The villages were few and scattered peopled by hardworking stock of the Malay race. Their custom and traditions were a mixture of the Borneans and those of the aborigines of the land.Their common problem is survival. The majority of the early Ibajaynons tilled the soil for whatever crops they could raise. Herbs were planted for the sick. Those living near the sea engaged in fishing. The Ibajay river was a good source of food for inland fishing.

Bubuk-on, a sitio near the present Barangay (village) of Naile, was the foremost chiefdom. It was there, where chiefs Kabatak, Hangeo and Sadak ruled and guided the people.

The year was 1571. The Spanish conquistadores reached Ibajay from the east and stayed for a while in preparation of the conquest of the Mohammedan city of Manila. This was the period when Legaspi recruited some Ibajaynons for an expidition to Luzon. While the preparation were in progress, the villages were grouped together in strong units.

In 1673, Don Francisco Calizo Dalisay was elected by the principales of the town as its first capitan basal. He was not the founder of Ibajay but its first town executive drawn from the rank of the early Ibajaynons.

A strong contingent of the constant pillages of the Muslims, the town was moved from Bubuk-on to Maganhup in 1767 and again from Maganhup to Adiango (A-dia-ngo) in 1792. It was in 1811 when the town was transferred from Adiango to its present site.

While Manila was in the grip of terror as the result of the Katipunan uprising, the people remained calm despite the news coming from Luzon that the provinces were captured and were under control of the Revolutionary Government.

The hour struck and Gen. Ananias Diokno, with a contingent of 700 Filipino soldiers from Manila, landed in Nagustan (now Toledo), Nabas on November 19, 1898. The soldiers of the Revolutionary Army took position on one of the promontories of the Colong-colong hills and all arms were fired in the direction of the convent where the Spaniards where entrenched behind its thick walls.

Outnumbered and almost suffering from fatigue, the Spanish commander of the garrison raised the white flag and surrendered to Gen. Diokno on November 21, 1898. Ibajay was the first to be liberated from the Spanish control. Gen. Diokno, fresh from his victory marched at the head of his soldiers with Kalibo, Capiz and Iloilo as his next target.

In this military operation of Gen. Diokno in Ibajay, the presence of Ibajaynon soldiers with the Revolutionary Army helped win the battle. Young men from Ibajay in search for a better life went to Manila and enlisted in the Spanish Army to fight the Muslims in Mindanao. After years of fighting in Cotabato, they sailed back to Manila to terminate their enlistment in the Spanish Army. When the Philippine Revolution broke out, they joined the Revolutionary Army which was sent to Panay to liberate the provinces.

In January 1899, the American Occupation/Forces came and garrisoned Ibajay. It was in the early stage of the American Administration of Ibajay that the election for the municipal president was held in 1902 under the management of an American officer.

It was quite difficult for the American troops to pacify Ibajay as the minds of the people were conditioned by some fanatics that the Americans were anti-Christ and devils.

Fearful of the wrath of the new masters to burn the town and annihilate the people, the Ibajaynons assembled for the junta magna in the convent to choose the members of the delegation to welcome the American troops who were pouring from Antique. Since nobody would like to face the Americans, "Esot" (Tiny) Miralles who was once employed in a frigate, volunteered to do so. The town was saved from destruction and people returned to their homes in peace.

The occupation period was marked by improvement of the town planning, introductions of athletics, opening of public schools and campaign for healthful living.

It was in the early stage of this period when bandits roamed the mountains of Ibajay to molest the people. Cattle rustling were rampant and the residents feared the roving hands of outlaws.

Don Alejandro Aparicio having been designated as Commissioner of Peace and Order for Ibajay, integrated the different sitios into barrios to make more effective the administration in stamping out banditry. This resulted in organization of Bugtong-bato, Cabugao, Rivera and Mina-a. One by one, they came down from the mountains and kissed the hands of Don Alejandro as a symbol of their surrender to the government. With the surrender of these outlaws, peace returned to the mountain areas.

One of the outstanding features of the pacification of the hinderlands to flush out the "tulisan" and "boyongs" (bandits and outlaws) was the establishment of a non-christian school in Barangay Aparicio on September 14, 1915. Tranquilino Aparicio, son of Don Alejandro was appointed the first teacher of this non-christian school.

After the surrender of Gen. Jonathan Wainright in Corregidor to the Japanese Imperial Forces on May 6, 1942, the only hope of the people was redemption of "I shall return" of MacArthur. Very few of the USAFFE soldiers from Ibajay surrendered to Japanese. It was the unsurrendered USAFFE soldiers that formed the nucleus of the Resistance Movement of Ibajay.

To check the spread of the guerillas, the Japanese established a garrison in Ibajay. In one of the penetrations of the barangays along the Ibajay River, Loreto Conanan, barrio lieutenant of Buenavista was pointed out by one of the Japanese spies as a lieutenant. He was tied to the tree, beaten and later, bayoneted while his wife and baby was killed and bayoneted too.

One gruesome spectacle of the war was the scenario at the Gabaldon building of the Ibajay Central School where a teenager was the victim. When the Japanese patrol reach the town, people were herded and ordered to squat in front of Capt. Fuji. He then asked the people if they have ever seen a man beheaded and the prisoners answered "No".

Then a Japanese "verdugo" (hatchetman) hustled Nonoy Sombilon near the acasia tree and chopped his head with a samurai. The only explanation why he was beheaded was that he was dressed in ma-ong (blue) shirt and jeans which were then used by the USAFFE soldiers. After this terror-gripping scene, the Japanese marched towards Tamalagon, Tangalan with 26 prisoners, hand-tied, and upon reaching the Ibajay bridge, near the present Western Aklan Polytechnic College, they were massacre leaving one to survive as the wound on his neck was not deep. He later died. Among those who died in the massacre were Nicomedes Miralles and his son, Benjamin Fuentes, Gorgonio Saluta, barrio lieutenant of Aslum, Peter Telan, Bisik (Chinaman), Bernabe Garcia, Glicerio Melchor and many more.

Ibajay was all shell if not ashes. There was nothing to see but despair. The old tribunal building was a total junk. The church and the convent were not spared by fire. There was bleakness all around.

The people were determined to face the challenge of rebuilding their homes. It was not long when temporary buildings were contructed dotting the town, to house the evacuees who have cast their lot to return to their old homes in the town proper. The war was over. The habilitation of the war-torn Ibajay have started.

When the Spaniards set foot in Ibajay, they found that the people were training their children for work and to hunt for wild animals. There were early writings that were destroyed by the Spanish soldiers in the course of their campaign to christianize the people.

The early school established in Ibajay was "Escuelahan it Hari" (School of King) under Maestro Mariano Pelayo.

As a preparation for entrance in the "Escuelahan it Hari", the children should have completed their studies in "Cartilla" where they learned the ABC, Misterio, Tresagio and Novena. Senor Don Jose (Pepe) Mijares, a Spaniard, conducted the early "Cartilla" in Ibajay. Another Ibajaynon who devoted her life as teacher of "Cartilla" was Ora Sisay in Ilawod.

The most important subject was religion in order to effectively propagate the christian faith in the newly conquered heathen land. School children learned to write on banana leaves and with sharpen sticks for their pencils.

Great strides were made on education with the coming of the Americans. School buildings made of light materials were constructed through dagyaw or sagibin or community self-help (bayanihan) system. Mr. Wallace who was the Supervising Teacher of Ibajay advocated to open school in barrios where there were children to enroll. Formerly classes were held in private houses as there was no public building for school purposes.

Graduation from the elementary school (there was only one elementary school in Ibajay in those times and that was the Ibajay Elementary School), required a great financial sacrifice for parents to send their children to Capiz High School in Roxas City. Those who could afford went to Iloilo City or Manila for their secondary education. The Ibajaynons felt the acute need of establishing a private and non-sectarian secondary school to absorb the increasing elementary graduates in the municipality.

It was in 1926 when Procopio L. Solidum founded Ibajay Academy. The Ibajaynon did not lose time to buy the certificates as stockholders of the institution. The chinese community in Ibajay with Yap Han Tong, Goh Thien Choy, Chu Chay Chay, Khey Kong, Gavino Yap, Kon Heng and Yap Eng Tok put up some substantial amount that the school could be opened on time. The chinese have been co-partners in the establishment of the Ibajay Academy which became a college and reverted back to the secondary school due to lack of enrollment.

Dr. Rafael Silva Tumbukon as a congressman, appointed Undersecretary of Health by President Ramon Magsaysay and considered as the prime-mover for the separation of Aklan from Capiz, envisioned of founding a school for the masses. His dreams was realized when the Melchor Memorial School opened its doors to the public in 1949 named after Col. Alejandro S. Melchor. His life serves as a beacon light to all Melchorians who are striving excellence in character and academic.

In 1971, the Ibajay National Agricultural and Industrial School was established whose building are located on the top of the Colong-colong hills overlooking the town of Ibajay, Sibuyan Sea, and the winding Ibajay River, has given physical improvements to its vicinity. INAIS, in December 16, 1994 was converted into a full-fledge college and was renamed "Western Aklan Polytechnic College".

Four barangay high schools strategically located from the Poblacion (town proper center), have been in operation for many years, the Naisud National High School, the Naile National High School, the Maloco National High School and the Ondoy National High School. This attitude of the people exemplified their quest for a better education.