(Reprinted from the Binirayan 2000 Souvenir Magazine)

Culasi is where the majestic Madia-as is. If you look up to the blue height of the Madia-as mountain, you will be awed by its magnificence. You will come to feel its marvels for in its immensity are kept the many secrets of this great universe. The ever-flowing waterfalls and the green mansions on its back cast of wealth of actual powers that, directly or indirectly provide the Culasiños with their basic needs in life.

The municipality of Culasi is located at the northern portion of the province of Antique. It is bounded on the north by the municipality of Sebaste, on the south by the municipality of Tibiao, on the west by Cuyo East Pass in the China Sea and on the east by the municipality of Madalag, Capiz just behind Mt. Madia-as. It is 86 km. from San Jose de Buenavista, Antique capital down south, and 88 km. from Kalibo, Aklan capital up north.

There are 44 barangays comprising the municipality of which three are island barangays, 11 are upland, 16 coastal barangays and 14 interior/lowland barangays to its superficial extent of 23,909 has.

Culasi is a fast growing community. It is speeding up its gigantic strides to keep abreast with the trend of times. It is a 4th class municipality with about 32,076 inhabitants within the superficial extent of about 23,909 hectares of agricultural land. It has a rich supply of marine products along the coastal limitations and the depths of its seas. It has naturally enriched plains well provided by nature with fertile soil and with abundant supply of irrigation waters, which make possible three bountiful harvests a year.

There is a 50 bed capacity- Culasi District Hospital nestled in the midst of verdant fields with facilities. There are a Rural Health Unit and 12 barangay health centers that cater to the health needs of every Culasiños.

The inhabitants are provided with formal and non-formal education through the Department of Education, Culture and Sports. Formal Education in the District of Culasi has 21 complete elementary schools. There are four high schools; one sectarian institution, the Saint Michael’s High School; one Vocational school, the Northern Antique Vocational School, and two national high schools: Bitadton National High School and San Antonio High School that provide the youth of Culasi with high school education.

The municipality also enjoys college education through the provision of tertiary course by Northern Antique Vocational School thru its technical Courses and the Culasi Community College that offers courses relevant to the needs of the community as Associates in Arts leading to any four year course.

Land transportation facilities are provided by buses that include the shuttle vans, 76 express, Ceres Lines, and other minibuses and jeepneys which ply the Culasi-Iloilo and Kalibo route and vise versa. Tricycles, motorbikes and other private vehicles also serve within the municipality.

Sea transportation is provided by Municipal Port located at Barangay Lipata, a distance of 4 km. from Poblacion. It serves MBRS Lines- M/V Mary the Queen and M/V Virgen Mary carrying both cargoes and passengers twice a week. Lipata Port is managed and operated by the Local Government Unit.

Communication facilities that provide both domestic and international calls are also available in the municipality of Culasi such as PLDT, Bayan-Tel, PANTELCO, Radio Marine and PT&T.

The source of electric power of the municipality is the National Power Corporation (NAPOCOR) through Antique Electric Cooperative (ANTECO) with sub-station in Culasi.

Culasi as well, is known for its historical and tourist spots namely Rio­Guintungaban, an upland area with a big potential for tourism, bounded by a river with a 3m high rock at the edge of the river bank. It is 7 km from the town proper and is accessible by motor vehicle or 30 minutes hike from Sitio Bula. Discover and explore the endangered species of flora the indigenous fern species which grown only in the foothills of Mt. Madja-as, majestic Mt. Madja-as rising 2,117 meters above sea level; Malalison island with a distance of 4km. off the coast of the municipality or a 20-minute ride by pumpboat; Batbatan island is 17 km or 90-minute by pump boat from Poblacion proper; Maniguin island takes 3 hrs and 30 minutes by pump boat or a total of 37 km off the coast of the municipality.

The soil of the island is mostly beach sand which is best for tourism. Malalison is famous for its clear pebbled white sands, coral reefs and emerald green water teeming with various kinds of fishes. It is often visited by excursionists and visitors particularly during the summer vacations. Maniguin is famous for its hammerhead shark.

While in town, visitors can go over some of the interesting history of the Municipality. Beautiful beaches and its white sand particular the three island barangays, caves, falls, the majestic Mt. Madia-as, the Cultural Heritage and Balabago Festival. Tourists and visitors can have easy access to lodging houses such as Casa Juancho, Culasi Development Center and Resort, Rufino’s by the Beach where tourist and visitors can enjoy the sea breeze and enjoy the famous sunset of Sulu Sea.

That’s Culasi. However, before this town settled into a peaceful, permanent and progressive community, it had to emerged from the background.

HISTORY

Sometime in the middle of the 17th Century in the center of beautiful delta found in the north of Culasi river stood a number of thatched roofed bamboo houses. Those dwellers were natives who came from the central part of the province of Iloilo. The name of the settlement in the center of that delta was derived from the name of the big tree which grew in the river basin. It was named after the river that meandered gently along the delta which made its turn exactly as if acting by command making the letter “C” before it flowed back to the sea.

The old center of Culasi is now the site of Barangay Lipata. The frequent attacks of the Moro Pirates gave them the reason to move and resettle inland at Nalipao now Barangay Esperanza. However, they found the place unsuited to their needs so that the settlers transferred their settlement to the foothills of sitio Laguna. Years later Laguna could not afford to provide for their comfort due to increasing population. They moved down to the plains and settled near the shore. This is now the present location of Centro Poblacion.

The cruelties that the natives have suffered during the Spanish Occupation triggered the necessity for a change and finally for an armed revolution. Rebellion caught fire in the hearts of the masses and Culasiños were not spared. With the help of the Revolutionary Forces of General Leandro Fullon and with Culasi Revolutionary Forces under Capitan Juan Magbanua Xavier, the “Culasiños” were able to curtail the spread of Spanish dominance in the town.

Under the Spanish Regime and beginning in the year 1735, the first appointed “Captain”was El Senior Juan Oguid. Subsequently about 12 other “Capitanes” have been appointed from 1735 up to the coming of the Americans in 1900.

When the Filipino-American war broke out, the Province of Antique resisted and it was the last province in the Visayas to surrender to the Americans. In April 1901, a Civil Government was established in the province and life of the Culasiños returned to normal. This dream, however, did not last long. 

In 1941 the Second World War broke out and the Culasiños were not spared. And again just as it did during the Revolution against Spain, Culasi played a strategic role in the Liberation of Panay. Lipata point was chosen by the American Naval strategists as the ideal place for unloading arms, ammunitions, and other supplies for the Guerilla Forces in Panay. In 1943 the USS Gungeon (US Submarine) surfaced at Pucio point and landed one officer, three enlisted men and three tons of equipment of the U.S. Signal Corps. Eleven months after this, U.S. Marshall and U.S. Submarine commanded by General F. C. Ratta surfaced at Lipata point and unloaded arms, ammunitions and supplies for the Guerilla Forces of Panay. This second landing of U.S. Submarine provided the Guerilla Forces of Panay with adequate firepower to remove obstacles at the landing site of the Liberation Forces under General Douglas Mc. Arthur. The guerilla force which successfully assisted in the landing of ammunitions and supplies was the famous Company K commanded by Captain Silverio Lacson Cadiao. Company K also successfully defended Culasi from Japanese atrocities and dominance.

After the war, Culasi began her efforts to determine the problems, needs and the potentials for its development. Various governmental social and economic ameliorative measures were done from the ravages of the Second World War.

After the EDSA Revolution, efforts were geared toward developing Culasi as the Center of Trade and Industry for Northern Antique. The construction and immediate completion of Lipata Port helped in the realization of this vision.