2012 Kalibo Ati festival activities bared – Kasafi
BY BOY RYAN B. ZABAL

KALIBO, Aklan – Various activities are scheduled by the Kalibo Sto.Nino Ati-Atihan Foundation, Inc. (Kasafi) to lure thousands of tourists and devotees for next year’s festival.

Lilibeth Goboy, Kasafi vice president and chairperson for marketing and promotions, bared the plans during the courtesy call of the foundation with Kalibo Bishop Most Rev. Jose Corazon Tala-oc on Thursday afternoon.

Goboy said the Ati-Atihan festival will start on January 9 until January 15, 2012. She stressed that the Kasafi has identified four major areas for the festivities to attract more visitors.

A must-see venue is the Kalibo Magsaysay Park which will accommodate food stalls and nightly merrymaking of bands and entertainment for the weeklong festival.

“The streets all around Kalibo during the festival are the ideal place for merrymaking, dancing and partying. The streets, as expected, are full of tribes, devotees and guests gyrating to the beat of the drums,” she said.

The flea market for entrepreneurs at the Veterans Avenue is an alternative venue to decongest the traffic in the streets around Pastrana Park and Kalibo Shopping Center.

This will be handled by the local government of Kalibo through its Municipal Economic Enterprise Development Office (MEEDO).

Activities of the festival in the historic Kalibo Pastrana Park include the Product Showcase of the local handicrafts made of pina and abaca, nito and processed food products and the garden show participated in by world-class exhibitors.

The Kalibo Ati-Atihan Tourism Council (KATC) will also manage the ‘Kaean-an sa Plaza’ where food stalls will display an array of Aklanon delicacies and food.
The competition of drums and lyres corps of the different schools will be open to the public on January 10, 2012.

On January 11, the Sadsad Panaad of schools and colleges will take centerstage with costumes and float. The provincial government of Aklan will also showcased the annual Aklan Festivals Parade and Higante contest of the 17 municipalities on January 12.

According to Goboy, the Kasafi chaired by Alber Menez has added more exciting activities in the festival such as ‘Sponsors Day’ to allow the sponsors to parade their mascots and higantes and the ‘Higante Party’ for the children, families and guests in the Kalibo Pastrana Park.

“The Ati-Ati of the big and small tribes, Balik-Ati and modern group is on January 14 for the judging. This is the most exciting and rewarding moments for photo opportunities and Ati-Atihan festival experience where everybody can join and dance with the tribes,” Goboy added.

On Sunday, the pilgrimage field mass is scheduled at the Kalibo Pastrana Park followed by the religious procession of Sto. Nino images in the afternoon.

“The scheduled activities will be done with proper planning and coordination of Kasafi, the municipal government and other stakeholders coupled with the prayers and devotion to our dear Sto. Nino,” she concluded.