Transportation and Communication

one of the coolest public jeepneys roaming around the province of Iloilo


Panay News, Western Visayas' first and largest daily newspaper.


the modern jeepney - innovation of the Ilonggo entrepreneurs and drivers

          Transportation is not a major problem in Western Visayas. Most of the towns and cities of the various provinces are linked to each other by a network of well-paved roads and permanent bridges. Travelling from province to province in the island of Panay is easier and faster nowadays because of a modern network of wide, asphalted highways connecting the provinces. Taking a voyage from Iloilo to Negros and back is no problem for ships like Negros Navigation and Superferry and also fastcrafts. Caticlan port is connected to the Mindoro port via the interisland shipping system in the country, roll-on roll-off (RORO) as well as the ports of Semirara, Culasi and San Jose de Buenavista in Antique. One could travel from Iloilo to Guimaras and vice versa by means of pumpboats, sailboats or steamboats anytime daily provided the weather is fair.

        Travelling within Panay and Negros Occidental is easier because of different means of transportation and hundreds of thousands of buses, taxis, jeepneys, vans and other public vehicles like tricycle and motorcycles which provide pleasant transport service to millions of commuters. The giant bus companies which lorded it over the long-distance travel are Ceres Liner, Vallarte Liner, Garnet Express, Seventy Six Express, Calmark, RN Express and JP Joyce.

        Besides those bigger vehicles, taxis and jeepneys, there is an array of tricycles, motorcycles for hire. The invention of the Ilonggos, the trisikads – bicycles attached to a sidecar that could accomodate 2 passengers but the modern version of trisikads are mechanically powered by motor engines. These vehicles could enable the commuter to go to any places with narrow passageways. There are also six (6) airports which serve the people of Western Visayas who wish to go to any parts of the country namely Bacolod Airport, Busuanga Airport in Aklan, Caticlan Airport in Aklan, Iloilo Airport, Kalibo Airport and Roxas City Airport in Capiz. The biggest airport in Western Visayas, the Iloilo International Airport will cater to international flights both direct and connecting flights starting in 2012.

        Several telephone and wireless cellular networks and TS1 and underwater cable broad bandwith serves different cities, towns and localities in Western Visayas. Major telephone companies are Philippine Long Distance Telephone (PLDT), Globe Telecoms, Islacom, Bayantel among others give a convenient way of communicating through phone among the region’s populace while wireless cellular networks like Globe Telecoms, Smart Communications Inc, Sun Cellular are just a few that provide wireless mobile services. More than half of the region’s population has at least one cellphone or mobile phone. Internet with high bandwidth is common in the region which makes it interconnected with the rest of the world. Philpost with more than a century of delivery mails and the nation’s oldest postal system serving the country still delivers mails and packages around Western Visayas. Local express courier in the form of freight, cargo and mail forwarders are LBC, 2GO, JRS Express and Eagle while International express courier are FedEx, DHL and UPS allows packages and big deliveries to arrive the fastest to its destination in Western Visayas.

        There are several local and national newspapers widespread throughout the region which represent the print media. Several dozens of radio stations both AM and FM station dominate the airwaves to bring in the latest news and weather update and other information as well as music to the music lovers. While there are at least 4 tv local stations in the region to entertain the populace.

Political Partitions

       Western Visayas is composed of 6 provinces. They are subdivided into 117 municipalities and 16 cities with 4,050 barangays. Aklan has 17 municipalities and 327 barangays under 1 congressional district. Antique is composed of 18 municipalities with 590 barangays under 1 congressional district. Capiz is composed of 1 chartered city, 16 municipalities with 473 barangays under 2 congressional districts. Guimaras has 5 municipalities with 98 barangays under 1 congressional district. Iloilo is composed of 1 independent component city, 1 chartered city, 42 municipalities with 1,901 barangays under 5 congressional district and 1 lone district. Negros Occidental has 1 independent component city, 12 chartered cities, 19 municipalities with 661 barangays under 6 congressional districts and 1 lone district.

       Western Visayas is basically an agricultural region. Agriculture is the region’s second largest industry group employing 33% of the region’s workforce with those engaged in agriculture, hunting and forestry making up the largest subsector. Other members of the labor force are employed in various public and private offices, institutions, factories, and business and commercial firms. Establishments which commonly attract people for employment are banks, department stores, financial and investment houses, real estate agencies and transportation companies. A good number are self-employed as small storeowners and businessmen, vendors and drivers.

       According to the 2011 mid-quarter statistics recently released by National Statistics Office, around 5 million people who aged 15 to 65 years old belong to the labor force who were still capable and willing to work. Out of the said total, around 3.3 million were employed either fully or partially. Unemployment accounts for 7.6% of the total labor force while 23.4% are underemployed. Underemployed workers are persons who express the desire to have additional hours of work in the present job, to have an additional job or to have a new job with longer working hours.

      The bulk of employed persons were in the services sector comprising more than half or 51.7 percent of the total employed population, specifically in the wholesale and retail trade, repair of motor vehicles, motorcycles and personal and household goods.

Workers in the agriculture sector accounted for the second largest industry group at 33 percent, with those engaged in agriculture, hunting and forestry making up the largest subsector.

The industry sector registered the least share at 15.3 percent to total employed with manufacturing and construction comprising the largest subsector.
      Among the various occupation groups, 32.7% were laborers and unskilled workers; farmers, forestry workers and fishermen came next at 15.3% of the total employed; officials of government and special interest organizations, corporate executives, managers, managing proprietors and supervisors at 13.9%; and service workers, shop and market sales employees at 10.8%.

Land Shapes and Shores

        Western Visayas lands are designed in myriad shapes. Panay Island is triangularly shaped. Negros Occidental is boot-shaped. Iloilo is nose-shaped. There is a striking relationship between Aklan and Antique because while Aklan is shaped like a chicken head, Antique is shaped like the chicken’s intestine. Guimaras is shaped like a coral rock and Capiz is shaped like the palm of the hand.

Of the 2,022,300 hectares of total land area of the region, 43% is devoted to agriculture, and of the cultivated areas, 35.4% is devoted to palay farming. Of the remaining areas, 34% is devoted to forestry, 6% to settlements, 3% to inland fishing, 1.5% to pasture and 0.5% to mining.

        Western Visayas is a mountainous region. A rugged mountain chain cuts across the western portion of Panay separating the province of Antique from Iloilo. Mt. Madia-as, the highest mountain in Panay, is situated in the northern part of the chain. It forms a majestic backdrop to the town of Culasi in Northern Antique and believed by the natives as the abode of ancestral spirits. In Negros Occidental, rugged mountains also characterize the terrain of the province, the most famous of which is the Kanlaon Volcano, the highest peak in Central Philippines. It is 8,100 feet above sea level. A chain of mountains lace the Capiz-Antique border with Mounts Baloy, Magsalom, Toctocan, Tinayuga and Mansang. Another mountain chain runs along the Antique-Iloilo border with Mts. Baloy, Inaman and Igdalig composing it.

        Western Visayas has plenty of big and small rivers which account for its excellent drainage system. Iloilo River is one which affords an excellent place for the dry dock of ships, boats and trawlers. It has also a row of beautiful lakes, both natural and man-made.

        Western Visayas has a basically tropical climate with two pronounced seasons. The rainy season starts from June to November while the dry season starts from December to May.

         The mineral resources of Western Visayas yield an estimated 775,595,500 metric tons of copper and non-metallic resources such as cement and agricultural lime. It has about 152 million metric tons of coal reserves. The Semirara coal mines in Antique has a potential reserve of more than 50 million metric tons, making it the second biggest supplier of coal in the country. The Hinoba-ab – Sipalay gold mines has a gold deposit of 100 million metric tons. Chromite and manganese were discovered in Sibalom, Antique and in Ivisan, Capiz. Copper formation was discovered in Pilar, Capiz in 1935. The non-metallic minerals found in the region are sand, gravel, salt, limestone, ore and quartz.

          It is unfortunate that our forest reserves which cover 130,344 hectares and timber lands occupying 385,482 hectares are rapidly disappearing due to indiscriminate logging and kaingin farming.

The following wildlife abound in our region: Bakwa (red-breasted robin), Tulabong (heron), Dugwak (gray heron), Gakit (wild duck), Dapay (hawk), Morokpok (owl), Dapayan (ern), Usa (deer), Usa nga burok (white-spotted deer), Singgarong (wild cat), Pawikan (tortoise).

         Our region’s fishing grounds, which span 1,561 kilometers of coastline, are teeming with fish and other marine life. In 1986, commercial fishing along the municipalities of Iloilo and the seacoasts of Antique and Negros Occidental hauled in a total of 111,672 metric tons of fish. Municipal fishing grounds along the coastal towns of the region contribute 144,255 metric tons of marine products enabling the region to supply Manila with fish, shrimps and crabs. Inland fishing is increasing its share of the total fishing sector’s output, supplying 20% of the total catch.

Western Visayas In A Nutshell

           Western Visayas is the cradle of Malay civilization in the Philippines. It is in the island of Panay where the first Malayan settlement was established. The region is composed of the island of Panay and the province of Negros Occidental. Panay is divided into five provinces namely Aklan, Antique, Capiz, Guimaras and Iloilo. Negros Occidental is the western part of the Negros island. The eastern part, which is Negros Oriental is already a part of the Central Visayas region.

          Western Visayas has a total land area of about 2,022,300 hectares or 20,625.9 sq. km which makes it the sixth largest island in the Philippines. Negros Occidental, which comprises 30% of the total land area of the region, is the largest province of the region. Iloilo comes next followed by Antique, Capiz, Aklan and Guimaras, respectively. The smallest province, Guimaras lies between the islands of Panay and Negros. It is separated from Panay by the Iloilo Strait and from Negros by the Guimaras Strait.

The Treasures Of The Western Frontier

Introduction

        One could appreciate fully his cultural heritage only if the tangible aspects of his culture are accounted, unraveled and appreciated. The material aspects of one’s culture include the land, water, natural resources and tourist spots. These physical evidences of our material culture are so concrete so familiar and trivial such that scanty resource materials and references could be found, if any, which contained the data needed in writing this article. Perhaps this seemingly muted if not listless attention given to the patrimony of our region could be attributed to the misconception that what are found in the region could similarly be found anywhere else in other regions. It is hoped, however, that what are revealed in the following articles, insufficient they may be, can help deepen our awareness and heighten our appreciation of our region’s rich natural resources and endowments which could equal if not surpass those of other regions.

         Our region is blessed with countless scenic and historic tourist destinations whose beauty could cause viewers to marvel, drool and dumbfounded and whose historic significance could evoke in one’s memory our glorious past. Included in the later articles are profiles of those destinations found only in the printed pamphlets and other reading materials published and compiled by the regional office of the Department of Tourism in Iloilo City. Sadly, however, these references are found wanting in accurate, compete and definite descriptions of the different places of interest mentioned therein.What is most noticeable in the published materials compiled and disseminated by the Department of Tourism is that more emphasis and attention are given to the already popular tourist destinations to the detriment and disadvantage of the less famous though equally attractive ones. It is there, expected that with the following articles those obscure and unnoticed tourist destinations will receive the proper attention they deserve.

WVRAA 2011 Meet Opens Last March 20 In Iloilo City

Iloilo City, Philippines - Western Visayas Regional Athletic Association (WVRAA) Meet 2011 opened last Sunday, March 20, 2011 in a simple ceremony and a 30 minute fireworks display. More than 3,000 athletes, coaches, sports officials, Department of Education and government officials attended the ceremony. This annual gathering of potential young athletes across the region converged in Iloilo City to see who's the best who will later compete at the national finals to be held in May in Dapitan, Zamboanga del Norte, Philippines.The sports competition is divided into two levels: elementary and secondary level boys and girls.

     The WVRAA 2011 Literary Musical Contest was held last March 19, 2010 at the Cinema 6 of the SM City Iloilo Mall. Here is the official result of the concluded 2011 WVRAA Meet Literary Musical Contest. The result here only shows the champion or 1st place because I could not find the runners up info online and also I could not find some contest piece information  but I only included the contest piece of some I know.

Elementary Level:

English Declamation - Danelle Rose Ampunan

(West Visayas State University - Integrated Laboratory School - Elem., Lapaz, Iloilo City) Iloilo

Filipino Declamation - (Badiangan Elementary School, Badiangan) Iloilo

Vocal Solo (Classical) - Ann Mariel Salazar (Libacao Elementary School, Libacao) Aklan

Vocal Solo (Pop) - Lirah Lin Paz Bermudez (Pres. Roxas SPED, Roxas City) Capiz

Folk Dance - Pavia Elementary School, Pavia - Iloilo

Contest Piece: Kiriwkiw

Secondary Level:

English Declamation - Japhet Khid Dueñas (Maayon National High School, Maayon) Capiz

Filipino Declamation  - Laires Jan Sobremente (Pavia National High School, Pavia) Iloilo

Contest Piece - Tataro

Impromptu Speech - Augil Marie Robles (Carlos Hilado Memorial State College, Binalbagan) Negros Occidental

Vocal Solo (Classical) - Merrel Mei Secondes (Don Felix Serra National High School, San Joaquin) Iloilo

Contest Piece - Mutya ng Pasig

Vocal Solo (Pop) - Dorothy Joy Siy (Capiz National High School, Roxas) Capiz

Folk Dance - Colegio de la Purisima, Roxas Capiz

Contest Piece - Bilaskogay

Click the link to Listen online for the live coverage of the 2011 Western Visayas Regional Athletic Association (WVRAA) Meet. WVRAA 2011 Meet Live Coverage

Iloilo City, Philippines and Yulin City, China Are Now Twin City!

Iloilo City, Philippines - We are happy to say that Iloilo City, Philippines and Yulin City, China are now the so-called "TWIN CITY" after a sisterhood pact was signed yesterday, March 3 by Iloilo City Mayor Jed Patrick Mabilog and Yulin City Vice-Mayor Jiang Guo Cheng, who was the head of the Chinese delegation who arrived in the city days ago for the agreement and to have a city tour. Among the places the Chinese delegation visited is the South East Asian Fisheries Development Center (SEAFDEC) in Tigbauan, Iloilo, the leading fishery study and breeding center in Southeast Asia. According to a Chinese official the visit is a good opportunity to learn how to put up and maintain a fish facility in their native city, Yulin since they do not have any facility on fish breeding yet. In exchange, they would like to share their knowledge about their progressive agriculture industry to the city and province of Iloilo. Yulin is the second largest city in the Guangxi Province, China.