Arts fest returns to Antique’s ‘summer capital’
Aningalan’s cool mountain air sets the stage for the second Aningalan Arts Festival from 17 to 19 April, bringing together music, literature, visual arts, and community traditions
ANINGALAN in San Remigio, Antique is known for its cool temperature.
PHOTOGRAPH COURTESY OF July Farol
To escape the season’s heat — and to find a moment of calm amid global uncertainties — Hayahay sa Ambon Association Inc. (HAAI) mounts the second Aningalan Arts Festival on 17, 18 and 19 April. HAAI is a non-stock, non-profit organization composed of business owners in the barangay of Aningalan, San Remigio, Antique.
Now in its second year, the festival aims to promote arts and culture while boosting tourism in Aningalan, widely regarded as Antique’s “Summer Capital.” Its logo features the yellow-faced flameback (Chrysocolaptes xanthocephalus), locally known as maranday, an endangered bird found in Aningalan’s forests. The design is a collaborative work by Red Haraya and Hoppo Ricarze of Rahmag Artists’ Group, together with graphic designer July Farol of Sirena Books.
Across three days, the festival will host a range of workshops in fashion design, culinary arts, filmmaking, children’s story writing, poetry and pottery. Opening night highlights include an original Kinaray-a music concert featuring homegrown singer-composers Dante Beriong and Sammy Rubido, alongside a patadyong fashion show by the University of Antique. Rahmag Artists’ Group will also mount an art exhibition and a community eco-installation.
On the second night, Aningalan-based and neighboring bards will take part in a komposo writing and singing contest. Also, Sirena Books and Pawikan Press will stage a mini book fair for visiting readers.
True to its inclusive spirit, the festival gathers a wide range of partners, including the Antique Provincial Tourism Office, Barangay Aningalan Local Government Unit, Hubon Manunulat of Iloilo, Rahmag Artists’ Group, Pawikan Press, Aningalan Integrated School, and the Bienvenido N. Santos Creative Writing Center of De La Salle University.
Serving as festival artistic director this year is multi-awarded writer John Iremil Teodoro, a professor at De La Salle University and a part-time resident of Aningalan. A Bugal kang Antique awardee, he has received numerous honors, including the Palanca Awards, the National Book Award, and the Southeast Asian Writers Award from Thailand.
Ultimately, HAAI envisions Aningalan not only as a cool refuge in the uplands of Antique, but as a vibrant center for the arts across Panay Island.