Performing Arts: Aklan Province Islands Philippines
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Islands Philippines
Word about the miraculous image spread and pilgrims came to worship
it. Several times the town priest moved it to the parish church
but the image always disappeared and was found in the couple’s
hut again. The priest then explained this strange event by recalling
the Biblical story of the city of Nineveh. Upon learning from the
prophet Jonah that God would destroy the city within 40 days, the
people, in sackcloth and ashes, repented. The people of Boboc on
then did the same thing, and since the, the image has remained in
the parish church.
Up to the 1940s, it was just a local affair. But today it is the
Mardi Gras of the country, and local and foreign tourists flood
the streets of Kalibo to join in the revelry. Many areas in the
country have begun to imitate it. In 1983, it was chosen by the
United Nations Committee on Tourism as Asia’s best tourist
attraction.
Another performance held in Ibajay town on the third or fourth
Sunday of every January is the sayaw, a playlet depicting the fight
between the Moro and the Visayan. Legend claims that the celebration
began with the appearance of a wooden image of the Santo Niño
to a childless couple in Sitio Boboc-on, Naile. The couple regularly
prayed to their god for a child. One evening, Hangeo took his bamboo
basket and net to got fishing in Ibajay River. Twice he threw his
net into the river whenever he saw a school of fish; but each time,
the net came up with nothing but a piece of driftwood, which he
would throw back into the water. The third time, he placed the piece
of wood in his basket, and then his net was finally filled with
fish. That night, the couple was awakened by strange noises, which
they realized were coming from the piece of wood. They discerned
the features of the Santo Niño crudely marked on it. From
then on, the image performed miracles for them. For instance, the
image guarded the couple’s rice from birds and other animals.
The most important miracle attributed to the Santo Niño
is that it warded off Muslim invaders centuries ago. Every time
an attack was imminent, a small boy walked up and down the seashore,
brandishing a shining sword. Henceforth, the townspeople would place
the image of the Santo Niño and a sword on the seashore whenever
they sighted the Muslim boats. The sayaw is therefore an act of
appeasement to God and thanksgiving for the Holy Child’s blessings.
The sayaw is a war-dance-verse-drama resembling the moro-moro in
its dramatization of the victory of the Christians over the Muslim
invaders. The text is said to have been written by Marianito Dalisay
Calizo in the mid-19th century.
The Christian chieftain and his men, in black costume and colorful
accessories, gather in front of the church. He exhorts them to remain
steadfast in their devotion to the Santo Niño, and the men
chorus their vows of faithfulness. Across the field, the Muslim
leader and his men, dressed in red, vow to attack the Christian
settlement and take the Santo Niño image as hostage.
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Islands Philippines
Travel Quotes:
We all become great explorers during our first few days in a new city, or a new love affair. Mignon McLaughlin
When you travel, remember that a foreign country is not designed to make you comfortable. It is designed to make its own people comfortable. Clifton Fadiman
Philippines Cuisine Characteristics
Filipino cuisine is distinguished by its bold combination of sweet (tamis), sour (asim), and salty (alat) flavors. While other Asian cuisines may be known for a more subtle delivery and presentation, Filipino cuisine is often delivered all at once in a single presentation. More details at
Philippines Cuisine Characteristics About Philippines
The Philippines is an archipelagic nation made up of 7,107 islands spanning 1,840 kilometers north to south. It is part of the East Indies, a vast island group lying south and east of mainland Asia, with Taiwan at its northernmost coast and Borneo on the south. The three main Philippine island groups are Luzon, the Visayas and Mindanao. About Philippines |
