Tibiao

Tibiao, officially the Municipality of Tibiao (Kinaray-a: Banwa kang Tibiao; Hiligaynon: Banwa sang Tibiao; Tagalog: Bayan ng Tibiao), is a municipality in the province of Antique, Philippines. According to the 2020 census, it has a population of 28,703 people.
During the Spanish times in the Philippines, Spanish soldiers encountered a group of natives in hatay hatay, a watery and miry land. They asked the natives the name of the place, pointing to the vast expanse of land covered with tall reed grasses called tigbaw. The natives, who thought the Spaniards were pertaining to the name of the grass, answered Tigbaw. It is near the edge of the present-day Tibiao River (sa Tibí Kang subâ). Sojourners to the place would comment: Tibi haw? It is a question asking why they locate themselves at the edge of the river. The term tibí haw eventually evolved into Tibiao. Since then the place was called Tibiao. Allegedly, the Spaniards had difficulty pronouncing the word Tigbaw.
The old settlement was in present-day Balanti-an. The natives had to relocate to the said place, since it was secluded and distant from the shore, and it was secure from piratical raids which were common during those days.
Tibiao was part of Nalupa from 1596 to 1840. Nalupa, with its central government in present-day Jinalinan controlled the area of what is now Tibiao, Barbaza, and Laua-an. In early 1730, Nalupa gradually depopulated due to the Moro pirate attacks. By 1733, Culasi had direct control of Nalupa and Pandan. In 1796, Nalupa ceded from Culasi. As an arrabal, notable village chieftains were Paris, Oguid Pagsuguiron, and Nicolas Amar (1818).
In 1786, Oguid Datu Oguid landed in the shores of Calawgan Creek. He brought with him his family and settlers from an unspecified place in Borneo, presumably from a place where Kinaray-a is the lingua franca.
On August 6, 1786, Oguid and his followers settled in, what is now, Kamyabsan or a place of guavas. Kamyabsan is now part of Sawang Sitio in Malabor. The site was near the shore and accessible to pirate raids. They later transferred to Balanti-an to coexist with the natives. When Datu Oguid arrived in Balanti-an, he was confronted by the "Tumandoks" but could not understand each other. In exchange, Datu Oguid offered foods to become acquainted with them which was termed Panguyang or Padu-um.
In 1815, Oguid sent a delegation to Nalupa to petition the Governor of Antique, Rafael Andres Gomez, to make Tibiao a new town separating from Nalupa. The petition was granted.
On January 1, 1818, Tibiao became a new town with Don Nicolas Amar as Teniente Municipal. The Governor of Antique that time was Juan Ormido while the Teniente Municipal of Nalupa was a certain Vislilla. Tibiao remained as a vista of Nalupa.
In 1826, Oguid ceased to be the Teniente Municipal of Tibiao but continued to manage the town's affairs. On May 2, 1926, he convened a meeting where it was decided to hold a Thanksgiving celebration and construct a church in their settlement. The church, measuring 20x10x4 yards, featured thatched palm leaf roofing and walls made of wooden slabs, while Juan Mariano served as the Teniente Municipal at the time.
On November 1, 1826, Oguid and Governor Martinez erected a cross on a mountain east of the settlement, now known as Mount Cruz, to mark the occasion. The following day, a Thanksgiving mass, mass wedding, and baptism took place. On November 6, 1828, Oguid selected five men to survey the proposed new town site, which was situated between Calaugan and Palaypay creeks. Juan Amar Sarcino drafted the town plan, and development began immediately, overseen by Mariano Delos Santos, the Teniente Municipal, and Governor Francisco Oreta.
The Parish of Tibiao was established by Augustinian missionaries in 1849, and in 1851, Filipino priest Fr. Eulogio "Oloy" Cardones became the parish priest, coming from Manduariao, Iloilo. His arrival was celebrated with a fiesta and a Panguyang, marking Tibiao's independence. Pedro Bandoja, later known as Bandong, led the local revolutionary movement in 1898, while in 1930, Nicolas Amarillo was re-elected Municipal President, initiating developments such as the construction of the Tibiao Central School with the aid of Rep. Segundo Moscoso.
Before the end of Nicolas Amarillo's second term in 1935, he sought Governor Alejandro Lim's assistance in negotiating with the Bishop of Jaro for a church property to be used as the Municipal Building. Alejandro Tario Lim, who served as Governor of the province and Justice of the Peace of Tibiao, oversaw the construction of the Municipal Plaza and Municipal Building during his term, demonstrating his dedication to the town's development.During World War II, Tibiao faced significant upheaval as Japanese forces burned down the church, municipal building, and bridge on April 19, 1942. Lt. Absalon appointed Martin Juanillo as Mayor of Tibiao on September 3, 1942, followed by Jose Mendoza Sr.'s appointment by Pio Dioso on November 13, 1942. As the conflict escalated, Japanese patrols penetrated Tibiao on June 16, 1943, amidst the chaos, with Heriberto Bandoja subsequently appointed as municipal mayor on December 11, 1944, by Calixto Zaldivar.
In 1948, Diodata Tario Lim Bandoja was elected as municipal mayor of Tibiao, sister of the former governor of the province, Gov. Alejandro T. Lim Sr, Tating is only elementary graduate. All her siblings were UP College Graduates. She was made to stop her education to take care of her parents. But she knew the importance of education so she donated eight hectares land and 40,000php for a school building. It was named Tario - Lim Memorial High school now University of Antique Tario Lim Memorial Campus in honor of her parents, Vicente "Quin" Sanches Lim and Maria Amar Tario.
In 1950, nineteen Huks were sighted in Dalanas. Soldiers of the Philippines Ground Force were detailed to Tibiao to fight the Huks. The Municipal Mayor Diodata Tario Lim Bandoja appointed four members of the local police named Manuel Bankaya, Conrado Antonio, Alejandro Amar and Samson Amar. They caught the eighteen Huks whose commander was Alyas 120.
In 1956, Federico Ruiz Elected as Municipal Mayor of Tibiao. He donated six hectares land of their cane land. Through the help of Tobias Fornier and Diodata Lim Bandoja they established the Tario - Lim Memorial Antique School of Fisheries.
In 1960, Remegio Vista represented the country in Mexico Summer Olympics. His burst of speed was noticed he was dubbed as "The Fastest Man" in the first 50 meters of the sprint races.
Mylene Miciano was crowned Lin-ay Kang Antique from Tibiao in 1976, followed by Mary Jane Jereza in 1982. Carol Josette Cardos received the honor in 1997, while Quennie Bandoja earned the prestigious title in 1999. In 2003, Krishna Constantino was honored as Lin-ay Kang Antique from Tibiao, continuing the tradition of celebrating the town's beauty and culture. The tradition persisted into 2011, when Mary Kris Gualberto achieved the esteemed title. In December 2012, Gracechele Mae Managuit was crowned Lin-ay Kang Antique from Tibiao.
In 1981, Manuel M. Lim Jr. became the youngest mayor of Tibiao at the age of 26. He was the grandson of former Mayor Diodata Tario Lim Bandoja. Mayor Nonie, as he was known, served as the town's doctor and, with the help of the Philippine Army, eliminated three commanders and members of the New People's Army in the mountains of Tibiao. In 1997, Tibiao hosted the First Philippine International Whitewater Kayaking Cup, which attracted participants from 11 countries, showcasing the beauty and adventure of Tibiao River
In 2012, during the term of Walden M. Lim, Tibiao Eco Adventure Park (TEA PARK) was inaugurated. In the same year Tibiao was honored as the Tourism Capital of Antique. In 2013, Gil Baldevia Bandoja, the grandson of former Mayor Felimon Bandoja and son of former Mayor Heriberto Bandoja, was elected mayor of Tibiao. He served with distinction and was re-elected in both 2016 and 2019, highlighting his enduring popularity and effective leadership. Following his tenure, Klemens G. Bandoja succeeded him, inheriting the responsibility of leading Tibiao into its next chapter of development and progress.
Tibiao is located 75 kilometres (47 mi) from the provincial capital of Antique, San Jose de Buenavista.
According to the Philippine Statistics Authority, the municipality has a land area of 177.42 square kilometres (68.50 sq mi) constituting 6.50% of the 2,729.17-square-kilometre- (1,053.74 sq mi) total area of Antique.
Seco Island, over 21 nautical miles offshore, is a 1.5 km sandbar visited by tourists.
Tibiao is politically subdivided into 21 barangays. Each barangay consists of puroks and some have sitios.
In the 2020 census, Tibiao had a population of 28,703. The population density was 160 inhabitants per square kilometre (410/sq mi).
Poverty incidence of Tibiao
Tibiao is dubbed the Eco-Adventure Capital of Panay Island. It offers various adventure activities such as trekking to Bugtong Bato Fall, kayaking and river tubing in Tibiao River, and cultural immersion tour to Antique Rice Terraces. The Antique Rice Terraces is a recently rediscovered heritage attraction in the town of San Remigios. The rice terraces covers 600 hectares and it is preserved by the Iraynon Bukidnon, an indigenous group in Barangay General Fullon.