Region VI is Western Visayas
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Region VI is Western Visayas
Region VI is Western Visayas. The provinces that comprise the region are Iloilo, Aklan, Negros Occidental, Antique, Capiz and Guimaras. The region is between two big inter-island bodies of water namely: Sulu Sea and Visayas Sea.
Geographical Features
The provinces in the region have more or less the same land features. They have wide stretches of rivers, coastal lowlands and series of rugged hills and mountains in the interior. The climate and the soil are favorable for
agriculture.
Western Visayas produces differed kinds of products. The plains of Panay have rice for its chief crop. The people produce rice not only for home consumption but also for export to other provinces. The plain of Panay is the rice granary of the region.
Sugar is another important product in the region. Many people in the region depend on the sugar industry for a living. There are rich landowner] called hacienderos and the poor plantation workers called the sacadas.
Our country exports much sugar. The sugar industry gives much income to our government and to our people. But in the late 1980s, this industry dropped in the world market. As a result, many people particularly the sacadas lost their jobs and suffered.
Fishing is another chief industry in the region. There are numerous fishing banks in the northern coast o Antique, west coast of Negros Occidental and all along the coast of iloilo near Estancia. Estancia is the-most important fishing town of iloilo. Many fishermen go to Estancia during the fishing season which lasts from May to September.
Because plenty of fish are caught fish preservation has become a major home industry in the region.
Weaving is another industry that is noted in Western Visayas. In Aklan and Iloilo, women are known for their handmade piña and jusi cloths. Piña cloth is made from pineapple fibers while jusi cloth is made from mixed raw silk and pineapple fibers.
There are interesting places to visit in Region VI. Among them are the Siete Picados and Rosa Encantada in the beautiful tiny islets of Guimaras, Sicogon Beach in Iloilo and Suhot Cave in Capiz.
