Kasafi to attend Kalibo legislative council session

BY BOY RYAN B. ZABAL

KALIBO, Aklan - Local legislators here have invited the Kalibo Sto. Nino Ati-Atihan Foundation Inc. (Kasafi) to formally submit the 2011 Ati-Atihan festival report on Thursday afternoon.

Festival organizer chairman Albert Menez said he will present to the council led by Vice mayor Madeline Regalado the accomplishments of Kasafi in organizing the centuries-old Ati-Atihan festival in honor of Senor Sto. Nino.

"This is also an opportune time for Kasafi officers to lobby for the renewal of the Memorandum of Agreement between the local government of Kalibo and Kasafi for the upcoming events," he said.

Kasafi, actually, reported to the public the financial status and the results of the 2011 Kalibo Ati-Atihan festival activities during the January 26 press conference and cocktail party with the sponsors and the local media.

The weeklong festival from January 10 to 16 this year generated a net income of P1.8-million, mostly from donations and sponsorhips from individuals, corporations, government agencies and companies.

Kasafi also convened the Ati tribes in the modern, Balik Ati and Tribal categories on February 5 for a post-festivity evaluation meeting. The affair was attended by Kalibo mayor William Lachica, who personally thanked the tribes for their impressive performance in the Ati-Atihan festival.

A week after at Cafe Latte, Kasafi officers and committee chairpersons also held an overall assessment of the Ati-Atihan activities initiated by Kasafi.

Meanwhile, Menez said the Kasafi is willing to put up a gallery in partnership with the local government of Kalibo to showcase the evolution of the famous Ati-Atihan festival to the rest of the world.

As a partner for tourism development, the Kalibo tourism office also tapped the Kasafi in the municipal government's preparation of XIX Martyrs celebration on March 23.