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| Museo it Akean, Kalibo, Aklan |
Museo it Akean
Kalibo is Aklan’s capital municipality. How the town got its name calls for a number of stories, but the one with some backing is the story about the “baptism of the thousand.”
In 1569, when Spanish conquistadors Miguel Lopez de Legazpi and his grandson Juan de Salcedo were in Panay, the Ati natives sought their help to drive away the marauding tribes of the neighboring Mindoro Island, to which they emerged victorious.
Alongside their triumph over the Ati’s aggressors, Christianity, which the conquistadors brought in with them, also won the souls of the natives when they were subsequently converted and baptized—the Christianization of a thousand Atis whence the name Calivo, from the Aklanon phrase “sanka libo,” meaning “one thousand,” was derived.
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| "Calivo" painting displayed at Museo it Akean |
A painting depicting this historic moment is displayed on the mezzanine of the main staircase of Kalibo’s local museum, Museo it Akean (Museum of Aklan).
The museum is housed in a two-story edifice that the Spanish authorities built in 1882. Then called Escuelahan it Hari (King’s School), which was a school house serving Kalibo and the adjacent town’s populace, the building served different functions over the decades, including a garrison during the war, before it became the Museo in 1980.
Touring around, when we reached Museo’s topmost floor, one of the staff suggested that he take a picture of me with the protruding rear of the pediment, where the building’s flagpole sits atop. “That (pediment), Sir, is the only surviving portion of this building,” he pointed out as he narrated about the earthquake in the mid-1980s that wrecked the century-old structure.
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| The author at the only surviving portion of the original building |
Within the walls of the historical building, one would learn everything about the province of Aklan: its geography, colonial and pre-colonial history (both the factual and those proven by scholars to be fabricated), its people, Aklanon cuisine, arts, and cultural heritage, the province’s social achievements, the local crafts, and the economy. Museo it Akean also highlights Kalibo's tourism industry.
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| Narrative displays inside Museo it Akean |
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| Artworks and other artifacts inside the museum |
Where I started the day of touring the town was where I gained information about where to go, what to experience, where to eat, and whether a local delicacy was in season or not during the time of my visit.
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| Artifacts at the second floor of the museum |
Pastrana Park, Notable Aklanons
Statues of national heroes, Jose Rizal and Andres Bonifacio, are both staple sights in town centers across the Philippines. They either stand in local government halls or amidst public squares. But in Kalibo’s extensive Pastrana Park, a pensive Rizal and a valiant Bonifacio got company, because the plaza is also home to the monuments of some Aklanons (or Akeanons, in the local dialect) who were significant figures in their fields during their respective eras.
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| Expanse of Pastrana Park and Kalibo Cathedral behind |
Gabriel M. Reyes, a Kalibo native born in 1892, was the first-ever Filipino Archbishop of Manila. He assumed the post in 1949 after the death of Michael James O’Doherty, the Irish prelate who held the office for the longest period of 33 years. Following a lengthy list of Spanish bishops before them, Reyes was Manila archbishop until his death in 1952. He was 60.
The non-government organization that manages Museo it Akean is named after Reyes. His monument is a historical marker unveiled in the park in March 2022 by the National Historical Commission of the Philippines (NHCP).
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| Gabriel Reyes monument |
Few steps from the Garbiel M. Reyes marker, two freedom fighters from World War II stand guard by the town’s WWII Veterans Monument—an obelisk which is also a common sight in historical plazas around the country. Capt. Gil Meñez Mijares and Col. Pastor C. Martelino were Aklanon war heroes who never wavered from the fight against the Japanese enemies. As a result, they both died a slow, painful death because of their adamant commitment to the nation during the dark times of Second World War.
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| Pastor Martelino monument | Gil Mijares monument |
Back inside the Museo, alongside Reyes, Martelino and Mijares are other notable Aklanons featured in the galleries. Jaime Lachica Sin, a Catholic prelate like Reyes and one of the leading personalities during the 1986 People Power Revolution, was born in New Washington, the town next to Kalibo. Cardinal Sin, as he was widely known, was both a key figure in the historic people power rallies of 1986 and 2001, which overthrew the presidencies of Ferdinand Marcos Sr. and Joseph Estrada respectively. He was the Archbishop of Manila during both times of political crisis in the Philippines.
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| Jaime Cardinal Sin |
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| Godofredo P. Ramos, "The Father of Aklan" |
The Spaniards evacuated Kalibo in late December 1898. After just a few months, battles again ensued when the Americans invaded Panay Island. When the Americans took over in 1901, a civil government in Capiz, which included Aklan as one of its districts, was established. Aklan formed part of Capiz until 1956, when then President Ramon Magsaysay signed the law which created the Province of Aklan. Its author, Godofredo P. Ramos, who also served as Aklan’s governor and later, an Appellate Judge, was regarded as the “Father of Aklan.” To the unfamiliar, Ramos may somehow ring a bell because Caticlan Airport, the nearest gateway to Boracay, is officially named after him.
Visit Aklan's museum
Address: 11 Martelino St, Kalibo, Aklan
Opens: Monday-Friday, 8:00AM - 4:00PM
Entrance Fee:
- Adults - Php 50.00
- Students, Sr. Citizens and PWDs - Php 20.00
- Foreign Tourists - USD 1.00
Contact: (036) 268 9260 / Museo it Akean (Facebook page)
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