PROLOGUE
On the advent of the civilization and strong
desire of independence, Godofredo Ramos made his entry to the point of filling
the vow of having the separation of aklan from the province of Capiz. We don
not know the exact reason and the deeper roots of this historical event, yet
one is sure; Aklan is now a progressive province with its own identity known
throughout the world as the province of great Boracay island.
Many is unaware of the silent history
of this humble land. It is often describe as the land in the centre of the
island of Aninipay( the old name of Panay) that lies in its center, the great
Akean River that surpasses almost all of the municipality of the province. Many
said, it is discovered by the Augustinian Friars on teir mission on the Visayas
that made the advent of the propagation of Christendom in the province that was
first to establish on the humble island of Sugbo( the old name of Cebu). And
many other account that in this humble province the Code of Kalantiaw was first
to to conceptualized, as well as the famed golden Salakot which was hand over
to the capital of the said province as a gift and was symbolized and treasured by putting a rotunda famed
throughout the Philippines to have its head crowned with salakot( a farmer hat
often see in the province who produces rice and often wore by farmer.)
Many elders would claim in this humble
province the mother of all Philippine Festival was witnesses; the Famed
Atiatihan Festival. That originated in its capital, Calivo( the old name of
Kalibo). Many historical account is attributed to this humble town, it is said
that it is discovered by an married couple who found earnest joy in this town
that made them lift for a thousand laugh that they named the town,
sang-ka-libo. Many would say the couple found in this town a thousand worth ( did not state the currency) that they named the place,
sang-ka-libo.
Yet
the question, what is more notable, did the establishment of kalibo made its
entry to made aklan known? Or is the AKEAN river the very beginning of
everything. Many accounts are consulted yet we are finding the discerning the
very close to reality and accountable account.
Up
until now, the verification of what came first, the establishment of the town
Kalibo or the naming of the province AKEAN. Many elders still state many
different conclusion.
Did
the friars are the one? Or the couple was correct? Do the elders are true
enough?
Let
us now unfold the pieces of our own history.
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ABOUT KALIBO
alibo
is a very successful and productive town. It is where the civilization in in
the province dwells forth. Aside from being the crowded and noisy municipality,
its holds the golden history the once embarked the pages of every history books
in the country. It might not be the happiest place on the Philippines that
claimed by the Mascara Festival nor the exhibiting the grandeur of the flowers
of Panagbenga. Yet one is sure, apart from the famed Sinulog, Kalibo has the
record of the oldest and mother of all Philippine festival; The Sto Nino
Atiatihan Festival. Many accounts has been discussed to me by our forefathers
and teachers as well as some hearsay of the elders of the town. There are many
version, there are many and different way of telling the story, different
interpretation of various variable including the culture and religion. Yet far
enough. We will discuss the different versions and judge not what is more
pleasing yet meaningful and contemplative to help us with lessons from the past
applicable to our present situation
ACCOUNTS REGARDING ANIMISM
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efore
the advent of the coming of the Spaniards it is said that the akeanons have
their distinctive rituals for the so called gods that requires dances and often
attributed to the Ati-ati
2Late
16th century, the group of 10 datus( often called chieftain) made
their way to the island of 5Aninipay ( old name of Panay) from their
voyage from the island of Borneo that made them to know the Ati resident of the
island. 3The local people of Panay, the Ati (negritos), a small and
dark (black) kinky-haired people, sold them a small piece of land and permitted
them to settle down in the lowlands. The Atis themselves, lived more upland in
the mountains.
4The
local people, the Atis, under Ati Marikudo, who lived upland sold them a piece
of land and allowed them to settle in the lowlands. The price was a solid gold
hat and a basin. When the settlement was established, Datu Puti left leaving
Datu Sumakwel in charge. Because of a very bad harvest, the Atis went to the
lowlanders (the Marayons) to ask for food. The Marayons shared their bountiful
harvest so the Atis danced and sang in gratitude.
This is one
of the account of the history of the Ati-atihan Festival; that is to
commemorate the arrival of the datu. That is shy in the center of the town,
lies the relief monument of the datus and the handling of the salakot.
Original
the concept of atiatihan was in a form of 1animism(the belief in a
supernatural power that organizes and animates the material universe)
Some time later, the Ati people were struggling
with famine as the result of a bad harvest. They were forced to descend from
their mountain village into the settlement below, to seek the generosity of the
people who now lived there. The Datus obliged and gave them
food. In return, the Ati danced and sang for them, grateful for the gifts they
had been given.
ACCOUNTS FROM MSGRS. JOSE ITURRALDE
HISTORIA SANG SANTO NIÑO
CAG ATE-ATE -
(CON LICENCIA ECLESIASTICA)
MONSR. JOSE ITURRALDE -1975
(CON LICENCIA ECLESIASTICA)
MONSR. JOSE ITURRALDE -1975
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t
is said that passed by the elders of the municipality of Ibajay, in the humble
Sitio of Boboc-on in the Barangay of Naile, an unnamed fisherman made his way
to the river in the said sitio to catch, yet from the very moment of stepping
to the river a certain he caught a wooded figurine that made a hindrance to him
that he stepped on it. Three time this event occurred, and on the third time,
he suddenly picked it up and put it in his belt bag and proceeded on his
fishing.
Upon
arriving home he suddenly throw the wooden figurine to their dirty kitchen and
slept. Yet they suddenly heard someone knocking at the door that hinders them
from sleeping and from seeing it that it seems that the image is the one
knocking their door then they had discovered that it is an image of the Sto.
Nino (The Holy Child Jesus) they immediately placed it on their home oratory(
altar). That was the first time that the image showed its supernatural origin.
More miracles are attributed to the image, once, they placed the image to the
center of the rice field and suddenly no chicken nor birds tried to spread the
rice all over.
The
miracles spread like wildfire as if the whole pueblo knew it that made them to
enthrone it to the parish in the town proper. Yet in an unknown reason upon
each day, the image is making his way back to the house of the fisherman who
caught the image that made them wonder.
Consulting the advise of the parish priest, the
priest said that, just like the story of Jonah in the place on Nineveh (cf
Jonah 6) that our Lord is due to the sins of the people of Nineveh, god will
destroy the city, yet Jonah said that if the people would repent and make
penitential acts like wearing of sackcloth and blacken their face with ashes.
So be it that the faithful of ibajay did the same they wore sackcloth and
blacken their face with the coal and shouting Viva Sto Nino( Long Live the
Child Jesus1) and the image did not leave the parish again.
Once the moros were about to invade the town yet
through the image the town was spared from the threat. It is once said that the
moros could not sail to Ibajay because afar they could see the little child
whom they are very afraid of roaming and guarding the shore. The made their
vows of celebrating the feast of the holy Child Jesus every year as their
devotion and also the re-enactment of the historical victory of the battle
between the moros called “sayao” .
And as in the past every year they commemorate the same event of the transfer
of the image from Naile to Poblacion by processing the image from the Convent
of the parish to the parish church. It is accompanied by merry making and
dances in honor of the victory of the Holy Child Jesus. This is the beginning
of the annual Sto Nino Atiatihan in Ibajay
ACCOUNTS FROM THE RECUERDO OF THE CATHEDRAL PARISH OF SAINT JOHN THE BAPTIST- SHRINE OF STO NINO DE KALIBO
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Kalibo became a principal house of the
Augustinian Order . The site of the church and the convent was in the noble
barrio of Laguing Banwa for the reason that it is near Akean(river). The
creations of more parishes became imperative. As parishes and towns were
created, the name Akean went to the province and Kalibo remained with the
parish. The first parish priest of Kalibo was Rev. Fr. Andres Ibarra(1581).
The parish of Kalibo used to be one of
the parishes of the Diocese of Manila.
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The
altar of the old parish of Kalibo
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In
months of December to January it is common that you can hear various bands
playing their instruments in the streets. Shouting, rejoicing, enjoying sort
of. All these traditions is connected to our faith and homage to our Diocesan
Patron: The Holy Child Jesus or locally recognized as Sto.Ñino. Its traditional
feast day was the Second Sunday of January after Epiphany which falls on January 6. But in the
Year 1973 it is changed to the Third Sunday of January by the mandate of the
Church.
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The original image of Sto.Ñino
de Kalibo
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There is
a version of the story that on the day of the feast of the Holy Child- Third
Sunday of January a thousand of Kalibonhons are baptized under our catholic
faith. This event marked the beginning of our practiced of shouting, rejoicing,
beating of drums and other instruments to make our filial adoration and
thanksgiving to the Child King. Sto.Ñino
This is
the birth of our Ati-atihan Festival and our rich devotion to the Holy Child.
Those
times where the Spaniards are still ruling in our archipelago, some Moro
pirates are visiting Aklan to kill men, abuse women and rob and loot and then
take off.
As a sign of their great joy they
held a feast for the victory against the Moros and thanksgiving to their patron:
The Holy Child. The facts remains that we have the Ati-atihan, that is done by
our inhabitants of these places in honor of Señor Sto.Ñino in their strong
faith in the Holy Child as their God who deserves their reverence and devotion.
The Sto.Ñino de Mil Almas which has been venerated in
Kalibo, considered as the official image of the Diocese. Comes at the last
among the carroza in the late afternoon Sunday procession which culminates the
yearly traditional feast of the Señor Sto.Ñino de Kalibo.
The name Aklan is often attributed to a humble
province where the famed Boracay is situated also the birthplace of the
Renowned Jaime Cardinal Sin yet many is on confusion with the long river that
covers the center of the province locally known as Akean.
With the advent Madgellan that once arrived in
Cebu to propagate the Catholic Faith and to irradicate heresies by the natives
with the help of our Lord some various congregation missionaries are making their
task of spreading the catholic faith. Once the Augustinian reached our humble
land(not a province before) They have made their mission in action by
establishing church and making the magesterium and catechism be heard to the
faithful. With the cross and heart Augustinian successfully established a
church near the river bank near the the capital of the province; Kalibo. This
is lately situated in Laguinbanua yet by tragedy the church didn’t make years
and the austinian decided to put up another church in Kalibo.
REQUERDO
Aklan has been the cornerstone of Christendom of
the islands of Panay aside from Iloilo the rich history of this humble province
lies on the providence and mercy of our Lord that once saved the capital of the
province; Kalibo. This research is gathered through the help of a priest at the
Cathedral Parish of Saint John the Baptist that let us borrow the book (Requerdo) containing the history of
Cathedral and how our Lord made its entrance to the heart of the parishioners
by his mercy in making Him known in the face of a little child; Sto Nino and
let us discover how faith formed the province and Kalibo.
BIBLIOGRAPHY
(
2018 Oct, 11) retrieved from http://www.philippinecountry.com/philippine_festivals/ati-atihan_festival.html
J Ituralde(1975) HISTORIA SANG SANTO
NIÑO CAG ATE-ATE
