Tapaz, officially the Municipality of Tapaz (Capiznon/Hiligaynon: Banwa sang Tapaz; Aklanon: Banwa it Tapaz; Kinaray-a: Banwa kang Tapaz/Banwa ka Tapaz; Tagalog: Bayan ng Tapaz), is a 1st class municipality in the province of Capiz, Philippines. According to the 2020 census, it has a population of 54,423 people.

The festival in Tapaz are the Patabang Festival in September honoring Patron Saint Jerome, and Sirinadya Festival in January honoring Sr. Santo Niño. Other local festival is Tinuom Festival in Barangay San Nicolas celebrated in the Month of December honoring Patron Saint Nicholas of Myra.

The town is known for a small community of indigenous Panay-Bukidnon in Barangay Tacayan. The community is home to Feliza, a binukot who has expertise in chanting the suguidanon, one of the most significant epic chants of the Western Visayas region. Feliza is the last known person who can speak the Ligbok language in her community, making her the last bastion for the thousand-year old language in Tapaz. Her death would translate to the death of the language in Tapaz itself and the suguidanon epic chant as well. Also, Feliza has traditional tattoos on her skin which were inscribed when she was chosen as a binukot. In 2016, after reports came out on the dying Ligbok language and suguidanon epic chant, the government began documenting the language and epic chant and teaching the language to younger generations of Panay-Bukidnon in Tapaz.

Marugo lake in Barangay San Antonio barangay is most popular tourist destination.

History

The first people who arrived and settled in what is now Tapaz are the Panay-Bukidnon people who speak the indigenous Ligbok language.

When the Spanish arrived in Panay, they established Dumalag town. Eventually, Tapaz was founded in 1835 but it continued being a part of Dumalag town for many years. In 1862 and 1863 two letters were made to declare parish under the patronage of St. Jerome. Both were signed by Governor General Lemery, but they were never executed. Finally, in 1874, Tapaz was declared an independent parish by Jaro Bishop Mariano Cuartero.

In 2016, the Ligbok language of the Panay-Bukidnon of Tapaz was confirmed to be dying out. This triggered a massive conservation program for the language and the epic chant spoken by the Panay-Bukidnon.

Geography

Tapaz lies within the latitude 11° 09’ to 11° 09’ 42" and the longitude of 121° 11’ to 122° 34’ 45". It is 55 kilometres (34 mi) from Roxas City.

Climate

Barangays

Tapaz is politically subdivided into 58 barangays.  Each barangay consists of puroks and some have sitios.

There are 36 lowlands barangays and the rest of the 22 are upland barangays.

Demographics

Population census of Tapaz

Year	Pop.	±% p.a.
1903	3,741	—
1918	11,242	+7.61%
1939	17,047	+2.00%
1948	16,376	−0.45%
1960	21,178	+2.17%
1970	26,482	+2.26%
1975	30,589	+2.93%
1980	35,129	+2.81%
1990	40,942	+1.54%
1995	40,809	−0.06%
2000	44,085	+1.67%
2007	47,059	+0.90%
2010	48,051	+0.76%
2015	51,313	+1.26%
2020	54,423	+1.16%
Source: Philippine Statistics Authority

In the 2020 census, the population of Tapaz was 54,423 people, with a density of 110 inhabitants per square kilometre or 280 inhabitants per square mile.

The natives of Tapaz are mixture of several ethnic groups as the Malays, Spaniards, Indonesians, and the Aetas or Negritos who are the aborigines of Panay. In the recent years the residents are distincts group as the "Baludnons" those in lowland and "Bukidnons" those in upland.

Religion

As a Catholic Dominant Municipality. Tapaz has two parishes and three mission stations and many churches.

Parishes:

• St. Jerome Parish (Poblacion, Tapaz)
• St. Nicholas of Myra Parish (San Nicolas, Tapaz)

Mission Stations:

• St. Andre Besette Mission Station (Taft, Tapaz)
• St. Juan Diego Mission Station (Cristina, Tapaz)
• St. Julian of Cuenca Mission Station (San Julian, Tapaz)

Economy

Poverty incidence of Tapaz

10 20 30 40 50 2006 47.90 2009 28.97 2012 33.83 2015 24.11 2018 12.41 2021 23.18 Source: Philippine Statistics Authority

Healthcare

Hospital in Tapaz:

• Tapaz District Hospital

Education

The increasing population of school children made the District of Tapaz into two districts. The Tapaz East District with 22 complete Elementary Schools and 14 Primary Schools. The Tapaz West District with 19 complete Elementary Schools and 3 Primary Schools. It has 8 Secondary Schools and one University Satellite Campus that caters the tertiary education of every Tapaznon.

High schools

High Schools in Tapaz:

• Bag-ong Barrio National High School
• Camburanan National High School
• Candelaria National High School
• Col. Patrociño Artuz National High School
• Rev. Tomas Conejar National High School
• Roxas National High School
• San Nicolas National High School
• Tapaz National High School

College

College in Tapaz:

• Capiz State University -Tapaz Satellite Campus