An island in the Western Visayas region located between the island of Panay and Negros and once a sub province of Iloilo until it was made an independent province on May 22,1992. The island of Guimaras has only 5 municipalities made up of Buenavista, Jordan, Nueva Valencia, San Lorenzo and Sibunag but have an extensive rich coverage of white sand beaches, corrals and adventure treks. It is widely known for its crop of sweet mangoes and reportedly being consumed in the White House and the Buckingham Palace. Dialects spoken are Ilonggo, Hiligaynon, Kinaraya, Tagalog and English.

In August 2006 a major oil spill disaster swept the island and affected much the livelihood of coastal residents and triggered a slump in tourism. Last year, to help transform the Island of Guimaras to be an alternate tourism haven for travelers, the Department of Tourism launched a program that would benefit the economy of Guimaras and at the same time the residents of the island. The United Nations Development Program (UNDP) and the Canadian Urban Institute (CUI) designed a tourism package for Guimaras that would transform the island into an alternate tourism haven.

The transformation of Guimaras Island to a favorite tourism destination includes the promotion of the island by the Deprtment of Tourism with the support from international tourism groups and travel agencies by promoting packaged airfares and stay. These promotions includes the restoration of the famous 18th century lighthouse built by the Spanish colonial government in 1896 known as Faro de Punta Luzaran and support for its eco-tourism like the Guisi Discovery Quest, the whale and shark watching in Donsol and mountain biking to Tagsing Cave or rappeling with the local government support on businesses for scuba diving equipment rentals and snorkeling.

With all these projects, it will also serve as a community model for environment and preservation of community life on how a turn around can occur when disaster strikes like an oil spill. While tourism declined on that year, a turn around has been seen and an increase of visitors frequented the place. It also gave way to the improvement of the economy and life of the inhabitants as the island drew more attention from travelers around the world.

What are you waiting for Visit Guimaras and enjoy its natural scenic beauty.

Tags: guimaras, guimaras province, guimaras tourism