History

Folk tradition holds that the province was settled by Bornean Malays in 1212. One of the of the ten legendary Bornean datus, Datu Sumakwel, reputedly gained Antique and founded the settlement of Malandog (Hamtik). Every year, on the 27^th up to the 20^th of December, the arrival of the Datus is celebrated in the riotous Binirayan festival. Datu Sumakwel, being the wisest of the datus, became the head of an alliance of the Panay datus called the Confederation of Madia-as and is also believed to have authored the Code of Maragtas, a system of laws governing life and relations in old Panay.

The Spaniards visited the coast in 1565 and Augustinian missionaries came a few years after. Territory belonging to Antique was part of the provinces of Ogton and Panay until 1790. In that year, Antique was made a separate province. The Revolutionaries arrived in Antique in September 1898 and held the province until 1900 when the Americans took control of the province. Following the establishment of peace, civil government was established in 1901.

Antique was severely affected by the Moro raids conducted in the 17^th and 18^th centuries. Much of the coast remained sparsely populated. However, towards the 19^th century, the population rapidly increased, forcing many Antiqueños to emigrate to Negros Occidental. Antique was the home of thousands of seasonal workers called the sacadas. From the middle of the 19^th century until the 1960s, these workers left their farms in Antique to work the sugar fields of Negros Occidental.

People, Culture and the Arts

Antiqueños are very hospitable people who would go out of their way to extend assistance to visitors and guests. These sea-faring people share many characteristics with their Panay neighbors. However, the steep slopes and the rugged, long mountain ranges of Antique have isolated it from the rest of Panay. Hence, they have developed their own distinct language called Kiniray-a. This dialect is of Indo-Malayan origins characterized by the predominancy of r’s and schwa sounds spoken with a lilting gentle intonation.

The Catholic Church holds a very strong influence on Antiqueños. For centuries, the churches were the physical vanguards of the people. Being a coastal province, and having been vulnerable to attacks by Moro raiders, Antique was guarded by a series of watchtowers, like the ‘Old Watchtower’ in Libertad and Estancia Hill in Bugasong all of which were built under the direction of the Spanish friars. Even today, the Catholic Church remains influential in both the society and politics of the province.

However, the mountains of the province have sheltered many remnants of the ancient folk beliefs. Babaylans or native priestesses continue to divine the future, heal the sick or conjure spells. This is an aspect of Antique’s culture that has been subsumed under the Christian religion.

The Antiqueños are noted for their industry. They are renowned weavers through out the Visayas. The Bugasong patadyong, a tube cotton fabric of plaid design, is highly valued because of its fineness of weaving. Piña cloth is also produced in looms throughout the province. Wine manufactured from the sap of the coconut is a cottage industry.

The rugged and varied land of Antique offers visitors a variety of outdoor activities. Diving and beach enthusiasts would have a great time discovering the unspoiled islets of Antique. Nogas Island, Hurao-Hurao Island and Mararison Island have long stretches of white sand beaches and are ideal for shell-hunting. Batbatan Island on the other hand, appeals to scuba divers because of the well-preserved coral reefs. Mt. Madia-as, the highest peak on Panay, is a dormant volcano with lakes and 14 waterfalls. It is said to be the legendary home of Bulalakaw, the supreme god of the ancients and beckons as a challenge for hikers and trekkers.

Trade and Investments

Antique requires a shift in gear for a faster pace of development. The province is abundant in resources, given its fertile agricultural lands, tuna highways along its coast and rich mineral deposits strewn around streams and mountains. The province has a total land area of 2,522 square kilometers. Population in 1995 stood at 441,896 and literacy rate was pegged at 90%. The local labor force is estimated to be 274,859 composed mostly of skilled and educated individuals. Antique can be reached by land from Aklan and Iloilo.

The province has 375 kilometers of national roads that facilitate the movement of people and goods within Antique. There are two government-operated seaports that provide transport services and a feeder airport that can accommodate aircrafts for general aviation. The power supply from the Antique Electric Cooperative serves 15 municipalities; while the water supply of the entire province is distributed by four water districts. The communications needs of Antique is provided for by a government-operated telecommunications office in San Jose offering long distance telephone services and complemented by telegraph services offered by two private companies and a government bureau. Antique has 18 banking institutions and 29 financial intermediaries.

Antique is considered as one of the top producers of coconut-based products and muscovado sugar. Trade and distribution and processing of these products would get a boost not only from the abundance of raw materials, presence of local and foreign markets but also support from the government. At present, efforts are being made to upgrade product quality of the sugar and the coconut oil to levels acceptable by health conscious markets. Antique’s large supply of fish from marine fishing grounds and inland fishponds makes fish processing another possible area for investments. The province has 416,230 hectares of brackish waters suitable for inland fish production and 18 deep-sea fishing operations. Still part of its marine resources, 5000 hectares are available for seaweeds culture whose estimated monthly output of 600 to 800 tons could easily supply a medium scale processing plant.

Marble and gemstone processing is likewise feasible given the province’s rich deposits of limestone and semiprecious stones. Other ventures worth investing in are: piña cloth weaving, cutflower production, bricks and pottery making and manufacture of gifts, toys and houseware items. These products would benefit from Antique’s abundant supply of raw materials and skilled labor and as well as a growing market. The province also has potentials for eco-tourism given its long unspoiled and sparsely populated coastline of white sand beaches, and its unspoiled mountain ranges dotted with hot springs and majestic waterfalls.

Partnership Initiatives

The province of Antique is rich in natural resources but the inadequacy of the LGU to guard its territory allowed unchecked over extraction of theses resources. Cyanide, dynamite and other destructive fishing methods compounded with siltation caused by the denudation of the mountains have reduced live coral cover in some of Antique’s marine areas to as low as 25% of original growth. These problems led the provincial government to undertake the "Government Capability Building for Ecological Management" project aimed at providing the LGU with resources and means to address the environmental issues and concerns.

The project proceeded with capability building and technical training activities to equip the LGUs with skills needed to perform their functions as well as advocacy work to educate and inform the local communities that were also were tapped to participate in the project. As a result, community awareness increased and some areas have been declared marine sanctuaries. Although the conservation efforts are still beset with problems regarding enforcement of policies and guidelines, there is continued and active support and cooperation from the LGU, the communities and other local institutions and this serves the means by which other conservation activities are to be pursued.

Development Initiative Highlights:

• To establish ube and banana chip processing and small-scale mining and quarrying of marble, lime and silica