From struggles to success, from trials to triumphs, get inspired by the

BY ALEXANDREA RECAIDO, ANABELLE QUIVES, KIRVY DALE NEDIC, & KYZEL ZAPICO For eight decades, Avenue Tailoring has stood as a testament to the art of the stitch, weaving a legacy of excellence and skill into every garment created. Though the path they traveled was frayed with hardship, the family endured every struggle to transform a small venture into a cornerstone of Aklanon craftsmanship. ​Today, while the shop navigates the pressures of a fast-paced, modern world and faces

BY BRYAN JULIAN A. GREGORIO, BEA A. CASTRO, JOHNNY R. URETA, & LEAMIE ZABALLERO In the past, men drew lines around what women could and could not do, dictating where they belonged and how far they were allowed to go.  Authority was questioned, capability was doubted, and crossing those limits often came at a cost. Driving, particularly as a profession, was seen as men’s territory. Women who dared to enter this field often received discrimination as the fare. But now, prejudic

The Gabaldon buildings have served as public schools for generations of Filipinos. They have witnessed wars, survived the strongest typhoons, and disasters in the Philippines. Yet, after a hundred years 2,045 Gabaldon buildings are still standing. Beautiful. Classic and Unique. While Aklan is home to twelve of these historic structures, we are highlighting five key landmarks that best capture the Gabaldon legacy; three in Kalibo and one each in the municipalities of Banga and

A Multimedia Story by Diana Joy Matutina and Ericka Vitto Photo Courtesy: Charles Bautista For generations, communities around the Philippines have revered the coconut tree as the “Tree of Life.” From its root to its fruit, and even from its stem to flowers and leaves, it serves numerous purposes not only as a source of livelihood but also as a source of tradition and culture. The coconut tree can be a source of materials for construction, food, health, cosmetics, oil, fuel,

Badio, Numancia, Aklan — where Nanay Nida’s cacao journey began. In many stories about farming, progress is measured by speed, yield, and scale. Success is often counted by how fast something grows and how far it travels. But in the backyard of Nanay Nida Abello in Barangay Badio, Numancia, progress follows a different rhythm. Here, progress is measured in waiting. In repetition. In knowing when not to touch something yet. Nanay Nida does not talk about cacao as a crop meant

By: April Mae B. Nabor & Angel B. Rey Photo Courtesy : Nereo Fernandez Two years ago, the previous barangay head Nereo “Didoy” Fernandez would still find himself regularly in Barangay Mabilo’s Hall—delivering services, supervising people, promoting community welfare, and so on.  Now years have passed; he still does these but in a different setting. He is presently dedicated to their family milkfish farm in Barangay Pinamuk-an, New Washington and Batan, Aklan. The Beginning

| By Aleyah Trisha T. Daulong and Avril Avia B. Valenzona In the peaceful land of Batan lies a quiet and hidden community that is slowly yet surely thriving, a community that is surrounded by the ocean, and a community where its people have a sense of identity- the Barangay of Ipil. For generations, its residents relied on the abundance of the ocean and clay-rich land to survive and keep their community growing and lives going. Mornings are their reminder, afternoons are when

Edgar Reba ño holds an African hito (catfish), which he prepares Inasal-style. By | Antonia Renz L. Baylon and Divine V. Pamolarco After the widespread COVID-19 pandemic in 2020, Edgar’s life took a drastic turn. Edgar Rebaño, 58, a resident of Lapnag, Banga, Aklan, was once a tricycle driver whose daily routine depended on the open roads. But as the pandemic started, those roads became uncertain and unsafe, pushing him toward a new path, one grounded not in transport, but

A Multimedia Story by Rain Ignacio and Blessly Jennica Maquirang What happens when a woman who once survived a missile strike is forced to survive poverty all over again? Nanay Nelly never imagined that after living through war zones, navigating foreign employers and working across borders, her hardest battle would be fought here at home. Not with explosions in the sky, but with vegetables laid across crates beside a busy Kalibo sidewalk where most people walk past without

By Samantha Nicole N. Macahilig and L E V. Andrade "Habang gabuhay hay nagiging masadya man ako. ” These words spoken with a quiet smile by 48-year-old Ron Martesano, reveals the soul of a man who refuses to be defined by his chair. While his legs have long since surrendered, his strength remained still, and his hands move with precision. Ron lives in Barangay Aranas, Balete, Aklan, where a contrast defines his life: a body that rests, and a spirit that never stops climbing.