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Provincial Profile of Aklan
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LOCATION
Aklan is the northwestern part of the Panay Island in Western Visayas. It is bounded on the north by the Sibuyan Sea, on the south and southeast by Capiz and on the west by Antique.
THE LAND
Over one-third of the province's land area consist of mountains. A mountain range flanks the entire length of Aklan's western border with Antique. The rest is a narrow strip of lowland that starts from the coast and extends into valleys far inland to the foothills.
There are five major rivers, the largest ones of which are the Aklan and Ibajay Rivers. Lake Lapu-Lapu is located in Malay town.
The province has two areas of somewhat varying climates depending on the amount and schedule of rainfall, but temperatures remain almost constant throughout the year.
A BRIEF HISTORY
Aklan, including what is now Capiz, was organized as Minuro it Akalan by settlers from Borneo in 1213. It was one of three political units, or sakops, into which Panay was divided, the other two being Hamtic (now Antique) and Irong-Irong (now Iloilo).
The first ruler of Aklan was named Datu Bangkaya. under Datu Dinagandan, the present site of Bataan was made its capital towards the end of the fourteenth century. In 1433, Datu Bendahara Kalantiaw promulgated the Code of Kalantiaw, one of the earliest written body of laws. When Datu Manduyog became ruler in 1437, he moved the capital to Bakan (the ancient name of Banga). When Legazpi landed in Batan in 1565, Datu Kabayag was ruling Aklan from what is now Libacao.
When the Spaniards settled in the area, they changed its named to Capiz, much to the dismay of the Aklanons. The Aklanons agitated for their separation from Capiz throughout the American period. Aklan finally became a separate province in 1956.
An early Aklanon settlement called Madyanos, near the town of Numancia, later became Kalibo.
THE PEOPLE
The Aklanons are closely related to the Ilonggos but they speak a distinct dialect, also called Aklanon. The dialect is said to be traceable to an old datu's defective manner of speaking that everyone imitated.
The ponu-an, a customary gathering of elders, is still practiced in the barangays.
COMMERCE AND INDUSTRY
Most Aklanons derive their livelihood from fishing or growing rice, corn, coconut and abaca. There is no large-scale manufacturing but there are many family-owned cottage industries. These include weaving pina or sinanay cloth, and making bamboo, rattan, and abaca into furniture or handicrafts.
Information gathered from:
League of
Provinces
by:Roberto C. Arellano
This page last revised:January 30, 1999.
