Ati-atihan Festival of Aklan

The Ati-Atihan Festival is a feast held annually in January in honor of the Santo Niño (Infant Jesus), concluding on the third Sunday, in the island and town of Kalibo, Aklan in the Philippines. The festival consists of tribal dance, music, accompanied by indigenous costumes and weapons, and parade along the street. Christians, and non-Christians observe this day with religious processions.
History

A 13th century (c.1200 A.D.) event explains the origins of the festival. A group of 10 Malay chieftains called Datus, fleeing from the island of Borneo settled in the Philippines, and were granted settlement by the Ati people, the tribes of Panay Island. The Ati-Atihan was originally a pagan festival from this tribe practicing Animism, and their worshiping their anito god. Spanish missionaries gradually added a Christian meaning. Today, the Ati-Atihan is celebrated as a religious festival..

The people attend masses for the Santo 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 street. The second day begins at dawn with a rosary procession, which ends with a community mass, and procession. The highlight of the festival occurs on the last day, when groups representing different tribes compete. The festival ends with a procession of priest carrying torches, and different images of the Santo Niño. The contest winners are announced at a masquerade ball which officially ends the festival.

Other festivals held in the region include.

Dinagyang of Iloilo, Halaran of Capiz, Binirayan of Antique ,MassKara of Bacolod and
Biniray Festival of Romblon, Romblon.

Note: This is No.3 on a series of articles on Philippines Festivals and Fiestas

Sinulog Festival of Cebu

The Sinulog is an annual festival held on the third Sunday of January in Cebu City, Philippines. The festival honors the vision of the child Jesus, known as the Santo Niño (Holy Child),who used to be the patron Saint of the City of Cebu (since in the Catholic faith Jesus is not a saint, but God). It is a dance ritual that commemorates the Cebuano people's Islamic and pagan origin, and their acceptance of Roman Catholicism.
The festival features a street parade with participants in bright colored costumes dancing to the rhythm of drums, trumpets and native gongs. Smaller versions of the festival are held in various parts of the province, also to celebrate and honor the Santo Niño. There is also a "Sinulog sa Kabataan" performed by the youths of Cebu a week before the parade. Recently, the festival has been promoted as a tourist attraction, with a contest featuring contingents from various parts of the country. The Sinulog Contest is usually held in the Cebu City Sports Complex.

The Sinulog celebration lasts for nine days, culminating on the final day with the Sinulog Grand Parade. The day before the parade, the Fluvial Procession is held at dawn with a statue of the Santo Niño carried on a pump boat from Mandaue City to Cebu City, decked with hundreds of flowers and candles. The procession ends at the Basilica where a re-enactment of the Christianizing (that is, the acceptance of Roman Catholicism) of Cebu is performed. In the afternoon, a more solemn procession takes place along the major streets of the city, which last for hours due to large crowd participating in the event. It is noted that excessive alcohol consumption is commonly observed at this event. On the feast day at the Basilica del Santo Niño church, a Pontifical Mass is celebrated by the Cardinal with the assistance of several bishops of Cebu. Most devotees go to the Basilica to attend the mass before heading out to the streets to watch the parade.

The word Sinulog comes from the Cebuano adverb sulog which is "like water current movement," which describes the forward-backward movement of the Sinulog dance. The dance consists of two steps forward and one step backward, done to the sound of drums. The dance is categorized into Sinulog-base, Free-Interpretation. Candle vendors at the Basilica continue to perform the traditional version of the dance when lighting a candle for the customer, usually accompanied by songs in the native language.

The Sinulog dance steps were believed to originate from Rajah Humabon's adviser, Baladhay. It was during Humabon's grief when Baladhay was driven sick. He then ordered his native tribe to bring Baladhay into a chapel where the Santo Niño was enthroned. Moments later, surprisingly, Baldhay was heard shouting and was found dancing with outmost alertness. Baladhay was questioned as to whether why was he awake and was shouting. Baladhay explained that he found a small child, pointing to the image of the Santo Niño, on top of him and trying to wake him up. He, at great astonishment, scared the child away by shouting but couldn't explain why he was dancing the movements of the river. Up to this day, the two-steps forward, and the one-step backward movement dance is still used by the Santo Niño devotees believing that it was the Santo Niño's choice to have Baladhay dance.

Note: This is No.2 on a series of articles on Philippine Festivals and Fiestas

Pintados and Kasadya-an Festival, Leyte

The Pintados Festival is a cultural-religious celebration in Tacloban, Leyte based on the body-painting traditions of the ancient tattooed "pintados" warriors. In 1986,the Pintados Foundation, Inc. was formed by the people of Tacloban to organize this festival in honor of Sr. Santo Niño. It was merged with the Kasadyaan Festival, a brainchild of former Leyte Governor Remedios "Matin" Petilla, years later. It is always held on JUNE 30. This fiesta is similar to the Ati-atihan of Aklan, the Sinulog of Cebu and the Dinagyang of Iloilo. Have you attended any one out of the four festivals in this post?
Ati-atihan Festival in Aklan, Sinulog of Cebu and Dinagyang of Iloilo




Note: This is No 1 on a series of articles on Festivals and Fiestas in the Philippines.

Latest Videos of Bellarocca Resort and Spa, Marinduque

Located between the southeastern portion of Luzon and Mindoro islands, Marinduque province is flanked from four sides: North, South, Northeast and Southwest by the Tayabas Bay, Sibuyan Sea, Mompoy Bay and Tayabas Strait, respectively.
Bellarocca Island is situated off the south west coast of the Marinduque, characterized by seaside cliffs, valleys, hills, plains and, upcountry, hot springs, waterfalls and underwater flora and fauna. Aimed at integrating leisure resort operations with a holistic wellness facility, Bellarocca features a total of 69 accommodations designed with relaxation and luxury in mind. Bellarocca offers fresh and modern accommodation spaces beautifully appointed in classic Mediterranean architecture fused with local cultural flavors and influences.

Bellarocca from Pretentious on Vimeo.

Discerning travellers in search of their next unexplored destination need to look no further than the Philippine Islands. With its white Santorini-inspired architecture on rolling terrain contrasted with the azure blue of the sky above and the clear water below, Bellarocca Island Resort and Spa offers a fantastic experience unlike any other place in the Philippines and across South-East Asia.

An integrated resort, spa and lifestyle island destination, Bellarocca opened its doors to the public last February 2009 and is now full operations since the last quarter of 2010.

Note: This is No.5 of the series of articles on beach resorts in the Philippines.

Boracay, Aklan-Regency Hotel and Convention Center

This series of articles about Philippines beaches will not be complete if I do not write about a beach resort in Boracay. There must be more than 100 beach resorts, hotels, boarding rooms and other accommodations (condos, private homes, apartments)in this most popular beach resort in Southeast Asia ranging from 1 star to 5 stars.

I have visited Boracay only once in the mid 1990's, but Macrine has been to Boracay two times. Her first time was with me and the second time was with our 4 adult children and three grand children from California in 2007. They stayed at the Regency Beach Resort and Convention Center, a 4-star hotel. They had a grand time and were very please with their accommodation and experience at the Regency.

In my case, I swear I will never visit Boracay again because of the crowds and circus atmosphere of the island. To me, a beach vacation must be quite, peaceful and a lot of solitude, not night clubs, crowds and mayhem. The following video shows both the commercial and non-commercial side of the island.


Boracay is an island of the Philippines located approximately 315 km (200 miles) south of Manila and 2 km off the northwest tip of Panay Island in the Western Visayas region of the Philippines. In 1990, it was voted by the BMW Tropical Beach Handbook as one of the best beaches in the world and again in 1996 by British publication TV Quick as the world's number one tropical beach.

The island comprises the barangays of Manoc-Manoc, Balabag, and Yapak (3 of the 17 barangays which make up the municipality of Malay), and is under the administrative control of the Philippine Tourism Authority in coordination with the Provincial Government of Aklan. The island was originally home to the Ati tribe. Boracay is part of Aklan Province, which became an independent province on April 25, 1956.

Years ago, Boracay Island was an almost possessively guarded secret so that only a few knew of its existence. Tourism only began to develop in the 1970s, when, it is said, a foreign movie crew accidentally "discovered" this island paradise. Others maintain that it was the German traveler, 'Jens Peters' book, which included rave reviews of Boracay that changed the island’s pace from that of being a quiet secret to eventually being voted as having the best beach in the world. Whichever story is true, it was around this time that Boracay Island slowly ceased to be a private hangout for travelers. In the 1980s, the island became popular with backpackers. Since then, Boracay has gradually become more and more a cosmopolitan tourism destination and, in the 21st century has become, one of the major tourist destinations in the Philippines.


Note: This is No.4 of the series of articles on beaches in the Philippines that have attracted my attention.

Lagen Island Resort, El Nido, Palawan

The Philippines has a lot of great tourist places to offer foreigners. From it’s great flora and fauna to the great marine life. However the best things that Philippines have to offer are the beautiful beaches. The beaches in the Philippines offer great white sands. If you want to go to a beach where there are lots of people where you can interact with, Boracay is the place to go. If you want to go to a very secluded place just away from it all the beaches in Palawan are best suited for you.
El Nido is a place in Palawan (south western province in the Philippines) that offers a great way to relax without too many people. El Nido is a municipality that is found on the north western tip of Palawan. It is 240 kilometers north-west of Puerto Princesa City, (Palawan's capital) and 430 kilometers south-west of Manila.

They have the same quality of beaches that can be found in the famous Boracay. El Nido has been declared a protected area because of its geology and diverse wildlife.

The fastest and best way to go to El Nido is from Manila. You can catch a plane flight from the Island Transvoyager Inc. They have daily flights using a Dornier 228 aircraft that is capable to seat 19 people. The travel time from Manila is only an hour and thirty minutes. You will land directly at El Nido’s airport.

The trip will be made much effortless because the plane reservations can be made by the resort you choose. After arriving at the airport, you will be met by the resort’s staff. They will then transfer you to a motorized outrigger boat that will take you for a scenic ride going to the resort. It will then take you another 30 to 40 minutes riding the boats to arrive to the resorts itself.


The two resorts that the tourist can go to El Nido are Lagen Island and Miniloc Resorts. Lagen Island is a set in a cove that is fringed by a lush forest that gives you an experience of being in a tropical hideaway. It is the most luxurious resort in the area. While Miniloc Island Set in a cove surrounded by sheer limestone cliffs. Miniloc resort provides the guest with beach lined with coconut trees that has fine white sand, Thatched-roof cottages made from local materials, and clear waters full of marine life.

One of the things that concerns tourist to go Palawan is the security. Because of past events that some people have been taken away by terrorist groups, people have become afraid to visit the island. In truth, the place is a very safe place and has very well security measures now. El Nido resorts have very strict security because their securities are working hand in hand with the military and national police forces of the Philippine government. As a disclaimer, I can not guarentee your safety to Palawan as of this writing date ( see travel warning to the Philippines)


Note: This is No.3 of a series of articles on Beach Resorts in the Philippines that attracted my attention. .