HISTORY OF PASSI
In April 1967, a group of fifteen (15)
Illonggos most of them are well-known sugar cane planters, bound themselves as
incorporators to form the Passi (Iloilo) Sugar Central, Incorporated.
This led to the construction of
the Passi (Iloilo) Sugar Central, Inc. The millsite covers an approximate
28 hectares of land in Brgy. Ulang Juan, San Enrique, province of
Iloilo. Construction of the mill started in early 1968 and had completed
in early 1970. Outright, the sugar mill started grinding its first crop
and began its commercial operation employing 450 workers in the mill.
In one cropping season, the mill
operates in a five or six month’s duration. It starts grinding on November
and usually ends up in months of April or May, depending on the volume of cane
to be grinded. On the average, the central produces an estimated 6,000
piculs of raw sugar (brown) daily out of the 4,500 tonnes cane processed per
day as its equivalent. Milling operation goes on a 24 hours a day in a six
day period with one day shut-down in a week. During off season the British
Supplied Machines (Mirless and Watson and Fletcher and Stewart LTd. Of Darby,
England) is cleaned by contractual workers on rotation basis. Torn and
worn out parts are replaced as part of their maintenance for he rest of the
year in preparation for grinding in the next milling season.
From CY 1983-84, Passi (Iloilo)
Sugar Central, Inc. has registered the highest volume of production among the
six sugar centrals located in Panay area (Allied (New Frontier), Asturias,
Calinog-Lambunao, Pilar, Santos-Lopez). Its highest production in five
crop years was attained during CY 1983-*4 when it reached 731,446.10 piculs
levels. The original cost of the mill is $ 19.37 million.(formerly PASSI
(ILOILO) SUGAR CENTRAL II) is
located in Barangay Man-it, Passi City, a sugar mill producing raw with a rated
capacity of 3,500 tons cane daily.
By early part of 1967 the construction of the central was
underway thru the incorporators Amado Araneta, Raul Fores, Arsenio Yulo Sr. and
Roderico Reyes. As early as February 6, 1970 the central began its first trial
run for the crop year 1969-1970 with New Frontier Sugar Central as its
registered name.
NFSC was leased by Allied Sugar Central beginning crop
year 1972-1973 for a period of 11 years after which it ceased to operate due to
insufficient supply of cane and low prices of sugar both domestic and
international market making its operation no longer viable.
On November 20, 1989. Eduardo Lopingco was able to
negotiate for the lease of Allied Sugar Central from former owner. The mill was
put on trial run on January 3, 1990 for the crop year 1989-1990. It was named
Golden Frontier Sugar Company. The operation ended up to August of 1991 due to
insufficient cane supply, which resulted to low productivity output.
On September 1, 1991 the company was purchased by Chua
and Sia family and the company was changed back to its original name, New
Frontier Sugar Corporation (NFSCOR). It started it milling operation on
November 9, 1991. NFSCOR operated the mill up to crop year 1999-2000. For the
crop years 2000-2001, the mill was operated by CIMICO on the three years lease
agreement with NFSCOR. CIMICO operated the mill for two crop year after which
it subleased to MEGAN Sugar which operated the mill for crop year 2002-2003. In
the meantime on April 2002, Equitable PCIB foreclosed NFSCOR. Sometime on
October 2002, Passi Sugar was able to negotiate the purchase of NFSCOR from
Equitable PCIB. Passi Sugar took actual possession of the mill on May 2003 and
operated the mill for the crop year 2003-2004.
1st quarter
of 2007, the management of Passi (Iloilo) Sugar Central under the leadership of
Mr. Timoteo Y. Consing Jr. (President) decided to sell the two (2) sugar mill,
these lead to the acquisition by the Universal Robina Corporation.
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
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.
Performers adorned in
(temporary) traditional body tattoo with elaborate geometrical designs on their
arms, legs and torso dramatize ancestral stories. Tattooing is a vital part of the Visayan
culture. However other nations reflect that tattooing as a newly adopted
art, Philippine history would tell us that in some parts of the
Philippine country, precisely in the Visayas, the art of tattooing has
been in manner for thousands of years. Early explanations of Visayan
tattooing date back from 1590 and 1608 by Spanish explorers. Tattooing, as an art, was practised
throughout the island of Panay. The men would tattoo their entire bodies with
beautiful figures, using small pieces of iron dipped in ink, which
would exhibit their record in battle. This ink gets incorporated into
the blood, leaving an indelible mark. The more tattoos a man had on his
body, the higher was his status as a warrior. Today, the pintado
practice has raised tattooing to an art which involves order, symmetry
and coordination. Women, however would only wear tattoos on one side of
their arms, in the old Panay society.
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| Pintados De pasi Festival Of Passi City IloIlo |
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.
Image Tourism, 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..
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| St.William Church |
The town of Passi was established in 1584, and it is now
Iloilo’s sugar and pineapple capital. Two of the province’s largest pineapple
and sugar plantations as well as sugar refining plants are located
here. The present Church of St. William was built by Friar Apolinario
Villaneuva, the town’s then parish priest between 1821 and 1837.This is
considered a militaristic church in that it was planned as a ‘fortress church’
and the proof of this can be seen in the massive buttresses which support the
front and back walls of the church. The church was built to replace
churches that had been destroyed by an earthquake in 1612 and subsequent
churches that had been destroyed by fires.
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| St .William Church in the ‘Garden of the Saints’. |
In 1856 Friar Pedro Ceberio restored St William Church
after it had fallen into disrepair and what we see today is the result of his
work.
As is usual with churches of this vintage we can
immediately discern that it was built, once again, by the Augustinians since
their seal appears in the archway over one of the side entrances. It is said
that the historical record is vague on the topic of entrances that indicates
that historians are not certain as to where the actual main entrance was placed
by the original builders. It appears that it may well have been this doorway on
the southeast corner of the church at the entrance of the ‘Garden of Saints’St William Church is surrounded by a ‘Garden of the Saints’
which contains 25 to 30 statues of Saints that have been placed in the
garden by parishioners over the years.
Some examples of the
Saintly Statues are shown below:
The garden of saints
AGRICULTURE
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.
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| Mangoes |
Miag-ao,
leon ,Cabanatuan ,janiuay, ajuy, lemery, leon,Produced sweeter MANGOES.
PINEAPPLE, a potentanti-oxidant , Passi city Produced
pineapple which is transported in Iloilo City.
Iloilo
have ample supply of SUGAR The
17,000 hectares in iloilo is planted to sugar cane,Passi city,Baratoc nuevo,
Anilao,Dingle, lambunao and Balasan have vast plantation of sugarcane that are
transported into 3 azucarera in Passi city by trucks, they are Passi sugar
central 1 2 and CASA.
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| Pineapple |
CORN harvesting in Iloilo covered 5,200 hectares. About 2,000 hectares were white corn farm areas and 3,200 hectares were yellow corn farm areas. Iloilo contribute 66.6 of corn production in western visayas. Northern Iloilo Towns produced con extensively.Sweet Corn are cultivated in pavia and San Miguel.
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| Corn |
The Engineering section of the iloilo Provincial agriculture office estimates more than 1.500 hectares of slopes having been converted to corn farming.With this Reason,Vitarich industry is put up in Pavia.
Its state of art equipment processed corns into various
types of feeds from animal(poultry,swineand petfood) to aquaculture
products (milkfish, tilapia and shrimps).
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| Pineapple Wine |
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.
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| Pineapple Pickles |
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| Pineapple jam |
Famous attractions in
the city are the wide pineapple plantations, the cock farms, the Baroque Church
of Saint William the Hermit, the old Muscovado 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.
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| Old Musccovado Chimney |
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| Rail Bridge |
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| Jalaur River |
THE RIVER OF LIFE — Photo shows an aerial view of the Jalaur River in Iloilo province. The river will be the source of the P11.2-billion Jalaur River Multipurpose Project-Stage II (JRMP-II), touted as the biggest dam project outside of Luzon. It is designed to irrigate over 30,000 hectares of farmland in Iloilo and significantly boost rice production in the province.
UNDERGROUND ADVENTURES in PASSI,ILOILO
The adventurous tourists might find the idea of caving very
inviting. Although there are plenty of caves in Iloilo, only a handful of them
have been explored. This is due to the reluctance of some to venture into the
unknown depths of the earth.
The city of Passi has its share of providing its tourists vast
caving and cave diving experiences. The city boasts its 16 caves. Spelunkers
and non-spelunkers, here is a complete list of the caves in Passi that can give
you thrill and excitement. You will surely love and enjoy them: Cueva ni Musyo
Cave in Barangay Bayan; Cuadrado Cave in Barangay Agtambo; Suhoton Cave in
Barangay Agtambo, Tinay Cave in Barangay Imbang Grande; Bitas Cave in Barangay
Imbang Grande; Erimnat Maya Cave in Barangay Agtambo; Irimnan It Maya Spring
Cave in Barangay Magdungao; Santos Cave in Barangay Magdungao; Baboy-baboy and
Amorotik Cave in Barangay Magdungao; Tubigon Cave in Barangay Magdungao; Ninfa
Cave in Barangay Aglalana; Kweba ni Wening in Barangay Aglalana; Ibajay Cave in
Barangay Bacuranan; Bita-ogan Cave in Barangay Bita-ogan; and Cabugon Cave in
Barangay Imbang Grande.
Most
interesting is the Bita-ogan Cave situated 800 meters southeast from Barangay
Bita-ogan Proper. The cave can be reached passing through a river on an
improvised rail bridge suspended approximately 20 feet high. With the cave’s
length measuring more or less a kilometer, spelunkers considered it most
challenging since one needs to submerge himself waist high of cool water upon
entering its small passage way. Sparkling stalactites and stalagmites are its
added attraction.
Another popular cave is the Cabugon located three kilometers
from Barangay Imbang Grande Proper. It is 196 meters above sea level and is
home to thousands of bats. Its interior is rich of phosphate mineral.
Irimnan It Maya Spring Cave in Barangay Magdungao is a historic
place during the Philippine Revolution being the mountain hideout of refugees
during the Japanese regime.
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| Bitas Cave |
For those who are brave enough to endure the intense stench from
mounds of bat droppings, you may visit Baboy-baboy and Amoritik Caves in the
company of local guides in Barangay Magdungao. Environmentalists, however, do
not recommend the disturbance of these bats during their daytime sleep and can
only be observed at twilight.
The sport of exploring various caves, known as caving, can also
be referred to as spelunking. Every caving experience can vary drastically
depending on the type of cave being visited. It can involve highly technical
maneuvering, crawling, climbing, and wriggling. But before deciding on a caving
trip, you must understand the sport and make sure you understand all of the
risks and potential dangers which can range from flash flooding, falling and
injury, hypothermia, disorientation and exhaustion. And most importantly, know
everything about your caving destination.
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| Tinay Cave |
But before deciding on a caving trip, you must understand the
sport and make sure you understand all of the risks and potential dangers which
can range from flash flooding, falling and injury, hypothermia, disorientation
and exhaustion.
Visitors hardly experience a dull moment in Passi. The area
offers plenty of activities to do, from trekking to zip-lining. But never
forget to explore and enjoy their amazing underground wonders of Passi City.
Whatever it is, these activities are guaranteed to lift up the spirit and make
every visitor's stay delightful and definitely unforgettable.
Passi City is located along the Iloilo-Capiz National Highway.
It is an hour ride from Tagbak Bus Terminal in Jaro, Iloilo City.
