Sibalom’s history began with the coming of the Spaniards. Fed by two rivers, the Sibalom River Valley is the most extensive flatland in the Province. Early Spanish incursions into Sibalom were hindered by its inaccessibility by sea at a time when water was the main mode of travel. In Sibalom, as in many other parts of the Philippines the colonizing arm of the Spanish Empire was the Spanish Catholic friars, who first came to Antique in 1581. But more than a hundred years lapsed before Sibalom formally became a visita of the Parish of Hamtic. And not until 1732 were Augustinians priests able to organize Sibalom into a parish. By that time, Sibalom was a flourishing little settlement of about two thousand inhabitants who occupied the site which up to now is called Barabanua. The priests ruled Sibalom both as representatives of the Catholic Church and of the Castillian Crown. This theocratic set-up prevailed even after the civil government under the Spaniards was already functioning. Don Pedro Antang was chosen as the first gobernadorcillo of the town in 1751. The main task of the friars was to bring together the scattered inhabitants of the land in settlements “bajo de las campanas” called reducciones. Under the watchful authority of the belfries, conversion and tax collection were facilitated. From the point of view of Spanish colonial administration, however, life in Sibalom was far from idyllic. Famine and outbreaks of diseases plagued the land. Resistance to Spanish civilization in Panay up to the termination of Spanish rule in the Philippines, the politico-military district of Antique still had the biggest number of reducciones in the entire country. Sibalom was spared from Moro raids because of its inland location, the Pax Hispanica was tenuously maintained. A sizable number of the local population resisted resettlement. Many stuck to their old gods in the face of the Spanish cultural invasion. Branded as outlaws by Spanish authorities, they preyed on the Poblacion populace from their mountain strongholds. Up to the present day, old folks recall instances when the town was raid by the bandits. “Binuyong” and “gin-ati” survive in our dialect today as vestiges of these experiences. The Igbaong Rebellion also began in what was then part of the political jurisdiction of Sibalom. Led by Gregorio Palmero, this anti-colonial movement began in 1886 and continued for almost a decade. It posed a problem to the town of San Remigio, which was separated from Sibalom in 1889. But these perennial disturbances did not prevent Sibalom from assuming an important role in the life of the province. It was chief source of agricultural products and was one of the main sources of revenues. In 1714, Sibalom had forty-four cabecerias. In 1844, the assignment of a new Spanish governor-general in the Philippines introduced some changes in the social life of the people. Governor-General Narciso Claveria decreed that the indio subjects of Spain be given Spanish surnames. Though this decree appears to have been implemented late in Sibalom, the family names now familiar to us were already in use by the early 1850’s. Before this decree, family names were of Visayan derivation, like Bantog, Soligon, Balighin, Bayong, Mamiong. Later, family names were of Hispanic origin: Rojo, Loriega, Tordesillas, Gonzales, Vacera, Occeña, etc. As a result of the change, Vicente became Alera; Damacano became Veñegas. In 1898, during the last year of Spanish sovereignty, Fr. Lorenzo Diaz, an Augustinian, was assigned in Sibalom. Construction of the Sibalom convent began under his direction. Destroyed during World War II, the convent was said to have been beautiful. But the labor required of the people and the numerous contributions exacted of them in the building of the convent, incense the populace against the Spanish authorities. These grievances were still fresh in the minds of the people when the second phase of the Philippines revolution began in September, 1898 with the arrival of General Leandro Fullon in Antique. The people of Sibalom welcomed the capture of San Jose de Buenavista from the Spaniards, Sibalom served as the provincial capital of the Revolutionary Government.