Cadiz city

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City Hall in the Philippines

Cadiz, officially the City of Cadiz  is a 2nd class city in the province of Negros Occidental, Philippines. According to the 2010 census, it has a population of 151,500 people. The city is 65 kilometres (40 mi) north of Bacolod City.
Cadiz City is a gateway and a premier center of agro-fishery resources in Negros Island. The strategic location of the city, with a wide and rich island and marine resources and vast fertile agricultural land, and the completion of the commercial port and the construction of a fish port, will open a new opportunity for economic growth and competitiveness.
The city is a major sugar-producing area. This is transported to Victorias City for further refining. Another major source of livelihood is the harvest of seafood.
The Dinagsa Festival, a celebration which earned Cadiz the name of the Dinagsa Country of the north, is held annually on the last week of January. Some three kilometers off the coast of Barangay Cadiz Viejo is a white sand island resort of Lakawon, a popular destination among the local population.
The current City Mayor is Dr. Patrick G. Escalante Jr, with Samson "Jongben" Mirhan as the current City Vice Mayor.
The city was heavily damaged by Typhoon Haiyan, but has had success with restoration efforts to a stage where conditions are comparable to its pre-calamity status.

History 

Cadiz traces its beginnings to the establishment of a traditional settlement in a place known as Cadiz Viejo, near the banks of the Hitalon River. Historical records showed that in 1861, the Spaniards came and named the settlement Cadiz because of its northern location which reminded them of the seaport by the same name in Spain.

Cadiz became a municipality independent from Saravia (now E.B. Magalona) in 1878. Its first appointed Gobernadorcillo was Antonio Cabahug, married to Capitana Francisca Cito. The outbreak of the Spanish–American War saw Cadiz take part in the insurrection. Her sons and daughters, headed by Francisco Abelarde, took up arms against their Spanish masters.

During the short-lived government of the cantonal state of the Federal Republica de Negros, Jose Lopez Vito was elected its president. At the onset of American rule, Cadiz was on its way to prosperity with the operation of two lumber companies in the area. The war years stopped these economic activities and brought much suffering to the people of Cadiz. The resistance movement put up the civil government in the mountains to deal with civilian affairs. In the post-war election of 1952, Joaquin Ledesma was elected mayor.

In July 1967, Cadiz was inaugurated as a city by virtue of Republic Act No. 4894 which was passed by Congress on June 17, 1967. The act was authored by Congressman Armando Gustilo.

Geography

Cadiz City is located at the northern part of Negros Occidental, 65 km away from the provincial capital of Bacolod City. The city is bounded to the north by the Visayan Sea, to the south by Silay City and Victorias City, to the east by Sagay City and to the west by the municipality of Manapla. It is located within the geographical coordinates of 10 degrees and 50 mins. Latitude NE and 125 degrees and 9 mins. longitude E.

The total land area by land use is 52,457 hectares. An area of 7,354.59 hectares is classified as urban land, which includes residential, commercial, industrial and institutional. 45,102.45 hectares are rural.

The city has reclaimed an area of 38 hectares, 500 meters southeast of City Hall. This area is found alongside of Hitalon River and is ideal for industrial activities.

Economy

The total annual income of the city for the year under review is P429,389,619. It is derived from the actual collections of local revenues and Internal Revenue Allotment (IRA).

The city has a total number of 4,965 business establishments, in which 4,750 of which are classified as commercial and 215 as industrial. It has 11 pawnshops, 16 lending corporation and five banking institutions which provide financial capital to businessmen.

The principal sources of livelihood are agriculture and fishing, with employment and business as a secondary source of income.

Cadiz has a total agricultural area of 36,475.7429 hectares. Sugarcane remains as the prime agricultural commodity with as large as 23,571.1445 hectares or 64.5242% of the total agricultural area.

Fish supply is more than what the city currently needs. Being rich in natural resources and considered as one of the few fishing centers of Negros Occidental, Cadiz, rich in marine resources, is envisioned to be the seafood center of Negros and an alternative tourist destination. In Barangays Daga and Tiglawigan, for instance, dried fish processing and boat building are the major economic activities.

A P37 million multi-purpose seaport, still under construction, is envisioned to encourage both fishing and commercial vessels to dock in and use the area for trade and industry. This nationally-funded seaport would create more jobs in the city.

So far, four companies (San Miguel Corp., Pepsi Cola, Coca Cola and Jaz Cola) have established their distribution centers within the city.

Some History 

The Cadiz City Ati-atihan Festival began in 1972 as the brainchild of some members of the Samaria House Council of Cadiz City, a lay religious organization of the Catholic Church.

The festival was a product of exigency, as some of the members of the Council were alarmed with the locals' popular habit of gambling in cockfights rather than offering homage to the city’s Patron during the Feast of the Santo Niño.

The founding fathers of the Cadiz Ati-atihan thought of a way by which their Patron's feast can be truly celebrated by acts of gratitude and praises, rather than by cockfights. These founding fathers, led by Msgr. Vicente Salgado, the then parish priest of the Sto. Niño Parish made history by establishing the Cadiz City Ati-atihan Festival.
The Dinagsa is a weeklong celebration with the rhythmic beating of drums and honoring the Señor Sto. Niño (Infant Jesus). Performers are painted in black or covered with soot to portray an “ati” (one of the many indigenous peoples of the Philippines).

The festival is packed with fun activities such as the Dinagsa Queen, the Ati-atihan competition, and the Lamhitanay festival. It's one of the most awaited fiestas in the province of Negros Occidental.

The Lamhitanay is a unique feature of the Dinagsa. All kinds of people (visitors or residents) in Cadiz City roam the streets to smother paint on each other's faces. (So prepare to get dirty, as saying “no” or getting angry at them is taken as an insult! If you don’t like it, better stay at home. This isn't something you experience often, though, so just enjoy the festivities!)