Melo Villareal
Preparations are up for the Kalibo Sto. Nino Ati-atihan Festival 2010, according to the Kalibo Ati-atihan Management Board (KAMB).
In a press conference, Kalibo Mayor Raymar Rebaldo said next year’s festivity will be launched during the foundation of this Ati-atihan town on November 3.
”We are now studying how we could be able to minimize commercialism and political showdowns for next year since we expect that politicians will take advantage of the revelry given the forthcoming election,” Rebaldo said.
Already, the participating tribes were made to understand that they are prohibited from displaying political and commercial posters while conducting a free-spirited street dance along the major thoroughfares of Kalibo.
But Rebaldo admitted that the local government unit might be having a hard-time preventing the festival from being tainted with politics and commercialism.
“Nevertheless, we are also currently working to make the century-old festival a spectacular event; we are now trying to revive the original ati-atihan tribes as much as possible,” he said.
The highlight of the festival, which has been dubbed as the mother of all festivals in the country, is set on January 15-17.
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