ILOILO CITY – The Department of Finance has announced that Antique will become a first-class province by January.
DOF Secretary Ralph G. Recto recently signed Department Order No. 074, Series of 2024, formalizing the designation.
“Amu dya ang resulta kang atun mayad nga pag dumara sa sulod kang sangka dekada (This is the result of our brand of governance in almost a decade),” said Gov. Rhodora “Dodod” Cadiao in a statement.
Antique has been identified as one of the country’s poorest provinces for decades.
The DOF reclassified Antique when its average annual regular income for three fiscal years reached P1.5 billion.
Cadiao also congratulated the local government units (LGUs) of the 14 newly reclassified towns.
The towns of Culasi and San Remigio became first-class from third-class municipalities. Sibalom went up from second to first-class.
They join the provincial capital of San Jose de Buenavista and Caluya.
The towns of Barbaza, Bugasong, Hamtic, Lau-an, Libertad, Pandan, Patnongon, Sebaste, Tibiao, Tobias Fornier, and Valderrama were also promoted.