Wandering in Aklan

By Izah Morales
INQUIRER.net

AT the start of the year, festivals in the country open with the “mother of Philippine festivals:” the Ati-Atihan in Kalibo, Aklan.

INQUIRER.net multimedia reporter Alex Villafania and production specialist Edzelle Pena and I were witnessed to the Ati-Atihan festival. For six days, we roamed Aklan and visited Caticlan, Boracay, Kalibo and Batan.

But three days before our flight, a plane mishap was reported in Caticlan airport, which affected operations in the airport. Our trip, however, was smooth and we landed safely despite the windy weather. From the airport, we were ushered to a jetty port, where we boarded a 30-seater boat or “banca.”

The boat braved the big waves. After 15 minutes, we got to the famous Boracay island. This seven-kilometer island has been famous since its discovery in the 1970s. But it was my first time to have set foot on its pristine white sand.

The fine white sand felt like talc powder. Maybe, that’s the reason why many tourists, mostly Europeans and Koreans, love the island. Since it was a January, a cold breeze gave us the chills. Yet tourists were there. I saw footprints on the white sand, sand castles and people taking a dip in the blue-green waters of Boracay.

I saw locals braiding hair of tourists. There were also a lot of tattoo shops and little stores selling all kinds of merchandise. Boracay is increasingly becoming a commercial district because of the presence of a mall and branded stores.

Still, small art shops abound in Boracay. While walking along the beach, we spotted a sculpted dolphin on the sand. There were also sculptures and paintings sold in the island. Inspired by the seascape of Boracay, artists there were selling shirts inspired by the island. We also saw hand-painted shirts being sold.

For a first-timer like me, capturing the sunset was on the top of my list. Unfortunately, the sky was cloudy that day.

After two days, we went back to Caticlan and boarded a van going to Kalibo. We paid P100 each for that ride. There are other modes of transportation like the jeepney and bus.

The trip from Caticlan to Kalibo took two hours. We encountered traffic in the town of Makato. On our way, we saw locals –young and old –dressed in their colorful costumes dancing to the beat of the drums. Apparently, the town of Makato was celebrating its own Ati-Atihan festival ahead of Kalibo.

When we arrived in Kalibo, we felt a very warm welcome. The spirit of the festival can already be felt, as the tribes began dancing and beating their drums even before the actual festival cum contest on January 17.

As we strolled around town, we noticed Aetas selling charms near a grocery store. I talked to one of them and learned that the charms were parts of a tree used to cure illnesses or to protect people from the “aswang.” Up to this day, there are still a few people who believe in the existence of this mythical creature in Filipino folklore. Aswangs are especially popular in Antique, Capiz, and Iloilo, which are neighboring provinces of Aklan.

On our third day in Aklan, we together with lawyer Sonny Regalado, a native of Batan, traveled for about two hours from Kalibo to Batan to find out more about the “Code of Kalantiaw.” The municipality of Batan is home of the shrine of Datu Kalantiaw who was believed to have promulgated the Code of Kalantiaw in 1433. However, in 2004, the National Historical Institute (NHI) has declared that the code had no valid historical basis. Hence, the NHI pulled out from the shrine.

Wandering in Aklan for six days taught me how a festival like the Ati-Atihan can give color to a simple life in the province.