Historians had it that the first Malayan Settlement in the Philippines was in this peaceful barangay of Malandog in Hamtic.  Datu Sumakwel together with his men and other datus were said to have established a settlement here in the middle of the 13th century.

With this account, Malandog  perhaps, is the first barangay to be established in the entire Philippine archipelago.  A marker has been built at Malandog Elementary School campus to memorialize this significant historical account.

Your next day’s stop unravels a great legacy of sea-faring and freedom-loving ancestors at the exact spot where the event took place.  Every Last week of April of the year, the province girds for the Binirayan Festival.  Binirayan, from the word “biray” or boat ride, literally means- a place where the boats dock- and this significant occasion of revelry and color depicts the cradle of Antiqueños’ noble heritage.

Thus, to rekindle the essence of the festival, a reenactment of the Malayan Landing and Settlement is staged at the mouth of Malandog River in Hamtic, the exact location where the historic event took place in 1300 A.D.  The yearly Mardi Gras and Ati-ati Competition, the prestigious Lin ay kang Antique pageant showcasing the beauty of mind, character, and physical appearance of young Antiqueñas are among the highlights of the Festival that gets better with time.