Description of the attraction
Kalibo is the capital of Aklan province, located in the northwestern part of Panay Island. The permanent population of the city is about 80 thousand people, but every day it increases 2.5 times - up to 200 thousand people at the expense of workers who come here from other towns in the province. recreation.
The peak of tourist activity is in January, when the world famous Ati-Atihan festival is held in the city - “the mother of Philippine festivals”, which attracts thousands of visitors from all over the world to take part in an incredible celebration. The name of the city itself comes from the aboriginal word "sangka or", which means "one thousand" - that is how many people attended the first Catholic mass held here. That mass became the prototype of the modern Ati-Atikhan festival.
True, it is believed that the celebration of Ati-Atikhan began in 1212, when people from the island of Borneo arrived on the island of Panay, fleeing the persecution of the regime of Sultan Makatunav. The first holiday was intended to seal a peace treaty between the two peoples of the island - the indigenous Aeta and the arrived Malays, who had different cultures, but intended to live together. When the Spaniards appeared in these places, the holiday acquired a religious connotation. In 1750, priest Andrés de Aguirre converted 1,000 local residents to Christianity in one day. To mark this event, drums began to be beaten throughout the province, which echoed the spirit of the already existing Ati-Atikhan.
Today, everyone who finds themselves in Kalibo during the festival can take part in colorful street processions, novena and masses, as well as visit the Kalibo Cathedral, which is more than 100 years old, to kneel before the image of Saint Niño.
Young people also take part in the festivities, but in their own way - they do not give Ati-Atikhan a religious meaning. Boys and girls no longer paint their faces and bodies with soot, instead they wear grotesque masks and incredible costumes. Native clothes of the 12-13 centuries are also no longer in honor - instead of them, ordinary T-shirts are increasingly being worn.
And, nevertheless, religious beliefs and passion, enthusiasm and fun historically and culturally inherent in Ati-Atikhan have survived and have not faded over time - from the first holiday in 1212 to the present day.
