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"Aklanon" refers to the people of Aklan province, their
language, and culture. Folk belief is that Aklan derived its name
from a river called Akean. When the Spaniards came, they asked the
region’s name from a man fishing in the river, and the man
thought they were asking him for the name of the river. The Aklanon
belong to a larger group called Visayan, and the Aklanon language
is a sub classification of the Visayan language. It is said that
the Aklanon language substitutes the phonetic sound "ea"
for "l," pronounced with rolling "r" sound,
because Datu Bangkaya, the first ruler of Aklan (originally Akean),
had a short tongue and therefore could not pronounce the "l"
sound.
Aklan was formerly a part of Capiz province on the island of Panay
in Western Visayas; hence, its history is often connected with that
of Capiz. It became a separate province on 8 Nov 1956 under Republic
Act No. 1414, with Kalibo as its capital. The province has 17 municipalities:
Altavas, Balete, Banga, Batan, Buruanga, Kalibo, Ibajay, Lezo, Libacao,
Madalag, Makato, Malay, Malinao, Nabas, New Washington, Numancia,
and Tangalan. The inhabitants of Sapian town, in Capiz, also speak
Aklanon.
Aklan lies on the northern part of Panay island, which has three
other provinces: Capiz, Iloilo, and Antique. It is shaped like a
triangle pointing southward, bounded on the west by Antique, on
the east by Capiz and on the North by the Visayan Sea. Its topography
is swampy along the coasts, and rolling and mountainous inland.
Its forest lands are being depleted, and the open forests and grasslands
are expanding. Population estimate as of 1988 was 387,000 (RR’s
Philippine Almanac 1990; 189)
According to Maragtas, the historical-fictional account by Pedro
Monteclaro (1907), 10 Bornean Datu (chieftains) purchased Panay
from the Aeta, cultivated the land and renamed the island Madya-as.
They divided it into three sakup (districts); Aklan (including Capiz),
Irong-irong (now Iloilo), and Hamtik (Antique). These were loosely
united under a government called the confederation of Madya-as.
Datu Bangkaya of Aklan, who succeeded Datu Sumakwel of Hamtik, the
original head of this confederation, is credited with having adopted
the syllabaric form of writing and spreading it to the other provinces.
Archaeological findings indicate extensive trade with other Asians
from the 10th to 15th centuries. Shipbuilding was an established
industry, for the Aklanon engaged in inter-island trade. Textiles
were being woven out of piña, sinamay, and jusi fibers. Abaca
materials were among the commodities traded.
When the Spaniards came to Panay from Cebu in 1569, they found
people with tattoos, and so they called the island "isla de
los pintados." They divided it into encomiendas, and this is
how Capiz became a separate encomienda. How the island itself came
to be called Panay is uncertain. The Aeta called it aninipay after
a plant, which was abundant in the island. Or it might have been
named after the first Spanish settlement, called Pan-ay, Legend
ha sit that Legazpi and his men, in search of food, exclaimed upon
discovering the island, "Pan hay en esta isla" (There
is bread on this island).
The town of Kalibo, whose name was derived from the native name
for pineapple, became a parish in 1620, and a church of mixed materials
was built on the site now called Laguingbanwa. Aklan’s northern
coasts made it vulnerable to Muslim invasions. In 1813 and 1835,
for instance, Muslim vinta (ships) carrying about 1,000 pirates
attacked the seashore town of Buswang, Kalibo, and took with them
slaves and loot.
Of particular pride among the Aklanon is their involvement in the
Katipunan and the Philippine Revolution against Spain. Two Aklanon,
Francisco del Castillo and Candido Iban, who were in the pearl-fishing
business, won in a lottery. They donated P1,000 to the revolutionary
movement for the purchase of a printing press. As Katipunan members,
they were instructed by Andres Bonifacio to return to Aklan and
organize. Members were secretly enlisted in the barrios of Ochando,
Kawayan, and Tambak in Lagatic (now New Washington) and in Batan;
membership quickly spread to the rest of the province. Del Castillo,
the provincial head, died in battle on 17 Mar 1897. Two days later,
the Spanish commanding general enticed the Katipuneros (Katipunan
members) to surrender with the promise of amnesty. On 22 March many
responded. In Kalibo, 50 Katipuneros surrendered and were immediately
thrown in jail. Twenty of them were chosen for execution. One of
them, however, was released through his wife’s intercession.
At about midnight of 23 March, the 19 Katipuneros were shot and
their bodies paraded that morning around the town plaza. They are
now honored as the "19 Martyrs of Aklan".
The revolutionary fervor of the Aklanon intensified, and the Spaniards
finally evacuated Kalibo in late December 1898. Shortly after the
defeat of the Spaniards, however, American troops arrived and bombarded
Iloilo on 11 Fe 1899. In March 1901, Ben Ananias Diokno, who had
been sent by Gen Emilio Aguinaldo to organize the resistance against
the Spaniards and who subsequently became one of the leaders of
the war against the Americans, surrendered in Kalibo
Civil government was established in Capiz. Aklan on 14 Apr 1901.
Twelve years later
Victorino Mapa of Kalibo became a member of the Philippine Commission.
He also became the first Panayanon Chief Justice of the Supreme
Court of the Philippines. In 1934 six delegates of the Constitutional
Convention came from Capiz/Aklan. When the Commonwealth period was
established, provincial and municipal leaders agitated for local
autonomy. Gabriel K. Hernandez was elected governor of Capiz/Aklan,
and the title of presidente municipal was replaced by the municipal
mayor.
WWII came to Panay on 12 Apr 1942, with Japanese troops landing
simultaneously in Capiz/Aklan, Iloilo, and Antique. This led to
the formation of the Panay resistance movement, comprising the civil
resistance movement and the Panay guerilla force. The war ended
in 1945, and the country became politically independent the following
year.
During the 1950s Rep Godofredo P. Ramos authored a bill separating
Aklan from Capiz. The bill was approved by Pres. Ramon Magsaysay,
and the first appointive governor was Rose Raz Neñez. In
1959 Ramos became the first elected governor of Aklan.
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