Editorial

Updating the Kalibo Sto.

Nino Ati-atihan Festival Celebration

by Ernesto T. Solidum

Weekly Kapihan discussed, “Post Evaluation of Sto. Nino Ati-atihan Festival.” Held at NVC Carmen Hotel, Police Insp. Nilo Morallos – PNP; Irico Cipriano - Manager Kabog-kabog Tribal Group; PO1 Jun Jay Invina, Kalibo PNP; and Ms. Lilibeth Goboy, Head, Marketing and Promotions, KASAFI as guests.

According to Police Insp. Morallos, the one week celebration of Ati-atihan was generally peaceful and orderly despite huge presence of guests, visitors and frenzied activities. Some 400 PNP personnel augmented by Kalibo Auxillary Police and Brgy. Tanods manned strategic police outposts and directed traffic flow. No major untoward incidents were reported except brawls resulting to cuts, wounds caused by broken bottles. Inquest proceedings of crime suspects were done. A big help in solving one crime incident of mauling was resolved by a CCTV camera said the young Police Officer.

“We have not yet conducted our KASAFI evaluation. We welcome feedbacks especially suggestions to further improve festival management and performance,” declared Ms. Goboy. Indeed, we would like to thank the Committee members, PNP, Tribal groups, LGU’s, and sponsors for a job well done. Despite the decrease in donations/sponsorship, we managed to increase the top prize from P130,000 to P150,000. Ms. Goboy underscored that based on huge turnout of guests, visitors and devotees, the celebration of 2015 Ati-atihan Festival is a success.

Mr. Cipriano rectified that Kabog-kabog no longer belongs to the tribal big category since the number of performers have fallen below 60. Perhaps, the reason why we always win in the competition is due to our talent designer Mr. William Enriquez, a fine arts graduate from Manila who is an expert in making costumes and props. Once a final costume model is made, this is painstakingly duplicated by every participant. It cost P2,600 per piece or P156,000 for a big tribal group of 60 members. This year, Kabog-kabog received P60,000 concluded Cipriano.

Kalibo Sto. Nino Ati-atihan celebrated from January 11-18 this year as a tradition has two aspects to consider namely: a) religious marked by holy mass, paeapak, novena and procession. Samuel J. Yap – Member, Philippine Alliance of Ex-Seminarians said that only 27 percent of Roman Catholics are religious; and b) entertainment – merry making, street dancing and buffoonery.

In essence, this Ati-atihan concept is copied by other municipalities in Aklan like Balete (Enchanting Balete), Banga (Saguibin Festival), Lezo (Bayangan Festival), Madalag (Tinu-om ni Aewag), Malay (Fiesta de Obreros), and Nabas (Bariw Ati-atihan Sadsad).

Based on record, Ati-atihan in Aklan is celebrated by six municipalities namely: Altavas, Malinao, Batan, Makato, Kalibo, and Ibajay. This falls on different dates in the month of January. Spurred by the prospect of tourism, investment and fame, LGU officials spearhead aggressive funding on educational, cultural entertainment and sports activities.

Coincidentally, Kalibo Ati-atihan is no longer patronized and loved by non-Kalibonhons. To recall, during the time of Mayor Raymar A. Rebaldo, hotels and lodging houses were fully booked six months before the event. Now, a balikbayan family of 5 members can easily get hotel accommodation on the eve of the fiesta.

Mr. Reynaldo Barrientos, Dispatcher of Ceres Bus Corp. said that “during normal days we have 65 buses daily servicing passengers from Kalibo to Iloilo City and vice versa. This year, second week of January, this has increased to 100 buses which is only 35 percent. Obviously, our usual patrons, and devotees of Sto. Nino de Kalibo are going in droves to Dinagyang Festival in Iloilo City which occurs every 4th week of January.

Iloilo’s Dinagyang Foundation have a million guests and visitors this year. In Kalibo our conservative estimate of the crowd at Pastrana Park on the 17th and 18th of January is between 60,000 and 70,000 per day, the presence of new faces especially tourists are very few.

Basically, if we are to perpetuate our religious tradition using the name of Sto. Nino festival, then we must develop it to the utmost. However, if KASAFI prefers the concept of Ati-atihan we must drastically changed the nature of our celebration into purely entertainment.

Dinagyang, Masskara, and Sinulog are conceptualized on entertainment which Aklan cannot rival since ours is generally anchored on religious tradition. 

Aklan’s two biggest sponsors – San Miguel and Coca Cola which gave P2.4 million last year have reduced their financial contribution by 35 percent this year due to drop in sales and profits. If Aklan could not improve its performance and audience turnout, this amount may further shrink. Higher taxes on alcohol and retail price have dampened consumers demand.

Major debacles are on the issues of recycling of costumes and props, choreography, music and performers. For instance Black Beauty Boys is five times winner under big tribal category. It is not even gender-sensitive where Gender Advocacy for Development adopted by Aklan in 2003 shows that an equitable number of the opposite sex must be included.

The Philippine median age is 33 years old and yet our street dancers are 40-50 years old. In this state, they are no longer nimble, agile, attractive or strong to perform to the beat of the latest dance craze – Zumba. Many complained of aching legs, arms and sunburned skin as they finished one tour around Pastrana Park. Remember, endurance is rated 10 percent of total score. The spirit is willing but the flesh is weak.

On the other hand, we can have high school students who are full of youth vigor, agile and very willing to display their talent and charm. All towns in Aklan have either private or public secondary schools where performers could be selected and trained.

Since there is strong possibility that the P2.8 million budgets for 2016 may be reduced KASAFI must lobby with Kalibo LGU for added funds during the budget hearing. Supermarkets, hotels and fast food restaurants which benefit so much from the festival must contribute their fair share.

Creativity and competitiveness must be ingrained in us if we are to emerge victorious. It must be, Dinagyang, Masskara and Sinulog have considerably evolved into Regional spectacles because of its location in cities. They have bigger sources of funds. However, Kalibo can be genuinely sincere and adaptive to our religious tradition. Entertainment is just feeding the senses and transitory while worship of God is strengthening the spirit. 

Perhaps, our creativity could start by doing merrymaking in the streets without being drunk or troublesome. Clean fun is always a virtue. Finally we must admonish that all street performers attend solemn mass as part of Panaad-Sadsad standard and practice. Yes, the Mother of all festival can turn to its origin for inspiration and direction. /MP