, ▁around ▁which ▁the ▁later ▁population ▁of ▁the ▁three ▁provinces ▁of ▁I lo ilo , ▁Cap iz , ▁and ▁Ant ique ▁grew ▁up . ▁ ▁The ▁early ▁Bor ne an ▁sett lers ▁in ▁Pan ay ▁were ▁not ▁only ▁se af aring . ▁They ▁were ▁also ▁a ▁river - based ▁people . ▁They ▁were ▁very ▁keen ▁in ▁expl oring ▁their ▁rivers . ▁In ▁fact , ▁this ▁was ▁one ▁of ▁the ▁few ▁sports ▁they ▁loved ▁so ▁much . ▁The ▁Island ' s ▁oldest ▁and ▁longest ▁ep ic ▁Hin il aw od ▁rec ount s ▁leg ends ▁of ▁its ▁hero es ' ▁advent ures ▁and ▁travel s ▁along ▁the ▁H ala ud ▁River . ▁ ▁An ▁old ▁manuscript ▁Mar git as ▁of ▁uncertain ▁date ▁( dis cover ed ▁by ▁the ▁anth rop ologist ▁H . ▁Ot ley ▁Bey er ) ▁give ▁interesting ▁details ▁about ▁the ▁laws , ▁government , ▁social ▁custom s , ▁and ▁religious ▁belief s ▁of ▁the ▁early ▁Vis ay ans , ▁who ▁settled ▁Pan ay ▁within ▁the ▁first ▁half ▁of ▁the ▁ 1 3 th ▁century . ▁The ▁term ▁Vis ay an ▁was ▁first ▁applied ▁only ▁to ▁them ▁and ▁to ▁their ▁settlement s ▁east ward ▁in ▁the ▁island ▁of ▁Neg ros , ▁and ▁north ward ▁in ▁the ▁smaller ▁islands , ▁which ▁now ▁compose ▁the ▁province ▁of ▁Rom bl on . ▁In ▁fact , ▁even ▁at ▁the ▁early ▁part ▁of ▁Spanish ▁colonial ization ▁of ▁the ▁Philippines , ▁the ▁Sp ani ards ▁used ▁the ▁term ▁Vis ay an ▁only ▁for ▁these ▁areas . ▁While ▁the