The municipality of Libertad has officially launched the first whale shark (butanding) watching destination in Western Visayas, positioning the northern Antique town as a new eco-tourism hub anchored on marine conservation and sustainable economic growth. The attraction, located in Sitio Idiayan, Barangay Barusbus, was formally inaugurated on Thursday after a weeklong soft opening of operations that attracted more than 800 visitors. Tourists can begin their whale shark encounters as early as 5 a.m. aboard traditional double-outrigger boats.

Castor, R. Z. (2026, July 21). Whale shark-watching spot opens in Antique. The Manila Times, p. A7.