Aklan to hold 3 must-see events this week

Two colorful festivals and an attempt to land in the Guinness Book of World Records is making the people of Aklan busy this week.

Now on its fourth year, the Bayangan Festival in Lezo, Aklan will be held on May 13.

"Bayangan" is the local word for pottery making. During a showdown, contestants from different barangays showcase their respective interpretations on how the traditional pottery making is done through dances and performances.

On June 15, the Bariw Festival in Nabas, Aklan, now on its 10th year, showcases the art of creating "bariw" or mats through ethnic choreographic dance steps with participants dressed in colorful mat costumes.

Nabas Mayor James Solanoy said the Bariw Festival has four to five groups participating.

"We have gathered the barangays in Nabas and divided them into at least four of five small districts for them to be able to come up with a grander choreographic dances," said Solanoy.

Both the Bayangan and Bariw Festivals are celebrated in honor of their patron saint Isidore the Farmer.

On May 16, the local government of Malay is enjoining massage therapists in Boracay to break the Guinness Book of World Records longest massage chain.

Currently, the Guinness holder of the longest massage chain was Thailand with 1,223 participants. The local government of Malay is targeting 1,500 participants to achieve the feat.