Miag-ao gears for 9th Salakayan Festival
St. Thomas of Villanova parish (1786),
Miag-ao taken by Foerster
After the successful Dinagyang celebration in Iloilo City, all roads lead to the municipality of Miag-ao, some 40 kilometers south of the city, as it celebrates its Salakayan Festival this February 4-11, 2007. Salakayan Festival showcases Miag-ao's brilliant culture and history brought to life.
Coined from the native word "salakay" or "to attack," the Salakayan Festival goes beyond recreation. It goes beyond the functional purposes of the celebration. It is an awareness presented through cultural performances that tells a story; serves religious, political, economic, or social needs that gives spectators an experience that is pleasurable, exciting, and aesthetically valuable. The festival honors and commemorates the bravery of its ancestors. With the tribe presentation as the festival highlight, performers dance depicting the frequent Moro raids that caused panic throughout the community as Muslim raiders attacked the town's coastline from their bases.
Hablon scarves on display,
Hablon Moda 2006 at
Robinsons Place Iloilo
And because of the importance of its harbor, Miag-ao became a victim of frequent raids by Muslim pirates---a seafaring group of landless warriors who sought fame and fortune through plundering, trading, or demanding tribute from fearful residents in the areas and around the coastal and river areas. The natives initially fragmented in response to these waves of attacks by developing new alliances. And in 1754, they defended their town through fierce fighting. With the annual celebration of the Salakayan Festival, Miag-ao's culture and history are preserved for subsequent generations. Though a variety of special events are available, generally the festival will leave much to be desired.
Miag-ao contains a few, yet very important and popular architectural and artistic monuments illuminating its rich past with architectural wonder dating from the colonial era. The natives' fascination with religion past displayed itself with the construction of a stone church. It was of highly supervised construction. The stone blocks used were quarried from the nearby towns of San Joaquin and Igbaras. The Baroque-Romanesque style of St. Thomas of Villanova Parish, popularly known as the Miag-ao Church, located in the poblacion, was constructed in 1786 and completed in 1797. Considered as truly a "Filipino Church," it exudes a native touch due to the presence of coconut, papaya and guava shrubs alongside St. Christopher carrying the child Jesus in its façade. The church constitutes one of the architectural wonders of the world with its inclusion in the World Heritage List of UNESCO in December of 1993.
Salakayan Tribe Competition
Encounter other ancient sites like the Kuta or Moro watchtower built mainly for the people in the area wanting to secure their community for defense against the frequent Muslim raids was built in Barangay Baybay Norte, Poblacion; the old Taytay Boni built in 1854 in Barangay Igtuba, is considered as one of the nine surviving Spanish bridges in the Philippines; and the Miag-ao Catholic Cemetery built in 1857, were constructed using the same material with that of the church.
Also, Miag-ao's craft of patadyong and hablon weaving has a long tradition of local patronage and continue to reflect the town's distinct identity. In the remote area of Indag-an, a barangay where the women have preserved traditional art forms such as textile weaving, the product is renowned throughout the country for the colorful and geometric designs,
Miag-ao is a world-famous town for culture, festival, remains and ancient architecture. Why don't you get out of your routine and enjoy the sites in Miag-ao during its festival week.
(Bombette Marin)