The town originally called Bamban was changed by the early Spaniards to Panay, a word which means “mouth of the river.” This is also the location of a fortress built by Juan de la Isla in late 1570.

1566 was the year the Spaniards arrived in the island of Panay and became the second Spanish settlement in the country next to Cebu.

Miguel López de Legazpi transferred the Spanish settlement from Cebu to Panay in 1569 due to the lack of food.

The town was formally founded in 1572 (1581 according to Jorde), although by that time López de Legazpi had moved the capital of the Philippines, further north, to Manila.

Alonso de Méntrida, noted for his linguistic studies and Visayan dictionary became prior.

In the 18th century, Panay was famous for its textile industry which produced a cloth called suerte and exported to Europe.

It bears an inspiring inscription which translated reads: “I am God’s voice which shall echo praise from one end of the town of Panay to the other, so that Christ’s faithful followers may enter this house of God to receive heavenly graces.” Panay is politically subdivided into 42 barangays.