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First of the festivals
a singular battle cry:
“Hala bira, pwera
pasma! Viva Santo Niño!”
(rough
translation: “Go get ’em, nobody gets
tired! Long live the Santo Niño!”).
The Ati-atihan tradition remains
strong despite the passage of
centuries, yet today’s Kalibonon
celebrate with their own modern
twist. These days, it’s a mardi gras of
outlandish getups bearing everything
from native
abaka
ropes and
capiz
shells to plastic sheets, mirrors and
even neon tubes. While most Ati
groups stick to the “tribal warrior”
theme (shields, spears, flashy armor
and all) others prefer a decidedly
unconventional motif (think clowns,
cross-dressers and just about
everything in between).
Perhaps they see the Holy Child as
an excuse to party like kids and they
really do, albeit in a manly sort of way.
From sun up to sundown, they shake,
bake and shuffle around town, guided
by the pounding drumbeats. They
make their way to the old church and
in seeming disrespect charge right in,
tom-toms, liquor and noise included.
It’s not as easy as you might think.
Dancing tipsy all day in the tropical
sun might be a lot of fun, but it does
entail its own hardships. Moreover,
they say that doing the
pasadsad
—
that rhythmic shuffling walk that all
Kalibonons knowwell — is a prayer in
itself and that chugging alcohol while
doing it helps keep your stamina up.
“The liquor is also part of the
tradition. It’s okay as long as they
don’t drink too much of it,” says the
town’s parish priest. The Ati-atihan’s
detractors point to the heavy alcohol
consumption as an unsavory aspect
of the occasion but many regular
festival-goers, from all corners of the
country and abroad, see the boozing
as an innocuous practice.
The merriment is at its most
colorful during the grand Ati-atihan
contest, when “Ati tribes” from
throughout Kalibo try to outdo one
another in their classic warrior
getups. It doesn’t take much effort
to find them: just follow the TV
crews and the photographers. The
competition is fierce and the awards
From sun up to sundown,
festival dancers shake,
bake and shuffle around
town, guided by the
pounding drumbeats
The Sunday night torchlight
parade through the streets of
Kalibo is when the merrymaking
is at its wildest, with fireworks,
bands, costumed Ati and painted
revelers all out in full force
Tribu Tiis Tiis is one of
over 20 Ati-atihan “tribes”
that compete annually for
the best costume award
