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Rediscover Antique with Katahum Tour's "Manggad kang Antique"

This coming August 17-18, 2013 are milestone dates for the Province of Antique as the first-ever organized heritage tour will be launched.  Aptly titled “Manggad Kang Antique (The Treasures of Antique): The Antique Heritage Tour aims to reveal the wonders of Antique to the entire Philippines.
Photo c/o It's More Fun in Antique FB page
Manggad Kang Antique’s very first visitors are Humanities students of the University of the Philippines Visayas and 25 members of media including seven nationally-recognized Pinoy Travel bloggers. This tourism initiative is the brainchild of Mr. Flord Nicson Calawag, a young Antiqueno entrepreneur who also created Tibiao Fish Spa, in close partnership with The Antique Provincial Tourism Office thru O.I.C. Mr. Ronald V. Gayatin.

Since Spanish times, Antique was considered a backwater province.  But with the recent improvements in infrastructure and increase in businesses and other establishments, Antique is slowly coming out of the doldrums.  
Tibiao Fish Spa
The sleepy town of Tibiao, in particular, is no longer unfamiliar as Tibiao Bakery and Tibiao Fish Spa have brought this town to the attention of many.
Inside Tibiao Bakery
With the Manggad Kang Antique heritage tourism program, the other towns of Antique and not just Tibiao will be showcased.  This two-day tour starts at Anini-y and Tobias Fornier with its Hot Springs, Spanish colonial church and Buri handicrafts-- all representative of Antique’s rich natural and cultural heritage.  
Sira-an Hot Springs in Anini-y
PHOTO C/O IamTravelingLight blog
The tour also drops by the province’s very first town, Hamtic, where the monument of revolutionary hero, Gen. Leandro Fullon stands.  It also passes through legendary Malandog, said to be the landing site of the ten Bornean Datus.
Patnongon Church
PHOTO C/O of ITS MORE FUN IN ANTIQUE Facebook Page
In Patnongon guests see the ruins of what could have been the largest church in Antique.  Then, in Bugasong, the visitors observe how traditional patadyong and hablon weaving are done.
Sammy Rubido (left) and Dante Beriong (center)
PHOTO BY Antoine Greg of www.agboi.blogspot.com.
The evening’s affair is divided into two parts:  the soft-launching program of Katahum Tours’ Manggad Kang Antique and the lecture-concert or informance of OKM or Original Kinaray-a Music.  Entitled “Istorya-Kanta Kinaray-a,” this informance features no less than Dante Beriong and Sammy Rubido, the pillars of OKM. 
Catch of the day
Lambaklad fishing
 The next day’s activities include an experience of Lambaklad fishing, pottery making, Tibiao Bakery’s original store and a fish spa indulgence at the very first Tibiao Fish Spa.  The tour culminates sweetly at the town of Laua-an — Antique’s Muscovado capital.
Making muscovado sugar.
PHOTO BY Antoine Greg of www.agboi.blogspot.com.
The Department of Tourism Regional Office headed by Dir. Helen C. Catalbas strongly endorses this private initiative as it sees the promising impact Katahum Tours will create for Antique.  The entire province will greatly benefit from this boost in local tourism. The provincial government and the academe are equally supportive.  Vice-Governor Dodod Cadiao is graciously hosting the meals of the Media joining the tour; the mayors are providing logistical support and the University of Antique Tario-Lim Campus hosts the OKM informance. 

For inquiries regarding this novel tourism program for Antique, visit www.katahum.com or contact Flord Nicson Calawag at flord@tibiaofishspa.com.

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