Aklan Akean (Aklanon) | |
|---|---|
   _(cropped).jpg)   (from top: left to right)Boracay,Kalibo Cathedral,Ati-Atihan Festival, Bakhawan Ecopark,Lezo Church, andAklan Provincial Capitol | |
 Flag  Seal | |
| Motto: "Arangkada, Aklan" | |
| Anthem: "Aklan Hymn" | |
 Location in the Philippines | |
 Interactive map of Aklan | |
| Coordinates:11°40′N122°20′E / 11.67°N 122.33°E /11.67; 122.33 | |
| Country | Philippines |
| Region | Western Visayas |
| First settled | 13th century |
| Founded | 25 April 1956 |
| Capital and largest municipality | Kalibo |
| Government | |
| • Governor | Jose Enrique M. Miraflores (Lakas) |
| • Vice Governor | Dexter M. Calizo (Lakas) |
| • Legislature | Aklan Provincial Board |
| Area | |
• Total | 1,821.42 km2 (703.25 sq mi) |
| • Rank | 64th out of 82 |
| Highest elevation | 1,777 m (5,830 ft) |
| Population (2024 census)[2] | |
• Total | 634,422 |
| • Rank | 51st out of 82 |
| • Density | 348.312/km2 (902.123/sq mi) |
| • Rank | 23rd out of 82 |
| Demonym | Aklanon |
| Divisions | |
| • Independent cities | 0 |
| • Component cities | 0 |
| • Municipalities | |
| • Barangays | 327 |
| • Districts | Legislative districts of Aklan |
| Time zone | UTC+8 (PHT) |
| IDD : area code | +63 (0)36 |
| ISO 3166 code | PH-AKL |
| HDI |  0.660 (Medium) |
| HDI rank | 29th in Philippines (2019) |
| Spoken languages | |
| GDP (2022) | ₱63.57 billion $1.084 billion[3] |
| Growth rate | 22.5% |
| Website | aklan |
Aklan, officially theProvince of Aklan,[a] is aprovince in theWestern Visayas region of thePhilippines. Its capital and largest town isKalibo. The province is situated in the northwest portion ofPanay Island, borderingAntique to the southwest, andCapiz to the southeast. Aklan faces theSibuyan Sea andRomblon province to the north.
Aklan is most well-known forBoracay, a resort island 0.8 kilometers north of the tip of Panay. It is known for its white sand beaches and is considered one of the more prominent destinations in the country. TheAti-Atihan Festival of Kalibo has also been known worldwide, hence declared "The Mother of all Philippine Festivals." It is an annual celebration held on the third Sunday of January to honor theSanto Niño (Infant Jesus). The festival showcases tribal dancing through the town's main streets to the tune of ethnic music, with participants in indigenous costumes and gear.[4]
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Aklan is believed to have been settled in ancient times by settlers from Borneo, ruled by Datu Bangkaya, with his seat at Madyanos, near present-day Numancia.
Severaldatus succeeded Datu Manduyog until the Spanish explorerMiguel López de Legazpi landed in Batan in 1565 and claimed the island forSpain, in early Spanish accounts it was calledEl Río de Aclán.
In 1942, theJapaneseinvaded Aklan duringWorld War II. In 1945, combined Filipino andAmerican army along with Aklanon guerrillasliberated Aklan during thewar in the Pacific.[citation needed]
Aklan (Akean) became an independent province throughRepublic Act No. 1414 signed by Philippine PresidentRamon Magsaysay on April 25, 1956, separating Aklan fromCapiz.[5] The original towns wereAltavas,Balete,Batan,Banga,Buruanga,Ibajay,Kalibo,Lezo,Libacao,Madalag,Malay,Makato,Malinao,Nabas,New Washington,Numancia, andTangalan, then all part of the province ofCapiz. The province was inaugurated on November 8, 1956. Jose Raz Menez was appointed the first governor of Aklan by President Magsaysay and he served until December 30, 1959.
In 1960, Godofredo P. Ramos became the first elected governor but upon resigning to run for Congress he was succeeded by the vice governor, Virgilio S. Patricio. In 1964, José B. Legaspi succeeded Patricio and he held office for two consecutive terms from 1964 to 1971.[citation needed]
The beginning months of the 1970s had marked a period of turmoil and change in the Philippines, as well as in Aklan.[6][7] During hisbid to be the first Philippine president to be re-elected for a second term, Ferdinand Marcos launched an unprecedented number of foreign debt-funded public works projects. This caused[8][9] the Philippine economy to take a sudden downwards turn known as the1969 Philippine balance of payments crisis, which led to a period of economic difficulty and a significant rise of social unrest.[10][11][12][13]: "43" With only a year left in his last constitutionally allowed term as president, Ferdinand Marcos placed the Philippines underMartial Law in September 1972 and thus retained the position for fourteen more years.[14] This period in Philippine history is remembered for the Marcos administration's record ofhuman rights abuses,[15][16] particularly targeting political opponents, student activists, journalists, religious workers, farmers, and others who fought against the Marcos dictatorship.[17] Aklanons discovered that they could be arrested for even mundane things like being caught possessing a cassette tape of nationalistic songs.[18]
With no way to express their grievances about government abuses after the declaration of Martial law in 1972, many students felt they had no option but to join the underground resistance movement against the dicttorship.[19] Among the most prominent of them were underground movement leaders Antonio "Tonyhil" Hilario, Rolly Lorca, and Antonio Tagamolia, who were killed in a raid inLibacao in February 1974;[20] as well as student journalist Antonio "Diore" Mijares and Baptist Youth organizer Edward Dela Fuente, who were caught, tortured, and killed somewhere inIbajay on Good Friday, April 20, 1984.[21] Some of these figures were later honored by having their names inscribed in the Philippines'Bantayog ng mga Bayani memorial which honors the martyrs and heroes who fought the authoritarian regime.
On Nov. 10, 1978, six years after the declaration ofMartial Law under Ferdinand Marcos, 65 Philippine islands including Boracay was declared "tourist zones and marine reserves" without any mention of the status of the Ati who were the original residents of the island.[22][23] This de facto dispossession of Ati lands on Boracay by Marcos[24] placed the islands under the control of the Philippine Tourism Authority, and marked the beginning of rapid development on the island. In turn, this resulted in the further marginalization of the Boracay Ati for decades.[25]
Aklan was among the provinces affected by theCOVID-19 pandemic in the Philippines, with an overseas Filipino worker who showed symptoms on March 12, 2020 becoming the first "person under investigation" (PUI) in the province.[26]
Aklan occupies the northern third of the island ofPanay and is bordered by the provinces ofCapiz from the southeast andAntique from the southwest. It also faces theSibuyan Sea from the north. The province covers a total area of 1,821.42 square kilometres (703.25 sq mi)[27], and includes the island ofBoracay which is located at its northwestern tip.
Mount Nausang, is formerly the highest peak in Aklan, standing at 5,190 ft (1,580 m), the discovery ofMount Timbaban is much higher, with an elevation of 5,830.1 ft (1,777.0 m) above sea level, Mount Timbaban is not considered as independent mountain, it is still part ofMount Madja-as sub-summit with onlyTopographic prominence peak of 30 m (98 ft) above the isolation from theParent peak. Located 6 km northwest of Mount Nausang and 4.8 km northeast ofMount Madja-as in Antique.Aklan River, is the longestriver in the province with a total length of 91 km (57 mi) long.
The province features high geographic diversity, ranging from white sandy beaches,mangroves and mountainous landscapes. Situated within the province is the riverAkean, which appears unique due to its "boiling or frothing" appearance.
Aklan comprises 17municipalities.[27] The province is divided into two legislative districts for congressional representation.[27]
| Year | Pop. | ±% p.a. |
|---|---|---|
| 1903 | 110,773 | — |
| 1918 | 137,323 | +1.44% |
| 1939 | 176,625 | +1.21% |
| 1948 | 196,982 | +1.22% |
| 1960 | 226,232 | +1.16% |
| 1970 | 263,358 | +1.53% |
| 1975 | 293,349 | +2.19% |
| 1980 | 324,563 | +2.04% |
| 1990 | 380,497 | +1.60% |
| 1995 | 410,539 | +1.43% |
| 2000 | 451,314 | +2.05% |
| 2007 | 495,122 | +1.29% |
| 2010 | 535,725 | +2.91% |
| 2015 | 574,823 | +1.35% |
| 2020 | 615,475 | +1.45% |
| 2024 | 634,422 | +0.73% |
| Source: Philippine Statistics Authority[28][29][29] | ||
The population of Aklan in the 2024 census was 634,422 people,[30] with a density of 350 inhabitants per square kilometre or 910 inhabitants per square mile.
The main inhabitants of the province are theAklanon, who are part of theVisayan ethnic group. Other inhabitants include theNegrito, locally known as theAti and the Sulod, a lesser known tribal group living in the hinterlands of Panay. OtherVisayans also present are theHiligaynon,Karay-a, andCapiznon.
| Ethnicity | Number | |||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Aklanon | 434,869 (96.56%) | |||
| Hiligaynon | 3,375 (0.75%) | |||
| Tagalog | 2,271 (0.50%) | |||
| Kankanaey | 1,281 (0.28%) | |||
| Cebuano | 939 (0.21%) | |||
| Others | 4,816 (1.07%) | |||
| Not Reported | 2,802 (0.62%) | |||
Based on the 2000 census survey,Aklanon accounted for96.56% (434,869) of the provincial population of 450,353. Other ethnic groups in the province were theHiligaynon at0.75% (3,375),Tagalog at0.5% (2,271),Kankanaey at0.28% (1,281), andCebuano at0.21% (939).[31]
The most prominent languages in Aklan areAkeanon and its dialectMalaynon and theBuruanganon language. Aklanon is spoken by a majority of the people, while Malaynon is spoken inMalay and Buruanganon is spoken inBuruanga.Hiligaynon is also widely spoken and understood in the province. Another language used isAti, which is spoken by the tribe of the same name famous for theAti-Atihan festival.Kinaray-a is spoken in the western part of the province borderingAntique.Capiznon is spoken in the eastern part of the province borderingCapiz.Filipino andEnglish are used in administration and business as the national official languages.
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Roman Catholicism is the dominant religion of the people and Christian festivals such asChristmas andLent are regarded with high importance. Meanwhile, Christian icons such as theSanto Niño are regarded as cultural symbols of the people.Animism, however, is still practised by theAti. TheAglipayan Church or the Iglesia Filipina Independiente is the second most predominant religion in the province.
Other religions in the province includeMembers Church of God International (MCGI),[32]Iglesia ni Cristo, andIslam.
The province of Aklan is designated as afirst class province.[27]
Aklan depends on agriculture, withpalay being the top produce in the province. Rice plantations had an area of 42,218 hectares (104,320 acres) (0.39 percent of the total provincial agricultural area).[41]
With the implementation of the Ginintuang Masaganang Ani (GMA) umaru rice production program using the Hybrid rice, production is expected to increase by 15 percent or an average of 10 metric tons per hectare in the succeeding years. However, the problem of low price support for rice still continues to affect the production sector.
In general, Aklan is sufficient in meat and other livestock and poultry products,[41] though in the inventory of livestock and poultry in the year 2000, hog and chicken had a decrease in population from 114,890 heads of hogs and 886,597 heads of chickens in 1999 to 95,950 heads of hogs and 782,820 heads of chicken in the 2000. The decrease in production was attributed to the following factors: high cost of feeds, feed supplements and biologics, livestock and poultry diseases, increasing prices of chicks, and high cost of labor.
Coconuts still occupy the largest area planted among major permanent agriculture crops. The total area planted with coconut is 32,276 hectares (79,760 acres).[41] Ibajay ranks the largest with 4,317 hectares (10,670 acres); followed by Balete with 2,611 hectares (6,450 acres); Banga with umaru 2,314 hectares (5,720 acres); Makato with 2,089 hectares (5,160 acres); and, Altavas with 2,054 hectares (5,080 acres). All the rest of the municipalities have areas below 2,000 hectares (4,900 acres). However, in terms of copra production, Makato ranks number one with 2,770 metric tons per year; next is Balete with 2,669; and Libacao with 2,399. The rest produce less than 2000 metric tons. Total production is 25,375 metric tons annually.
Other crops produced includebananas (Lakatan),mangoes,rambutan, andlanzones, as well as fiber crops such aspiña fiber andabaca.[41]
Fishpond areas had a total area of 7,807.14 hectares (19,291.9 acres).[41] Of the total fishpond areas, 4,512.04162 hectares (11,149.4977 acres) are with Fishpond Lease Agreement (FLA); 138.85672 hectares (343.1224 acres) are with permits; 2,729.02636 hectares (6,743.5710 acres) are on process/application; and, 370.0 hectares (914 acres) are titled.
Aklan is a top producer ofabaca,[42] which are dyed and made into cloths or place mats, bags, wall decor and fans.[41]
Thepiña cloth, considered the "Queen of the Philippine Fabrics", is a prime produce of Kalibo, weaved from its unique crude wooden or bamboo handloom.[41]
Lezo is known for its red clay, used by the natives to make pots, vases and various novelty items.[41]
Elected Officials:
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Aklan is accessible via highways and buses. Buses with routes fromIloilo,Capiz, andAntique connect Aklan with neighboring provinces. TheIloilo–Capiz–Aklan Expressway (ICAEx) is a proposed expressway on the island of Panay that will run fromIloilo City toCaticlan, Malay. A 1.2-kilometre (0.75 mi) limited-access bridge connecting Caticlan toBoracay is also being proposed by theDepartment of Public Works and Highways (DPWH) as part of itsPublic-Private Partnership (PPP) infrastructure projects.[43]
Aklan is famous for Boracay, a resort island 1 kilometre (0.62 mi) north of the tip ofPanay. It is known for its white sandy beaches and is considered one of the most prominent destinations in the Philippines. Because of this, there is frequent air travel to the province's airports inKalibo andCaticlan;Kalibo International Airport itself is about ten minutes from the main plaza. Kalibo Airport serves flights to and fromIncheon inSouth Korea andIrkutsk andKhabarovsk inRussia through international flights served byT'way Air andIrAero.
The following are the airports in Aklan:
The following are the seaports in the province:
Despite the prevalence ofChristianity, native beliefs about theaswang and thebabaylan are still prevalent among the people.Kulam orwitchcraft, locally known asamulit is still feared by many residents.
Two main dishes associated with Aklan and Aklanons areinubaran[44] andbinakol.[45][46]
Inubaran, is aFilipino chicken stew or soup made with chicken cooked with dicedbananapith,coconut milk (gata) orcoconut cream (kakang gata), a souring agent,lemongrass, and various spices. The souring agent (calledaeabihig) is traditionally eitherbatuan fruits (Garcinia morella) orlibas leaves (Spondias pinnata). The name means "[cooked] withubad (banana pith)", not to be confused withubod (palm heart); althoughubod can sometimes be used as a substitute forubad 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 ofginataan.[47][48]
Binakol, also spelled binakoe, is aFilipinochicken soup made from chicken cooked incoconut water with grated coconut,green papaya (orchayote),leafy vegetables, garlic, onion, ginger, lemongrass, andpatis (fish sauce). 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.[49][50]
Linapay also known astinamuk, is a dish related toLaing but from Aklan in theWestern Visayas. It is made from pounded freshwater shrimp (ueang) mixed withgawud (grated young coconut meat) and wrapped with taro leaves (gutaw) and cooked in coconut milk.[48]
The province is known for its festivities which includes theAti-Atihan festival in Kalibo.[51] Originally, the festival was to celebrate the treaty between the Ati and the Malayan tribes who settled on the Island. The Ati live in the mountain regions and the Malay people in the flatlands or close to the water. The festivity begins in the dry season, at which time the Ati come down from the mountains to trade and celebrate with the Malayan tribes. When the Spaniards settled in the region and converted the Malays to their Christian religion, they asked the Malays to celebrate this festivity to coincide with theFeast of the Santo Niño (Holy Child) which is usually held during the third week of January.
TheAti-Atihan Festival is a feast held annually in honor of theSanto Niño (Infant Jesus), held on the third Sunday of January in the town ofKalibo, Aklan, Philippines, on the island ofPanay. It originally came fromBatan, Aklan, then was adopted later by some neighboring towns. The nameAti-Atihan means "to be like Atis" or "to make believe Atis", the local name for theAeta aborigines who first settled in Panay Island and other parts of the archipelago.
The festival consists of tribal dance, music, accompanied by indigenous costumes and weapons, and a parade along the street. Christians and non-Christians observe this day with religious processions. It has inspired many other Philippine Festivals including theSinulog Festival ofCebu City andDinagyang ofIloilo City, both adaptations of the Kalibo's Ati-Atihan Festival, and legally holds the title "The Mother of All Philippine Festivals", being the oldest festival in the Philippines and in spite of the other Sinulog and Dinagyang festivals' claims of the same title.
The costumes worn at the festival are patterned after African tribal designs like those seen at theRio Carnival inRio de Janeiro,Brazil.
A 1200 A.D. event explains the origins of the festival. A group of 10Malay chieftains calledDatus, fleeing from the island ofBorneo settled in the Philippines, and were granted settlement by theAti people, the tribes ofPanay Island. Datu Puti made a trade with the natives and bought the plains for a golden salakot, brass basins and bales of cloth. They gave a very long necklace to the wife of the Ati chieftain. Feasting and festivities followed soon after.
Some time later, the Ati people were struggling with famine as the result of a bad harvest. They were forced to descend from their mountain village into the settlement below, to seek the generosity of the people who now lived there. TheDatus obliged and gave them food. In return, the Ati danced and sang for them, grateful for the gifts they had been given.
The festivity was originally a pagan festival from this tribe practicing Animism, and their worshiping theiranito god.Spanish missionaries gradually added a Christian meaning. Today, the Ati-Atihan is celebrated as a religious festival.
In 2012, theNational Commission for Culture and the Arts (NCCA) and the ICHCAP ofUNESCO publishedPinagmulan: Enumeration from the Philippine Inventory of Intangible Cultural Heritage. The first edition of theUNESCO-backed book included theAti-atihan Festival, signifying its great importance to Philippine intangible cultural heritage. The local government of Aklan, in cooperation with the NCCA, was given the right to nominate the Ati-atihan Festival in theUNESCO Intangible Cultural Heritage Lists.
The people attend masses forSanto Niño, and benefit dances sponsored by government organizations. The formal opening mass emphasizes the festival's religious event. The procession begins with a rhythmic drumbeats, and dances parading along the streets. The second day begins at dawn with a rosary procession, which ends with a community mass, and procession. The phrase "Hala Bira! Pwera Pasma!" is originally associated with the Sto. Nino Ati-Atihan Festival as the revelers and devotees keep on going with the festivities all over the town from morning to the wee hours of the next morning, rain or shine, for one week or even more. They believe that the miraculous Child Jesus will protect them from harm and illness. The highlight of the festival occurs on the third Saturday of January, when groups representing different tribes compete for tourists' attention and prizes. The festival ends with a procession of thousands of people carrying torches and different kinds of images of Santo Niño on the third Sunday. The contest winners are announced at a masquerade ball which officially ends the festival.
Bariw Festival is a unique festival showcasing the skills of every Nabasnon in weaving bags, mats and hats made ofbariw leaves – the prospering livelihood in the municipality. It is highlighted by the dance performances of local talent and ingenuity to the beat of the drums and indigenous rhythms celebrated every May 14 of the year.
Bugna Festival is a festival showcasing the different locally produced products and eco-tourism destinations of Tangalan like the marine sanctuary and coral garden, Afga Point, Campo Verde, Jawili Falls, Bughawi beach and reforestation project every May 16 of the year.
Kali-Ugyon Festival (kali stands for Kalipayan or happiness andUgyon meaning "unity"). This is the festival celebrated in Libacao every December 30 to January 1, costumed in modern and indigenous outfits bringing people together on the streets for merry-making and to drive away evil spirits in the coming New Year.
Aklanons are known for their literature, which includes the epic ofKalantiao. Certain Aklanons, such as Melchor F. Cichon,Roman Aguirre, have produced several notable literary works in the province.
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Aklan is the home of the Regional Science High School for Region VI (RSHS-VI), one of the specialized system of public secondary schools in the Philippines.
Several speciesendemic to thePhilippines are found in the province. Examples includeendangered animals such thePhilippine spotted deer (Cervus alfredi), theVisayan warty pig (Sus cebifrons), and theVisayan hornbill (Penelopides panini). As of 2007, conservation efforts are being made by theAklan State University and theDENR with varying success. Three mangrove species are in the World's Red List namelyAvicennia rumphiana (Vulnerable),Ceriops decandra (Nearly Threatened) andCamptostemon philippinense (Endangered) are documented in the forest ofIbajay, Aklan.
This article incorporates text from this source, which is in thepublic domain.KALIBO, Aklan – The province of Aklan continues to be one of the country's top 10 abaca producers, according to Aklan Governor Carlito S. Marquez. Abaca fiber production in Aklan also rose by 50.89 percent in 2011, which reached 1,874,691 kilograms in 2011, with an estimated value of P75 million. Production in 2010 was 1,242,344 kilograms.
Media related toAklan at Wikimedia Commons
Aklan travel guide from Wikivoyage
Geographic data related toAklan atOpenStreetMapPlaces adjacent to Aklan | |
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 Province ofAklan | |
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Kalibo (capital and largest municipality) | |
| Municipalities | |
| International | |
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