Aklanon people
The Aklanon people are the ethnolinguistic group who lived in the province of Aklan. They are part of the wider Bisaya ethnolinguistic group, who constitute the largest Filipino ethnolinguistic group.
Area
Aklanon form the majority in the province of Aklan in Panay.They are also found in other Panay provinces such as Iloilo, Antique, and Capiz, as well as Romblon. Like the other Visayans, Aklanons have also found their way to Metro Manila, Mindanao, and even the United States.
History
The Aklanons are descendants of the Austronesian-speaking immigrants who came to the Philippines during the Iron Age. They got their name from the river Akean, which means where there is boiling or frothing.Minuro it Akean
Aklan, originally known as Minuro it Akean, is considered to be the 2nd oldest province in the country and is believed to have been established as early as 1213 by settlers from Borneo. According to the tales of the Maragtas, Aklan once enjoyed primacy among the realms carved out in Panay by the 10 Bornean datus. These datus, after fleeing the tyranny of Rajah Makatunaw of Borneo, purchased the island from the Ati King Marikudo. The datus paid King Marikudo a golden saduk, gold necklace, coloured clothing, and small jewelleries in exchange of acquiring the Panay island. They then established the sakup of Hamtik, Akean, and Irong-irong, cultivated the land, and renamed the new nation as the Confederation of Madya-as. The datus supposedly landed in Malandog, Hamtik, where a marker commemorates the event which is reenacted in the Binirayan Festival.Tradition holds that the first ruler of Aklan was Datu Dinagandan who was dethroned in 1399, by Kalantiaw. In 1433, Kalantiaw III formulated a set of laws that is known today as the Code of Kalantiaw. William Henry Scott, a well-known American historian, later debunked the Code of Kalantiaw as a fraud.
However, many Filipinos, including Aklanons and other Visayans continue to believe this legend as true.
The capital of Akean changed several times. Towards the end of the 14th century, Datu Dinagandan moved the capital from the present Batan, which was captured in 1399 by Chinese adventurers under Kalantiaw. Kalantiaw established then a dynasty but it prematurely ended when his successor, Kalantiaw III, was slain in a duel with Datu Manduyog, the legitimate successor to Datu Dinagandan. When Manduyog became the new ruler, he moved the capital back to Bakan in 1437. Several datus succeeded Manduyog and when Miguel Lopez de Legaspi landed in Batan in 1565, Datu Kabanyag was ruling Aklan from what is now the town of Libacao.
Spanish Era
During the Spanish era, Aklanons were generally peaceful and did not revolt against Spanish rule in the area. However, the situation changed when two Aklanons, Francisco del Castillo and Candido Iban, joined the Katipunan with the intention of regaining the independence of Aklan along with the rest of the Philippines. Both were successful in ridding the area of Spaniards.Present
Currently, Aklanons enjoy some form of self-reliance since Aklan is now a province of the Philippines. Some Aklanons have also been active in Philippine politics, which includes Jose M. Hontiveros from Tangalan, Aklan became Senator representing district of Iloilo, Capiz, and Romblon from 1922-1928 and was appointed Justice of the Peace, Capiz, Capiz ; Provincial Governor of Capiz ; Auxiliary Judge, Court of First Instance ; Judge of the Court of first Instance, 19th judicial district ; and of the 22nd judicial district and a Delegate representing 3rd District of Capiz in the July 10, 1934 Constitutional Convention Dr. Rafael S. Tumbokon, Former Undersecretary of Health, Godofredo P. Ramos, Father of Aklan, Congressman, Governor, delegate to the 1971 Constitutional Convention and Justice of the Court of Appeals and was appointed Foreign Affairs Secretary by President Marcos replacing Carlos P. Romulo but did not materialized whe died of cancer before his appointment is approved to Leon Hontiveros and Genoviva Miraflores on March 19, 1899.Aklanons are also known throughout the Philippines due to the location of Boracay, one of the major tourist destinations in the country.
Demographics
Aklanons number 559,416 in the Philippines in 2010. They are culturally close to the Karay-a and Hiligaynons. This similarity has been shown by customs, traditions, and language.Languages
Aklanons speak the Aklan languages, which includes Aklanon and Malaynon. Ati and Kinaray-a are also spoken to some extent. Meanwhile, Hiligaynon is used as a regional language. Aklanon and Hiligaynon are spoken by Aklanons in Metro Manila, while the official languages of the Philippines, Filipino and English are taught at school.Religion
Prior to the arrival of the Spaniards, the Aklanons practiced an ancient religion which honors a variety of deities. Their supreme deity is Gamhanan, the giver of life, security, and livelihood. He is believed to live with many other gods in Mount Daeogdog, where he gives life and punished errant mortals. He used to have a loyal deer-like pet and messenger called Panigotlo, which bleated as a sign of abundance to mortals or foretells floods and despairs to alert the people.However, after Spanish colonization, the majority of Aklanons have become devout Roman Catholics. They are known by their devotion to the Santo Niño or Child Jesus, as shown in the Ati-atihan festival. But originally the Ati-atihan festival is called "Viva Kay Sr. Sto. Nino" and this festival has been celebrated by our forefathers according to my grandmother who was from Lezo, Aklan and during our childhood we sill celebrate this as "Viva Kay Sr. Sto. Nino".It was just in 1960 when the name of the fiesta was change to "Kalibo Ati-atihan Festival" when the then Mayor Federico Icamina was elected in 1959 as Mayor and started Inviting Visitors to witness the Sto. Nino Festival and from there "Kalibo ati-atihan was born and became World Famous Festival in every 3rd Sunday of January.
This celebration is much more different from they had in Iloilo. Antique, Capiz and Negros. Theres were Choreograph Presentations, The "Viva Kay Senyor Santo Nino" is purely merry making like "mardi gras" in praise of the "Sto. Nino". Anyone can join any group dancing on the streets, no one will prohibit you from dancing with their group and in fact they, members of the group welcomes your joining them and too proud of it. You can see the difference and from there you can make your own imagination "why there is merry making dancing on the streets in honor of the "Sto. Nino". What was the event for..? And as far as I can remember, Dinagyang of Iloilo, Halaran of Capiz, Binirayan of Antique and Maskara of Negros was organized during Martial Law period Already. More than A Century behind the "Viva Kay Sr. Sto. Nino" Festivals of Kalibo, Makato, Ibajay and Altavas all of the Province of Aklan. So this is not just kalibo, but Almost a Province wide Celebration in honor of the Sto. Nino and almost all this celebration are one and the same, Street dancing and Merry making and no Choreographic Presentations.
The Celebration of the Sto. Nino is not just in Kalibo, it is also being celebrated in Makato, Aklan in every January 15 of each Year; and January 21 in Ibajay, aklan and January 26 in Alatavas, Aklan.
Aklanons also practice processions during religious holidays such as the Salubong.
Culture
Most Aklanons engage in agriculture while those in the coastal areas engage in fishing. They also make handicrafts. Music, such as courtship songs or kundiman, wedding hymns, and funeral recitals, are well-developed, as it is with dance.There are still a lot of Cultural Dances that has never been mentioned by some historians and these dances are the ethnic dance of the Minority groups in the hinterlands of Libacao, Aklan, the barangay Rosal bounding Tapaz, Capiz and this minority group is called the "Pan-ayanon". These dances are the following: Binanog, Panagaytay, Inagong, Sotes, Pahid, Patadyong Dance, and Nigo Dance. Those were the real cultural/Ethnic dance that historians are unaware of.
AS to the name given by the Indigenous People's Satff from Iloilo who went to Libacao and organized it is not acceptable to Libacaonons, "The Tribu Bukidnon"..this Tribu bukidnon never exist in the history of Libacao or Aklan in general. As far as I can remember the Minority group in the hinterlands of libacao is the "Pan-ayanon" who are ethnic Libacaonon and Pan-ay, Tapaz because formerly Pan-ay, Tapaz and Libacao are both part of the Province of Capiz and these are the places where their Tribe used to Live. They have what we called the Minuro as their seat of govt and they have their Chieftains. These Tribe are warlike people having Talibong, Bankaw, Esi, Tara-tara as their weapons and Taming(shield made of wood as their Shield.These people are so artistic. They made their own Silver jewelries like earrings, necklaces as long as 5–6 ft made from US coin silvers and some silver ornaments to the handles of Talibong and Bankaw and they have learned the art of a good Silversmith and those necklaces are being used when they have celebrations and performing the ethnic dances.
The other tribe is the Tag-ilaya who were from the barangays of Oyang and Dalagsaan. The Tag-ilayas has no much culture to tell but only their being warlike and using the same weapons as the Pan-ayanon. These 2 Tribes of the hinterlands of Libacao are clannish people and their main livelihood since time immemorial is the Abaca Fibers. Aklan is one of the producers of Abaca in Region VI and Libacao has almost 90% of it.
Historically, Aklanons practised tattooing, sometimes including henna, but abandoned the practice during the Spanish era. Recently, however, there has been a revival of it in Boracay island, which is caused primarily by its popularity with tourists.
They are among the Filipino ancestries that are tolerant to the Negritos, such as the Ati.
Cuisine
Two main dishes associated with Aklan and Aklanons are Inubaran and Binakol.Inubaran, is a Filipino chicken stew or soup made with chicken cooked with diced banana pith, coconut milk or coconut cream, a souring agent, lemongrass, and various spices. The souring agent is traditionally either batuan fruits or libas leaves. The name means " with ubad ", not to be confused with ubod ; although ubod can sometimes be used as a substitute for ubad which can be difficult to acquire. Variants of the dish can also be made with other types of meat or seafood. It is a type of ginataan.
Binakol, also spelled binakoe, is a Filipino chicken soup made from chicken cooked in coconut water with grated coconut, green papaya, leafy vegetables, garlic, onion, ginger, lemongrass, and patis. It can also be spiced with chilis. Binakol can also be cooked with other kinds of meat or seafood. It was traditionally cooked inside bamboo tubes or directly on halved coconut shells.