capiz on the south; east by Calinog; and Lemery on the west. Predominantly a mountainous area, it is politically divided into 51 barangays. It is about 50 kilometers from the city of Iloilo, 70 kilometers from the city of Roxas and has an area of 25,139 hectares or 251.39km2---the largest in the province.
According to recent census, Passi City had a population of 82,869. An influx of Cebuano and Tagalog-speaking businessmen and investors in the years increased their numbers and were added. The Passinhon people are predominantly Karay-a-speaking, with Roman Catholicism as the religion of 95 percent of its population.
Famous attractions in the city are the wide pineapple plantations, the cock farms, the Baroque Church of Saint William, the old Mascuvado Chimney, the Chameleon Butterfly Garden, the Amorotic caves of Brgy. Magdungao, the breath-taking highway view with good sunset and the old Railway Bridge which needs some preservation and attention spanning the Jalaur River.
Industrial development is one of the priority concerns of the local unit being one of the five Agro-Industrial district in the Province and the site for People's Industrial Enterprise (PIE's) District Agro-Industrial Center (PAIC) in the 4th District. The PIE's / DAIC's provide intermediate processing of indigenous raw materials produced in their respective influence area for final processing at the DAIC. They also manufacture finished goods cooperative advantage for such manufacturing activities would prove viable.
Climate and Rainfall
Passi like most of the Iloilo’s towns, belong to the third type climate region which has no pronounced maximum rain period and no distinct dry and wet season while it is not within typhoon belt but it has its own share of typhoons that visits the province of Iloilo occasionally.Water Resources
The city is traversed by 5 major rivers namely (1) Jalaur River (2) Lamunan River (3) Hin-ayan River (4) Asisig River and (5) Maliao River. It also has creeks and tributaries which can be tapped for irrigation purposes.Potable water resources can also be tapped from natural springs or from ground water which is bountiful in the area especially in the barangays of Imbang Grande, Bayan, Sarapan, Sablogon, and Jaguimitan.
As of this time, the barangays of Agdayao and Quinagaringan Gde. has level III type water supply and the Barangays of Jaguimitan and Bagacay has level II type of water system. The water needs of the Poblacion is served by the City of Passi which get its supply from the six deep wells and two springs at Brgy. Sablogon, Bacuranan and Man-it.
Political Subdivisions
It is composed of 38 rural barangays and 13 urban barangays with their respective population as of 2007. (as per approved CLUP; Sangguniang Panlalawigan Res. No. 2002-137 dated 9/10/02)
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Government
Mayor: Jesry PalmaresVice Mayor: Jovi Palmares
Congressman: Ferjenel D. Biron
City Councilors
- Gina Palmares
- Cenonito Pama
- Basilio Ligasan
- Bonifacio Barbero
- Jayson Padilla
- Juan Masna
- Noe Lico
- Arvin Pendon
- Aura Landar-Layese
- Tracy Ione Castellano
Ex-officio Councilors:
- Paula Gene Palma(SK President)
- Cornelio Teves (ABC President)