Guimaras is an island province of the Philippines located in the Western Visayas region. Among the smallest provinces, its capital is Jordan. The island is located in the Panay Gulf, between the islands of Panay and Negros. To the northwest is the province of Iloilo and to the southeast is Negros Occidental.

Guimaras used to be a sub-province of Iloilo until it was made an independent province on May 11, 1992.

People and Culture

The people of Guimaras is considered as Ilonggo or Hiligaynon as it was once a sub-provice of Iloilo. Hiligaynon is the major dialect spoken although the people can understand and speak Tagalog and English.

Economy

The province is basically agricultural with palay, coconut, mango, vegetables, livestock, poultry and fishing as major products. Its major industries are tourism, fruit processing, coconut processing, handicrafts making, mining, quarrying and lime production.

Guimaras is well-known for its agricultural crops, in particular mangoes where some 50,000 of these trees are planted. The Guimaras Island is famous for producing the sweetest mangoes in the world and it has been reported in the PhilStar (National Paper of the Philippines) that Guimaras mangos are served at the Whitehouse. Also, Guimaras' largest event of the year is the Mango Festival. The variety of mangoes produced are also best for making dried mangoes.

Geography

Political

Guimaras is subdivided into 5 municipalities.

Municipalities

• Buenavista
• Jordan
• Nueva Valencia
• San Lorenzo
• Sibunag

Physical

Located southwest of Panay, Guimaras is separated physically from Iloilo by a narrow channel, which takes about ten minutes to cross by pumpboat from the Ortiz landing on Iloilo to Jordan. There are two other ways to get there, the Parola warf in Iloilo to the municipality of Buenavista. The Parola warf is used exclusively when ever the the water is rough. There also is a RORO (roll on roll off ferry) that travels around five times a day and is used by the Iloilo bicycle clubs on Sunday to travel to Guimaras. Geologists opine that the island formed one landmass with Panay in the past. Guimaras was also known as Himal-us.

History

It was Gonzalo Ronquillo de Peñalosa, a Spanish leader, who established the Spanish settlement in Guimaras for the purpose of the Christianization of the natives of the island. He and his subordinates organized the pueblicitos or villages of Nayup, with San Pedro Apostol as the patron saint, and Igang, with Sta. Ana as the patroness.

Evangelization of Guimaras occurred around the same time the friars were making inroads in Panay. The Augustinians established the visitas of Nayup and Igang dependent on Oton, Iloilo. Gov. Gen. Dasmariñas 20 June 1551 report to the king noted that the friars of Oton made regular visits to the island.

In 1742, the island fell under the jurisdiction of Dumangas - now known as Iloilo, until 1751 when the Augustinian Order was replaced by the Jesuits, after which the Dominicans took over Guimaras. The Jesuits who had established a school in Iloilo, and had missions in Molo and Arevalo too 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 (Buenavista). In 1908, during the American period, the Guimarasnons were given the democracy to elect their municipal president.

One great American left an indelible mark in the island. Douglas McArthur, fresh graduate from West Point as a Second Lieutenant at the age of 23, came to Iloilo as the head of the company of Corps of Engineers. They constructed roads and the Sto. Rosario Wharf, presently named McArthur's Wharf, which are still in use today.

Guimaras first gained its status as a sub-province of Iloilo by virtue of R.A. 4667, 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.

Shortly after Guimaras acquired its provincial status, President Fidel V. Ramos appointed Emily Relucio-Lopez as its first Governor.

The Province of Guimaras was first made up of 3 municipalities. In 1995, by virtue of Republic Act No. 7896 and Republic Act No. 7897, the Municipalities of Sibunag and San Lorenzo were created respectively in the Province of Guimaras. The two new municipalities officially acquired their municipal status after the May 8, 1995 plebiscite held simultaneously with the local election.

Mayor Ernesto L. Gedalanga was the first appointed Mayor of the Municipality of Sibunag and Mayor Arsenio Zambarrano was also appointed as the Mayor of San Lorenzo. The temporary seat of government of the Municipality of Sibunag is at Brgy. Sabang while the temporary seat of Government of the Municipality of San Lorenzo is at Brgy. M. Chavez.

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