photo by: Rio Calle

After the festive month of December, the central part of the Philippines roars more with their festivals. The Visayas celebrates many festivals during January and there are three famous festivals during this month from different provinces namely the Sinulog of Cebu, the Ati Atihan of Kalibo, Aklan and the Dinagyang of Iloilo.

photo by: roybuloy

Sinulog of Cebu

Among the three festivals, the Sinulog is perhaps the most colorful and most famous topped with massive commercialization. Celebrated every third Sunday of January, this festival is held in honor of the Child Jesus or the Santo Nino and how the natives then were baptism as Christians by Magellan himself. Millions of people flock Cebu for the Sinulog from tourists, devotees  and even photographers with all those picturesque costumes during the street dancing.

For this year, Sinulog 2010 is celebrated officially from January 8th till 17th which is the highlight with all those street dancing. The third Sunday of the January is all the fiesta of the Queen City of the South but Sinulog -related activities like trade fairs, opening salvo, photo exhibits and even beauty pageants have been held earlier some as early as December.

photo by: Flipped Out

Ati-Atihan of Aklan

If you want a less commercialized and more solemn festival, then opt to experience the Ati- Atihan festival. Known as the “Mother of all Philippine Festivals”, the people of Aklan have been celebrating the Ati Atihan for  hundreds of years. The main distiction of the Ati Atihan is how the dancers were covered in soot and dark pigment to mimic the Atis which are the original settlers of Panay island before the Malays came.

The first Ati Atihan festival is tribal in nature and just in a few centuries that Christianity spread, they have incorporated the Child Jesus in the Ati Atihan. Like the Sinulog, it is also celebrated every third Sunday of January and for Ati Atihan 2010, the celebration is from January 11-17, 2010.

I have written a more in depth article about the Ati Atihan festival in an online travel magazine. To read my article about the Ati Atihan, click here.

photo by: Visayas 6 Online Community

Dinagyang of Iloilo

The word Dinagyang comes from the Hiligaynon word, “dagyang” which means “to be happy” and it is celebrated every fourth Sunday of January, a week after the Sinulog and the Ati- Atihan.  Among the three festivals, the Dinagyang of Iloilo is the youngest and its origin can be traced back in 1969 when the image of the Santo Nino of Cebu was welcomed in the city.

The Dingayang is more the same of the Ati Atihan if you based it on the prominence of the “artificial” black colored skintone of the dancers. Like the other festivals, it has combined both tribal and religious aspects of the celebrations in honor of the Child Jesus and the coming of the Malay settlers to the island of Panay.

For this year, the Dinagyang is from January 22-24 with activities like street dancing, concerts, food festivals and many more.

Kalibo, the capital of Aklan is somehow overshadowed by Boracay Island in terms of tourism but still, this quite place is a nice destination for a short stop-over or a lazy weekend. And when you ask where you should go in Kalibo, people would always utter the words- Sampaguita Gardens.

I can’t count the number of times I have visited Sampaguita Gardens, a prime resort and spa in the town of New Washington which is just ta few minutes away from Kalibo. And I have brought my family from Cebu and soon my friends-all awed with this unique resort in Aklan.

Perhaps, the highlight of Sampaguita Gardens are its dolls from the famous Precious Moments. After all, this resort was founded by Samuel Butcher, who is the artist behind this cute dolls. You can buy these dolls of different themes and costumes in Sampaguita Gardens.

Aside from that, here are some of the amenities of the resort:

- spa and fitness center

-restaurants (Chinese, Italian, etc)

-outdoor pools

-convention center

- comfy accommodations

- gift shops

- sightseeing facilities like the famous SJB Mansion and Jojo’s Christmas

House

But the main reason why I love this resort more than what it can offer and a great place for me to unwind is how it helped the locals of Aklan specifically in terms of employment. Whenever I see the staff members and other employees of this resort, I can’t help but wonder where would they be if not for this resort. It’s such a good news that locals don’t have to leave their hometowns to find work and the town of New Washington itself benefited from this resort.

Entrance fee: 50php ( consumable)

For more information, visit the official website of Sampaguita Gardens. Click here!

Related Articles

Province of Aklan

Sin in New Washington

Museo It Akean

Statue of Cardinal Sin fronting the Our Lady of the Most Holy Rosary Parish Church

He was one of the instruments that tumbled down two presidencies in Philippine politics and one of the key players of both EDSA I and II that made two women as the most powerful person in the Philippines. Cardinal Jaime Cardinal Sin with that iconic smile is the most controversial clergy in the Philippines. He was even one of the most promising candidate for the papacy if only he lived through it; he could have been the first Filipino and Asian pope.

In a small and quite port municipality of New Washington in Aklan, Cardinal Sin was born and raised. It is quite surprising that the strong clergyman traces his roots in a very quite town, which is only 15-20 minutes away from the capital of Aklan, Kalibo. A very quite town with simple people; when you come to this place, it is a perfect retirement place and no wonder you can pass by quite big houses from balikbayans and seamen.

House of Sin

In front of the town plaza is the ancestral house of Cardinal Sin’s family and just a few steps away from the small port of New Washington.  If you follow the status quo of Philippine society in which the rich and wealth family lives close to the plaza ( along with the parish church and the town hall); Cardinal Sin is indeed part of a wealthy families in Aklan.

Only a caretaker lives in the house and it’s not formally opened to the public. You might get lucky to enter the house upon the caretaker’s permission and since it is not a heritage home or a tourist attraction, do not expect to see memorabilia displayed in an organized manner. Instead, just take the expereince of being able to step into the abode that nurtured the country’s most unforgettable clergyman and a testimony that the church and state in the Philippines is still one.

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Touring around Kalibo, it is a wise stop to visit their museum especially if you want to kill sometime while waiting for your flight after a getaway in Boracay. After all, musuems are great places to get to know a certain town or city –it’s like checking your date’s dental records. .

I have been in Aklan many times particularly Kalibo and I felt that I betray this quiet and unassuming province whenever I bypassed the Museum It Akean. Finally with a deadline for my writing gig ticking, I finally visited Aklan’s Musuem.

Museum It Akean is Akeanon word ( the province’s dialect) for Museum of Aklan.  Located in Marteline St. in Kalibo, it stands close to their church and across the plaza. Though it looks very modern and like a house, this edifice actually dates back in 1882. The original structure is called the “Eskwlehan it Hari” or School of Kings; which obviously was a school established by the Spanish missionaries when they first arrived. It has served not just a school but a municipal hall and courthouse before it became a museum.

Having visited many museums, I was honestly unimpressed during my first entry of the museum. I started with their religious artifacts and gradually interest sinks in as I shifted to more ancient artifacts and items. It was like reading a local history book as I gaze upon things that date back later and later in time. I love their spears and other weaponry which reflects the life of the Akean – the tribal atis (short-dark skinned natives) and those Malays.

And when I ended by visit in Museum It Akean, it was really a learning experience. Their collection might not be that huge or complete but what they have really interesting pieces – not just old but significant as well.With this, I can reccommend to those who will be visiting Kalibo and Aklan to pay tribute to its rich heritage by visting Museo It Akean.

How to Get there: Just take a tricycle anywhere in Kalibo and inform the driver ( fare: 7pesos)

Entrance fee:10 pesos

Related Articles:

Province of Aklan

Bernardino Jalandoni Museum

Cebu Cathedral Museum

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The province of Aklan is popular for two things – the Ati-Atihan Festival and Boracay Island. But more than festive dancing and beach parties, Aklan is also home to many natural wonders from cascading waterfalls to cold springs.

Located in the northwestern part of Panay island, Aklan composed of 17 municipalities and one congressional district which is Kalibo, its capital.  The province is considered as the oldest in the country when it was settled by the Bornean datus who fleed from a tyrant datu in Borneo. The dialect is Akeanon which is quite different from Hiligaynon or Ilonggo.

The natural wealth of this province is evident as you take a long drive from Kalibo to Caticlan when going to Boracay Island. Here you traverse amidst, virgin forests and wind along cliffs along with breathtaking sceneries and views.

Boracay: Aklan's Pride

Tourism

Aside from Boracay Island and the Ati-Atihan Festival must-see places include:

Old Churches

• Nepomuceno Parish Church ( Kalibo)
• Old Church in Batan ( the historical Code of Kalantiaw was composed)

Nature’s Wonders

• Diving spots in Buruanga
• Cold Springs in Nabas
• Mangroves in Kalibo
• River in Madalag
• Wild river in Libacao

dolls from PRecious Moments showcased in Sampaguita Gardens

Attractions

• Sampaguita Gardens in New Washington
• Cardinal Sin’s Ancestral House in New Washington
• Piña Village in Kalibo

Getting there

By Air

• there are two airports in Aklan- Kalibo and Caticlan with Caticlan for those bound for Boracay Island
• Aklan is 45 minutes away from Manila with daily flights; for Caticlan, there are five airlines operating like Asian Spirit, Philippine Airlines, Cebu PAcific to name a few.

By Sea

• From Manila, it takes 14-18 hours to reach Aklan. You can also take a ship bound for Iloilo or ROxas and then take a land trip to Aklan.

By LAnd

• There are many direct buses ( aircon and non-aircon) and vans to Kalibo and Caticlan. It takes 4 hours to Kalibo and 5 hours to Caticlan.

For more information, visit the official site of Aklan. Click here.