| Guimaras | |||
| Official Name: | Province of Guimaras | ||
| Flag Size: | 120x80px | ||
| Seal Size: | 100x80px | ||
| Nickname: | Mango Capital of the Philippines | ||
| Image Map1: |
| ||
| Subdivision Type: | Country | ||
| Subdivision Type1: | Region | ||
| Established Title: | Spanish Settlement | ||
| Established Date: | 1581 | ||
| Seat Type: | Capital | ||
| Leader Title1: | Governor | ||
| Leader Name1: | Joaquin Carlos Rahman A. Nava (NUP) | ||
| Leader Title2: | Vice Governor | ||
| Leader Name2: | John Edward G. Gando (PDP) | ||
| Leader Name3: | Maria Lucille L. Nava (PDP) | ||
| Leader Title4: | Legislature | ||
| Leader Name4: | Guimaras Provincial Board | ||
| Area Footnotes: | [1] | ||
| Area Rank: | 77th out of 81 | ||
| Elevation Max M: | 272 | ||
| Elevation Max Point: | Mount Bontoc | ||
| Population Rank: | 74th out of 81 | ||
| Population Density Km2: | auto | ||
| Population Density Rank: | 28th out of 81 | ||
| Population Demonym: | Guimarasnon | ||
| Demographics Type1: | Divisions | ||
| Demographics1 Title1: | Independent cities | ||
| Demographics1 Info1: | 0 | ||
| Demographics1 Title2: | Component cities | ||
| Demographics1 Info2: | 0 | ||
| Demographics1 Title3: | Municipalities | ||
| Demographics1 Title4: | Barangays | ||
| Demographics1 Info4: | 98 | ||
| Demographics1 Title5: | Districts | ||
| Demographics1 Info5: | Legislative district of Guimaras | ||
| Timezone: | PHT | ||
| Utc Offset: | +8 | ||
| Postal Code Type: | ZIP code | ||
| Blank1 Name Sec2: | GDP (2022) | ||
| Blank1 Info Sec2: | ₱16.13 billion $275.2 million [2] | ||
| Blank2 Name Sec2: | Growth rate | ||
| Blank2 Info Sec2: | 9% | ||
| Blank Name Sec1: | Spoken languages | ||
| Blank Name Sec2: | Income classification | ||
| Blank Info Sec2: | 4th class | ||
| Seat1: | Buenavista | ||
| Seat1 Type: | Largest Municipality | ||
| Established Title1: | Founded | ||
| Established Date1: | May 22, 1992 | ||
Guimaras (in Tagalog pronounced as /ɡimaˈɾas/), officially the Province of Guimaras (Hiligaynon: Kapuoran sang Guimaras; Tagalog: Lalawigan ng Guimaras), is an island province in the Philippines located in the Western Visayas region. The capital is Jordan, while the largest local government unit is the municipality of Buenavista. The province is situated in Panay Gulf, between the islands of Panay and Negros. To the northwest is the city and province of Iloilo and to the southeast is Negros Occidental. The whole island is part of the Metro Iloilo–Guimaras, one of the twelve metropolitan areas of the Philippines.
The province consists primarily of Guimaras Island, and also includes Inampulugan, Guiwanon (or Guiuanon), Panobolon, Natunga, Nadulao, and many surrounding islets.[3]
Guimaras, formerly known as Himal-os, was a sub-province of Iloilo until it was made an independent province on May 22, 1992.
About 1581, Gonzalo Ronquillo de Peñalosa, Spanish governor and Captain-General of the Philippine Islands, established a settlement in Guimaras for the purpose of Christianizing the island's natives. He and his subordinates organized the pueblicitos or villages of Nayup under the patronage of Saint Peter the Apostle, and Igang with Saint Anne as patroness.
Evangelization of Guimaras occurred around the same time the friars were making inroads in Panay. The Augustinians established the visitas (chapelries) of Nayup and Igang as subordinate to Oton, Iloilo. Gómez Pérez Dasmariñas, the 7th Spanish Governor-General, noted in a June 20, 1591, report to King Philip II that the friars of Oton made regular visits to the island.
In 1742, the island came under the jurisdiction of Dumangas – now known as Iloilo, until 1751 when the Augustinian Order was replaced by the Jesuits, after which the Dominican order took over Guimaras. The Jesuits, who had established a school in Iloilo and had missions in Molo and Arevalo, took charge of the island. By 1755, it was organized into a regular parish. When the population increased considerably, the island was given its municipal status with a seat of government at Tilad (today Buenavista).
Under American rule, the Guimarasnons were given the opportunity to elect their municipal president in 1908.[4]
Douglas MacArthur, a fresh graduate from West Point as a Second Lieutenant at the age of 23, came to Iloilo as the head of the company of U.S. Army Corps of Engineers. They constructed roads and the Santo Rosario Wharf, presently named MacArthur's Wharf, which are still in use today. In November 1903, while working on Guimaras, he was ambushed by a pair of Filipino brigands or guerrillas; he shot and killed both with his pistol.[5]
In 1942, Japanese Imperial forces landed on Guimaras Island as the Empire of Japan began its occupation of the country during the Second World War. The Japanese controlled almost every island between the Philippines and Hawaii. The U.S. Forces needed these islands to run aircraft to and from the Philippines, while denying Japan usage. The U.S. Army and Navy planned indirect attacks that would eventually lead them to Luzon.[6]
In 1945, 10 U.S. divisions and 5 independent regiments would battle for Luzon, making it the largest campaign of the war and involving more troops than the United States had used in North Africa, Italy or southern France. The combined United States and Philippine Commonwealth forces landed on Guimaras Island, attacking the Japanese and defeating them in the Battle of Guimaras, which led to the liberation of the island.[7]
Guimaras gained its status as a sub-province of Iloilo through Republic Act 4667,[8] which was enacted by Congress on June 18, 1966. It was proclaimed as a regular and full-fledged province on May 22, 1992, after a plebiscite was conducted to ratify the approval of its conversion pursuant to Section 462 of R.A. 7160.[9]
Shortly after Guimaras acquired its provincial status, President Fidel V. Ramos appointed Emily Relucio-López as its first Governor.
The province of Guimaras was originally composed of three municipalities: Buenavista, Jordan, and Nueva Valencia. In 1995, through Republic Act No. 7896 and Republic Act No. 7897,[10] [11] the municipalities of Sibunag and San Lorenzo were created. The two new municipalities officially acquired their municipal status after the May 8, 1995, plebiscite held simultaneously with the local election.
Ernesto L. Gedalanga was the first appointed mayor of Sibunag and Arsenio Zambarrano was also appointed mayor of San Lorenzo. The temporary seat of government of the Municipality of Sibunag is at Barangay Dasal while the temporary seat of Government of the Municipality of San Lorenzo is at Barangay Cabano.
In August 2006, the Guimaras oil spill occurred. The 998-ton MT Solar 1, chartered by Petron (the Philippines' largest oil refiner), carrying 2.4 million litres of bunker fuel, sank off the island's southern coast, contaminating . The Philippine Coast Guard called this the worst oil spill in the country's history. According to officials, of mangroves were affected, including parts of the Taklong Island National Marine Reserve.[12]
Guimaras comprises primarily of Guimaras Island, and numerous minor islets, prominent among which are Inampulugan, Guiwanon (or Guiuanon), Panobolon, Natunga and Nadulao. The province covers a total area of occupying the southeastern section of the Western Visayas region.
Sibunag River is the longest river in Guimaras with a total length of in municipality of Sibunag, followed by Cabano River long in San Lorenzo, Mantangingi River 17.4 km in Buenavista.
Mount Bontoc is the highest point in the province of Guimaras with an elevation of above sea level, located in municipality of Sibunag. Mount Dinulman is the second highest mountain with an elevation of also located in Sibunag.
The province has 5 municipalities. There is only one legislative district of Guimaras which encompasses all five towns.
| Municipality | Population | Area | Density | ||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| km2 | /km2 | ||||||||||||
| 10.697°N 122.6479°W | Buenavista | 50,437 | 115.6km2 | NaN52,899/115.60 | 36 | ||||||||
| 10.6611°N 122.5909°W | Jordan | † | 36,096 | 126.11km2 | NaN39,566/126.11 | 14 | |||||||
| 10.5265°N 122.5396°W | Nueva Valencia | 39,810 | 137.12km2 | NaN42,771/137.12 | 22 | ||||||||
| 10.5913°N 122.7024°W | San Lorenzo | 26,112 | 106.23km2 | NaN29,444/106.23 | 12 | ||||||||
| 10.5028°N 122.6304°W | Sibunag | 22,158 | 126.81km2 | NaN23,162/126.81 | 14 | ||||||||
| Total | 187,842 | 174,613 | 611.87 | 611.87km2 | NaNPD/km2NaNPD/km2 | 98 | |||||||
| Provincial capital | Municipality | ||||||||||||
The population of Guimaras in the 2020 census was 187,842 people, with a density of NaNPD/km2NaNPD/km2.
The people of the province, called Guimarasnon, speak Hiligaynon as the primary language, as it was once a sub-province of Iloilo. Filipino and English are widely spoken and understood.
See main article: Religion in the Philippines.
The two predominant religions in the municipality are the Roman Catholic Church and the Iglesia Filipina Independiente (Philippine Independent Church). The St. Paul's Theological Seminary (SPTS) in Jordan is the regional seminary of the Philippine Independent Church serving its Visayas and Mindanao dioceses.
The sectors having the most potential to support Guimaras' economic development are mangoes, tourism, cashew cultivation, and food processing. Another expanding sector is fishery, which includes growing seaweed. Infrastructure, capacity-building initiatives, more favorable legislation, and higher investments are just a few examples of local variables that have boosted the potential growth of these industries.
Guimaras is well known for its agricultural crops, particularly the mangoes, half of all exported mangoes come from this island. The island province is famous for producing one of the sweetest mangoes in the world, thus earning the nickname "Mango Capital of the Philippines" from local and foreign tourists. Guimaras mangoes are reportedly served at the White House and Buckingham Palace.[13] [14] [15] Guimaras' largest event of the year is the Manggahan Festival (the Mango Festival).[16] The variety of mangoes produced are also best for making dried mangoes, jam and other special delicacies. They also produce other fruits and vegetables such as bananas, tomatoes, and eggplants among others.[17]
Steel or Fiberglass Ferry boats ply regularly from Iloilo-Guimaras Ferry Terminal in Iloilo City Proper to Jordan, Guimaras and Buenavista, Guimaras, taking about 15 to 20 minutes per journey. RORO or roll-on/roll-off vessels sail from Lapuz, Iloilo City to Jordan Port in Jordan, Guimaras, every 30 minutes to one hour starting at 4:30AM to 6:30PM, taking about 30mins per way.
There is also a Ferry plying from Sibunag Port to Pulupandan in Negros Occidental.
The Governor of Guimaras is Joaquin Carlos Rahman A. Nava, a member of the National Unity Party. The province's Vice Governor is John Edward G. Gando, a member of PDP–Laban. Guimaras is represented in the Philippine House of Representatives by Lucille Nava, also a member of PDP–Laban.
Guimaras attracts tourists particularly in May, when the Manggahan Festival takes place. In the festival, locals wear mango-inspired costumes and design mango-themed floats in a parade that makes its way around the island. Pastries and confectionery with mango ingredients, as well unprepared mangoes, are also sold in relatively large quantities. Tourism also includes visits to agricultural areas across the island, such as the Oro Verde Mango Plantation.The island is also a growing destination for ecotourism. Talkong Island, off Guimaras' south coast, is a area of natural beauty recognized by the Philippine government. Tourists frequently visit areas such as the Guisi, Alubihod, Tatlong Pulo, and Natago beaches. Ave Maria Island is another ecological destination near Jordan. Some tourists also choose to visit the San Lorenzo Wind Farm, a series of turbines located near the island's eastern coast.
Guimaras is also a site for religious tourism. The Balaan Bukid Shrine hosts twelve markers of the Way of the Cross as individuals make an ascent towards a hilltop where the main shrine rests. Navalas Church, built between 1880 and 1885, bears one of the few remaining sites of Roman Catholic Spanish heritage on the island. The Trappist Monastery is located near the center of the island, providing a retreat center for visitors in addition to selling various mango-based foodstuffs to help support the monks of the monastery.
