Guimaras Province, Philippines Genealogy

Philippines Guimaras Province

Guide to  ancestry, family history and genealogy: birth records, marriage records, death records, census records, parish registers, and military records.

History
Guimaras is known to have had a unique history. A prevailing legend has it that two of its inhabitants called Guima and Aras, who were lovers, went swimming and never returned. Thus, in their honor, Himal-us was changed to Guimaras by the pre-Spanish Ilonggos.

The beauty of the island attracted the attention of the colonizers. The Spaniards headed by Gonzalo Ronquillo de Peñalosa who established the first Spanish settlement in Arevalo were struck by the beautiful sceneries in the island. They noticed that its verdant mountains abounded with forest timbers, limestone for building purposes, and excellent hunting and fishing grounds.

The Christianization of the people of Guimaras was started almost simultaneously with those of Iloilo. For this purpose, the Spaniards organized pueblocitos (villages) of Nayup, with San Pedro Apostol as patron saint; Nabilhan with San Juan Bautista as patron saint; and Igang whose patron saint was Santa Ana. For a long time these small villages formed a “visita” of Oton. In the 18th century, it was annexed to the parish of Iloilo. During this period, the island was frequently raided by pirates and the growth of population was slow.

Cemeteries

 * Find A Grave
 * Philippine American Cemetery in Iloilo
 * Cemetery Information

Websites

 * Guimaras
 * Provincial Government of Guimaras
 * Guimaras Province, Philippines
 * Guimaras ZIP Code Directory