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.

1^st 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.

 PINTADOS DE PASI FESTIVAL

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. 

 The festival is a display of the well-established culture and tradition of Passi, Iloilo, which includes a garden show and food fairs, the Karosa Parada (a carriage parade that is drawn by a painted carabao or water buffalo) and a beauty contest called the Bb. Pintados de Passi, a drum and lyre competition, snake dances, carabao (water buffalo) artwork, Sinadya sa Suba (fun in the river), the Pinta Lawas (body painting) and tribal contests. 

     Theatrical-like street dancing performances,  characterised by heavy and aggressive body movements, are an important part of the festivities. you might want to check out the Pintados de Pasi Festival in the province of Ilolio on Panay Island. Celebrated from 12th to 22nd March, the Pintados de Pasi Festival is held annually and is timed to coincide with 14th March, when Passi became a city in 1998. One of the best-known festivals of the Visayan region, it has played a big part in the lives of most  Passinhons and celebrates the return of the Pintado culture.

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.

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.. 

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.

         

              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. 

              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. 

Pineapple

Azucarere processed these sugar canes through extracting the syrup,carbonatation or a phosphatation process, then boiling and then distributed to major malls, and retail store and made its way into your        tables, Sugar is necessary to make Pastries, cakes Cola drinks and  bread.

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. 

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). 

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.

Pineapple Pickles

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.

Old Musccovado Chimney

Rail Bridge

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.

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.

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.