Guimaras | |
|---|---|
.jpg)  .jpg) .jpg) .jpg)  (clockwise from top)Guisi coast,Guisi Beach, Guisi Lighthouse ruins, Guimaras island satellite image in 2016,Balaan Bukid Way of the Cross, and Navalas Church | |
 Flag  Seal | |
| Nickname: Mango Capital of the Philippines | |
.svg) Location in the Philippines | |
 Interactive map of Guimaras | |
| Coordinates:10°34′N122°35′E / 10.57°N 122.58°E /10.57; 122.58 | |
| Country | Philippines |
| Region | Western Visayas |
| Spanish Settlement | 1581 |
| Founded | May 22, 1992 |
| Capital | Jordan |
| Largest Municipality | Buenavista |
| Government | |
| • Type | Sangguniang Panlalawigan |
| • Governor | Ma. Lucille L Nava (NUP) |
| • Vice Governor | Cecile C. Gumarin (NUP) |
| • Representative | Joaquin Carlos Rahman A. Nava (NUP) |
| • Legislature | Guimaras Provincial Board |
| Area | |
• Total | 604.57 km2 (233.43 sq mi) |
| • Rank | 77th out of 82 |
| Highest elevation | 272 m (892 ft) |
| Population (2024 census)[2] | |
• Total | 192,874 |
| • Rank | 74th out of 82 |
| • Density | 319.03/km2 (826.28/sq mi) |
| • Rank | 28th out of 82 |
| Demonym | Guimarasnon |
| Divisions | |
| • Independent cities | 0 |
| • Component cities | 0 |
| • Municipalities | |
| • Barangays | 98 |
| • Districts | Legislative district of Guimaras |
| Time zone | UTC+8 (PHT) |
| IDD : area code | +63 (0)33 |
| ISO 3166 code | PH-GUI |
| Spoken languages | |
| Income classification | 4th class |
| GDP (2022) | ₱16.13 billion $275.2 million[3] |
| Growth rate |  9% |
| Website | guimaras |
Guimaras ([ɡimaˈɾas]), officially theProvince of Guimaras (Hiligaynon:Kapuoran sang Guimaras;Tagalog:Lalawigan ng Guimaras), is an island province in thePhilippines located in theWestern Visayasregion. The capital isJordan, while the largestlocal government unit is the municipality ofBuenavista. The province is situated inPanay Gulf, between the islands ofPanay andNegros. To the northwest is thecity andprovince of Iloilo and to the southeast isNegros Occidental. The whole island is part of theMetro Iloilo–Guimaras, one of the twelvemetropolitan areas of the Philippines.
The province consists primarily of Guimaras Island, and also includesInampulugan, Guiwanon (or Guiuanon), Panobolon, Natunga, Nadulao, and many surrounding islets.[4]
Guimaras, formerly known asHimal-os, was asub-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 thepueblicitos or villages of Nayup under thepatronage of SaintPeter the Apostle, and Igang withSaint Anne as patroness.
Evangelization of Guimaras occurred around the same time the friars were making inroads in Panay. TheAugustinians established thevisitas (chapelries) of Nayup and Igang as subordinate toOton, Iloilo.Gómez Pérez Dasmariñas, the 7thSpanishGovernor-General, noted in a June 20, 1591, report to KingPhilip II that the friars of Oton made regular visits to the island.
In 1742, the island came under the jurisdiction of Dumangas – now known asIloilo, until 1751 when the Augustinian Order was replaced by theJesuits, after which theDominican 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 (todayBuenavista).
UnderAmerican rule, the Guimarasnons were given the opportunity to elect their municipal president in 1908.[5]
Douglas MacArthur, a fresh graduate fromWest Point as aSecond Lieutenant at the age of 23, came to Iloilo as the head of the company ofU.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.[6]
In 1942,Japanese Imperial forces landed on Guimaras Island as theEmpire of Japan began itsoccupation of the country during theSecond 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 toLuzon.[7]
In 1945, the combinedUnited States andPhilippine Commonwealth forces landed on Guimaras Island and Inampulungan Island on 19 March, attacking the Japanese and defeating them in the Battle of Guimaras, which led to the liberation of the island.[8][7][9]
Guimaras gained its status as a sub-province of Iloilo throughRepublic Act 4667,[10] which was enacted byCongress on June 18, 1966.
The beginning months of the 1970s had marked a period of turmoil and change in the Philippines, as well as in Guimaras.[11][12] During hisbid to be the first Philippine president to be re-elected for a second term, Ferdinand Marcos launched an unprecedented number of foreign debt-funded public works projects. This caused[13][14] the Philippine economy to take a sudden downwards turn known as the1969 Philippine balance of payments crisis, which led to a period of economic difficulty and a significant rise of social unrest.[15][16][17][18]: "43" With only a year left in his last constitutionally allowed term as president, Ferdinand Marcos placed the Philippines underMartial Law in September 1972 and thus retained the position for fourteen more years.[19] This period in Philippine history is remembered for the Marcos administration's record ofhuman rights abuses,[20][21] particularly targeting political opponents, student activists, journalists, religious workers, farmers, and others who fought against the Marcos dictatorship.[22]
A number of prominent Guimaras natives played an active role in the resistance to the dictatorship, and have since been recognized by having their names inscribed on the wall of remembrance of the Philippines'Bantayog ng mga Bayani memorial, which honors the martyrs and heroes that fought the regime. Among these were activist Maria Luisa “Luing” Posa-Dominado who became well known for escaping from detention soon after every time she was caught;[23] and Nueva Valencia Municipal Councilor2Lt Pablo G. Fernandez, who refused to be activated as a Philippine Army Reservist if it meant implementing Martial Law, and was detained and summarily executed as a result.[24] There was alsoAlpha Phi Omega fraternity Grand Chancellor Edgardo Dojillo, whose family hailed from Guimaras, who led is fraternity in protesting the administration and was targeted and killed in an ambush by the 332ndPhilippine Constabulary Company just a few weeks after the martial law declaration.[25]
Many of those caught (labelledpolitical detainees) because no actual cases were filed against them, were detained inCamp Martin Delgado in Iloilo, the nearest major facility under the Regional Command for the Administration III (RECAD III) in the Visayas.[26][27]
Guimaras was proclaimed as a regular and full-fledged province on May 22, 1992, after aplebiscite was conducted to ratify the approval of its conversion pursuant to Section 462 ofR.A. 7160.[28]
Shortly after Guimaras acquired its provincial status,PresidentFidel V. Ramos appointed Emily Relucio-López as its first Governor.
The province of Guimaras was originally composed of three municipalities: Buenavista, Jordan, andNueva Valencia. In 1995, throughRepublic Act No. 7896 andRepublic Act No. 7897,[29][30] the municipalities of Sibunag andSan 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, theGuimaras oil spill occurred. The 998-ton MTSolar 1,chartered byPetron (the Philippines' largest oil refiner), carrying 2.4 million litres ofbunker fuel, sank 17 kilometres (11 mi) off the island's southern coast, contaminating 24 square kilometres (9.3 sq mi). ThePhilippine Coast Guard called this the worst oil spill in the country's history. According to officials, 1,100 hectares (2,700 acres) ofmangroves were affected, including parts of theTaklong Island National Marine Reserve.[31]
Guimaras comprises primarily of Guimaras Island, and numerous minor islets, prominent among which are Inampulugan, Guiwanon (orGuiuanon), Panobolon, Natunga and Nadulao. The province covers a total area of 604.57 square kilometres (233.43 sq mi)[32] occupying the southeastern section of theWestern Visayas region.
Sibunag River is the longest river in Guimaras with a total length of 28.8 km (17.9 mi) in municipality ofSibunag, followed byCabano River 23.7 km (14.7 mi) long inSan Lorenzo,Mantangingi River 17.4 km inBuenavista.
Mount Bontoc is the highest point in the province of Guimaras with an elevation of 892 ft (272 m) above sea level, located in municipality of Sibunag.Mount Dinulman is the second highest mountain with an elevation of 879 ft (268 m) also located in Sibunag.
The province has 5 municipalities. There is only onelegislative district of Guimaras which encompasses all five towns.
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| Year | Pop. | ±% p.a. |
|---|---|---|
| 1903 | 21,467 | — |
| 1918 | 27,170 | +1.58% |
| 1939 | 38,547 | +1.68% |
| 1948 | 40,697 | +0.60% |
| 1960 | 57,560 | +2.93% |
| 1970 | 73,014 | +2.40% |
| 1975 | 84,515 | +2.98% |
| 1980 | 92,382 | +1.80% |
| 1990 | 117,990 | +2.48% |
| 1995 | 126,470 | +1.31% |
| 2000 | 141,450 | +2.43% |
| 2007 | 151,238 | +0.93% |
| 2010 | 162,943 | +2.75% |
| 2015 | 174,613 | +1.33% |
| 2020 | 187,842 | +1.55% |
| 2024 | 192,874 | +0.64% |
| Source: Philippine Statistics Authority[33][34][34] | ||
The population of Guimaras in the 2024 census was 192,874 people, with a density of 320 inhabitants per square kilometre or 830 inhabitants per square mile.[5]
The people of the province, calledGuimarasnon, speakHiligaynon as the primary language, as it was once a sub-province ofIloilo.Filipino andEnglish are widely spoken and understood.
The two predominant religions in the municipality are theRoman Catholic Church and theIglesia 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's 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 themangoes, 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 theWhite House andBuckingham Palace.[43][44][45] Guimaras's largest event of the year is theManggahan Festival (the Mango Festival).[46] 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.[47]
Steel or Fiberglass Ferry boats ply regularly from Iloilo-Guimaras Ferry Terminal inIloilo City Proper to Jordan, Guimaras and Buenavista, Guimaras, taking about 15 to 20 minutes per journey. RORO orroll-on/roll-off vessels sail fromLapuz, 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 toPulupandan in Negros Occidental.
The Governor of Guimaras is Joaquin Carlos Rahman A. Nava, a member of theNational Unity Party. The province's Vice Governor is John Edward G. Gando, a member ofPDP–Laban. Guimaras is represented in the Philippine House of Representatives by Lucille Nava, also a member ofPDP–Laban.
Guimaras attracts tourists particularly in May, when theManggahan 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 forecotourism.Talkong Island, off Guimaras's south coast, is an 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 forreligious tourism. TheBalaan Bukid Shrine hosts twelve markers of theWay 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 ofRoman CatholicSpanish heritage on the island. TheTrappist Monastery is located near the center of the island, providing aretreat center for visitors in addition to selling various mango-based foodstuffs to help support the monks of the monastery.[47]
{{cite book}}: CS1 maint: location missing publisher (link)As of press time, the ship's sinking has already caused an oil spill contaminating 200 kilometers of the coastline of Nueva Valencia, Sibunag and San Lorenzo towns. This has reportedly affected more than 20 sq. km of coral reefs, 1,100 has. of the Taclong national marine reserve in Nueva Valencia, at least 4,000 fishermen and 17,000 households in several coastal villages.
Media related toGuimaras at Wikimedia Commons
Geographic data related toGuimaras atOpenStreetMapPlaces adjacent to Guimaras | ||||||||||||||||
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 Province ofGuimaras | |
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Jordan (capital) | |
| Municipalities | |
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