Or as our host, Flord Nicson Calawag, said "Tanum, lagaw kag pamahaw sa Tibiao". Indeed our visit to this municipality in the province of Antique last weekend was filled with adventure and gastronomy for a cause.
The town's 1st Agri-Enviromental Tourism Tree Planting program dubbed as Tanum-Lagaw sa Tibiao was foremost a tree planting activity organized the office of Congressman Paolo Javier & the Provincial Government (through the initiatives of SP Victor Condez, Committee Head on DENR) in cooperation with the local government Unit of Tibiao (through the leadership of Mayor Walden Lim). 
It aims to promote environmental awareness on the value of forests that serve as carbon sink, enriching nutrition through planting fruits trees and providing employment opportunities through tourism development. This is also in line with Tibiao's thrust of becoming the adventure capital not only of the province but for the whole island of Panay as it hosts an international kayaking tournament next year. 
The activity covered three baranggays namely Importante, Tigbaboy and Tuno, all of which are part of Tibiao's tourism belt. Around 1000 jackfruit and other fruit bearing trees were planted last July 31 particpated in by University of Antique- Tario Lim Memorial Campus (UA-TLMC) National Service Training Program (NSTP) Students, UPV Antiqueno, UPV Partido sang Mainuswagon nga Bumulutho (PMB) and supported by Katahum Tours, Tibiao Fish Spa Co., Tibiao Bakery Inc. among others.
As part of the media invited the witness and feature the event, members of the Iloilo Bloggers Inc and GMA TV 6 Iloilo's morning show, Arangkada, were also given the chance to experience and appreciate the natural wonders and cultural aspects that makes up Tibiao's tourism potentials.
First stop was a trip to Manlamon Cave through a 30-minute downhill trek and walk across the rural sceneries of Tibao - rice fields, lush forests. A big balete tree guards the entrance to the cave which was a few minutes off the main road through a snaking trail. To give respect to the "tag-lugars" (enchanted beings), each was requested to tie a leaf - just take a branch and bring it to a knot. 
It was just a small cave but big in surprises for despite it's distance and the seclusion, one can still see the remnants of human invasion "etched" on the walls. Flord shared some interesting tales about the cave among them is that, folktales say, it has a connection to a nearby island (that's at least 5kms away) where one meets "someone" along the way. 
There's also the "rock from nowhere" (outlined) as that piece of rock literally appeared on the scene without traces of it fitting in the puzzle pieces the cave formed. Then someone smelled a very fragrant scent as we were about to go out - a sign of some enchanted being they say. But all I smelled was a product called "eau de bat toilette" - the smell of guano (bat droppings used as fertilizer)!
Early morning the next day, after some hot choco and pan de sal, we had our Lambaklad Fishing Experience. Contracted from the words, lambat and baklad, this is Pinoy adaptation of the Japanese fishing technique “otoshi-ami”. A fish trap net which is literally translated as a drop-in net – a stationary and passive fishing gear that acts as buffer against the incursion of a large commercial fishing vessels in municipal waters. (courtesy of Hazel Villa's article on the Philippine Daily Inquirer).
Our group (around 50 people) floated to the sea aboard a two layer bamboo raft as excitement rushed in to see our catch of the day. Flord says there are days when the whole craft is filled with tons of fish while at times they have no catch at all). But we were in luck that time as our lambaklad tour yield around two dozen of mamsa fish. A fleshy fish good for kinilaw, fried or sinabawan (we had for our dinner later than day). I'll have a separate feature for this Lambaklad experience soon, for the meantime enjoy more photos here.
After a sumptuous breakfast at the Mayor's residence, we were given the privilege to tour one of the most popular bakeshops not only in Antique but for the whole island of Panay. Tibiao Bakery named after the town is owned by the family of Mayor Walden Lim and has been baking a lot of goodies since 1953. Eventually, it became big, expanded and became even more popular outside the town especially in Iloilo City where it has around 10 branches. 
Then the highlight of any trip to Tibiao was on - a trip to Bugtong Bato falls. But you'll have to walk and work your way here since it's requires an adventurous spirit, strong physical and even stronger emotional "will". Off the main highway, its around a 30 minute ride through curves of paved and dirt road up the mountain though its only around 5kms to the main habitation of Brgy Tuno. From there, it'a about an hour's walk through mountainside trails, rice fields, riversides, makeshift bridges and lush forest covers. We even passed by a mountainside pineapple plantation!
Then you'll hear the gush of water cascading as one nears Bugtong Bato Falls. Depending on the the time of the year is the "amount" of water through the falls, luckily for us that time, it had been a rainy week so it was a great display of waterworks from the falls. But wait there's more for the falls actually has 7 tiers or cascades that if you feel adventurous enough, you can climb up the steep mountainside steps with ropes as support. By then you'll have a sort of deja vu as a familiar torrent of water greets you.
Spend another hour tracing back your steps and give it a few steps more brings you to another adventure in Tibiao - Kayaking!. Operated by Tribal Adventures, this spot along the Tibiao River is starts the kayaking adventure. It has calm flowing portions where basic kayaking can be lessons can be made then a few meters it turns into a more challenging course. This part was particular unforgettable for me since I had one great adventure - 15 seconds underwater ... gasping for air! My kayak capsized as I "braved" the churning waters of the river .....
That signaled the end of my kayaking career that day that I opt to pass to go downstream. I then instead headed back, up and soothed myself to a very relaxing and soothing Kawa Hot Bath. That ain't me on the photo but that's exactly it is. No need to further explain. There are kawa that are good for 2-3 persons, perfect for sharing the experience of being cooked - I wish to be sinigang if ever (lol).
And speaking of sinigang, that day ended on a debate whether the mamsa fish we caught that morning was cooked sinigang or plain sinabawan. I opted for the latter even though it looks like the former. When I tasted it it surely tasted like sinabawan but the master of the house said it was sinigang - and it remained unsolved until now.
Finally no one goes to Tibiao, Antique without passing by it's foremost man-made yet natural attraction - the Tibiao Fish Spa. Operated by Flord Nicson Calawag (with friends Rex Delsar Dianala and Noel Ferriols), the most affordable fish spa in the world had its humble beginnings in the Calawag home that has been slowly transformed into an accommodation to house guests for the spa and Katahum Tours.Slowly but surely their efforts are now being paid off as after it's very successful SM City Iloilo branch, it now has clients in Boracay, Roxas City and currently on exhibit in Cebu City. And there are more for more in Manila and even abroad!
From the fish spa and the lure of lambaklad fishing to the majestic cascades of the falls plus the kayaking adventures and the soothing kawa hot bath, there's a lot to do in Tibiao, Antique.And there's more to come as plans are now on the drawing for a giant waterslide from the mountainside directly to the sea to the "mouth opening" 1 kilometer zip line!Now that's an adventure, only in Tibiao, Antique!
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Acknowledgment:
BIG thanks going to Flord Nicson Calawag for the all opportunities he has extended to the members of the Iloilo Bloggers Inc., to the welcoming accommodation provided by his family, to the family of Mayor Walden Lim for hosting our meals and for the look inside Tibiao Bakery, to Arangkada of GMA TV 6 for some of the screencaps above and for the future videos I will be linking here, and to everybody who I might have forgotten - again thank you very much!
BIG thanks going to Flord Nicson Calawag for the all opportunities he has extended to the members of the Iloilo Bloggers Inc., to the welcoming accommodation provided by his family, to the family of Mayor Walden Lim for hosting our meals and for the look inside Tibiao Bakery, to Arangkada of GMA TV 6 for some of the screencaps above and for the future videos I will be linking here, and to everybody who I might have forgotten - again thank you very much!