Legarda woos Antique; inaugurates slew of projects in home province
House Deputy Speaker Loren Legarda barnstormed her home province of Antique and inaugurated a slew of projects like the new three-storey National Bureau of Investigation (NBI) District Office, Old Capitol Building, and the last remaining Balay nga Bato (stone house) in the province.

“The completion of the NBI District Office is one of our initiatives to bring government services closer to our kasimanwa (provincemates),” said Legarda, a former three-term Senator
“We expect the new district office to facilitate clearance issuance and strengthen peace and order programs in the province,” she added.
Legarda, who is seeking a fresh Senate term in the upcoming May 2022 polls, said there’s no need for her constituents to travel far and spend much time and resources just to avail of investigative and other technical services with the creation of these establishments.
“We now have our very own NBI Office and convergence efforts with other government agencies for the fight against criminality. Peace and order will be pursued more easily,” she stressed.
Aside from the new NBI building, the former senator spearheaded efforts to restore the Old Capitol Building and the only remaining Balay nga Bato in Antique’s capital town.
As chair of the Senate finance committee before, Legarda allocated funds under the 2018 national budget for the construction of the NBI District Office at Funda-Dalipe, San Jose de Buenavista, in accordance with the NBI Reorganization and Modernization Act.
She also appropriated funds for the restoration and retrofitting of the Old Capitol Building in 2017 and 2019 under the Department of Public Works and Highways (DPWH) and in 2018 under the National Historical Commission of the Philippines (NHCP).
The Old Capitol, originally constructed between 1905-1910, is one of the remaining colonial buildings that was refurbished, renovated and reconstructed during the American Colonial Period that is still structurally sound after World War II. This will now house a textile gallery, archival materials and the proposed provincial library.
She also allocated funds in 2018 and 2019 under the NHCP for the restoration of the Balay nga Bato in Antique, estimated to be around 194 to 211 years old. The structure served as quarters for the Japanese when they took over Antique and the rest of Panay, and as a hospital for the wounded during the Second World War. The Balay nga Bato will be a venue to exhibit the province’s living traditions.
Legarda said she is satisfied with the completion of the restoration projects as these heritage structures that stood the test of time will serve as a venue to showcase Antique’s rich culture and heritage.