A rainbow after Yolanda: A Biyahe ni Drew itinerary in Antique

 

ALMOST three years ago, the supertyphoon Yolanda struck the Philippines and delivered a heavy blow on Antique.

Homes were destroyed, including the livestocks and fishing boats which were the only source of income for some of the locals.

Because of this tragedy, a lot of people went to Antique to provide support for the broken province. Healthcare workers, local government, and some volunteers that wanted to help.

One of the said volunteers saw that the Malalison Island, overlooking the parts that Yolanda destroyed, was actually beautiful. It has potential to be a tourist spot.

Four months after the storm, a group of bloggers were invited to visit the place with the hope of sparking curiosity to other people.

Because it wasn’t exposed back then, the visitors were shocked by the serenity of the island. The kindness that the locals showed to them also became an asset.

In the year 2014, tourism officially started for the Malalison Island.

How to go to Antique?

For first time travellers, going to Antique is as simple as it can be.
1.    If you’re travelling from Manila, the nearest airport in Antique would be the Aklan International airport.
2.    And from Aklan, you need to clock in three hours of travel by car before finally reaching the province of Antique.

(1)  Our first stop – Malalison Island

Once you’re in Antique, a boat ride from Culasi (the nearest town) would take at least fifteen minutes before finally reaching the island.

The Malalison Island, considered as the hidden gem of Antique, is the first stop for the Biyahe ni Drew team.

The island boasts of 55 hectares of land that comes with its own mini-rice terraces, and a white beach rivalling those of Aklan.

(2)  Next stop – Seco Island

Three hours away by boat ride from Malalison is the island of Seco.

Seco Island is only 1.5 kilometres big, but it provides white beaches and crystal blue green waters that could outrival some of the most famous beaches in the country.

 

Snorkelling and sunbathing are some of the activities that you can do in this protected area.

(3) Nablag Islet

For people who want to experience the feeling of solitude surrounded by nature, 20 to 30 minutes of walk from Malalison would land you in the small island of Nablag.

(4)  The town of Tibiao

For those who want to know more about the old practices of locals in Antique, visit the town of Tibiao.

Some of the residents here still practice the art of pang-aaram, an ancient way of using oil and prayer to cure people.

Aling Remedios, who is a practitioner of the art for almost 50 years, said that the pang-aaram is also used to chase off ghosts and witches.

So for the Biyaheros out there that are curious, make sure to visit the town of Tibiao.

(5)  The top of Malalison

Before this trip ends, what better way to end our adventure but to try and reach the top of the island of Malalison.

The rules for trekking here are simple: take nothing but pictures and leave nothing but prints.

You wouldn’t want to destroy such a beautiful area, would you?

On the way towards the top, the locals are very warm and easy to talk to. It’s no wonder that a lot of people, even foreigners, enjoyed their trip here. The feeling of being welcome is the best thing for someone outside their territory.

Halfway up there, you can see some endemic plants such as the pitcher plant that eats insects by wrapping its leaves around its prey. Yikes!

Once you reach the top, you can take as many photos as you want of the surrounding area but make sure to always be safe.

For people that wants to stay overnight in Antique, you could do either of the two:

A)   Culasi Hotel
For the price of P800, you can stay at an air-conditioned room for one day. Food is not included, but the prices of the meals range from P100 and above.

B)   Homestay
For people who want to experience more of the area, locals offer a homestay option for a cheap price ranging from P150 to P250 per head.

Ate Cecilia, one of the homestay hosts of the Malalison Island, offers her own house that has at least four available vacant rooms that each has a bed and an electric fan.

The living room also has a television, and stuff toys for families that will bring children along the trip.

Along with the house, Ate Cecilia also offers to cook some of the Karag-ay-an specialties such as ginataang pugita, kilawin na tuna, halabos na hipon in pineapple juice, and inihaw na labahita o barangon.

Since the supply of electricity in the area isn’t regular, the food is usually cooked fresh from the sea.

*Biyahero Tip! For those people that will book a homestay option, make sure that the house is available and has access to the amenities that you and/or your family needs. Make sure to research the area first, and ask local tourism offices before deciding on anything.

“It’s better to be safe than sorry, Biyaheros!”

Before travelling, always remember the rules that Drew Arellano learned here. Remember that to be a true Biyahero, you need to be a BiyaHERO.

“Sa tuwing tayo ay dadayo, isipin natin na ang isang pasyalan gaya nito ay tahanan din ng maraming tao.” --- Zebadiah Cañero, BMS/GMA Public Affairs