‘Hala bira,’ Kalibo!
Nonstop beat of Ati-Atihan Festival
WE often attend festivals in the Philippines as mere spectators, but in AtiAtihan, it’s different. You become a participant.
This was how I experienced my first Ati-Atihan several years ago. Unlike other festivals where I simply watch from the sidelines, and take photos, I remember being pulled by a local to join the parade, and before I knew it, I was already dancing the “sadsad” together with the crowd.
So, for this year’s festival, when I received the invitation from the Tourism Promotions Board to join the Ati-Atihan, I came prepared. I brought a “pintados” shirt, wore my best walking shoes, and had my face splashed with sunblock to get myself ready to dance the sadsad for hours together with the rest of the Ati-Atihan crowd. But it did not happen. We got VIP access that allowed us to watch the performance right in front of the Ati-Atihan stage. I may have missed the participative dancing part, but I was privileged to watch the performance of each tribe in their full splendor.
Mother of all festivals
The Kalibo Aklan website said the legend of the origin of Ati-Atihan started in the 1700s when a fisherman found wood from the river with an image of a child. The fisherman brought the image to the church, but the image was repeatedly found in the fisherman’s house. The people of the village interpreted this incident as a call for them to seek forgiveness for their sins. The residents blackened their faces and dressed in rags as part of their penance. After doing this, the image no longer left the parish.
The modern Ati-Atihan started during the early 1950s. It added the coming of the 10 Bornean Datus as they were greeted by the friendly Atis to the original legend of the child image, although the two events are 500 years apart. It also found inspiration from the carnival of Rio de Janeiro and added dancing, beating of the drums with colorful costumes. The Ati-Atihan of today combines religious and pagan practices in festival settings.
Getting to Kalibo
The quickest way to get to Iloilo is to take the 45-minute flight from Manila. From the airport, take a van or a tricycle to Kalibo town proper. For those who wish to be adventurous, it is possible to drive your car to Kalibo using the nautical highway. From Manila drive to Batangas port using SLEx and STAR expressways, then take the roll-n, roll-off (RoRo) ferry to Calapan, Mindoro, then drive to Roxas, Mindoro, then take the 4-hour RoRo ferry to Caticlan, and finally, go on an hour drive to Kalibo.
The Ati-Atihan experience
The Ati-Atihan Festival is a weeklong series of activities, but the highlight of the festival is the grand parade called sadsad held on the third Saturday of January. During sadsad, tribes in colorful Ati-Atihan costumes dance to the beat of the drums to honor the Santo Niño. After their performance in front of the Ati-Atihan stage, they continue dancing until nighttime around the capitol ground, encouraging locals and tourists to join the revelries.
Another highlight is the holy mass the next day where Ati-Atihan warriors and pilgrims ask for blessings from the Santo Niño. After the mass, the healing tradition of “Paepak” (healing ritual) with the image of Santo Niño is being held. Within the weeklong celebration, there are “higante” (giant) parades, concerts, food festivals, and firework displays.
Unesco list of intangible cultural heritage
This year, there’s another reason for celebration in Kalibo as the Aklan Pina handloom weaving is now included on the List of Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity of the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (Unesco).
In the Unesco’s website, it is stated that pina handloom weaving is “a source of pride and strong identity marker” among the weavers of Aklan. The Baeay Pinamana (Arte Kalye sa El Porvenir) in Kalibo is the best place to learn more about the province’s pina handloom weaving tradition.
Beyond the Ati-Atihan
Outside the Ati-Atihan period, Kalibo is a busy town welcoming local and foreign tourists en route to Aklan’s most popular destination, Boracay.
Those who wish to stay in Kalibo for a day or two can explore the municipality’s heritage attractions such as the Museo it Akean, the Ati-Atihan Museum, the Kalibo Cathedral, and the Bakhawan Eco-park.
Those who wish to try Aklanon cuisine should not miss “inubarang manok,” a chicken dish cooked in coconut milk and ubad (the pith of a banana tree), and their version of “binakol,” which is cooked inside a bamboo tube.
The nearby town of New Washington is where the locals go for fresh seafood like oysters, shrimps and crabs. They are the best recovery meals after dancing the sadsad for hours.