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.

By Evan Reid S. Pronton and Mark Chandler C. Tosco In the dusty fields of Jumarap, Banga, Aklan, a young Salonica Filomeno chased barefoot dreams amid rice stalks—little knowing those same fields would one day claim her eyesight, leaving a 75-year-old widow to watch tenants over her legacy from afar. Born into rural Aklan, Salonica Filomeno, fondly called “Nika,” began her journey in Manila as a household helper at the age of 16 for 15 years; after coming back home to Aklan,

BY STEPHANIE TAGNONG, LORAINE FERNANDEZ, AND YULEACE NAVOTAS F or more than a decade, a barge sat on the shores of Gibon. No one expected it to stay. No one fully knew why it never left. And when we tried to tell its story…it disappeared. And now that it’s gone, what do they choose to remember? Barge's brief backstory WHERE THE NETS NEVER STOPPED: A fisherfolk's struggle Gibon, Nabas, Aklan is known for its strong fishing livelihood and aquaculture. It thrives in community fi

By: Ally Zeus Valencia, Christine Cezar, John Alfred Licerio, & Kenth Luces From the skilled boatmen maneuvering through Pagsanjan rapids to the Pambot operators in Boracay, Aklan, the boatmen have been the pillar of Philippine tourism and culture. However, their importance grew far beyond the grasp of any travel brochures. In the noisy exchanges in New Washington Market, the role of a boatmen is grounded in essential daily commerce. Here, amidst the movement and daily runs

When stories are found in databases and web explorers, there’s a whimsical reminder that they can be retold through an old witness; reliving the authentic feeling over and over again. Written by: Josefa Anjeneth G. Mabutol, Abigael S. Javier, Floyd R. Salvadico, Yardenette Messiah S. Tumanon 2025 In Aklan, the past whispers through the stories of its oldest witnesses — the grandparents. Living Archives of Numancia Veronica "Lola Nica" Dela-Cruz Constantino, 79, eldest child o

BY EDYEL GIANNAH A. DELA CRUZ, ANGELIKA MARCI T. ROME, ARIANNE MAMAY, & JOSHUA O. TAPISPISAN In the quiet streets of Aklan, where dawn usually signals the start of another working day, the switch suddenly goes off. People start their routines relying on emergency generators to push through the morning. Pending tasks stall, and daily sources of income are turned upside down. By nightfall, the darkness deepens—lightless streetlights, lively houses dim, candles glow behind windo

BY ALYSSA CERA, NOELLYN LOPEZ, JHOLEIZA MANGILOG, & HAFEE ROMPE When the flood water rise, what stands between a home and disaster? Often, it's a strong wall built along the riverbank. It's called Revetment Wall. But this wall is more than just rocks and cement. It's a promise of safety. It stands for community's hope for a peaceful future, free from fear. The Broken Wall Barangay Daja Sur, Banga, Aklan's Revetment Wall Along the river in Daja Sur, Banga, Aklan, stands a wall

Jaina I. Retulin, 59, of Barangay Silakat Nonok, Lezo, Aklan, once knew only the life of a borrower.  Mrs. Jaina Retulin recalls her...

Amor R. Tibio, a seamstress for over a decade, now manages a farm. Amor R. Tibio never imagined herself working under the sun, tilling...

Dr. Patrick Earl D. Prado is now the Dean of NVC-College of Criminal Justice and the owner of Dos Ijas Farm in Buruanga, Aklan. Patrick...

Alvin A. Barrios, Jr. left the Philippines to work as an Electrical Foreman in Jeddah, Saudi Arabia for two years. From an OFW to a...