PH Harvest highlights Antique tour sites, local products

FILE: PH HARVEST. Deputy Speaker Loren Legarda (5th from left), Antique Governor Rhodora Cadiao (3rd from right), and officials of the Department of Tourism – Antique lead the ribbon-cutting ceremony of Philippine Harvest Antique at the Central Square in Taguig City on Friday (Nov. 29, 2019). Antique is the focus of the seventh edition of the Philippine Harvest, a trade fair that brings together the best of what each region around the country has to offer. (PNA photo by Joyce Rocamora)

MANILA — Local food products unique to Antique, as well its nature destinations, are under the spotlight at the 2019 Philippine Harvest Antique, a Department of Tourism (DOT) initiative launched in Taguig City on Friday.

Philippine Harvest is a trade fair that brings together the best of what each region around the country has to offer. For its seventh edition, Antique is the focus.

“The province of Antique has a strong emerging tourist destination in Western Visayas. It has pristine beaches, majestic sceneries, unique adventures, exotic beaches and agricultural products derived from homegrown coconut, sugarcane, banana, cassava, and sweet potato,” DOT 6 (Western Visayas) Director Helen Catalbas said during its launch.

The DOT is confident that with the aggressive representation of the local government, Antique’s name would be put in its proper place.

“In agriculture, tourism, trade, culture, and environment sectors, you name it, Antique’s time has come,” Catalbas added.

She bared that for 2020, DOT-6 is planning to focus on the promotion of lesser-explored provinces, such as Antique and Guimaras.

“I have committed to dedicate 2020 to Antique and Guimaras because all our local government units are already up there but these two provinces are still way below. They are among the smallest in the country,” Catalbas said.

At the Philippine Harvest in Central Square, more than 10 weaving associations are selling Antique’s famous “patadyong” or multi-functional wrap-around cloth made of cotton blends in plaid pattern, as well as hand-woven scarf, shawl, bags, T-shirts, shoes, hand-painted pillows, “bariw” and “banig” bags, place mats, carpets, hot pods, runners, embroidered products, and accessories.

Food exhibitors from the province are also present, among them the Laua-an Multi-Purpose Cooperative, Ariana’s Coco Products, Enriqueta’s, Bulolacao-Calooy-Tulatula-Sikap Organization, 2Ms, Camp Eufre Farmers Association, Esparar Multi-Purpose Cooperative, Stone Cave United La-Union Farmers Association who brought Antique products ranging from muscovado sugar, candies, virgin coconut oil products, roasted coffee, peanut, taro chips, sweet potato chips, ginger, turmeric, squash, monggo, “kadyos”, “batwan”, corn, “gabi”, canton squash, to moringga powder.

The Philippine Harvest is open to the public free-of-charge from November 29 to December 1.