According to an age old story in the Philippines, sometime during the 13th century a group of 10 tribal chiefs known as belonging to the clan ‘Datus’ were fleeing from Borneo to escape the clutches of a tyrant by the name of Sultan Makatunaw. After days of sailing the waters they arrived at Philippines which was inhabited by the Ati people; the tribes of Panay Island.

Datu Puti who was the travellers’ chief minister traded bales of exquisite cloth, brass basins and golden salakot with the natives in order to buy land. To further create goodwill, the Ati chief’s wife was gifted with a beautiful golden necklace which was extremely long. The Ati-Atihan festival intricately tied with this incident.
Some believe that the grateful ‘Datus’ smeared themselves with soot and celebrated the hospitality of the Aetas; expressing their gratitude through song and dance. Others stand by the fact that the festival originated when the Ati people were rescued from famine by the ‘Datus’.

Held every January, Ati-Atihan is celebrated in the island of Kalibu. The name of the festival means ‘to be like aetas’ or ‘make believe ati’s’. Though originaly a pagan festival, with colonization came Christianity and the festival become synonymous with the celebration of infant Jesus.

The Ati-Athan festival will definitely give you an opportunity to witness the many tribes adorned in their cultural attire, dancing to the beats of ancient drums. With thousands and thousands of people participating, it has a Mardi Grass atmosphere.

If you are done with the celebration and need some unwinding time then you can head over to the nearby Boracay Island. Awarded 2012’s Best Island by Travel + Leisure, this island was once the home of the Ati people. With its powdery white sandy beaches this dog bone shaped island has windsurfing tours, ultimate Frisbee events and dragon boat races.

Just like the Ati people’s age-old warm hospitality, Manila hotel culture is once that embraces guests. There are numerous hotel in Manila but not so many five star hotels. The Heritage Hotel Manila is a five-star deluxe hotel with 450 masterpieces of pure luxury.

Uditha Dharmawardhane is a travel writer who writes under the pen name Roland Lefevre. He specializes in creating features on leisure as well as business travel destinations across the globe.
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