KALIBO, Aklan—An entrepreneur here has opened a restaurant hoping to remember the marytrdom of the 19 martyrs of Aklan.
Janice Fernandez, who manages the Café De Calivo said the majority of the delicacies, tea blends and other food offerings in the restaurant was named after the 19 martyrs.
The 19 martyrs are local heroes in Aklan, killed during the Spanish occupation of the province. The Spanish authorities suspected them to be rebels.
One of the martyrs was Candido Iban, who once worked as a pearl diver in Australia. Historians said he won a lottery and used the proceeds to buy a printing press. He donated the printing press to Andres Bonifacio who used it to spread articles and journals espousing his revolutionary government.
“We decided to name our food to honor the 19 martyrs so that the young people and tourists coming in will remember the heroism of the 19 martyrs”, she said.
Among those delicacies and blends offered by the restaurant include the raspberry-flavored Lamberto Blend; Kape Angelo, a butterscotch coffee; and the Catalino Matcha Coffee, among others.
“The name Calivo suggests the name of the old town of Kalibo,” she explained.
Part of the revenues generated from the sales is being donated for the use of the Aklan History Society for their programs and projects.