Asian Spirit inaugurates flights to Kalibo as Ati festival starts

KALIBO, Aklan — This town will again be the scene of the yearly Ati-Atihan celebration in honor of Sto. Niño.

It is so-called because Kalibo natives, domestic and foreign tourists masquerading as Negritos imitate aboriginal dances on streets around the town plaza and provincial sports complex in a many-hour affair, the biggest, noisiest and rowdiest in the country. A church ritual ends the festival.

The "Ati-Atihan" festivities features sounds of musical instruments such as bugles, trumpets, drums and xylophones reigning as dancers snake down the main thoroughfares here singing "Happy Days Are Here Again" in chorus. Others, young and old, chant "Viva Kay Señor Sto. Niño" and "Hala Bira, Pwera Pasma".

Aklan Gov. Carlito "Lito" Marquez, together with Rep. Florencio Miraflores, Vice Gov. Ronquilio Tolentino and Kalibo Mayor Raymar Rebaldo said everybody is welcome to Aklan and join the festival which culminates on Sunday, Jan. 15, coinciding with the Feast of Sto. Niño (Holy Child).

Gov. Marquez said, however, that at this time "accommodations turned out to be a problem, as all hotels, lodging houses, inns here and the nearby New Washington town are all fully booked."

The municipal government here used to allow the public specially the backpacking tourists to put up tents at the town plaza, which is at the heart of Barangay Poblacion here. But in this year’s celebration, there was no assurance government authorities would allow them to put up tents.

Peaks of the twin celebrations will be this Saturday and Sunday.

Among those invited to grace the "Ati-Atihan" and "Sto. Niño" celebrations were local and national government officials led by President Gloria Macapagal Arroyo.

Schedule of important events include: the "Mutya It Kalibo Ati-Atihan Beauty Pageant and Coronation"; "Balikbayan and Asi-Piña Moda fashion show," on Jan. 13 and the Governor’s Night on Jan. 14.

Winning "Ati" dance groups shall be chosen on the basis of originality of their costumes and shall receive valuable prizes.

Also on Saturday, there will be a "blessing" rites for children at the Kalibo cathedral, and traditional honor for the blessed Sto. Niño to be officiated by the Bishop of Kalibo.

On Jan. 15 (Sunday), the culminating day, there will be a torch parade and procession in Kalibo’s main streets. Hundreds of Sto. Niño images would be carried by devotees as they ask for special and personal favors from the Holy Child.

Meanwhile, Asian Spirit, the country’s fourth flag carrier, inaugurated its maiden flight to Kalibo yesterday, in time for the weekend highlight of this year’s Ati-Atihan festival celebration.

The airline’s inaugural flight can be termed timely as droves of local and foreign visitors started to pour into Kalibo for the celebration of the most popular Sto. Niño festival in the country.

The Asian Spirit at present flies to 24 other destinations in the country. It is also the favorite airline of tourists going to the world-famous beach resort of Boracay. The airline started in 1996 when it opened the gateway to Boracay Island by offering regular flights to Caticlan airport of Boracay using 47-seater planes.

Pioneering flights to secondary and feeder airports followed. Asian Spirit opened major hubs to bridge small and often overlooked potential tourist destinations. By the year 2000, the airline received a congressional franchise that made it the country’s 4th flag carrier. After that, it rapidly expanded its domestic services.

Asian Spirit currently operates a fleet of 14 airplanes, a major accomplishment for an airline that started as a small employee cooperative.