Silt, Dust and Sand: Kruhay: the Antique Experience

Isolated and reserved, Antique remains to be an undiscovered gem in Western Visayas.

The road less travelled.

I've been doing some traveling both for educational and leisure purposes. This particular trip brings fond memories in me because I am Antiqueño from my father's side, and I've been to Antique just once. Its really a pity that I haven't experienced the province that my father is proud of. And probably, I haven't felt what it feels to be Antiqueño. Antique is a part of my roots, and I'm glad to be back again.

Antique is a rich province, offering a unique heritage experience as well as breathtaking views of its rugged topography. And what I love the most about it is its people. Inheriting the Kinaray-a proficiency from both of my parents, I feel so at home in Antique (probably because the Antiqueño blood runs in veins and arteries too?).

Of Great Stops...

Where Anini and Nogas sealed their star-crossed lovers' fate.

Before proceeding to Antique, we happened to stop at the UNESCO World Heritage Site Miag-ao Church and the Philippine National Treasure San Joaquin Church (plus the San Joaquin Cemetery). We could clearly see the mixture of Spanish elements and Filipino technique, most especially in the pediments of the church. These three are testaments to Spain's greatest legacy - Christianity - and that's unequaled by any other.
Upon entering the frays, we are immediately greeted by the Siraan Hot Springs and the Nogas Island in Antique's gateway to south, the town of Anini-y. And what a wonderful welcome it was. Despite the rain, the downpour did not hinder us from appreciating the sulfur ponds, limestone formations and the sandbars of Nogas Island as viewed from afar. And a plus to that is the mythical story of the creation of these natural wonders.


Amidst the rapid development of Antique, the Anini-y church stands, guarding the secrets from times bygone.

In the same town lies Antique's only existing Spanish colonial church. What makes it beautiful is the simplicity of its architectural facade, enabling it to blend in naturally with the foliage around and the sky above. It is a great place for worship and for meditation, and as far as I'm concerned, it actuates its heavenly purpose, and that's beautiful.
Another Spanish heritage is the ruins in Patnongon. Covered in a carpet of vibrant green moss, both the church and convent is still being used and serves as an institution of learning in the town. Just a few meters along the curve of the road, however, lies the ruins of the old casa (municipal hall), and is completely abandoned.

Great Food...

Of course, a tour would be lacking without a food trip, right? It is already an established tradition for tourists to have a taste of local dishes. And in this trip, we definitely ate a smorgasbord of delicacies that would surely delight the palate of whoever is on the table.
First on the list is the bayi-bayi and the kalamay-hati from Miag-ao. These two sticky-rice-derived food items are staples in the traditional Ilonggo banquet. Hailing from Tigbauan, I've had a first-hand experience in making bayi-bayi and kalamay-hati, and all I could say the the cooking process is really hard for first-timers. But the prize is sweet, as they say, and sweet are these delicacies (Though I often had a hard time eating home-made kalamay-hati). I suddenly miss my grandparents' place.

Its peking and its not from China.

Here comes the food items from Antique. Peking is an interesting, probably peculiar, food we've got at Hamtic. It was sweet and crispy and tasty at the same time. The melted muscovado sugar did not overpower the taste of the crispy grounded-sweet potato base. Its a pity the producer was not available during our trip back.

Bandi and trust is what you need for a perfect relationship.

There's also the showcase of foods derived from local resources. We had fresh bagoong at breakfast and native grass, mushrooms and shellfishes during lunch. (I forgot the local names). And of course, who could forget the desserts? Antique could be a sweet tooth's paradise. Bandi, butong-butong, suman, and other desserts with the all-organic muscovado sugar as the main ingredient. Once again, living in Tigbauan and having an Antqueño father, I am quite familiar with these food products. We make bandi and suman at home. However, the production of butong-butong is quite interesting. The sugar (with the coconut milk) must be heated until it turns into a dark taffy, of which is poured to banana stalks for cooling, and when cooled, the sweet taffy is removed and is shaped to the final products. People that make butong-butong are so skilled in shaping it, deviating away from the normal corkscrewed cylinder and coils to flowers and birds. And bonus, it's fun to watch and its even more fun doing it.
Speaking of sugar, Antique is also a sugar-producing province, with sizable sugarcane plantations scattered all over Antique. Notable is Laua-an, of which we went to in the hopes of witnessing the manual production of muscvado sugar. I've watched the process on television, but the actual work is still astonishing, provided that you must continue to masa (for the lack of a direct translation) the molten sugar, of which was produced from heating molasses/sugarcane juice, until the taffy turns to the powder muscovado sugar that we are familiar of. VOILA!

and Great Experiences

Of course, one would never ever let the tour end without experiencing something worthwhile, enjoyable and new. And this tour, I've experienced so many firsts, just like a baby. And because its too hard to express my feelings, I'll let the pictures speak for themselves.