GUIMARAS

Guimaras is a province island located in

Western Visayas. The province consists primarily of
Guimaras Island, and also includes Inampulugan,
Guiwanon (or Guiuanon), Panobolon, Natunga,
Nadulao, and many surrounding islets.
Guimaras is well known for its agricultural
crops, particularly the mangoes, where some
+50,000 of these trees are planted. 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.

ARCHITECTURE
Roca Encantada
One of Guimaras’ famous
landmarks is the summer house of
the Lopez Clan built atop a hill,
also known as Roca Encantada or
“Enchanted Rock”.
The house was built in
1910 in honor of Dona
Presentacion Hofilena Lopez.
Suprisingly despite the modern
exterior, the mansion is a
“heritage house” as declared by the National Heritage Institute.

18th Century Guisi Lighthouse (Sitio Guisi, Dolores,

Nueva Valencia)

The Guisi Lighthouse is an 18th century

Spanish-colonial lighthouse built beside the
beach. It was built to guide mariners passing the
Iloilo and Guimaras strait. At the top of the hill are
the ruins of a Spanish-colonial outpost and the
rotting remains of the metal lighthouse structure.
Although the condition of the old lighthouse is already in disarray the Guimarasnons take
pride in having the second oldest lighthouse, next to the old lighthouse in Aparri, Cagayan.

It was built by the Spanish Government in 1894-1896 as part of the Master Plan for the
lighting of the Maritime Coasts of the Philippine Archipelago. The plan was aimed at lighting the
Philippine Seas and channels to guide the ships through the most important sea channels to the
ports of Manila, Iloilo and Cebu. Known as Faro de Punta Luzaran, the lighthouse served as the
navigational aid to the fishermen and sailors cruising Panay Gulf.

Abbey Church of Our Lady of the Philippines (San Miguel, Jordan)

The only men’s monastery in the Philippines is run by the Cistercian Order of Strict
Observance and was established in 1972. This place is always open to those who seek the solace
and self-examination through meditation and retreat from taxing endeavors of the materialistic
world.
In 1997, the church and a modern guesthouse with private facilities were built. They
welcome guests who wish to spend days or even weeks in prayer, meditation and retreats. Their
livelihood involves agriculture, growing vegetables for their own and guests' consumption, mango
orchard, processing plant for mango, pineapple, guava fruit into jelly, jam, juice, dried, piaya,
cookies and others. All products are displayed in their gift shop and at GTIC-Pasalubong Center.
You can write your petition/intention and drop it in the box located at the entrance of the church.
Religious items purchased may be blessed by the monks upon request.
San Isidro Labrador Church or Navalas Church

Built in 1880, the Navalas Church is the oldest Roman Catholic Church and the
only existing heritage church in the Island of Guimaras. The architecture of this quaint
church is reminiscent of the Jaro Cathedral in Iloilo, which is due to Guimaras being a
vista of Jaro during the Spanish period.
This massive church built from native coral and stone is in Buenavista and just a
short trip away from Roca Encantado.

Museo de Guimaras
The Museo de Guimaras contains
artifacts relating to the province’s history and
culture.
It is a museum housing the arts,
anthropology, archaeology and zoology
divisions, the governing bodies officially
tasked for labelling, maintenance,
preservation, conservation, rehabilitation
and restoration of the artistic, anthropological and archaeological patrimony of the
province of Guimaras.

PAINTING
Vicente G. Fario (Vic Fario)
As a child, Vic already had passion for arts specifically in drawing. At the age of
five or six, he made drawings, with the use of charcoal, copied from local comics which
his brother used to read. Some of his brothers and sisters finished high school and some
didn’t because of poverty. He had big dreams and one of them was to study Fine Arts to
enhance his talent though at that time Fine Arts was not a popular course. He graduated
from high school not knowing if he could pursue his dream. He went to Manila to look for
a job to help his parents. He stopped drawing for three years, but every time he saw a
painting in a gallery where he passed by, his heart pounded.
 In his place in Pasay City, he met missionaries and became involved in their
mission activities and it helped him bring back his self-confidence and dignity. He enrolled
at the Philippine Women’s University, College of Fine Arts and Design, major in Painting
through the help of the missionaries.

FILM
CineMangga
CineMangga, which was derived from the words "cinema" and "mangga" (mango),
the province's main product, is a brainchild of the Provincial Government of Guimaras,
Guimaras Provincial Tourism Office, and filmmaker Allen Rivera Galindo.
The film festival, which coincides with the Manggahan Festival, aims to promote
tourism by showcasing Guimaras as a film location, to discover and promote the culture,
heritage, tradition, and arts of Guimaras through films, to discover new filmmakers that
will become ambassadors of the province and to encourage Guimarasnons to support
their own story through films.
 "Toxic Mango" is a sardonic tale of fruit and
genocide. A black mango becomes the "Adam and Eve
apple" of ill-fated lovers Guima and Aras when it appears
on a tree. To eat or not to eat the mango is their question.
The black and white silent film ruminates over a dystopic
future when the effects of the oil spill tragedy have reached
nightmarish proportions.

"Bunker 0: Sumirib
Plus" gives a glimpse into the
lives of residents of Sitio Sumirib, Barangay La Paz in the
municipality of Nueva Valencia, one of the areas most
affected by the massive oil spill from the sunken tanker
Solar 1 chartered by the Petron oil corporation. The film
focuses more on their thoughts and feelings regarding this
man-made ecological disaster and the actions they take to
somehow cope with very difficult times ahead.