Kalibo celebrates historic 2nd founding day
BY BOY RYAN B. ZABAL

KALIBO, Aklan – Mayor Raymar Rebaldo led the local government in the historic celebration marking its 2nd founding day as a highly urbanized town of the province yesterday.
Rebaldo said “one of the compelling episodes in the history of this town is the search for its own identity where it started during the resistance of the invasion of Spaniards.”
“The discovery of our town’s identity and our second celebration is a very much welcome development in the history and identity of this capital town. It is perhaps fitting we boldly venture into a new horizon of progress and development through eco-tourism and other aspects that have proven so effective in the past,” he stressed.
A thanksgiving mass in the morning was held at St. John the Baptist Cathedral officiated by Kalibo Bishop Jose Romeo Lazo, a civic parade in the major streets by government employees and barangay leaders and the unveiling of historical markers of Capt. Gil M. Mijares and Col. Pastor C. Martelino in Brgy. New Buswang, by the National Historical Institute highlighted the historic event.
A spelling bee for high school students, drum and lyre/bugle corps exhibition, boxing at the park and awarding of the town’s Outstanding Katarungang Pambarangay culminated the celebration of the town’s founding day.
Aklan Gov. Carlito Marquez also graced the founding day program in Kalibo Pastrana Park yesterday along with elected local and barangay officials.
The declaration of November 3, 1571 as foundation day was part of the research output of Professor John Barrios of the Kalibo Council for Culture and the Arts (KCCA) by virtue of an Executive Order No. 25, series of 2004 by Mayor Rebaldo to ascertain the date when this town was first established.

"The date November 3, 1571, as it appeared in the notarized Spanish document dated June 2, 1576, was the first written date relating to the Spanish colonial administration in Aclan/Calivo under the encomienda system instituted by the first Governor and Captain - General Miguel Lopez de Legazpi,” he said.

In his output research entitled “Calivo: The Founding of a Town,” Barrios also spelled out that “although Juan Fernandez’ Monogratias de los Pueblos de la Isla Panay points to 1581 as foundation year of Kalibo, investigation would reveal that it was only the date of acceptance of the Agustinian fathers of the convent of Aclan and its respective visitas.”

“The research output of Barrios is as close to reality based on the chronology of events considering that the natives were christianized in 1569 and it is logical that three years later, in 1571, Kalibo was founded through an encomienda grant to Antonio Flores,” said Roman De la Cruz, a noted historian and artist.
Last October 6, 2005, the local government of Kalibo enacted Ordinance No. 2005-049 declaring November 3, 1571 as Foundation Day and instituting the celebration of Kalibo Day every November 3.
The founding year 1581 appearing in the original seal of Kalibo or April 22, 1581 actually pointed to the date of acceptance of the Augustinian Fathers of the Convent of Aclan and its respective visitas./