Passi City (Kinaray-a: Siyudad kang Passi/Siyudad ka Passi Hiligaynon: Siyudad sang Passi Tagalog: Lungsod ng Passi) is a fourth class city in the province of Iloilo in the Philippines. According to the 2010 census, it has a population of 79,663 people.[3] It has a total land area of 25,139 hectares (62,120 acres), making up 5.39% of the provincial land area of Iloilo. Its relatively flat land stretches alongside the Jalaur and Lamunan rivers.
Passi is a rice, pineapple, and sugar-rich area and the only component city and the largest in the Province of Iloilo in terms of land area, population and income. It is popularly with its slogan “The Sweet City at The heart of Panay” due to its vast pineapple plantations and annual output in fruit production.
Geography
Aerial view of Passi City Bus Terminal Complex and IBRD Expressway going to Capiz and Aklan (north) and Iloilo City (south)
The City of Passi is centrally located on the island of Panay and can be reached by Iloilo – Capiz highway, within 45 minutes from Iloilo City and one hour to Roxas City.
The City of Passi is located south of Dumarao, southeast of Bingawan, east of Calinog, northeast of Dueñas, north of San Enrique, and southwest of San Rafael.
Climate
Passi like most of the Iloilo’s towns, belong to the third type climate region which has no pronounced maximum rain period and no distinct dry and wet season while it is not within typhoon belt but it has its own share of typhoons that visits the province of Iloilo occasionally.
Rivers
The city is traversed by 5 major rivers namely (1) Jalaur River (2) Lamunan River (3) Hin-ayan River (4) Asisig River and (5) Maliao River. It also has creeks and tributaries which can be tapped for irrigation purposes.
Potable water resources can also be tapped from natural springs or from ground water which is bountiful in the area especially in the barangays of Imbang Grande, Bayan, Sarapan, Sablogon, and Jaguimitan.
As of this time, the barangays of Agdayao and Quinagaringan Gde. has level III type water supply and the Barangays of Jaguimitan and Bagacay has level II type of water system. The water needs of the Poblacion is served by the City of Passi which get its supply from the six deep wells and two springs at Brgy. Sablogon, Bacuranan and Man-it.
Barangay
It is composed of 38 rural barangays and 13 urban barangays, listed here with their respective population as of 2010.
* Agdahon – 1,466
* Agdayao – 1,284
* Aglalana – 3,335
* Agtabo – 1,721
* Agtambo – 1,174
* Alimono – 2,738
* Arac – 1,429
* Ayuyan – 634
* Bacuranan – 1,101
* Bagacay – 863
* Batu – 1,328
* Bayan – 687
* Bitaogan – 2,051
* Buenavista – 530
* Buyo – 761
* Cabunga – 1,246
* Cadilang – 929
* Cairohan – 1,210
* Dalicanan – 2,039
* Gemat-y – 1,055
* Gemumua-agahon – 3,711
* Gegachac – 526
* Gines Viejo – 1,945
* Imbang Grande – 2,227
* Jaguimitan – 2,653
* Libo-o – 684
* Maasin – 806
* Magdungao – 2,248
* Malag-it Grande – 701
* Malag-it Pequeño – 276
* Mambiranan Grande – 576
* Mambiranan Pequeño – 580
* Man-it – 4,295
* Mantulang – 515
* Mulapula – 1,458
* Nueva Union – 2,265
* Pangi – 767
* Pagaypay – 567
* Poblacion Ilawod – 6,559
* Poblacion Ilaya – 3,473
* Punong – 374
* Quinagaringan Grande – 1,187
* Quinagaringan Pequeño – 1,011
* Sablogon – 1,849
* Salngan – 2,826
* Santo Tomas – 2,061
* Sarapan – 1,048
* Tagubong – 2,048
* Talongonan – 1,440
* Tubod – 862
* Tuburan – 544
History
Although its young distinction as a city, Passi is considered to be one of the oldest Spanish settlements in Iloilo. It was organized as a pueblo in 1766 with Don Martin Saligumba as its first leader. But the place has actually been settled by Malay migrants long before the arrival of the Spaniards.
According to popular legend, Spanish conquistadors stumbled on a small hut by the river’s bank where an old woman was fond winnowing pounded rice. One of them asked her, “¿Cómo se llama este lugar?” not knowing the native language of course. Much to the old woman’s surprise and perhaps excitement, she replied without much ado, “Ah, pasi,” which means some of the unhusked rice on her basket held in both hands. She must have thought that they were eager to know what was in the basket and what she was doing, because she could not understand their language. From that time on, the Spanish begun to call the place Pasi at first until it later evolved into Passi. Such legends about name origins are common throughout towns and cities in the Philippines, the core plot being a Spaniard asking the non-Spanish speaking natives what the name of the place is and the latter responding in what would end up eventually as the name of the place.
Its conversion as a city was made through the signing of R.A. 8469 on the 30th day of January, 1998 by the Former President of the Philippines, Pres. Fidel V. Ramos.
It is said that the first Spanish settlement was established in the area in 1766, marking the onset of Spanish colonial rule. In the traditional story, Spanish explorers anchored in Ansig, a place located at the mouth of Lamunan River. The name of the city is probably derived from Pasi, a Hiligaynon word meaning “unhusked grains of palay.”
In 1957, the sitio of Agtabo in the barrio of Salngan was converted into a barrio. In the same year the barrio of Santa Rosa was renamed Santo Tomas.
Passi then became progressive and had experience tremendous development over the period. Because of its strategic location, Passi became a center for trade and commerce bringing more investment opportunities to the municipality. Its high income, high population growth, and a big area of land has finally bring into the limelight and recognized as the first component city in the Island of Panay. After a hard-earned endeavor, its conversion as a city was made through the signing of R.A. 8469 on the 30th day of January, 1998 by the Former President of the Philippines, Pres. Fidel V. Ramos.