Iloilo Hangout

Municipality of Miagao and the Salakayan Festival

photo by goiloilo.com

Let’s HANGOUT in the town of Miag-ao!

About Miag-ao

Miag-ao’s beautiful setting and well-preserved architecture makes it one of the most beautiful towns in Iloilo. One of the oldest cities in the province, Miag-ao was founded by Spanish settlers in 1538 and became an independent town in 1716. Situated 40-kilometers southwest from the city, the town is bounded by the municipality of Sibalom, Province of Antique in the northwest; in the northeast by Igbaras; Guimbal in the east; south by Panay Gulf; and in the west by San Joaquin. Having the most number of barangays in the province at 119, Miag-ao is populated by 57,092 (2000 Census on Population) people that living peacefully in its 13,286-hectare land area.

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.
 
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.

Weaving was one of the earliest methods for making cloth out of plant fiber, and in Iloilo, weaving is usually done on a loom that holds long threads tight so that other threads may be inserted at right angles over and under them. The municipality of 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.

 
photo by thenewstoday.info

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, They are accomplished weavers since the late 19th century where most of their weavings were patadyong intended for wearing. They then turned to weaving hablon incorporating the diamonds, squares, and stripes typical of Indag-an designs. Many different types and patterns of weaving are possible, depending on the fiber used and the arrangement of the threads. Although nowadays, most commercial producers of cloth replaced traditional handlooms with automated weaving machines, this traditional craft of creating colorful fabrics on hand looms is still practiced today, in fact, in weaving houses, weavers reproduce traditional patterns producing brightly colored clothing weaves. The use of the handloom is widespread in many towns around the province of Iloilo, and is still used to make handcrafted materials such as decorator fabrics like table runners, place mats, curtains, cushion covers and even bed sheet covers.

The Salakayan Festival

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.

photo by travelph.ganiboi.com

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.

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.

Salakyan is week-long celebration usually starts on the 1st or 2nd Sunday with Food festival at the town’s public park.

photo by profile.frienster.com

Miag-ao is a world-famous town for culture, festival, remains and ancient architecture. Why don’t you get out of your routine, HANGOUT and enjoy the sites in Miag-ao during its festival week.

Article source: Salakayan by Bombette G. Marin, Jan 2007, Iloilo.gov.ph