Legarda Advances Nature, Culture Preservation in Tibiao

Senator “Inday Loren” Legarda joined an estimated 10,000 residents of Tibiao, Antique in celebrating the town’s rich culture of pottery during its annual Maninihon Festival.

Legarda, the festival’s Guest of Honor, was with Governor Rhodora “Dodod” Cadiao and Vice Governor Edgar Denosta in celebrating this year’s festival which carries the theme “Tibiao Banwang Bilidhon, Kabuhi Pasanyugon, Maninihon Sulugon” or “Tibiao Bayang Sagana, Buhay ay Paunlarin, Mga Manggagawa ng Palayok Ipagdiwang.”

The theme talks about Tibiao being cherished because of its people and its rich culture. Tibiao is home to the biggest supply of clay and the best potters in the province.

“I wish to highlight the importance of celebrating the Maninihon Festival as it showcases not only Tibiao’s culture of pottery but also the Tibiaoanons’ attitude of patience, dedication and creativity in molding clay into beautiful pottery with intricate designs,” said Legarda.

“I want every Antiqueño family to have livelihood and I want our culture-based livelihood to further flourish. This is why I allocated P20 million this year for a clay and brick making facility, with a showroom, to make Tibiao the center of pottery in Panay and in the country,” Legarda announced.

The Antiqueña Senator shared her other projects for the municipality.

In 2016, she allocated funding under the Philippine Fiber Industry Development Authority (PhilFIDA) for the establishment of a Weaving and Fiber Processing Center for the Malabor Abaca-Piña Weavers Association to revive and sustain their weaving livelihood which experienced a downtrend in the late 1990s. The Malabor weavers have been known for their skills in weaving for many generations producing patadyong, shawls and piña-silk cloths.

Other projects in Tibiao include the enhancement of Rural Health Units (RHUs), upgrading of an RHU to a polyclinic, distribution of fiberglass fishing boats to fisherfolks, construction of Community Fish Landing Centers with cold storage, and the Tibiao TechnoHub for Fishery and Marine Products under the Department of Science and Technology-Community Empowerment through Science and Technology (DOST-CEST).

Shared Service Facilities (SSF) projects through the Department of Trade and Industry (DTI) were also provided for Loomweaving, Food Innovation Hub, Pottery and Bricks Making, Salt Making, and Food Processing (Baking) for In-School Youth. The SSF aims to improve the competitiveness of micro, small and medium enterprises (MSMEs) by providing them with machinery, equipment, tools, systems, skills and knowledge under a shared system.

“I will continue to provide for the needs of our municipalities and the whole province, but we must all unite in making Antique a more progressive province. If we all work together, every parent will have a  job, every senior citizen will live comfortably, every fisherman and farmer will have a bountiful life, and every child will have a bright future,” Legarda concluded.