Kalibo Ati-Atihan management board reminds tribes to paint black soot
KALIBO, Aklan -- "The original Ati is black," said the Co-Chair of the Committee on Tribal Participation of the Kalibo Ati-Atihan Management Board (KAMB), Abraham Diestro, during a meeting last November 22, 2008 at the Municipal Hall, this town.
He added that traditionally, the participants of the Ati-Atihan Festival only sported black soot and that is the reason why it is emphasized in the contest rules.
Diestro also cited that some tribes who have magnificent costumes did not garner enough points to win top prizes because they prefer to put on colored paint rather than soot.
KAMB also reminded the new out-of-town tribes (one tribe from Capiz) that choreographed dances are prohibited since the Ati-Atihan is a festival for pilgrims devoted to the Santo Niño and a revelry for local and foreign tourists and not a showcase of dances. (PN/PIA 6)