Ati-Atihan Festival: Once a Tradition, Always a Tradition

This post is already late but I think I need to share my experience.

Filipinos value tradition and culture. Being a probinsyana from Capiz, I am raised learning and practicing it. Though some I find absurd, I appreciate that a few concerned true-blue Filipino makes an effort to preserve our cultural identity.



Filipinos loves to celebrate. All sorts of celebration from birthdays to death anniversaries to whatever, just name it and we have it. Indigenous and Religious Festivals are the most watched for celebration in the country. Some of the well-known festivals that makes tourists stumble in the country are Kadayawan in Davao City, Sinulog in Cebu, Maskara in Bacolod, Panagbenga in Baguio City, Black Nazarene in Quiapo Manila and the Ati-Atihan Festival in Kalibo, Aklan.

For my personal note, I am not a fan of these kind of festivals. You wouldn't want to deal with the aftermath. Yes it's fun, but people often forget what the celebration is all about. Also when travelling, I want a place where I can relax so I try to avoid going to a particular place where I know will be crowded.

During my vacation in the province last January 2013, my mother wants me to go with them for Ati-Atihan. I decided to try it since I have nothing to do and to experience it wouldn't hurt. Hotel prices doubles or maybe triples during the festival so we stayed at our aunts house near the city".

"Patapak sa Sto. Nino" is a belief that being touched by the Sto. Nino figure will heal the person

The festival is a week long celebration with different programs each day at the town plaza. We went there just before the final day of the festival. We roam around the plaza to join the parade and dance a little. It was really crowded. On my good note, I love how this festival celebrates indigenous culture. Our indigenous tribes are in danger of losing it's identity due to urbanization and a lot of aspects. They are not reproducing and their children wanting to be in the city. No one from their end wants to continue and preserve their tradition but the old folks. One example is in Banaue Rice Terraces were problems in preserving the "hagdan-hagdang palayan" is now a dilemma "we seriously" need to address. Celebrating and being proud of our culture, showing other nations how proud we are, and letting the younger ones appreciate it is a good note.

But there is a bad note. I've seen a lot of drunken foreigners with their Filipina partners (eh?). Some of the paraders were also drunk and smelled like sh**. Few guys were laid drunk on the streets just outside the church. Trash was all over the town plaza. Where is our discipline people? I thought we are celebrating being a Filipino here? Is this what we want our children to remember? It isn't celebration anymore my friend, because celebrating comes with responsibilities and limitations.

So to end this trip in a positive note, I forced everybody to do a side trip to Sampaguita Gardens just 30 minutes away from Kalibo proper which I googled already. hehe!

Accommodations

They have two pools. One for the kids and this one for adults.

Sampaguita Gardens Entrance

Ruin Ferris Wheel

This pretty much made my trip to Kalibo worth it. There's a lot of things you can do inside the area. A lot of doll collections. I never thought there's a Christmas village open year round in Kalibo. You can exchange your entrance fee inside for food or products they offer. For us, we exchanged it for food and we ate with the pool as our view. Therefore this trip ended in a good note.