Evening star., 1901-10-01
PANAY AND ITS PROVINCES
DESCRIPTION COMPLIED AT THE
WAR DEPARTMENT.
Over 500 Towns and Villages on the
Island-Its People and
Its Products.

From official material compiled In the
division of insular affairs of the War De
partment, the following abstract has been
prepared concerning the Island of Panay
and the local civil governments established
within it's borders.
Panay, the most northwestern OF the
yisayan group, occupies a geogra phicai
position about eighty-five miles southeast
of the center of the archipelago.
The territory conforming to almost in
surmountable barriers of lofty mountains
has been divided into three provinces, as
follows:
Area. So Popu-
Antique, San Jose de Buena Vista. 1.34o 1l5, "a
Capiz. .Capiz. ,6S1 24,OOO
Hoiio- .UoiIo 2,102 49,, i4i
Totals. 5,1os eof,s7s
1t will be seen that the smallest province
is larger than the smallest state in the
Union, and the island as a whole is five
eightns the size of New Jersey or Massa-
chusetts; larger than Connecticut, over
twice the size of Delaware, and four times
that of Rhode Island.
The inhabitants are Visayans Several
thousand Wild Mundos and a few Negritos
dwell in the Businesses of the mountains.
Typographical Features.
A range of mountains traverses the island
from the peninsula Of Buranga in the
northwest to Siraan point in the extreme
south, and forms the boundary between
Antique and Capfz and Iloilo, the highest
summit being Madia-as 1924 feet near the
town of Colasi From Maymagui, peak
5.667 feet high. about the center of this
range, extends series of alkali elevations
to the east thirty-five miles, and thence
DETECTING to the north, ending on the west
shore of Carries peninsula, divides Capiz
from Iloilo The most notable peaks IN
addition to those named are Usigan, 4.sO0
feet; BaIabac, 4,333 feet; Agotay, 3,164
feet, and Toctocan, 4,667 feet, in the north.
and Nangtud, 1884 feet; Baloy, 5.76I feet;
Llorente. 1896 feet; Tfguran, 4,90o feet:
Congcong, 1866 feet, and Ticbayat, 1857
feet high. in the south.
Three of the finest rivers in the archi-
pelago form the drainage system OF Panay
These are the Panay, Jalaur and Aclan.
Other streams less important are the Salug,
Ibajay and Sibalon.
The coast Is well -indented with bays and
harbors. fifteen of which afford safe shell
ter for vessels Of all sizes engaged in the
coastwise or foreign commerce.
Over 600 Towns and Villages.
Within the limits Of the three provinces,
and particularly Ioilo, are many fine roads
connecting the important centers Of trade
and trails communicating with the pIanta
character of the mountains intervening,
traffic between the provinces Of the island
is carried on entirely by sea. There are
132 towns ranging in population from 1000
to 26,0OO population and 49S villages. The
most important town, though not the lar
gest, is Iloilo, the capital of the province Of
that name, a port of entry, headquarters
of the United States military department
of the VisayaS, and a telegraph station.
Vessels drawing fifteen feet can reach the
Hxy< no VI fI,o& = =
and have protection against all storms
The two principal streets which follow the
course Of the river, have fine public and
private buildings Next to Manila, this
the Philippines. both in exports and i'm
ports. the former consisting of tobacco,
rice. coffee. hides and hemp, and the latter
Australian coal and merchandise.
OF the 11S dependent islands. Guimaras
alone Is one-sfxth the size of the state of
Rhode Island and produces rice. hemp. cot
ton, corn and tobacco. It also has fmpor-
tant fishing interests.
The Islands Products.
The vegetable products of the island are
cotton. corn, chocolate, pepper, coffee, to-
bacco, sugar cane, rice and copra. The
last three are staples in quality and guam
tity. The commercial movement Of sugar
and copra through the port of Iloilo repre-
sented, in 1899, sugar. piculs, 1137, 700;
copra, piculs, 9,221 A picul represents 1877.
American pounds. The maximum shipment
of sugar was in 1892 aggregating 2,571, ,9S9
piculS, or the enormous output of :,54 935 4S2
American pounds.
On the grazing lands which cover a part
of Panay are raised large numbers of live
stock. the province of Capiz alone having
upward Of 5000 head, mostly caraboas.
The horses of Iloilo are highly priced
throughout the archipelago.
The forests represent many varieties of
bIn -Nn1a
ony and sibucao. of which large quantities
are annually exported to China. The prov
ince most celebrated for the value Of Its
forest products is Capiz. where upward Of
eighty-seven varieties of woods Of economic
value are known.
Besides the woods large quantities of
honey, wax and pitch are gathered
The mineral resources Of the island have
not been scientifically exploited. Quicksilver
and copper are reported. Beds Of iron OF g
are known to exist in the mountains and
gold Is being worked in the vicinity Of
Dumarao, Binatusan and Lausan. There
are indications OF coal or Ignite in Busu-
anga, Balate. Falderama and other Iocal1-
ties. Fine marbles and beautiful variety
OF Tonalite, equal to that found on the
borders Of Tyrol, are quarried near Moro
bozo, Gututan, Timunan and Igan. Depos-
Its OF gypsum and mari exist. Petroleum
and natural gas are reported at Jantmay.
in 1loilo province.
The fruits of the archipelago, including
DdHaIids, plTeappleS, mang0SteenS, SdpOta,
oranges, lemons, ETC., are abundant.
Many Mechanical Industries.
There are numerous mechanical rndus-
tries producing beyond the supply Of do
nestle wants. Fine fabrics Of pineapple
fiber, jusi, sinamay and cotton are manu-
factured In Hoilo, and sugar sacks, hats
aad palm leaf baskets and textiles Of silk,
cotton and hemp in Capiz.
The province of Antique Is particularly
celebrated for its fabrics. its looms giving
employment to upward of II 600 women.
In Iloilo large quantities of lime OF ex-
cellent quality are manufactured, particu-
larly at Igbaras and in Mt. Tinicoan.
1t may be added that the rivers abound
In fish of great variety and crocodiles Of
enormous size, and the waters Of the sur
rounding seas in tortoise and other shells
OF commercial value.
Occupation of the Island.
Under the original movements for the
occupation Of the Visayan Islands In the
spring of 1890 base of operations was es-
tablished at Iloiio and the suburbs of Jaro
and Moro, the enemy numbering about
1900 occupying a line from Oton to Ba-
langdan, with Santa Barbara as headquar-
ters. Active operations commenced imme-
dfately, resulting in the dispersion of this