History

Guimaras was known originally as Himal-us. The name was corrupted by the Spaniards and became Guimaras. Augustinian missionaries established ‘visitas’ or settlements on Guimaras and these visitas were under the jurisdiction of the town of Oton. In 1742, the island became part of the town of Dumangas. The first town organized on Guimaras was Tilad, the old name of Buenavista.

The island remained part of the province of Iloilo for most of its history. Sparsely settled during much of the Spanish period, Guimaras became an important shipbuilding center during the booming days of the sugar economy. Lorchas or single-masted boats plying the routes from Iloilo to Negros were built in Guimaras. During the Filipino-American War, the Americans maintained a military reservation in Buenavista called Camp Jossman that served as the headquarters of the American forces in Panay.

On May 1992, the island became a separate province and the annual Manggahan or mango Festival coincides with the annual commemoration of the province’s birth.

People, Culture and the Arts

The people of Guimaras are like Ilonggos in both temperament and nature, which is not surprising since Iloilo had dominated Guimaras for most of its history. They also share the same language, although some residents of barangays Nueva Valencia and Jordan speak Kiniray-a.

What is notable about Guimaras is the great number of pilgrimage sites in the island. Jordan is known for its Holy Week presentation--Ang Pagtaltal sa Guimaras, a Visayan version of the passion play. It’s culmination is a one kilometer procession of devotees in biblical attire, accompanied by flagellants doing penance, and dramatizing the journey of Christ to Calvary as it ends up nearby Bala-an Bukid (Holy Mountain) to the large cross at the summit. Another unique feature of Jordan is the Trappist Monk Monastery-- a refuge to the weary and heavy-laden.

One other Good Friday ritual is the Pang-alap in Catiliran Cave in Nueva Valencia. Hundreds of devotees crawl throughout the 500-meter long passage of the cave, while reciting Latin prayers, in the belief that they will acquire supernatural powers that would be useful to ward off evil spirits.

Blessed with beautiful sceneries, and untouched beaches, the province delights the water-sport enthusiasts. Nueva Valencia abounds with white sand beaches, colored corals, fish, and rare red shrimps in Tiniguiban Island. There are also areas for spear fishing, scuba diving and snorkeling. For Buenavista, the Daliran Spring and Cave, Siete Pecados, Roca Encantada, and Pungkok Beach are irresistible.

Trade and Investments

Guimaras, a paradise for growth, is among the youngest provinces of the Philippines having been created only in 1992. The province has total land area of 605 square kilometers. One of the most unspoilt places in the Philippines, the province has not fallen prey to commercial exploitation. Guimaras has 23,000 hectares of fertile agricultural land that supports many products including the famous carabao mangoes, the only certified pesticide free mangoes from the Philippines allowed into the US market. The waters around the province are ideal fishing grounds as these abound in fish species like grouper, sea bass and tuna. Mineral deposits in Guimaras include limestone, guano and iron ore. Guimaras has an estimated population of 133,344 in 1995. This consists of educated and well-trained labor force that provides the strong support base for local economic activities.

Guimaras is only a 10 to 15 minute pump boat ride from Iloilo City and an hour away from Negros Occidental. The province has 14 seaports and a feeder airport that is currently being constructed. The local road network has 500 kilometers of road that facilitate efficient transfer of people and goods to many parts of the province. The province has a steady supply of electricity from the National Power Corporation and a stable source of water supplied by the Local Water Utilities Administration. Other water sources include artisan wells, natural springs, rainwater and four major rivers systems. There are cellular phone facilities and three public calling stations operating in the province. Guimaras has five banking institutions that serves the financial needs of the people although the proximity of Iloilo City allows residents to tap into that city’s well developed banking system.

The investment opportunities in Guimaras have strong support from local and foreign markets. The gifts and houseware industry produces miniature yachts, coconut shell craft, native handbags and other quality crafts and promises a short payback period and an established market in US, Japan and Europe. Food processing could easily thrive given the province’s productive orchards of mango, cashew, calamansi, guava, jackfruit, passion fruit and pineapple. Metalworking is another option considering the high demand for mechanized post-harvest facilities like threshers and wind blowers needed by an expanding rice industry. Cutflower production has already started and gets much support from a local federation of cutflower cooperatives. The tourism and resort development perhaps holds a bigger potential for good investment returns as the island is filled with white sand beaches, pristine waters, and breathtaking underwater seascape.

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