Roxas, officially the Municipality of Roxas (; ), is a municipality in the province of Isabela, Philippines. According to the , it has a population of people.
The municipality is the center of business and commerce in the Mallig Plains Region. In 1839, two new provinces were created by the Spanish conquistadors, dividing the La Provincia del Valle de Cagayan into two. One retained the name Cagayan, while a new province of Nueva Vizcaya was created. Bindang was dissolved as Barrio Vira under the Municipality of Gamu, Isabela.
Etymology
The place used to be called Bindang (Bayani), and was part of La Provincia del Valle de Cagayan (the present-day area of Cagayan to Nueva Vizcaya). On July 1, 1948, President Elpidio Quirino issued Executive Order 136, which established Barrio Vira as an independent municipality named Roxas in honor of his predecessor, Manuel Roxas.
History
Early settlers were the Kalingas who originated from adjacent places in Mountain Province and parts of Kalinga. Despite occasional clashes with Kalingas, Ilocano people settled in the area, and increased their number with an influx from Ilocanos from Central Plains of Luzon and Ilocos.
In 1839, two new provinces were created by the Spanish conquistadors dividing the La Provincia del Valle de Cagayan into two. One retained the name Cagayan, while a new province of Nueva Vizcaya was created. Bindang was dissolved as Barrio Vira under the municipality of Gamu, Isabela. In 1957, the barrios of Callang, Eden, Babanuang, Cabaritan, Santa Cruz, Malalinta, Mararigue, Calaocan, and Caraniogan were separated to form the municipality of Callang, now San Manuel. In the same year, the barrio of Basilio was renamed to San Jose.
Geography
Roxas is one of the 34 municipalities comprising the wide province of Isabela. It is exactly located on the central-western part of the province, bounded in the north by Mallig, on the north-east by Quirino, on the east by Burgos, on the south by San Manuel, and on the west by Paracelis in Mountain Province.
The road traversing Roxas is the Maharlika Highway or better known as Cagayan Valley Road, connecting to other towns in Isabela particularly the adjacent towns of Gamu, Quirino, Mallig, and San Manuel. Roxas lie on a flat fertile land between the two valleys of Cagayan. It occupies an area of or 2.01% of the total land area of Isabela. The town is partly urban, and partly rural. The urban area is expanding rapidly throughout the years making it a future city. The rural part of the town compose mainly of rice fields.
Roxas is situated from the provincial capital Ilagan, from the country's capital city of Manila.
Barangays
thumb|280px|Barangays of Roxas, Isabela
Roxas is politically subdivided into barangays. Each barangay consists of puroks while some have sitios.
{| class="wikitable sortable" style="background:white; font-size:90%; line-height:1.40em;"
|-
!Barangay!!PSGC!!Urban/Rural
|-
|Anao||23126001||Rural
|-
|Bantug (Poblacion)||23126013||Urban
|-
|Doña Concha||23126031||Rural
|-
|Imbiao||23126004||Rural
|-
|Lanting||23126005||Rural
|-
|Lucban||23126006||Rural
|-
|Luna (Poblacion)||23126014||Urban
|-
|Marcos||23126007||Rural
|-
|Masigun||23126008||Rural
|-
|Matusalem||23126028||Rural
|-
|Muñoz East||23126029||Rural
|-
|Muñoz West||23126030||Rural
|-
|Quiling||23126015||Rural
|-
|Rang-ayan||23126016||Rural
|-
|Rizal (Poblacion)||23126011||Urban
|-
|San Antonio||23126017||Rural
|-
|San Jose||23126018||Rural
|-
|San Luis||23126032||Rural
|-
|San Pedro||23126019||Rural
|-
|San Placido||23126020||Rural
|-
|San Rafael||23126021||Rural
|-
|Simimbaan||23126023||Rural
|-
|Sinamar||23126024||Rural
|-
|Sotero Nuesa||23126025||Urban
|-
|Villa Concepcion||23126026||Rural
|-
|Vira (Poblacion)||23126012||Urban
|}
Topography
The landscape of Roxas is relatively compose of flatlands with minimal rise at certain point with base mountain elevations on the eastern part, on the parts of Sinamar, Simimbaan and San Placido. It is approximately 90% of the land area comprising the town can be described as low-lying hills with rolling terrain and an elevation of 200 feet or 61 meters above sea level. The town is dissected by creeks, river and waterways acting as natural drainage from waters coming from the uplands. The Siffu River, a connection from Ilog ng Cagayan(Cagayan River) traverse west ward from its diversion from Paracelis to Tuguegarao City supplying the rice fields with irrigation.
The center of the town is relatively low relief of flatlands, while the south-western and north-western part having moderately sloping areas comprising the foothills of Mountain Province.
Climate
Using the corona classification scheme, the Philippine Atmospheric, Geophysical and Astronomical Services Administration (PAGASA) classified Roxas' climatic type as to Type III category. Type III Climate is characterized by no pronounced seasons, but often drier from November to April and wet season from May to October like any other parts of the country. Roxas is described as Cloudy especially during summer time with an average wind of 1 mph to 3 mph.
The temperature of Roxas is very rare to change but it varies minimally with an average temperature ranging from 23.4 °C to 23.9 °C. The hottest months of the year are April and May with an average of 27 °C. Weather extremes vary from 16°C nights during January and 38°C during the hot, dry season. People can describe the temperature as hot weather, due to its close proximity to the hottest points of the Philippines, like Quezon in Isabela and Tuguegarao City in Cagayan. The data was gathered using weather station RPLC, above Roxas, Isabela.
Demographics
In the 2024 census, the population of Roxas was 66,593 people, with a density of .
Economy
Agriculture
250px|thumb|Rice field in Barangay San Rafael, depicts the municipalities agricultural abundance.
The existence of the National Irrigation Administration (NIA) System in the municipality that provides water supply services in irrigating farmlands makes the locality a prime agricultural community. The presence of these services makes the agricultural workers the highest in number. The agricultural productivity of Roxas is high, reaching as much as 95 percent cultivation rates in rice and corn. Surplus production of rice and corn are being exported to other places. Other crops are vegetables, tobacco and root crops in which production is just sufficient for local consumption. Likewise, the production of meat including pork and poultry is just sufficient but the supply of fish of other kinds aside from the harvest of inland fishpond owners within the locality is dependent on the arrival of supply coming from other places.
In the area, rice is the predominant crop, planted twice a year. The livelihood opportunity is very limited thus,a year-round planting of vegetables is practiced to sustain additional income for the settlers. Farm labor is highly utilized and low productivity was experienced because of manual farming. As such, during peak of drying, farmers are compelled to sell their produce freshly threshed which commands lower price. In 2009, the government provided P3 million financial assistance for the Mestizo 1 hybrid seeds planting and for the establishment of needed agricultural components for Farming improvements. With the Local Government Unit's strong support, cooperative members embarked on hybrid rice production starting as early as 2007-2008 wet season cropping and followed through the next dry season using 40-percent organic fertilizer.
Roxas municipality prides itself as the "pioneer" in hybrid rice production in the province of Isabela with the farmers now producing their own M1 hybrid seeds. The farmers who belong to three irrigators associations in barangays Simimbaan, Casilbagan and Tanap Progreso, have organized themselves into a cooperative called Simca Model Cluster MPC under the auspices of the Department of Agriculture. The rice cluster operation is an extension strategy in reaching farmers and extending assistance to achieve increased productivity, food sufficiency and job generation. This is initiated in support to the Ginintuang Masaganang Ani (GMA) Rice Program of then President Gloria Macapagal Arroyo.
Aside from hybrid rice enterprise, they also venture on fishery. Through the Bureau of Fishery and Aquatic Resources (BFAR), the cluster coop had dispersed fingerlings to initial 23 fishery cooperators who have backyard fishpond and rice-fish integrated farming.
Trades and business
thumb|right|alt=The construction of Roxas Public Market-1987|The construction of Roxas Public Market-1987
thumb|right|alt=Bethany Garden Hotel in downtown Roxas, 2012|Bethany Garden Hotel in downtown Roxas, 2012.
Since 2007, Roxas is notable for being most progressive town in Mallig Plains Region.
Roxas has the largest market in the Mallig Plains Region due to its continuous expansion after its 1987 construction. The market place is an organized area by which dry goods, wet market, toy stores and commercial stores are separated from each other. It offers a variety of products that is enough to provide the needs of the residents. Also, settlers from nearby municipalities of San Manuel, Quirino, Burgos, Mallig, Quezon and as far as Paracelis in Mountain Province are able to purchase their commodities from Roxas.
Culture
A yearly celebration of Pagay Festival(Palay Festival) held every July 4. The Festival was popularly known as the Araw ng Roxas Celebration but it was declared formally as Pagay Festival during the reign of Mayor Benedict Calderon. It is celebrated because of the rich agricultural bounty of Roxas, being one of the town that produces large stocks of rice. The festival features a Parade comprises mostly by Politicians and participating schools from different parts of Roxas, kuliglig contest and cooking of the biggest rice cake that was also featured in the national television. Major events include a Street Dance Competition from different schools and Palarong Bayan.
Due to a conflict in the name of the festival, by which the town of Alicia, Isabela, celebrates the same. It was changed to Binnadangan Festival by former Mayor Harry Soller. The Binnadangan comes from an Ilocano word meaning Bayanihan and was also derived from the former name of the town during the 1600s. The festival ends with a long Pyromusical.
Tourism
thumb|right|Roxas Children's Park at night, 2012.
{|class="wikitable"
|-
! style="width:150px;"| Destination
! style="width:150px;"| Location
! style="width:150px;"| Year of Completion
! style="width:250px;"| Description
|- style="text-align:center;"
||Roxas Freedom Park
||Centro, Roxas, Isabela
||2010
||Memorial Park of Manuel A. Roxas, Freedom Stage, Pasalubong Center and Fountain
|-
| style="text-align:center;"|Children's Park
| style="text-align:center;"|Vira, Roxas, Isabela
| style="text-align:center;"|2000
| style="text-align:center;"|Themed Park
|- style="text-align:center;"
||Borubor Falls
||Sinamar, Roxas, Isabela
||Nature
||Falls
|-
| style="text-align:center;"|Our Lady of La Salette Church
| style="text-align:center;"|Vira, Roxas, Isabela
| style="text-align:center;"|1970(Renovated 2011)
| style="text-align:center;"|Church
|- style="text-align:center;"
||Hadassah Resort
||Munoz, Roxas, Isabela
||2001
||Resort
|- style="text-align:center;"
||Lado Del Rio Resort
||Riverside, San Placido, Roxas, Isabela
||2011
||Resort
|- style="text-align:center;"
||Bambusa Farm
||Simimbaan, Roxas, Isabela
||2011
||Bamboo Farm
|- style="text-align:center;"
||Mountain Province-Isabela Boundary
||Simimbaan, Roxas, Isabela
||2017
||Shared viewdeck in Simmacbot, part of Paracelis, Mountain Province
|}
Government
Local government
As a municipality in the Province of Isabela, government officials at the provincial and municipal levels are voted by the town. The provincial government has political jurisdiction over most local transactions of the municipal government.
The Municipality of Roxas is governed by a mayor, designated as its Local Chief Executive, and by a municipal council as its legislative body in accordance with the Local Government Code. The mayor, vice mayor, and the municipal councilors are elected directly in elections held every three years.
Barangays are also headed by elected officials: Barangay Captain, Barangay Council, whose members are called Barangay Councilors. The barangays have SK federation which represents the barangay, headed by SK chairperson and whose members are called SK councilors. All officials are also elected every three years.
Municipal seal
The seal, a symbolic devise in the form of circle which symbolizes cohesive interactions of the town's people. United as one group professing common tie and pursuing a common goal. This circular figure is circumscribed by a gear-like figure in bright green with black shadings which symbolizes 26 barangays and the unprecedented economic advancement of the municipality; a vital factor in the attainment of its economic status as the trading center of the Mallig Plains Region. Inscribed on the upper half of the narrow space formed by the outer and the inner circles in red are words "BAYAN NG ROXAS" punctuated by a period on the left and other period on the right; and the lower portion of the narrow space are inscribed the words "LALAWIGAN NG ISABELA" all in words red, this narrow space has a green as background.
Inscribed in the smaller circle is the shield derived from the provincial seal of Isabela, where the municipality is located and in the middle of the shield is a bold letter "R" in white with black shadings for Roxas, the name of the municipality. Other inscriptions are on the upper most portions and on halfway below represents the irrigation canal, which are represented by a bold wave lines in sky blue. On the left side of the bold letter "R" is rice plant and on the right is a tobacco plant bold in green, the primary product of the municipality; and on the lower portion, a Vira plant in green after which the former barrio of the municipality of Gamu, now "ROXAS" got its name.
Elected officials
{| class="wikitable" style="line-height:1.20em; font-size:100%;"
|+ Members of the Roxas Municipal Council<br>(2025–2028)
|-
! Position
! Name
|-
| District Representative
| style="text-align:center;" | Faustino Michael Carlos T. Dy III
|-
| Municipal Mayor
| style="text-align:center;" | Benedict Calderon
|-
| Municipal Vice-Mayor
| style="text-align:center;" | Susan Magno
|-
|rowspan=8| Municipal Councilors
| style="text-align:center;" | Kristin Uy
|-
| style="text-align:center;" | Jonathan Navalta
|-
| style="text-align:center;" | Rhenier De Leon
|-
| style="text-align:center;" | Mark Hatol
|-
| style="text-align:center;" | Antonio Hui
|-
| style="text-align:center;" | Bong Deray
|-
| style="text-align:center;" | Ave Navalta
|-
| style="text-align:center;" | Clint Lanuza
|-
|}
Politics has been one of the local prominent issues. Benedict C. Calderon became the mayor of Roxas, defeating Dr. Harry G. Soller who had been the mayor of Roxas for three years. In the 2010 election, first automated election in Philippine History, incumbent Mayor Harry Soller lost to former Mayor Benedict Calderon with about 2000 votes. The incumbent Mayor of the town is Dok Totep Calderon who ran unopposed during the 2016 Philippine National Election.
List of Mayors:
- Rafael Lintao (1948-1955)
- David Matusalem (1956-1967)
- Teofilo Bailon (1968-1970)
- Epifanio Abad (1970-1971)
- Inocencio Uy (1972-1986)
- Benito Calderon (1986-1998)
- Harry Soller (2007-2010)
- Benedict Calderon (1998-2007 and 2011–2016)
- Jonathan Jose Calderon (2016–present)
Congress representation
Roxas, belonging to the fifth legislative district of the province of Isabela, currently represented by Hon. Faustino Michael Carlos T. Dy III.
Infrastructure
thumb|alt=A Roxas Isabela|Manuel A. Roxas statue at Roxas Municipal Park
The town of Roxas flourished by infrastructure developments during the term of former Mayor Benito Calderon particularly from 1996 wherein the roads were cemented from Barangay Bantug to San Antonio connecting the municipality to next town of San Manuel. The construction of the Roxas Public Market lead the local government to divert the national highway from Bantug-Luna-Rang Ayan to Barangays Bantug-San Rafael-San Antonio area. When Dr. Harry G. Soller took the helms of government as its Municipal Mayor, Roxas has seen an unprecedented pace in its infrastructure development too. The local government, in cooperation with then Governor Grace Padaca and Congressman Edwin Uy, has concreted 20 kilometers of roads, more or less, in the town proper as well as in the barangays. At least 10 kilometers of roads were programmed to be concreted.
Moreover, Roxas' public places, and parks have been greatly improved. New parks include the Barangay Park, which features 26 nipa huts put up by each of the barangays of Roxas which was later on closed and reopened as Al Fresco Food Court in 2016; the Roxas Freedom Park, which features a public comfort room, a Pasalubong Center, a Center Gazeebo with a fountain, and the statue of former President Manuel A. Roxas; the Forest Park in front of the municipal hall which was later on closed and re-opened as Roxas Children's Park; the now-closed Binibining Roxas Park and the Rizal Park.
Other infrastructure projects include the renovation of the municipal hall, the construction of a new module in the public market, the new vegetable trading post (Bagsakan Center), numerous flood control projects, road widening projects, and many others. Also, a Grand Terminal for jeepneys and public utility vans opened alongside Xentro Mall Roxas.
In January 2011, Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD) Field Office 02 Regional Director Arnel B. Garcia personally handed a check amounting to P7 million pesos on January 4, 2011, to the LGU-Roxas for the construction of 100 core shelter units. On December 28, 2011, the Local Government Unit of Roxas avails 1,000,000.00 thru the Local Government Support Fund, wherein the said amount was used to purchase lot in Barangay San Placido. The said lot was utilized for the Core Shelter and Resettlement Program for the 100 less privilege families and those affected by typhoon Juan. The division office is a field office of the DepEd in Cagayan Valley region. There are two schools district offices that govern the public and private elementary and high schools throughout the municipality, namely: Roxas East, and Roxas West.
Here are the complete list of schools within the vicinity of Roxas.
{|class="wikitable collapsible collapsed" style="width:650px; text-align:center"
|-
! colspan=3 | Primary and elementary schools
|-
! style="width:350px;"| School
! style="width:150px;"| Location
! style="width:150px;"| Type
|-
|Roxas East Central School
|Rizal
|rowspan=20 |Public
|-
|Roxas West Central School
|Muñoz West
|-
|Marcos Elementary School
|Marcos
|-
|Sinamar Elementary School
|Sinamar
|-
|San Francisco Elementary School
|San Placido
|-
|Nuesa Elementary School
|Sotero Nuesa
|-
|Bantug-Lintao Elementary School
|Bantug
|-
|Simimbaan Elementary School
|Simimbaan
|-
|San Rafael Elementary School
|San Rafael
|-
|San Antonio Elementary School
|San Antonio
|-
|Matusalem Elementary School
|Matusalem
|-
|San Pedro-Villa Concepcion Elementary School
|Villa Concepcion
|-
|Doña Concha Elementary School
|Doña Concha
|-
|Imbiao Elementary School
|Imbiao
|-
|Anao Elementary School
|Anao
|-
|Quiling Elementary School
|Quiling
|-
|Luna-Rang-Ayan Elementary School
|Luna
|-
|San Jose Elementary School
|San Jose
|-
|Lanting Elementary School
|Lanting
|-
|Lucban Elementary School
|Lucban
|-
|Marlbury Bush Montessori School
|Rizal
|rowspan=5 |Private
|-
|La Salette of Roxas
|Vira
|-
|Casa Del Nino Montessori School
|San Rafael
|-
|Shalom Learning Center
|Munoz
|-
|Little Angels Learning Center Inc.
|Munoz
|-
|Image Maker Learning Center
|Bantug
|}
{|class="wikitable collapsible collapsed" style="width:650px; text-align:center"
|-
! colspan=3 | Secondary schools
|-
! style="width:350px;"| School
! style="width:150px;"| Location
! style="width:150px;"| Type
|-
|ISU Laboratory High School
|Rang-Ayan
|Public (University)
|-
|rowspan=2 |Roxas National High School
|Bantug
|rowspan=5 |Public
|-
|Matusalem
|-
|Lanting Region National High School
|Lanting
|-
|Monico Rarama National High School
|San Pedro
|-
|Muñoz National High School
|Muñoz
|-
|Casa del Niño Montessori School
|San Rafael
| rowspan="3" |Private
|-
|La Salette of Roxas
|Vira
|-
|Top Achievers Private School (TAPS)
|San Manuel
|}
{|class="wikitable collapsible collapsed" style="width:650px; text-align:center"
|-
! colspan=3 | Higher educational institutions
|-
! style="width:350px;"| School
! style="width:150px;"| Location
! style="width:150px;"| Type
|-
|Isabela Colleges of Science & Technology
|Rizal
|College
|-
|rowspan=2 |Isabela State University
|Rang-Ayan
|rowspan=2 |Public University
|-
|Matusalem
|-
|University of La Salette-Roxas Campus
|Vira
|Private University
|}
Notable personalities
- 4th Impact – Filipino girl group
References
External links
- Municipal Profile at the National Competitiveness Council of the Philippines
- Roxas at the Isabela Government Website
- Local Governance Performance Management System
- [ Philippine Standard Geographic Code]
- Philippine Census Information
- Roxas, Isabela