Province of Antique
Where the Mountains meet the sea. The Rising Star of Western Visayas
About Sibalom
Sibalom is now well-known for its tagline “Experience the Gems of Sibalom” which means discovering the magnificent ecotourism places and natural wonders of the municipality. Visitors and tourists would be able to experience distinctive and natural adventures, natural attractions, pure hospitality, and relish the simple joy from local host populations and accommodations. Sibalom envisions to be the “Leading Ecotourism Wonder and Natural Adventure Destination in Western Visayas by 2025”.
Region: Western Visayas, Region VI
Province: Antique
Barangays: 76 barangays
Geography
The Municipality of Sibalom is a second class municipality and is one of the three (3) interior towns of the province of Antique, Philippines. Sibalom has a total land area of 26,869.73 hectares of which 83% is considered rolling and mountainous. Composed of 76 barangays, Sibalom is considered the biggest municipality in the province in terms of the number of barangays. The town is rich in its natural resources, arts and crafts and tourist attractions. The main livelihood of the residents in Sibalom is farming and it is dubbed as the “rice bowl of Antique”. When it comes to arts and crafts, most livelihoods are handicrafts, bamboocrafts, woodcrafts, terracotta making and gemstone processing. The Sibalom’s brand is “The Gemstone Capital of the Philippines” for its boulders of gemstones or semi-precious stones which is one of the popular souvenirs for tourists, are abundant and autochthonal in Municipality of Sibalom particularly in the more than 3 kilometer-stretch of the Mau-it River. Relative thereto, the Local Government Unit of Sibalom declared the upstream of the Mau-it River from Barangay Igpanolong as Municipal Natural Heritage on February 8, 2019 by virtue of Municipal Ordinance No. 001-2019.
Products
Sibalom Pottery, Gemstones Accessories
Places
Indaga Cold Spring
Bato Kipot
- Santa Rita Church– with a reclining statue of the patron saint from Italy
- Sibalom Natural Park– covers Mount Porras, Mount Igmatindog, Sibalom River, Tipulu-an River, and Mao-it River; was declared a natural park on 23 April 2000
- Sibalom Dam – Sibalom Dam is the first irrigation dam built in Western Visayas. It is about 2 meters high and 300 meters long. It was originally designed with falling wooden shutters. Every time there is a heavy rain or typhoon, the wooden shutters would be collapsed so that the silt carried by the flood waters would be carried downstream and would not accumulate as seen in the photo. But in the early 1980s, theNIA decided to replace the wooden shutters with concrete. The silt accumulated upstream of the dam.
- Municipal Hall of Sibalom – The new Municipal Hall of Sibalom – the biggest Municipal Hall in the Region and bigger even than some City Halls.
- Grapes Farm – Witness the White Malaga grapes or “green grapes” for free. The seeds also came from La Union, the grapes capital of the Philippines.
- Bolo Making – Experience bolo making by forging of metal.
- Gemstone Crafts Making – Assimilate the different semi-precious stones – big or small, seek, hound, make and bring home your own unique creation.
- Pottery Making – Try molding of clay into pots, vases figurines and etc.
- Bamboo craft-making – One of the traditional talents of Sibalomnons is crafting of bamboo into native products such as sala set, fan, baskets, bags etc.
- Sibalom Rice Terraces – Captivate the view of the Sibalom Rice Terraces and its golden palay harvest.
- Rafflesia Flower (Rafflesia speciosa)– found in Mount Porras and other areas of the town
- Poras – One of the last few remaining lowland forests in the country. Lowland forests are forests with elevation of less than 1,000 meters above sea level. Mt. Poras’ peak is at 860 meters above sea level. Lowland forests across the country are fast disappearing because they are very vulnerable to agricultural and human settlement conversion.
- Sibalom Natural Park – Sibalom Natural Park has an area of around 5,000 hectares. It supports healthy population of many threatened species and occupying approximately 1/5 of the land area of the town of Sibalom.
- Igmitaw – Mt. Igmitaw is a mountain overlooking the towns of Sibalom, San Jose, Belison, and Hamtic. It is a very ideal place for meditation especially this coming Holy Week. “Taltal sa Mt. Igmitaw” is an Aglipayan re-enactment of the Crucifixion of our Lord done every Good Friday in this attraction.
- Bato Kipot River – The water is crystal clear and clean as it is in the ambiance of the forest. It is a wonderful place to relax. Along the way is the ‘rock of Sumakwel with his egg mark’ and further ahead is ‘Sumakwel’s footprints’.
- Mau-it River – Mau-it River needs you! Please share to support the call that Mau-it River should be immediately declared a Municipal and Provincial Heritage Site. Help save the boulders of colored rocks of Mau-it River. Share to Protect and Preserve Mau-it River!
- Kipot River – Enjoy the refreshing water in this clean and peaceful river between two gigantic rocks.
- Lake Paco – A very small lake midway to the peak of Mt. Poras. It got its name from the ‘pako’ plants that thrive in the area. It is a very small lake but it never dries up even at the height of the worst El Nino and it never overflows at the heaviest rain.
- Padlusan Falls – Enjoy the breathtaking view and the cascading waters from the Padlusan.
- Atabay Falls and Pool – One of the picturesque nature attractions of Sibalom Natural Park. Located at the back of Mt. Poras.
Industrial Tourism
- Angels Hills Farm
- Queen Elizabeth Eco Park
- Native Coffee Industry
- Fruits and Nuts Industry
- Terracota Industry
- Blacksmith Industry
List of falls in Sibalom
- Butak Falls (Sibalom Natural Park)
- Bugsukan Falls
- Mau-it River
- Bato Pispis
- Indaga Creek (SNP)
- Itang-Itang
- Sangkwelan Falls
- Lagdo Falls
- Paraslungan Falls
- Dau Falls
- Lagsakan Falls
- Bagacay Falls
- Tigdulunghan Falls
- Ignatngan Falls
- Lakyan Falls
- Kabangkalan Falls
- Marason-son Falls
- Butwan Falls
- Atabay Falls
- Busay
- Hinulogan Falls
- Buratyon Falls
- Monay Falls
- Indaga Cold Spring
- Parvanna Inn 0917-326 – 6542
- Aces and E Mini Hotel 0917 – 676 – 2070
- DJ Cloud Inland Resort 0936 – 729 – 4453
- Garcenila Garden Inland Resort 0945 – 188 – 1875
- Taklad Recreation Resort 0918 – 682 – 7725
- Villa Maxima Farm & Mountain Resort
- Elizabeth Eco farm
- Casa De Leticia
- Spartan Farm and Leisure Corp.
- La Loleng, District IL Sibalom, Antique
- Christine’s Snackbar, District Ii Sibalom, Antique
- Saint Crox, District Ii Sibalom, Antique
- Kusina Ni Oye, District Ii Sibalom, Antique
- Jel Merlindas, District Iii Sibalom, Antique
- Barrio Food House, Brgy Igdalaguit, Sibalom, Antique
- Lanz Pizza, District Ii Sibalom, Antique
- Buruyloganay Festival– 17 to 19 December