Roxas City celebrates 61st charter day

ROXAS CITY, CAPIZ, Philippines — Various festive activities have been laid out in celebration of the 61st year of cityhood of this city today, May 12. City Tourism Officer Bryan Mari Argos said a three-day food festival started last May 10 evening at the Roxas City plaza with local bands tapped to perform from sundown to midnight.

“Various oyster menus are featured by participating stalls in the food festival as the city government has designed a contest on the delectable marine bivalve mollusks,” Argos said.

The contest dubbed “Talaba Culinaria” will end with the awarding of winners on May 12. At 5 p.m. of this day another oyster-based contest will be held for the fastest table preparation of the bivalve among men and women participants.

A traditional fireworks display will be staged on the last day of the food festival, said Argos.

Argos also noted the city’s Sangguniang Kabataan Federation, led by its president Kriza Fernando, has also organized some activities for the charter celebration.

Republic Act (RA) 603 otherwise known as the City Charter named the municipality of Capiz as Roxas City in honor of its most illustrious son, President Manuel Acuña Roxas.

The cityhood emanated from a bill for the creation of Roxas City, which was sponsored by then Rep. Ramon Arnaldo and was signed into law by President Elpidio Quirino on April 11, 1951, three years after Pres. Roxas died at 56.

Executive Order 438 issued by Pres. Quirino fixed the date of its charter on May 12, 1951. — (FREEMAN)