Pahinis Festival

 Laua-an adapts brown sugar or locally known as "muscuvado" as its One Town One Product (OTOP). Since the Municipality is famous for it, local fittingly named Laua-an's banner festival as "Pahinis". Pahinisis a native term derived from "PAHINING" that means cleaning and getting ready all paraphernalia, materials, and tools needed in manufacturing muscuvado out from sugar cane. Since the exact foundation day of the Municipality is every 1st of January and is considered a legal holiday, the local administration aptly moved the day in commemorating the anniversary celebration of the establishment of LAua-an as a municipality.

      PAHINIS FESTIVAL is celebrated on the last week of the month of January featuring the native games and sports. Its highlight is the tribe competition under the beat of drums and other local instruments with participants depicting rituals and practices performed for a bountiful harvest and good commence of muscovado production. It also showcases other farm and livelihood products of the people.


      PAHINIS is more than just giving honor to the Municipality but also to her sons and daughters who have been successful in their chosen career. PAHINIS is a day that unites all people from all walks of life for a meaningful, deserving and promising socio-cultural and economic event.

 Laua-an adapts brown sugar or locally known as "muscuvado" as its One Town One Product (OTOP). Since the Municipality is famous for it, local fittingly named Laua-an's banner festival as "Pahinis". Pahinisis a native term derived from "PAHINING" that means cleaning and getting ready all paraphernalia, materials, and tools needed in manufacturing muscuvado out from sugar cane. Since the exact foundation day of the Municipality is every 1st of January and is considered a legal holiday, the local administration aptly moved the day in commemorating the anniversary celebration of the establishment of Laua-an as a municipality.


      PAHINIS FESTIVAL is celebrated on the last week of the month of January featuring the native games and sports. Its highlight is the tribe competition under the beat of drums and other local instruments with participants depicting rituals and practices performed for a bountiful harvest and good commence of muscovado production. It also showcases other farm and livelihood products of the people.


      PAHINIS is more than just giving honor to the Municipality but also to her sons and daughters who have been successful in their chosen career. PAHINIS is a day that unites all people from all walks of life for a meaningful, deserving and promising socio-cultural and economic event.



Source: http://michaelmic16.50webs.com

“Dancing Nation: A Talentadong Pinoy Special Edition”

Laua-an, Antique troupe wins Talentadong Pinoy’s first ever dance for a cause

By Edwin P. Sallan, InterAksyon.com

February 4, 2013 · 9:32 am

Representatives of Laua-an, Antique receive the P1 million cash prize at the conclusion of the grand finals on Sunday.

A spectacular performance from 300 dancers from the small town of Laua-an, Antique was rewarded with P1 million in cash in the first ever “Dancing Nation: A Talentadong Pinoy Special Edition” Sunday night on TV5.

Beating equally impressive dancers numbering between 100 to 200 plus each from Alaminos, Pangasinan; Infanta, Quezon; Jose Panganiban, Camarines Norte; Tupi, South Cotabato: Rodriguez, Rizal; and Calauag, Quezon, the Laua-an dancers impressed the panel of judges composed of Mac Alejandre, Jose Javier Reyes, Audie Gemora, Arnell Ignacio, Alice Dixson, Ruby Rodriguez and Regine Tolentino, who all had their own particular favorites among the seven competing dance troupes.

In the spirit of kapatiran and bayanihan, each town gathered its citizens and prepared unique dance presentations in the hopes of winning the coveted prize, which would directly benefit their specific causes.

Helping them achieve their goals were dance consultants Douglas Nierras of Powerdance, Joy Cancio of Sex Bomb, Lema Diaz of Philippine All Stars and Egay Bautista of Speed who gave tips and advice that further improved their overall performance.

The task of gathering as many as 300 participants for this one-of-a-kind competition seemed like an impossible feat, but these townspeople endured countless hours rehearsing to make sure each move was perfect—taking them a step closer to helping their respective communities.

And in a competition where each dancing team was performing for a given cause, including a library, a health center, a theater and cemented roads, among others, the dancers of Laua-an who were asking for food particularly touched the heart of Arnell Ignacio who exclaimed, “Hindi naman dapat hinihingi ‘yun eh.”

“Naiyak ako kc ang mga hinihingi nila e KARAPATAN lang nila na magkaroon na dapat sagutin ng congressman nila from pork barrel,” the outspoken comedian later tweeted.

Ignacio also donated two sets of encyclopedia and one desktop computer to the dancers of Jose Panganiban who wishes to have a library in their small town. Gemora also offered a theater scholarships for the group from South Cotabato, going as far as expressing his willingness to come there to help.

But as Direk Joey Reyes pointed out, the Laua-an troupe did not get high scores from the judges because of their cause, their performance was simply flat out “epic” to him.

As announced by host Ryan Agoncillo, all participating dance groups were given P50,000 each that should at least help fund their own respective projects. The respective contact information of the people in charge of there causes were also repeatedly mentioned by Agoncillo as well as flashed on the screen for those who wish to help.

“Dancing Nation: A Talentadong Pinoy Special Edition” is a joint endeavor between TV5’s “Talentadong Pinoy” and “Dancing Nation”, the world’s biggest reality dancing competition.

(Click "here'  to watch Vids.)

Click HERE

  Click HERE

 Source: http://www.interaksyon.com

Tourist Spot & Places of Interest

Laua-an is endowed with rich and aesthetic environment ideal for tourism development. Existing tourist attractions include land-based, coastal-based, man-made, cultural-historical and socio-economic and deatinations.



Source: Discover Antique, Philippines







•  Mt. Igmatongtong(Video)
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            Guinbanga-an Bandi makers

Source: Lakad Pilipinas

• Aring Beach Resort

  

  Source: Batang Cdjug

• Cadajug Weavers

Mt. Dumara (where the gold is)




Municipal Nursery and Forestry




• Mauno Waterfalls

• Bagatraga Curve in Barangay Banban




Estaka Hill in Barangay Poblacion

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A message from:
      HON. MAYOR ASER S. BALADJAY

Our Municipality don't have much offer like high class municipalities but well cover it up with our warm acceptance and sweetness which we Lauan-on are famous for like our muscovado product.
Come and visit our place and feel at home!!!

Muscovado Sweet Treats at Laua-an

Like kids, we were stuffing our mouths full of with bars of bandi, Antique’s own version of panutsa. Locals stir pots filled with melted muscovado sugar; unbelievably, they’re still preparing more sweets for our consumption. It was the last activity for the second day of Katahum Tours’ Manggad Kang Antique Heritage Tour and we simply can’t say no to ending the day with nothing but sweets.

An hour or so before, we visited a sugar mill in the town of Laua-an. This is actually where all those local sweets we’ve been devouring came from. The place was hot and stuffy as we watched how sugarcane juice is processed into muscovado sugar.

Muscovado is a type of unrefined brown sugar. It isn’t as sweet as your normal white or brown sugar (well, at least by my taste), and is usually preferred by southern people for their coffee. I’ve tried it once at Madge Café in Iloilo and believe me, coffee definitely tastes better with muscovado.

Although mass production of muscovado is still limited in Antique, it’s still the number one producer of this type of sugar in the country. Surprisingly, it surpasses even the sugar capital of the Philippines, Bacolod City.
The sugar mill we visited was a testament to the fact. Even though it is probably one of the largest in the province of Antique, it is still a relatively small operation.

Making muscovado from sugar cane is no easy feat. We witnessed how everything was done manually. From the bamboo-fed furnace below the mill, to the stirring of the cane juice, up to its pouring and drying stage. No wonder it commands a higher price compared to the commercial sugar we’re all used to.

Besides pairing muscovado with coffee, it’s also an excellent ingredient for making local sweets.
At a gym somewhere in Laoa-an, we were treated to such delicacies. Everything was cooked and prepared right in front of us. And yes, they even let us participate in making it.

Like kids, we were treated to variations of bandi and butong butong.
Bandi is very similar to panutsa and Baguio’s peanut brittle. While I really don’t like the latter two, Antique’s bandi charmed me into eating almost a full bar. The difference, it wasn’t as sweet as the ones we have in Luzon, most probably since it was made from muscovado sugar.

Butong butong on the other hand is Antique’s version of tira-tira. Although this one’s too sweet for my tooth, it was quite fun making it though. Butong means to pull in the local dialect. And indeed, to make this candy treat, one has to bend and pull on a slightly melted muscovado goo until it becomes whitish in color. Twist to perfection and it’s done.
Too hyperactive from all that sugar, we gave the rest of the treats to the kids around the gym. Sugar overdose!

Source:http://www.lakadpilipinas.com

Livelihood & Resources

The town is primarily agricultural with rice, sugarcane and corn as primary crops. Monggo beans, peanuts and vegetables are also grown in limited areas of the land. Laua-an has the most number of sugarcane mills in the whole province of Antique. The town has the potential for large scale production of muscovado for local consumption and for export in other provinces and outside the country. Some sugarcane mills in the town also has some refined way of milling muscovado sugar through technology transfer from foreign aid such that residue-free muscovado sugar is now produced that can reach markets in Manila, Boracay, Cebu and other areas in the Visayas, Luzon and even Mindanao.

Source:Laua-an-Antique-Philippines

Primary source of income is farming while hat weaving, fishing, livestock and poultry production are alternate sources of livelihood.

Source: http://www.lakadpilipinas.com

  The Municipality is famous for world-class brown sugar production like bande, pinapa, lasaw, etc.

      Forest and mineral resources include:

• Timber
• Rattan
• Cogon
• Buri
• Copper
• Clay
• Bamboo
• Abaca
• Nito
• Gold
• Sand and Gravel
• Limestone

Muscovado Town Centenary

The Philippine Postal Corp. has released commemorative stamps to mark the centenary of Laua-an in Antique province as a muscovado town in the country. The stamp issued since January 31 feature Laua-an as a major source of partially refined to unrefined brown sugar “with strong molasses content and flavor.””Laua-an is home to the Pahinis Festival which showcases the traditions, culture, and arts of the town with emphasis on the promotion of the muscovado sugar industry. The new stamps feature Laua-an’s centennial logo, a new building erected after super Typhoon Yolanda (Haiyan)’s wrath, and a sugar mill.An ancient pot and chimney used to cook the juices from sugarcane are also featured on the stamps.http://philamirror.info

PRESS RELEASE: PHLPost releases commemorative stamps to mark centenary of muscovado town in the country
February 20, 2015

Posted By: Corp.Comm

In line with the celebration of Laua-an’s 100th anniversary, the Philippine Postal Corporation (PHLPost) issued commemorative stamps for this Antique municipality last January 31.

Laua-an is the country’s banner in the manufacture of muscovado – partially refined to unrefined brown sugar with  strong molasses content and flavor.

The stamp features Laua-an’s centennial logo, the new building erected after Typhoon Yolanda’s wrath, and a sugar-mill symbolizing the processing of sugarcane into muscovado. Also shown in the stamp is an ancient pot and chimney used to cook the juices from sugarcane.

Laua-an is home to the Pahinis Festival which showcases the traditions, culture, and arts of the town with emphasis on the promotion of the muscovado sugar industry. “Pahinis” is the ritual done in cleansing the tools and equipment used in the muscovado production.

About 104,000 pieces of the 30mm x 40mm commemorative stamps were printed by Amstar Company, Inc. in imported unwatermarked paper. These can be bought for P10 each online via https://www.phlpost.gov.ph/pinoyemall, in major postal offices nationwide, and at the Post Shop, Philately and Museum Division, Manila Central Post Office, Door 203, Liwasang Bonifacio,  Manila.

Source: https://www.phlpost.gov.ph

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PHL Post releases Muscovado town centenary stamps

February 21, 2015 7:30pm

Philippine Postal Corp.

The Philippine Postal Corp. has released commemorative stamps to mark the centenary of Laua-an in Antique province as a muscovado town in the country.

PHLPost said the stamps issued since January 31 feature Laua-an as a major source of partially refined to unrefined brown sugar "with strong molasses content and flavor."

"Laua-an is home to the Pahinis Festival which showcases the traditions, culture, and arts of the town with emphasis on the promotion of the muscovado sugar industry. 'Pahinis' is the ritual done in cleansing the tools and equipment used in the muscovado production," it said.

The new stamps feature Laua-an’s centennial logo, a new building erected after super Typhoon Yolanda (Haiyan)’s wrath, and a sugar mill.

An ancient pot and chimney used to cook the juices from sugarcane are also featured on the stamps.

PHLPost is issuing 104,000 pieces of the 30mm x 40mm commemorative stamps printed by Amstar Company Inc.

The stamps can be bought for P10 each online and in major postal offices nationwide, and at the Manila Central Post Office. — Joel Locsin/VC, GMA News

 Source:http://www.gmanetwork.com

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Philpost 6 Bulletin

News and Updates In and Around the Philippine Postal Corporation Regional Office 6

Wednesday, May 27, 2015

PHLPost 6 Area Director Fabiolita P. Ferraris Turns Over Commemorative Stamps to Laua-an Mayor Francisco G. Baladjay, Jr.

March 24, 2015. PHLPost 6 Area Director Fabiolita P. Ferraris turns to Laua-an Mayor, Francisco G. Baladjay, Jr., the Commemorative Stamps Celebrating the town’s Centennial Founding Anniversary and Muscovado Industry in a grand ceremony on March 24, 2015. In her speech, the lady director talked about the timeless beauty of commemorative stamps, and thanked the honorable mayor for allowing PHLPost to capture the celebration of its Centennial Founding Anniversary, and the town’s pride, the Muscovado Industry, in a commemorative stamp. Attended by mayors from the different municipalities in the Province of Antique, the event also gave Director Ferraris the chance to emphasize the role of the LGU in bringing the postal service closer to the people, and likewise opened doors of business opportunities for PHLPost.

Source:http://philpost6.blogspot.com

Laua-an celebrates "Pahinis" Festival (an article)

by JP Magno 

San Jose, Antique (9 February) -- The municipality of Laua-an launched "Pahinis" Festival recently in commemoration of its 91st foundation anniversary.
Mayor Aser S. Baladjay said that the grand historic affair united Lauan-ons as one people enriching its identity and remembering the historic deeds of those who worked and died for the freedom and independence of today's generation.
Laua-an became an independent municipality in January 1915 by virtue of Executive order No. 129 of then Gen. Francis Burton Harrison. It is the 12th municipality of the province during the Filipino-American regime.
Located in north-central town of the province, 55 kilometers from the capital town of San Jose, Laua-an is the leading producer of muscovado sugar (brown sugar). Muscovado sugar is a major industry in the municipality with big number of sugar mills exist since the 19th century. Laua-an is also a home of sugar migrant workers in the sugar land of Negros Occidental and other parts of the country.
"Pahinis" Festival derived its significance from the Muscovado sugar as a promising industry in the town of Laua-an. "Pahinis" is a local term for cleaning and preparing equipment, tools, paraphernalia and materials before the production of brown sugar. It also stages ritual or thanksgiving for a bountiful sugarcane harvest.
This year's theme is "Paghanduraw kang Nagriligad, Tulay sa Paghiriugyon sa Pag-ugwad (Reminiscing the past, a Bridge for Unity and Progress). The theme goes with the call of President Gloria Macapagal Arroyo for Filipino people to unite and move forward as one nation.
Thousands of spectators witnessed the historic launching of "Pahinis" festival with Governor Salvacion Z. Perez as guest of honor. Various activities were conducted such as unveiling of municipal landmark, slideshow of the town's history and profile, launching of municipal theme song, Ati-ati tribe competition and other cultural and sports activities.
"Pahinis" festival is not only reflection of a glorious past but a visualization of a more progressive municipality of Laua-an. (Laua-an/PIA)


Source:http://archives.pia.gov.ph