History

Historians believe that the earliest people who settled on the island of Panay were tribal Negritos or Atis. Oral history, related as the legend of Maragtas, states that in 1212, ten Malay datus escaped persecution from  Majapahit, a Hindu-Malay empire that existed at that time in Borneo and Sumatra. These datus, led by Datu Puti, sailed with their families and communities from Borneo northward and landed on Panay.

There, they met the Negrito chieftain, Marikudo. They bought the island from the chieftain for a golden saduk (headpiece or helmet), and a golden necklace, among other gifts. The Negritos then retreated to the mountains, while the Borneans settled in the lowlands. Today, the landing is commemorated every year in Antique in the Binirayan festival.

The island of Panay was then divided into three sakups (districts). These are Hantik, Aklan, and Irong-Irong. Aklan became the present-day Aklan and Capiz, Irong-Irong became Iloilo, and Hantik (also called Hamtik or Hamtic) became Antique. Hantik was named for the large red ants found on the island called lantik-lantik.

The sakup of Hantik was given to Datu Sumakwel, one of the ten datus, and who, according to tradition, was the oldest and wisest of them. The three sakups were later governed as a political unit called the Confederation of Madia-as, also under Datu Sumakwel.

Datu Sumakwel founded the town of Malandog, considered to be the first Malay settlement in the country. Malandog is now a barangay in the present-day municipality of Hamtic, which was named after the historic sakup.

About Us

This seahorse-shaped province forms the west coast of the Panay Island located in Region VI.  Antique is a 2nd class province composed of 18 municipalities stretched along the coast of the South China Sea.  It is surrounded by the provinces of Iloilo in the south, Aklan in the north, Capiz and Guimaras.  

The 18 municipalities that make up the province include the following: coastal towns – Anini-y, Tobias Fornier, Hamtic, San Jose de Buenavista, Belison, Patnongon, Bugasong, Laua-an, Barbaza, Tibiao, Culasi, Sebaste , Pandan and Libertad and inland towns – Sibalom, San Remigio and Valderrama.

It’s people are called Antiqueños – known as hospitable, industrious, sweet and hardworking people with a vast multicultural background.

The province is dubbed as the “Cradle of Philippine Civilization”. In Barangay Malandog in the municipality of Hamtic first flourished a culture that was set forth with the settlement of the ten Bornean Datus. This is re-enacted annually in the celebration of the Binirayan Festival.

Endowed with nature’s scenic exquisiteness, worth-exploring tourist destinations and attractions, sumptuous delicacies, world-class products, remarkable cultural heritage and warm Antiqueño hospitality.  One can experience nature’s beauty and adventure at its best in this place.
    
Home of lush green forests, verdant mountains and pristine waters, the province is a temptation to explorers and nature lovers.  Antique offers a wide array of adventure ranging from mountain climbing, hiking and biking, snorkeling, spelunking, fishing, diving, kayaking, aqua-sporting, sailing, jet-skiing and island hopping.

Fascinate your eyes with the enticing beauties of wild flora and fauna endemic only in Antique’s mountain ranges, sightings of precious  gemstones and endangered species of wild animals such as spotted mountain deer, wild boar, cloud rat, Panay monitor lizard (Varanus Mabitang), Dulungan (Visayan Hornbill), serpent eagle and various genus of butterflies and birds.  Precious to behold and the highlight of nature enthusiasts’ curiosity are the world’s largest and tallest flowers, the Rafflesia and Amorphophallus.  Worth witnessing for nature lovers is the picturesque rising and setting of the sun accompanied with the serene and rustic scenario along Antique’s beaches of crystal blue waters.

So come to Antique and experience a province rich in culture and full of nature’s wonders!

Officials

Congressman:  Exequiel Javier
Governor:  Salvacion Perez   
Vice Governor: Rhodora Cadiao

SP North:

1. Rosie A. Dimamay
2. Calixto G. Zaldivar III
3. Errol T. SAntillan
4. Hector L. Frangue
5. Benjamin E. Juanitas

SP South:

1. Vincent H. Piccio III
2. Dante M. Beriong
3. Fernando C. Corvera
4. Jose Tobias M. Javier
5. Alfonso M. Combong Jr.

Map

Source: Tourism Office

Language

"Kinaray-a" or hinaraya is derived from "iraya" meaning "upstream," "ka" meaning "companion," with infixation "in" meaning "to have undergone something."  It refers to the language of Antique (from "Hamtik," or large, red ant or wasp) and the upland parts of Iloilo and Capiz.  Kinaray-a, says the writer Leoncio Deriada, is the "mother of mellifluous West Visayan lingua franca, Hiligaynon (Ilongo), and the less well-known child, Aklanon."  He adds that Kinaray-a "is the Ilongo contribution to the mixed languages of Romblon, Palawan, and Cuyo Islands, some parts of Mindoro and Masbate and the southern towns of Negros Occidental and Oriental."  Kinaray-a speakers outnumber Ilongo speakers in Antique, most of Capiz, all of the central Iloilo towns, and the coastal towns south of Iloilo City; Ilongo is mainly limited to Iloilo City and all the coastal towns to the north as well as in Bacolod and most of Negros Occidental (Ani 19:11). 

Ilongo has long enjoyed primacy in the region because it is the language spoken by the ruling classes in the region, namely the hacenderos on both shores of the guimaras Strait and the Chinese compradores from the Molo Parian, while Kinaray-a has long been identified as "the language og the sacada and the muchacho" (Ani 19:12).  The Spanish priests added to the development of Ilongo by publishing grammars and catechisms in that language, while producing none in Kinaray-a. 

Despite having a disparate vocabulary, with usage differing slightly from town to town (for example, the English "here" could be rigya, rugya, digya, di-a, depending on the location), Kinaray-a speakers understand one another whether they come from Antique, Capiz, or Iloilo.  Apart from the population of Antique, which was 419,000 in 1990, the populations of Iloilo towns west, north, and northeast of the towns of Tigbauan, Santa Barbara, Pototan, anilao, and Dingle inclusive, and the towns of Tapaz and Jamindan in Capiz, all speak Kinaray-a.  All in all, there may be around 1,000,000 Kinaray-a speakers. 

Common Expressions

Are you eating well? - Mayad man pangaun mo?
Good. - Mayad.
Go on, eat some more. - Padayona kaun mo kag doroha pa.
How are you feeling? - Ano bay pamatyag mo?
I am going now. - Mapanaw ako run.
I don't know. - Wara takun kamaan. (Or simply: Maan a.)
I don't like it. - Indi takun kaoyon karia.
I don't want to. - Indi takun kadya.
I miss him/her. - Nahidlaw ako kana.
I miss them. - Nahidlaw ako kananda.
I miss you. - Nahidlaw ako kanimo.
I miss you very much. - Nahidlaw gid takun kanimo.
Just sleep here tonight. - Hingga kaw run lang rudya e.
It's still raining hard. - Nagabunuk pa ang oran.
Let's eat breakfast now. - Mamahaw ta .
Let's eat lunch now. - Maigma ta run.
Let's eat supper now. - Mayapon ta run.
Let's go! - Panaw/Halin ta run.
Be quick! - Dasiga/Dalia/Duruti.
Slowly, you might slip and fall. - Hinay lang, basi makadanlug ikaw kag matomba.
The road is slippery. - Danlug ang dalan.
Well, that's good. - Te, mayad i.
Where is she/he? - Diin run tana bay?
Who is your helper here? - Sin-o ang timbang mo rudya?
Who is watching over you? - Sin-o nagabantay kanimo?
Who is that? - Sin-o ria?
Why? - Wanhaw?
Only one - Sambato / sambilog / isara lang gid /isara lang haw
You are still in good health. - Mayad man gihapon ang panglawasun mo.
You gained a little weight. - Nagturutambuk gawa timo.
Wow! That's very fast! - Baw, dasig-dasig ba!

Geography

Geographical Profile

An elongated stretch of land along the entire west coast of Panay island, bounded by the province of Aklan on the North and northwest, Capiz on the East, Iloilo on the South and southeast and Cuyo East Pass on the  West.

The province is surrounded by the provinces of Iloilo in the south, Aklan in the north, and Capiz and Guimaras.  Antique faces the northern portions of the Sulu Sea to the west.  This unique, seahorse-shaped province forms the west coast of the Panay Island.  

Antique has 2 seasons: dry from November to April and wet the rest of the year. The maximum rainfall is from June to September, while February to April are the driest months. Eighty-three percent of the land terrain in Antique is mountainous or upland having a slope of more than eight percent.  The remaining 17% is made up of narrow coastal and interior plains. The municipalities with large lowland areas which include Sibalom, San Jose de Buenavista, Hamtic, Culasi, Patnongon and Bugasong. Together with the municipalities of Barbaza and Tibiao account for most of the palay production of Antique.The municipalities of Valderrama, Bugasong, Laua-an, Tibiao and Culasi account for about 24 percent of the very steep land of the province having slopes greater than 50 percent.

The mountain range stretching from Valderrama in the south to Culasi in the north has peak above 1,900 meters. Other mountain ranges have elevation from 500 to 1,300 meters. The province is dissected by many river systems, the largest of which is the Sibalom, which feeds the largest irrigation system in the province. There are seven major watersheds, which are eroded in varying degrees of severity, including that of Sibalom.

Based on the National Statistics Office 2000 survey more than half of the population of the province are males (50.57% or 472,822) and 49.43% or 431,713 are females.

Coordinate     11° 14′ 16″ N, 122° 5′ 38″ E

Festival

Binirayan Festival 

The Binirayan festival ("Binirayan" literally means "where they sailed to")is an event celebrated in the province of Antique in the Philippines. The festival was conceived by Governor Evelio B. Javier in 1974 and was recently revived in 1998. It is celebrated every year in the month of April with highlights on April 27 to 29. The Binirayan Festival commemorates the legend of the arrival of the ten Bornean datus on the island of Aninipay now known as Panay. 

Annualy Celebrated, Featuring various activities like Modernistic Vision on Malayan Reenactment of Ten Datus, Pasundayag, Bugal Kang Antique, Lin-ay Kang Antique Pageant and the revelry theatrical old form like Biray, Ati-atihan, Mardigra and Street Dancing. These infuse tourist and visitor to stay and live in Antique.

Zip Codes

Zip Codes    Towns

5700    San Jose de Buenavista
5701    Belison
5702    Patnongon
5703    Valderrama
5704    Bugasong
5705    Laua-an
5706    Barbaza
5707    Tibiao
5708    Culasi
5709    Sebaste
5710    Libertad
5711    Caluya
5712    Pandan
5713    Sibalom
5714    San Remigio
5715    Hamtic
5716    Tobias Fornier (Dao)
5717    Anini-y