ONE OF the popular landmarks one cannot miss to see while in Roxas City is the city fountain forming the rotunda immediately found at the northern foot of the 102-year-old Capiz Bridge (now Roxas City Bridge). Built in circa 1925, it is located right in front of the Immaculate Conception Metropolitan Cathedral and considered to be the heart of the city plaza where water flows refreshingly for motorists and commuters when the heat is seemingly unbearable. It is concentric point for traffic coming from Roxas Avenue at the south from Mckinley and Magallanes Streets at the west and from Rizal Street at the east.
The focal center of the fountain marks kilometer zero point in determining road kilometer distance from Roxas City to various locations in the city or municipalities. The fountain’s original diameter of 19 meters has been expanded after a series of renovation, repair and rebuilding. The original structure was utterly destroyed by shrapnels during the height of World War II and was restored back shortly after the war in 1946. Water overflow as cascade from the cistern placed atop a 3.8 meters roman column pedestal, from a jet spray at its center. The eight sculptured fishes spaced equally at the rim of its concrete retaining circumference wall installed with jet spray that water comes out from their mouth and directed to the center. A portion of the rim used to be covered with plants that formed as its outside perimeter but after the latest renovation, the concrete perimeter was extended, the size of the roman column was altered and the plants that used to compliment the water flow was taken out.
The fountain was renovated again in 1999, the jet spray was repaired but the water flow did not last long as the jet spray broke down again. A major face-lifting was made in the later part of 2007 which altered the entire designs of the original fountain. The altered fountain drew some varied opinions and reactions from the general public. Some find it attractive while some find its four male statues on their “knee-bending” “weight-carrying” position as a drawback as if it reflected difficulties or hardships in carrying a common load of burden. Some local culture buffs find the newly “designed” fountain reflective of how the previous administration was ungrateful of the past and historic fountain that stood there for many decades. While others find it interesting, many visitors would pose in it and have their souvenir photo taken be it night or daytime. With the “sky-blue painted cathedral on the background, many thought the pictures were taken from other “far-away” places. Many facebook account holders posted those pictures only to find out the fountain was “demolished” then rebuilt again back to its “close to original” design.
The redesigning and renovations of the city fountain cost millions of pesos of people’s money. It was the subject of disgust and complaints of the local citizens who find the renovation, demolition and reconstruction of the fountain “too fast”, costly. While criticism mounted on the manner the people’s money was spent, many senior citizens find it reassuring that the old fountain was back and improved with installed color lights that compliment the refreshing water flows with a newly repainted cathedral on its background.
Today, the fountain of the old Capiz town (now Roxas City) was resurrected and stands proud of the past. Its presence brings back many memories for those who have seen it in their very early years. Its resurrection was considered as justice to the old ruins as a result of war and destroyed by few men who may have no respect of the past and the role it has in the local history. On a warm day when traffic is in its slow pace and in the evening when the color lights installed around it are on, the fountain offers a refreshing sight that really cools not just the environment, but the heads of both motorists, commuters and pedestrians. Whoever built it back in 1925 was surely thinking much ahead of his time. Thank God for them.
source:http://thedailyguardian.net/index.php/iloilo-opinion/15824-roxas-citys-fountain-historic-and-controversial-rotunda
