Anini-y and Hiligaynon

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ANINI-Y and HILIGAYNON
compiled by Edgar H. Siscar

One of the unique towns of the province of Antique is the municipality of Anini-y. It is very important to the existence of the Hiligaynon language. It is also rich in history and tourist attractions.

The Myths and Legends of the Philippines relates Anini-y as having been peopled by Ignini tribes long before the Borneans came. Its folklore "Tubiok Lawi" and other mythical gods, diyos-diyos and anitos, told about the creation of their ancient world in Kinaray-a, the original language of ethnic people of Panay.

Anini-y: This Spanish customary writing of Y instead of I spurred researchers to finding that once upon a time, in the present area of the municipality, there existed a community called “Ignini”. It was cited to be the gateway into the prosperous Aninipay (old Panay) kingdom of Ati king Marikudo. However, cultural historians believe that “dash Y” in the name actually is “dash I” which is a Malayan suffix, meaning “place, or people of”. This suffix is only used for a place that is very important or has achieved a degree of greatness, as in the case of Hantik-I (from the "hamtik" ant), which later became Antique.
In the Hinilawod, "puro it hurao-hurao" as referring to a community of people that is now Anini-y was also cited as already existing.

The Maragtas of Monteclaro have declared that the Ten Bornean Datus landed at Imbidayan, a rock formation at a beach which is now part of Sinugbohan which is claimed by local folks to have been part of Anini-y before. The barter of Panay is claimed to have taken place near a beach beside the "kadapdapan" trees ("dapdap"), the old name of Anini-y then bounding Sinugbohan.

The town of Anini-y started as an arabal of Dao (now the town of Tobias Fornier) in the year 1843 while Spain still ruled over the island. In 1848, the parish priests of Anini-y and Dao initiated the transfer of the barrios of Magdalena, Casay, and San Francisco from Dao to Anini-y. It was then that Anini-y became a separate entity.

Anthropological research reveals that Anini-y, specifically Sira-an hot springs, and Nogas island, played a major role in the early civilization of Panay. Sira-an hot springs, which is considered “holy” by “manugbulong” or native medicine men, functioned as a quarantine station. Nogas island’s role was economic, as it was here that the “sigay nga baking” or striped golden-yellow seashell which was used as currency in the kingdom of the Atis was abundant. As such, Nogas island was the treasury of the kingdom which had to be protected until the “sigay nga baking” stopped to be used as medium of exchange.

Anini-y could be the original “irong-irong,” being shaped like the tip of the nose of the island of Panay,that served as protruding citadel of the kingdom’s center of control against seafarers like the Chinese, the Malays, and very much later the Spaniards. These strategic functions of what was to be Anini-y resulted to pre-Hispanic visitors to Panay like the Chinese and Malays staying north and a healthy distance from Marikudo’s men in the restricted area around Nogas island. They settled around Anini-y causing it to remain very sparsely populated until the coming of the Spaniards.

Anini-y started to blossom as a community with the coming of settlers from Asluman, Hamtik around 1630. Then came people from Cagayancillo an island southwest of Panay, but a couple from Alimodian and Cuyo was identified to be the first non-Ati settler in Anini-y. This explains Anini-y’s intonation to be akin to Alimodian’s. (ehs)