Malandog Marker

The Malandog Marker is a historic riverside monument in Barangay Malandog, Hamtic, Antique, marking the legendary landing site of the ten Bornean datus led by Datu Puti. It commemorates the traditional purchase of Panay Island from Ati chieftain Marikudo and the establishment of the first Malay settlement. Erected as a heritage landmark, it is the focal point of Antique's history and the annual Binirayan Festival.

Visitors can expect an open-air riverside park along the Malandog River featuring a stone historical marker and commemorative tablets, landscaped grounds, and interpretive signage explaining the Maragtas legend. The site is quiet and rural, with views of the river and surrounding fields, suitable for short walks, photography, and reading historical inscriptions. There is no enclosed museum building; the experience is centered on the monument itself.

The marker commemorates the legendary 13th-century arrival of ten Bornean datus led by Datu Puti who fled Borneo and landed at Malandog. Tradition holds they purchased the island of Panay from Ati chieftain Marikudo in exchange for a golden salakot and other goods, establishing the first Malay settlement. The narrative, popularized in Pedro Monteclaro's Maragtas (1907), is a foundational origin story for Panay and Antique. The marker was erected to memorialize this event.

The site is a cultural symbol of Antique province and Panay heritage, representing Malay roots and early settlement history. It is the ceremonial center of the annual Binirayan Festival held every April/May, which reenacts the landing and celebrates Antiqueño identity through parades, reenactments, and cultural programs.