When the Federation of Aklan
Ati-Atihan was established, one of its primary objectives was the preservation,
development and promotion of the famous Ati-Atihan, Ati-Ati or Ate-Ate as an
intangible cultural heritage of Aklanons. The Federation was in coordination
with the National Commission for Culture and the Arts. The initial steps they
made included the compilation of accounts revealing how the Ati-Atihan, Ati-Ati
or Ate-Ate came to be in the whole province of Aklan. Surprisingly members of
the Federation included Altavas, Ibajay, Makato, Lezo, Kalibo, Banga and
Numancia. Among the towns in Aklan, only Ibajay, Kalibo and Batan traced the
origin of their celebration as far back as the early Spanish period in the
Philippines. It is interesting to note that these three are the oldest towns in
the province as Batan was founded in 1601, Ibajay was founded in 1596 and
Kalibo was founded in 1581. Another interesting thing to note is that all Akeanon
Bishops hailed from the ecclesiastical jurisdiction of these three towns. The
late Bishop Ciceron Santa Maria Tumbocon was from Ibajay. The Late Archbishop
Gabriel M. Reyes and Bishop Gabriel V. Reyes were from Kalibo. Then the late
Cardinal Jaime Sin and Bishop Raul Martirez were from New Washington. New
Washington was once a visita of
Batan, just as Tangalan where Bishop Jose Corazon Tala-oc was born was formerly
a visita of Kalibo. Among the three,
only Kalibo and Ibajay have shown their uniqueness both in their drumbeats and
the “sadsad” (dragging one’s feet as a ritual dance). There is no doubt that
these towns are both original in their music and dance by way of playing their
drums and doing the “sadsad”. In both towns, there is a fast-jogging type of
“sadsad” which is done in high knees. But there is also this “sadsad” done with
small steps. In Ibajay one takes a very short pause in doing the “sadsad” while
in Kalibo, there is no such a pause. In terms of drumbeats, Ibajay is faster
than that of Kalibo. With regard to the origin of the celebration, the
Federation of Aklan Ati-Atihan collected some accounts as their supporting
documents to be forwarded to the National Commission for Culture and the Arts.
Ibajay has shared only one account which includes the retelling of event when Christian
armies defeated the Moors. But Kalibo has shared various accounts and the most popular
and well-adapted story is that of the Barter of Panay. The adaptation of the
Barter of Panay as the origin of the Kalibo Ati-Atihan was an attempt to predate
any festival or feast introduced during the Spanish Period. Nonetheless, the
Federation of Aklan Ati-Atihan lived only shortly after its decade of existence.
It did not finish what it started. Its compilation was later borrowed by an
individual who made use of them in her writings. The Federation never made its
observations or findings publicly known particularly on the when, why and how the
Ati-Atihan, Ati-Ati or Ate-Ate came to be.
Obviously in Kalibo, Ati-Atihan
formally started during the time of Mayor Icamina. But before it was called
“Ati-Atihan”, it was known as “ga-Sto. Niño” in Kalibo. Ati-Atihan as being
called today by many was but a way of celebrating the feast of the Sto. Niño in
Kalibo since time immemorial. It was with drumbeats and “sadsad” that Kalibonhons
celebrated the said feast. The word “Ati-Atihan” was never used because
Kalibonhons were simply celebrating the feast of the Sto. Niño. There was no
need for a “label” then to describe what Kalibonhons were doing during the
feast. The purpose of the celebration was for panaad and not for tourism. The celebration then in Kalibo was not
even an “Ati-Atihan” because mostly, people used costumes like mummies, zombies,
an indigenous/ate (and there was one individual carrying a cross!), etc. that
it was described as a Mardi Gras-like celebration.
When Mayor Icamina gave birth to
“Ati-Atihan”, the masquerade ball type of celebrating the feast of the Sto.
Niño was reduced to forming Ati tribes. The way the feast of the Sto. Niño was
celebrated in its new name, Ati-Atihan became “instant” famous. With its
celebrity status, the organizers of Ati-Atihan themselves had to explain the existence
of Ati-Atihan. Because it is called Ati-Atihan, people associated its origin
with the ate (aetas). But as cultural minorities, only true-blooded Kalibonhons
who were born and live in Kalibo knew that seldom could one see an ate (aeta)
in Kalibo. Most Ate (aetas) especially during the celebration of the feast of
the Sto. Niño in Kalibo were from other towns or provinces. Yet some people propagated
that because Ati-Atihan was associated with the ate (aetas), so the origin of
the celebration could be traced back to the day when the one thousand ate (aetas)
were baptized and that they celebrated their conversion with music and dancing.
This version could be an attempt to preserve the religious aspect of the
celebration. But Ati-Atihan as a celebration was totally separated from the
celebration of the feast of the Sto. Niño when after the term of Mayor Icamina,
the local government formed Ati-Atihan organizers without the active involvement
of the church. Organizers focused much on the socio-cultural and tourism
aspects of the celebration as they also came up with different versions of the
origin of the Ati-Atihan, thus trying to give it the reason for its existence. But
how could anyone prove the existence of an event which did not happen in the
first place?
Only during the time of Bishop
Gabriel V. Reyes that the voice of the church was again heard of. The local government
unit heeded the exhortation of Bishop Reyes to call the celebration as Kalibo Sto.
Niño Ati-Atihan Festival. But despite this attempt to bring back the religious
significance and to re-claim the real reason for the celebration –for the feast
of the Sto. Niño, profanity or making it a pagan festival becomes unstoppable. Tourists
for tourism’ sake is given importance over the local religious Kalibonhons’
devotion to the Sto. Niño. The last time that a grand procession was made solemnly
mostly by devotees of the Sto. Niño was in 2005 when most tourists fled to
other tourist destinations because of the shooting rampage that occurred after
the Pilgrims’ mass. After that year, Ati-Atihan has regained its worldwide fame
and a thousand of tourists have come and joined the celebration while the Sto. Niño
de Kalibo has just been left to a number of devotees. It is like enjoying a
birthday celebration though the guests do not care to know who the celebrator
is.
The hour has come for Kalibonhons
to expose the truth –the Ati-Atihan which most people know about was once a
unique expression of devotion to the Sto. Niño by Kalibonhons. Tourism is good
but our devotion to the Sto. Niño should be above all these. Say no to profanity and to the
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