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The Nipa Wine Distillery of Capiz

Long before the coming of the Spaniards, agriculture in the country was comparatively stable. The early Filipinos produced rice, sugarcane, coconuts, indigo, sweet potatoes and other agricultural produce which formed part of early Filipino’s export products to other neighboring countries. Although the nipa palm was not considered as a prime product at that time, nipa wine was recorded to be an export product of the country. The wine is extracted from the sap of the nipa palm. The nipa palm is found in many parts of the country, including Capiz where a large portion of its capital and the town of Pan-ay used to be a mangrove and swamps.

The early Spanish chronicler Morga recorded and described this native industry, and the Filipinos’ fondness for drinking. He wrote:

“Their drink is a wine made from the tops of coco and nipa palm, of which there is a great abundance. They are grown and tended like vineyards, although without so much toil and labor. Drawing the tuba, they distilled it, using for alembics their own little furnaces and utensils, to a greater less strength and it becomes brandy. This is drunk throughout the islands.”

The opening of Iloilo port to world trade in 1855 spurred the agricultural and industrial growth not only in the Province of Iloilo but also in other parts of Western Visayas. Such economic upheaval attracted investors from other parts of the country to invest in Capiz. The Culasi port in Capiz town (now Roxas City), which once served only as an arsenal to Spanish Galleons during the rough seas, became a transloading port for inter-island trade. In 1865, the Ayalas of Manila established wine distilleries in Capiz, one located in Capiz town and two in the town of Pan-ay. There were 10 distilleries established in the province, producing nipa wine and aguadiente for export. The largest of these distilleries was owned by Don Antonio Roxas, grandfather of the late President Manuel Roxas. The second largest was owned by Miguel Legaspi. During this time, Spain encouraged the importance of wines and liquors, and this led to the widespread fermentation of the nipa sap.

The native Capicenos called the distillery in the native tongue as binohan. The finished bi-products were transported either by land or water. The wine was placed in tapayan or tadyao and dama juana and carried by animals on land or by conducciones on water. There were several effects presumed in the establishment of these distilleries in Capiz. One, this contributed to the creation of the ilustrado class in the province since many nipa plantation owners gained profit from this industry. Second was the exploitation of labor and forcing the tillers of the land to concentrate on the cultivation of nipa palms instead of staples. And third, it contributed to the fermentation of the Philippine Revolution in Capiz. The imposition of the Maura Law in 1893 made many nipa plantation owners and farmers disillusioned with the government. The law provided one year for land owners to acquire title for their lands. However, many Capicenos did not know that such law existed because it was keep secret by Spanish officials and friars, so much so that many of them lost their landholdings. It is worthy to note that the leaders of the Contreras-led revolution in Capiz were mostly nipa plantation owners, especially Colonol Pascual Barza.

The nipa palm also provided aid to the Capiz freedom fighters in fighting the Spaniards. On May 3, 1897 the platoon led by Sgt. Bulquerin planned to ambush a Spanish patrol at Sitio Tadyaw, Barrio Linateran in Pan-ay. Cognizant of the inferiority in arms, he ordered his men to cut nipa leaves to look like riffles from afar. Then, he ordered them to fire their seven guns simultaneously, while others were holding the facsimile guns. The Spaniards, thinking that the revolucionarios were well-armed, retreated to the town of Capiz. The nipa leaves also provided shelter to the revolutionaries in their headquarters in Balisong Hill.

Truly, the nipa palm and wine distilleries played an important role in the culture and history of Capicenos. However, in 1914, due to stiff internal revenue laws instituted by the Americans, the distilleries were forced to close down. So what remains today of this monument of economic history of Capiz are merely edifices lying in ruins, perhaps waiting for someone who could restore this once prosperous traditional industry in the province.

--- Article written by Manuel Azcarraga Y Palmero, Gobernador Civil Cesante de Manila, Alcalde Mayor que ha sido de Cagayan y Bulacan, Auditor honorio de Manila, et, La Libertad de Comercio en las Islas Filipinas-Madrid, 1872 pp 9-10, Encyclopedia of the Philippines, V. V, p.1. Freepage (talk) 09:43, 25 February 2017 (UTC)Ibid. p.6 Antonio Morga. “Successos de las Islas Filipinas.” Encyclopedia of the Philippines. P.5. Henry Funtecha. “The Boat Making Tradition: A Reflection of the West Visayas History and Culture.” Proceedings of the 5th Conference on West Visayan History & Culture. 1995 He Cultural Heritage of Capiz. V. 1 p.7. Rodolfo M. Claparols. “Historic Pan-ay.” Philippine Free Press. Dec. 10, 1966 p.40 History of Panay. P.5. Ibid. Ronald A. Amigo, “The Capiz Revolutionary Movement: The Contreras-led Uprising.” An undergraduate thesis, UPV, 1992. P. 59. Ibid. Ibid. Jose Bolante. “A Comprehensive History of Capiz in Search of Identity.” And Panublion, Roxas City p.67.