Guimaras

Panay, Visayas


Guimaras is an island province of the Philippines located in the Western Visayas region. The Guimaras Island is famous for producing the sweetest mangoes in the world. 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.
The province includes the islands of Guimaras and Inampulugan and many smaller islands.
Guimaras was a sub-province of Iloilo until it was made an independent province on May 22, 1992.

The people of Guimaras are considered as Guimarasnon and their languages are Hiligaynon and Kinaray-a as it was once a sub-province of Iloilo. Hiligaynon is the major language spoken, although the people can understand and speak Tagalog and English.

Located southwest of Panay, Guimaras is separated from Iloilo by the Iloilo Strait, a narrow channel which takes about fifteen minutes to cross by pumpboat from the Ortiz landing in Iloilo to Jordan, Guimaras. Other ferries leave from the Parola wharf in Iloilo to the municipality of Buenavista, Guimaras. The Parola wharf is used exclusively whenever the water is rough. There also is a roll on/roll off (RORO) ferry that travels around five times a day.




Geologists have concluded that the island formed one landmass with Panay. Guimaras was formerly known as Himal-us.
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, fish farming, handicrafts making, mining, quarrying and lime production.









Guimaras is well-known for its agricultural crops, particularly mangoes, where some 50,000 of these trees are planted. Guimaras mangos are reportedly served at the White House and Buckingham Palace. Guimaras' largest event of the year is The Manggahan Festival (the Mango Festival). The variety of mangoes produced are also best for making dried mangoes, jam and other delicacies.