Aklan
is bounded by the Sulu Sea on the northwest, by the Sibuyan Sea on
the east and northeast, by the province of Antique on the west and
by the province of Capiz on the south. Aklan is the oldest province
in the Philippines, organized in 1213 by settler from Borneo as the
Minuro it Akean to include what is now Capiz.
"Aklanon" refers to the
people of Aklan province, their language, and culture. Folk belief
is that Aklan derived its name from a river called Akean. When the
Spaniards came, they asked the region’s name from a man fishing in
the river, and the man thought they were asking him for the name of
the river. The Aklanon belong to a larger group called Visayan, and
the Aklanon language is a sub classification of the Visayan
language. It is said that the Aklanon language substitutes the
phonetic sound "ea" for "l," pronounced with rolling "r" sound,
because Datu Bangkaya, the first ruler of Aklan (originally Akean),
had a short tongue and therefore could not pronounce the "l" sound.
Aklan was formerly a part
of Capiz province on the island of Panay in Western Visayas; hence,
its history is often connected with that of Capiz. It became a
separate province on 8 Nov 1956 under Republic Act No. 1414, with
Kalibo as its capital. The province has 17 municipalities: Altavas,
Balete, Banga, Batan, Buruanga, Kalibo, Ibajay, Lezo, Libacao,
Madalag, Makato, Malay, Malinao, Nabas, New Washington, Numancia,
and Tangalan. The inhabitants of Sapian town, in Capiz, also speak
Aklanon.
Aklan lies on the northern
part of Panay island, which has three other provinces: Capiz,
Iloilo, and Antique. It is shaped like a triangle pointing
southward, bounded on the west by Antique, on the east by Capiz and
on the North by the Visayan Sea. Its topography is swampy along the
coasts, and rolling and mountainous inland. Its forest lands are
being depleted, and the open forests and grasslands are expanding.
Population estimate as of 1988 was 387,000 (RR’s Philippine Almanac
1990; 189)
Reference: http://www.ati-atihan.net/aklan2.htm
