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New Washington: The Bountiful City


New Washington is a municipality in the province of Aklan, particularly famous for being the native town of the late Jaime Cardinal Sin, former Archbishop of Manila.

by Jhaypee Guia on June 27, 2012
New Washington: The Bountiful City

Holy Rosary Church - New Washington, Aklan

Overview

New Washington is a municipality in the province of Aklan, particularly famous for being the native town of the late Jaime Cardinal Sin, former Archbishop of Manila. Dubbed in recent years as "New Washington, The Bountiful", it is home to proactive, prolific, and development-oriented people.

Tourism

Famed as the provincial shipping harbor of Aklan, it boasts of the two safest ports in the entire province that could accommodate modern containerized cargo vessels & luxury passenger ships. It is also the home of prominent figures in the church, business, and government. Some of the most noted attractions are:

The Residence of His Eminence Jaime Cardinal L. Sin, the late Catholic Archbishop of Manila, is located at the heart of the poblacion. It contains a chapel and houses several pieces of paintings presented to him as the price of the church.

Immaculata Adoration Chapel & Convent, the Pink Sisters Convent in Barangay Polo, is interesting in the sense that it is the only contemporary nunnery in Aklan and in the whole region VI.

Beach Cottages/Restaurants, like Lyca, Sampaguita Gardens, and Sikini, offer delicious food consisting of fresh fish, shells, crustaceans, and other delectable dishes. Swimming pools are featured at the Aklan Sampaguita Gardens Resort and Spa, including a convention center, precious moments gallery, hotel rooms, 43-feet aquarium, and butterfly farm. The Thai Mansion exhibits beautiful furniture, paintings, and home decor.

Origin of the Name

Established on January 15, 1904, the municipality was named after the first president of the United States, George Washington, as tribute to the Thomasites, a group of American teachers who in the early 1900s established a new public education system in the Philippines, taught basic education, and trained Filipino teachers with English as medium of instruction. The municipality was formerly called Fonda Lagatik, which was derived from the Lagatik River that stretches along some of the municipality's barangays at a length of 9.6 kilometers.

Cultural and Historical Significance

New Washington observes two annual fiestas. One is a patronal fiesta in honor of Our Lady of the Most Holy Rosary, which is held on the second Saturday of October, and the other is a civic fiesta commemorating the heroes of Pacto De Sangre, which is held from March 1 to 3. The Pacto De Sangre, or blood compact, took place in Sitio Kuntang (now Barangay Ochando) on March 3, 1897. It was participated in by New Washingtonians of the past as a show of support to the Filipinos' revolution against the Spaniards. A commemorative marker was put up in the area where the event took place in Barangay Ochando. While the patronal fiesta is characterized by pious reflection, the civic fiesta involves three days of merrymaking.

Accommodation

  • Shangri-la's Boracay Resort & Spa - Barangay Yapak, Barangay Yapak, Boracay / Caticlan
  • Boracay Regency Beach Resort - Balabag, Boat Station 2, Boracay / Caticlan
  • Boracay Golden Phoenix Hotel - Boat Stn 3, Manoc Manoc, Boat Station 3, Boracay / Caticlan
  • Palm Breeze Villa - Sunrise Cove, Bolabog Beach, Bulabog Beach, Boracay / Caticlan
  • Sea Wind Resort - Roberto&Gloria Tirol Park, Balabag, Boat Station 1, Boracay / Caticlan

Accessibility

Airports

Aklan is famous for Boracay, a resort island one kilometer north off the tip of Panay. It is known for its white sandy beaches and is considered as one of the most prominent destinations in the Philippines. Because of this, there is frequent air travel to the province's airports in Kalibo and Caticlan. The Kalibo International Airport is about ten minutes from the main plaza.

From Manila Airport, travel to Kalibo or Caticlan Airport will take more or less 45 minutes.

The following are the airports in Aklan:

  • Kalibo International Airport
  • Godofredo P. Ramos Airport (Caticlan-Boracay Airport)

Public transportation around the province and the city is by tricycle, taxi, multicab, and jeepney.

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