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Community Immersion at Sigma, Capiz, Philippines

It was a community immersion that brought me here, it was such a wonderful experience for me to capture their traditions, culture, their crafts and even the processed foods originated from this part of the country. And, it is a wonderful place to stay, very simple living.


It was such a place to live in, with hospitable and accommodating people, the town observed its cleanest and greenest surrounding which I was truly amazed. 

One of the sixteen municipalities of the province Capiz is the town Sigma which has 21 barangays. According to the old folks, their have a datu that has a cold illness and often blowing his nose it is called “naga-sikma”. And that datu was a popular to their followers and other datus, they change the name in “Datu Sikma”. And that time the town named Sigma from the word “Sikma”.

LANDMARKS

Sigma Town Hall     
     
This hall serve as the of elected Municipal official. Conducting important transaction is also done in the sigma town hall.

Sigma Town Church

This was constructed through the effort of every person who donated their money just to build this which serves as the legalization that Sigmahanon is not just following the cultural heritage alone. They also perpetuate the moral values and attitudes which were brought and introduce by the Spaniards during the Spanish era the CHRISTIANITY.

Municipal Library

This serve as a library to all Sigmahanons  who want to research about the History of Sigma  and all Barangay under its jurisdiction. Books and learning materials are also present to develop the mind of all Sigmahanons and promote a “Book Lover Municipality” in the second District in this province.

Sigma Public Plaza  

A circle type shape town plaza signifies the town’s unity and diversity. It is where 21 barangays meet during annual fiesta. It is also serve as a rendezvous by calling up the mass meeting. The town plaza was well lighted at night and the lace were the center the festivals during its annual fiesta.

Products

Tropics, a small business which makes “Kaong” and “Nata de Coco” being sell to different stores and even in the mall throughout the province and also being exported in the neighboring provinces. Other mass produced in town are bamboo crafts, muscobado (harden sugar), colored fiber decorated materials and so with salabat (ginger tea).
Decorative plant colored fiber

Wood crafts

Bamboo crafts

Ginger tea

Kaong fruit

EVENTS

Hil-O -Hanay Festival       
                                        
In early days of sigma when there were still a few people around the population was partly distributed, the practice of HIL-O-Hanay was quiet prevalent. There were no agricultural machineries to speak off, and farm work was really tedious so cropping season in farming was a labor intensive undertaking. When one farmer work in the farm of another who had help him earlier, in is said that he is rendering “HIL-O to his companion.”

As of today, the sigmahanon still practice HIL-O-HANAY every time they participate in a “patabang”,”pahapon-hapon”, or “paaga-aga”.It is not just limited to a farm work but may include repairing in neighbors house, road maintenance , cleanliness drive , construction of school facilities, relief opertaion and another community activities.
Payag contest        

With the current trend of building concrete structures for residential purposes, the usefulness of the indigenous bamboo as art material, the LGU of Sigma has incorporated the annual payag-payag contest in the HIL-O-HANAY festival as folk architecture. The “payag” is a small hut made of bamboos and other indigenous materilas the payag- payag contest is open to all 21 barangays of Sigma.

Lutong Sigmahanon

A showcase of simple local culinary delights meant to gladden the heart and nourish the body  after the hard days toil under the sun. I observed that every dishes have coconut milk or “gata”. Makes me feel hungry....

Pailig It Lantay    
                
Pailig means to drift using the rivers current as a means of transporting goods particulary bamboos and other agricultural products thus pailig it lantay seeks to recapture the spirit of this asian tradition wheb the major means of transport among the local inhabitants was the river.

Lin-Ay It Sigma

This maybe a vestige of our colonial past particularly during those period will we were under American rule were carnival queen and later on festival queen were introduce into our psyche. In recognition of this tradition, LIN-AY IT SIGMA is crowned yearly as a show of solidarity with the rest of the Filipino nation.
Picturesque Sigma Church. A proof that I've been here.

HOW TO GET THERE

Sigma is situated at the central plains of the province. To the east of Sigma 3.5 kms. away is the Municipality of Dao; to the west 7.0 kms. bound the Municipality of Mambusao; and direct north is the town of Ivisan, 13 kms. away from Poblacion Norte. The Poblacion is strategically located along the crossroads of the three provinces – Capiz, Aklan and Iloilo. It is around 30 minutes non-stop ride from Roxas City, the capital city of Capiz or forty five minutes ride by passenger buses and jeepneys, they paid 30 pesos  the regular passenger and 23 pesos the students and senior citizen in the transportation . By the same vehicle, Iloilo City is a good two and a half hours ride from Sigma and is practically one hour and thirty minutes ride by bus or jeep from Kalibo, Aklan.

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Anonymous said…
Tawog Sigma is barangay where you can call a "home"...very natural and healthy surrounding! I love it there!