Guimaras
Template:Redirect Template:Distinguish Template:Use mdy dates Template:Use Philippine English Template:Infobox settlement
Guimaras (Template:IPA), officially the Province of Guimaras (Template:Langx; Template:Langx), 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.<ref>Official map of province Template:Webarchive. Province of Guimaras</ref>
Guimaras, formerly known as Himal-os, was a sub-province of Iloilo until it was made an independent province on May 22, 1992.
History
Spanish colonial era
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).
American colonial era
Under American rule, the Guimarasnons were given the opportunity to elect their municipal president in 1908.<ref name=":0">Template:Cite web</ref>
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.<ref>Template:Cite book</ref>
Japanese occupation
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.<ref name=":1">Template:Cite web</ref>
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 and Inampulungan Island on 19 March 1945, attacking the Japanese and defeating them in the Battle of Guimaras, which led to the liberation of the island.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref><ref name=":1" /><ref>Template:Cite book</ref>
Postwar Era
Guimaras gained its status as a sub-province of Iloilo through Republic Act 4667,<ref name=ChanRobles-RA4667>Template:Cite web</ref> which was enacted by Congress on June 18, 1966.
Marcos dictatorship era
Template:Main The beginning months of the 1970s had marked a period of turmoil and change in the Philippines, as well as in Guimaras Iloilo.<ref name="Robles2016">Template:Cite book</ref><ref name ="GazetteHistoryProtest">Template:Cite web</ref> During his bid 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<ref name=Balbosas1992>Template:Cite journal</ref><ref name="Balisacan&Hill2003">Template:Cite book</ref> the Philippine economy to take a sudden downwards turn known as the 1969 Philippine balance of payments crisis, which led to a period of economic difficulty and a significant rise of social unrest.<ref name="Cororaton1997">Template:Cite journal</ref><ref name="Celoza1997">Template:Cite book</ref><ref>Template:Cite book</ref><ref name="Kessler1989">Template:Cite book</ref> Template:Rp With only a year left in his last constitutionally allowed term as president, Ferdinand Marcos placed the Philippines under Martial Law in September 1972 and thus retained the position for fourteen more years.<ref name ="Kasaysayan9ch10">Template:Cite book</ref> This period in Philippine history is remembered for the Marcos administration's record of human rights abuses,<ref name="McCoy199909202">Template:Cite web</ref><ref name="Abinales&Amoroso20052">Template:Cite book</ref> particularly targeting political opponents, student activists, journalists, religious workers, farmers, and others who fought against the Marcos dictatorship.<ref name="Rappler">Template:Cite news</ref>
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;<ref name="BantayogProfilePosaDominado">Template:Cite web</ref> and Nueva Valencia Municipal Councilor 2Lt 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.<ref name="BantayogProfilePabloFernandez">Template:Cite web</ref> There was also Alpha 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 332nd Philippine Constabulary Company just a few weeks after the martial law declaration.<ref name="BantayogProfileDojillo">Template:Cite web</ref>
Many of those caught (labelled political detainees) because no actual cases were filed against them, were detained in Camp Martin Delgado in Iloilo, the nearest major facility under Marcoses Regional Command for the Administration III (RECAD III) in the Visayas.<ref name="RocamoraBook">Template:Cite book</ref><ref name="amnesty.org.ph">Template:Cite web</ref>
Provincial Status
Guimaras 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.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>
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,<ref name=GovPH-RA7896>Template:Cite web</ref><ref name=ChanRobles-RA7897>Template:Cite web</ref> 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.
Contemporary
Guimaras oil spill
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 Template:Convert off the island's southern coast, contaminating Template:Convert. The Philippine Coast Guard called this the worst oil spill in the country's history. According to officials, Template:Convert of mangroves were affected, including parts of the Taklong Island National Marine Reserve.<ref name="Bulatlat-2006OilSpill">Template:Cite news</ref>
Geography
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 Template:ConvertTemplate:PSGC detail occupying the southeastern section of the Western Visayas region.
Sibunag River is the longest river in Guimaras with a total length of Template:Cvt in municipality of Sibunag, followed by Cabano River Template:Cvt 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 Template:Cvt above sea level, located in municipality of Sibunag. Mount Dinulman is the second highest mountain with an elevation of Template:Cvt also located in Sibunag.
The province has 5 municipalities. There is only one legislative district of Guimaras which encompasses all five towns.
Template:Col-begin Template:Col-break
| MunicipalityTemplate:ThinspTemplate:Efn-lr | Population | Template:PSGC rubric | AreaTemplate:PSGC detail | Density | Template:Abbr | |||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Template:SmallTemplate:PH census | Template:SmallTemplate:PH census | km2 | Template:Nowrap | /km2 | Template:Nowrap | |||||||
| Template:Coord | Buenavista | Template:Percent and number | 50,437 | Template:PAGR | Template:Convert | Template:Convert | 36 | |||||
| Template:Coord | Jordan | † | Template:Percent and number | 36,096 | Template:PAGR | Template:Convert | Template:Convert | 14 | ||||
| Template:Coord | Nueva Valencia | Template:Percent and number | 39,810 | Template:PAGR | Template:Convert | Template:Convert | 22 | |||||
| Template:Coord | San Lorenzo | Template:Percent and number | 26,112 | Template:PAGR | Template:Convert | Template:Convert | 12 | |||||
| Template:Coord | Sibunag | Template:Percent and number | 22,158 | Template:PAGR | Template:Convert | Template:Convert | 14 | |||||
| Total | 187,842 | 174,613 | Template:PAGR | 611.87 | Template:Convert | Template:Sigfig | Template:Convert | 98 | ||||
| Template:Color boxTemplate:ThinspProvincial capital | Template:Color boxTemplate:ThinspMunicipality | |||||||||||
Demographics
.jpg){kind=link}
The population of Guimaras in the 2020 census was 187,842 people, with a density of Template:Convert.<ref name=":0" />
Language
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. Template:Clear
Religion
Catholicism
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.
Economy
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 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.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref><ref>Template:Cite web</ref><ref>Template:Cite webTemplate:Cbignore</ref> Guimaras's largest event of the year is the Manggahan Festival (the Mango Festival).<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> 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.<ref name=":2">Template:Cite web</ref>
Transportation
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.
Government
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.
Tourism
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'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 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.<ref name=":2" />
Notable people
- Chrisanta Seboc - Child hero who saved two of her younger siblings from a fire at home in July 1996.<ref>Template:Cite news</ref>