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Showing posts from April, 2017

Agtalin Shrine: the Beginning

In 1990, a 1 7-year old teenager from Roxas City,Capiz was afflicted with a rare and fatal kidney ailment, the second in the philippines. The diseasemanifested extreme pain on her. right lower back. Suspecting that it was appendicitis, doctors operated on her. Instead, they saw an enlarge and bleeding right kidney. To stop the source of bleeding, the kidney was removed  (only to find out that it was a good and functioning one).           After a month, the remaining kidney experienced the same pain. In fear of losing her, her family brought her to the best medical expert in Manila for further test. Results all the more baffled doctors, who in turn suggested that she seek further treatment abroad. Realizing that the situation was turning critical, family and friends prayed  to God for a miracle. While she was being prayed over in a hospital, she fell into a deep and dreamt of a beautiful lady in blue and white dress - Our lady of the Mi...

Economy

Pilar has an income classification of third class. Development in basic infrastructure has been stagnant during the last decades. Annual income is low and poverty rates are said to be high, although the town has also seen greater years. The rural municipality is said to be rich in natural resources such as aquatic and mineral wealth. It used to be a strong seafood producer in the province and once even possessed its own sugar and mining industry. Major agricultural produce of the town include fish, prawn, crab, rice, sugar, cattle and poultry. Other notable industries include shell craft and wood furniture.

Culture

Roman Catholicism combined with indigenous superstitious traditions have a strong imprint on the town's local culture. An iconic 12-foot landmark of the Virgin Mary is visible at a mountaintop in Brgy. Dulangan, built by an affluent Filipino-Chinese businessman from Roxas City. A chapel facing the figurine has been erected where occasional thanksgiving masses are held during special occasions. The town celebrates its annual feast along with the coming of the sacred  Santisima Trinidad  (The Holy Trinity), an early 18th-century wooden figurine from Mexico found by local fishermen in the shores of the town during the British invasion of the Philippines in 1762. The figurine is believed to have been brought over by a galleon trading ship from the port of  Acapulco ,  Mexico , but destroyed by British warships on its route to Luzon and was washed off to the coast of Pilar. It is on display in the altar of the town's church, the  Parish of the Most Holy Trinity ...

Demographics

Population census of Pilar Year Pop. ±% p.a. 1990 35,929 —     1995 36,464 +0.28% 2000 38,903 +1.40% 2007 40,912 +0.70% 2010 41,572 +0.58% 2015 45,287 +1.64% Source: Philippine Statistics Authority [3] [5] [6] In the 2015 census, the population of Pilar, Capiz, was 45,287 people, [3]  with a density of 580 inhabitants per square kilometre or 1,500 inhabitants per square mile. Most of the town's population are made up by Austronesian descendants, such as  Capiznon  and  Hiligaynon , followed by  Aetas  and a few of  Chinese  and  Spanish ancestry.

History

The coastal town sprang out from an  Austronesian  settlement in the early 16th century when  indio  natives managed to escape oppression from Spanish colonial authorities. The settlement was then known as  Sibala , named after the river that ran through the coastal village. In 1570, however, the settlement was seized by Spanish forces and the guardia civil  took full control of the village fortifying it with a military garrison. It later flourished into a bigger town and was renamed after its designated patron  La Nuestra SeƱora del Pilar  ( Our Lady of the Pillar ). In the 18th century, it adopted the ( Holy Trinity )  La Santisima Trinidad  as its municipal patron after a wooden image of the Holy Trinity from the wreckage of a Spanish galleon ship en route from Mexico was found in the town's coastline. Augustinian friars were initially assigned to preach in the town since then until it would later receive its permanent parish priest ...

The location

Pilar  is a third class  municipality  in the  province  of  Capiz ,  Philippines . It is situated and classified part of the first district of Capiz together with President Roxas, Pontevedra, Maayon, Panay, and Panit an. According to the 2015 census, it has a population of 45,287 people. It is the last town of Capiz from Roxas City. Pilar is politically subdivided into 24  barangays  and this are: Balogo Binaobawan Blasco Casanayan Cayus Dayhagan Dulangan Monteflor Natividad Olalo Poblacion Rosario San Antonio San Blas San Esteban San Fernando San Nicolas San Pedro San Ramon San Silvestre Sinamongan Santa Fe Tabun-acan Yating I will do features of what can you see in this barangays in this blog...