By LM CeraldeÂ
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       The AKLAN HERITAGE TOUR is the first of its kind half-day sit-in-coach tour of the town of Kalibo, the major gateway to the island of Boracay.   The tour was developed to provide an opportunity for tourists to extend their stay in this island paradise  and gives visitors the chance to see more of the cultural and historical side of their Boracay vacation. Industry-wise, the tour aims to generate more income for resorts, tour operators and travel agents as well as to the local community and to the townspeople who derive their livelihood from tourism-related activities.Â
      The tour begins with a visit to the St. John the Baptist Cathedral. Scant records show that the church was first built in 1581 in the old section of town,  totally different from its current location. Succeeding renovations came due to natural calamities and war the latest of which was in 1997. Historical records also show that as early as 1569, the Catholic faith was brought to Aklan by the Augustinian Friars. By 1570, Martin de Goiti landed in Batan and from there secured the entire island of Panay under Spanish rule until the Philippine Revolution of 1896. On April 21, 1581, Kalibo was canonically erected as a parish under the patronage of St. John the Baptist. The parish then comprised the entire province of Aklan and the towns of Sapian and Ibisan of Capiz. In that same year, Kalibo became a principal house of the Augustinian Order. It wan only in 1976 that Kalibo became a Diocese  and on June 24, 1991 the St. John the Baptist Cathedral was officially declared the Diocesian Shrine of the Holy Child Â
      The cathedral is the main center of activities during the annual Ati-atihan festival - the oldest religious festival in the country and draws thousands of  tourists all over the world every third week of January to honor the “Sto. Nino†or Child Jesus. The festival itself begins 9 days before the Sunday highlight and is marked by   devotees of the “Santo Niňo†and  “Ati†tribes covered in soot and colorful costumes doing the traditional “sadsad†or street dancing to the tune of drums and whistles.Â
      Next on the itinerary is the “Museo It Akean†(Akeanon Museum) housed in a renovated 19th century “escuela†or old school building near the town plaza and just across the cathedral.   The museum boasts of an excellent collection of artifacts, heirlooms and church relics representative of Akean history and culture.     On the second floor of the museum is an art gallery showcasing the talents of local artists as well as a souvenir shop for locally made items. Some of the more interesting pieces that could be found in the museum are the centuries old church bell dating back to the 16th century and  an authentic ati-atihan costume complete with headdress, adornments and spear and shield. The Museum has its own curator who runs the museum  and would proudly take one around while explaining Aklan’s history and culture.Â
      Last stop is the Piña Weaving and Heritage Center which showcases the centuries old tradition of piña weaving that made Aklan famous.  Once considered a dying tradition due to the intensive manual labor involved in producing the delicate piña fibers and weaving them by hand on wooden looms which would take 3 to 6 months just to finish a panel, the establishment of the Piña Weaving and Heritage Center resulted in the resurgence of this tradition by incorporating modern techniques and innovations putting back piña weaving as a major industry for local as well as international markets. The Center has its showroom and display area where one can buy hand woven piña cloth for barong tagalogs and Filipiniana dresses. There are also a lot of souvenir items made from piña which are on sale.Â
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