| Roxas City is a 2nd class city in the province of Capiz, Philippines. It is the capital city of Capiz. The current mayor is former governor Vicente Bermejo who was elected in the 2007 election.
It is a center for copra and aquaculture production. The surrounding area grows sugarcane, rice, coconuts, fruit, hemp, and tobacco. The people of Roxas City and the rest of Capiz speak Hiligaynon.
According to the 2000 census, it has a population of 126,352 people in 25,126 households.
History
Originally founded as the town of Capis in 1693, Roxas City is the site of Miguel Lopez de Legaspi's settlement when he arrived from Cebu. Panay used to be the capital of the Province. Capiz, the name of the province, was the old name of Roxas City. The settlement was accepted as a visita of the town of Panay. The settlement was originally named El Puerto de Capiz. According to a 1732 census, there were 327 inhabitants. In 1746, Capiz was made the seat of the military government, although it was still theocratically controlled by the Bishopric of Cebu. According to a 1760 census, there were 17,683 inhabitants. On May 31, 1847, a Royal Decree turned the province into an alcadia.
Roxas City was once known as the "Municipality of Capiz" and it became a city on May 12, 1951 with the issuance of the city charter, Republic Act No. 603. Lorenzo Arnaldo was its first mayor. This city was named Roxas City in honor of President Manuel Roxas.
According to a 1990 census, there were 103,171 inhabitants. In 1732 it had a population of 2,327. In 1760, 3,971. 16 were Spaniards. In 1876, 17,683 persons. In 1990, 103,171.
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