SAN JOSE, Antique – This province is gearing to become the “Native Lechon Capital of the Philippines,” a move expected to create livelihood opportunities for sugar migrants and hog growers.
The Antique Provincial Tourism Office (APTO) with the Antique Eco-Tourism Association (AETA), will offer around 15 to 20 native roasted pigs for free taste in Barangay Tuno, Tibiao, Antique tomorrow.
“The provincial government, through the ‘Sacada’ desk, had been distributing native pigs, which they could breed, to the sugar migrants as livelihood assistance. To help them find a market, Antique is being launched as the native lechon capital,” APTO consultant Juan Carlos Perlas said on Thursday.
He added that many opted for the native “lechon” because it is known to be more flavorful and has less fat.
Provincial veterinarian Dr. Romeo Magdato said native pigs are either black or spotted black and weigh from three to five kilograms in 45 days compared with white or upgraded breed that can reach up to 10 kg in 45 days.
Native pigs are also not capital intensive because they only eat “kangkong” (water spinach) and “camote” leaves while the upgraded breed eats commercial feeds.
While the office has no exact figure as to their number, native pigs are plenty in Culasi, Tibiao, Laua-an, and Sibalom towns.
The native “lechon” will be served after the 1st Karay-a Kulinarya Cooking Challenge that will be participated by around 12 hotels and restaurants in the province.
AETA president Flord Calawag said the festival will kick off with the 2nd National Extreme River Tubing Race elimination at the Malumpati River in Pandan, Antique today.
Calawag that added the festival as a whole will help promote Bugang and Tibiao rivers as a recreational attraction for water activities, such as extreme tubing and kayaking.
“Right now, Antique has three to five percent in terms of tourists coming from Boracay. It’s inspiring to hear them say that we are blessed, lucky in the Philippines that we don’t have to build millions of pesos worth of water parks,” Calawag said.
River tubing is an environment-friendly sport where guests ride on used inner tubes of vehicle tires while floating on the water.
Gov. Rhodora Cadiao said the province would like to be recognized as one of the progressive provinces in Western Visayas while creating tourism-related activities to further attract tourists who come to nearby Boracay Island in Malay, Aklan.
“We thought of an idea, like promoting Antique as the Native Lechon Capital of the Philippines so that the spillover tourists in Boracay could come to Antique where there is the best tasting native lechon,” she added.
She said that some of the roasted native pigs prepared in the province are organic and cultured.
The bid to become the country’s native “lechon” capital is one of the activities lined up for the Northern Antique River Festival on Oct. 26-27. (With a report from PNA/PN)
