Guimaras Archives - Cultural Mapping of Panay and Guimaras

February 18, 2026

CMPG

The Sabang Seaweed Growers Association (SSGA) was established on January 20, 2009, initially comprising 119 members, primarily composed of small-scale fisherfolk. It has been officially registered with the Department of Labor and Employment since 2013. The association has engaged in various capacity-building activities and has received support from agencies including the Bureau of Fisheries and Aquatic Resources (BFAR) Region 6, DOLE Region 6, the Provincial Government of Guimaras, the Municipality of Sibunag, the Southeast Asian Fisheries Development Center (SEAFDEC), academic institutions, and non-government organizations. In 2021, the SSGA was provided with a processing center to support value-added production, such as ...

Cultural Institutions

SAPAL WEAVERS ASSOCIATION

Guimaras, San Lorenzo, Sapal

February 18, 2026

CMPG

The Sapal Weavers Association (SWA), established in 2006, supports the weaving community in Barangay Sapal, San Lorenzo, Guimaras. Originally with 44 members, it presently has 33 active members who engage in the traditional craft of weaving “banig” (handwoven mats) and other woven products. The men handle tasks like planting, harvesting, cleaning, and drying the buri and baryos leaves, while the women do the actual weaving. In 2015, SWA won first place in the “Pasundayag sa Manggahan” competition, and in 2018, the local government donated the Handicraft and Processed Food Center facility for their operations.

Cultural Institutions

GUIMARAS STATE UNIVERSITY

Buenavista, Guimaras, Mclain

February 18, 2026

CMPG

Guimaras State University (GSU), located in Barangay Mclain, Buenavista, Guimaras, began as Buenavista Vocational School in 1964 and, since 2019, elevated to a state university. It offers a wide range of programs in fields such as education, agriculture, technology, business, health sciences, supporting the socioeconomic development of Guimaras. GSU is known as the first state college in the Philippines to receive institutional accreditation by AACCUP. The university operates from its main Salvador Campus and has two annexes, the Mosqueda Annex in Alaguisoc, Jordan, Guimaras, and the Baterna Annex in Constancia, San Lorenzo, Guimaras.

Significant Personalities

VICENTE BRIZA ALVAREZ, SR.

Guimaras, Sibunag

February 18, 2026

CMPG

Vicente Briza Alvarez, born on September 7, 1927, in Tabaco City, Albay, was a marine biologist known for pioneering seaweed farming in the Philippines. He earned his degrees in Marine Biology from the University of the Philippines Diliman and the University of Hawaii. Alvarez contributed significantly to the study and cultivation of the seaweed Kappaphycus, leading to the development of Eucheuma farming in the country. In 1969, he introduced seaweed farming in Tawi-Tawi, and, in 1973, a strain of seaweed locally known as “guso” or “tambalang” (Kappaphycus alvarezii), was named in his honor. His work is credited in bringing economic ...

Significant Personalities

ABELARDO DARROCA JAVELLANA

Buenavista, Guimaras

February 18, 2026

CMPG

Abelardo Darroca Javellana, born on October 1, 1919, in Iloilo City, was a known political figure who served as the Municipal Mayor of Buenavista for 17 years and later as OIC Governor of Guimaras in 1986. He was known for donating land for public use, among them lands for the East Valencia public cemetery, East Valencia Elementary School, and East Valencia National High School. He was also known for providing employment for locals on his farm and considered to have given portions of his land to his workers. During World War II, he was known to have saved an American ...

Tangible Movable Heritage, Works of Industrial/Commercial Arts

LLAVAVO KANG GEONANGA FAMILY(BRGY. POBLACION, NUEVA VALENCIA)

Guimaras, Nueva Valencia, Santa Ana

February 18, 2026

CMPG

The llavavo of the Geonaga family is an antique wash table made from lauaan wood. It features a four-legged table with a circular hole for a basin. It has a towel bar on the side and a small storage comprantment under its mirror. It was first acquired by Benjamin Geonanga for the first Sacrament of Confirmation in Santa Ana, Nueva Valencia, where it was used by Bishop James Paul McCloskey, the first Bishop of Jaro. It was inherited by Mrs. Felomina Geonaga Gedallanga and is considered a heritage item. Although it has faded paint and missing parts, it remains in ...

Ethnographic Object, Tangible Movable Heritage

SINGER SEWING MACHINE KANG FRONDOSA FAMILY(BRGY. RIZAL, JORDAN)

Guimaras, Jordan

February 18, 2026

CMPG

The Singer sewing machine owned by the Frondosa family is a treadle-operated model used for making garments and mending items. It was inherited by the family from Domingo Frondosa, and has been passed down through generations, remained in active use for several decades. It is a limited edition machine with the Singer’s centennial badge attached. The machine was used to create uniforms for workers at the Guimaras Bulk Sugar Installation and known to have even mended a hat for President Diosdado Macapagal during his visit. Although the machine is currently not in use and in a deteriorating condition, it holds ...

Archival Holdings, Tangible Movable Heritage

PAG PATAY KAY JESUS BY ELPIDIO G. ZARAGOZA (RED BOOK) OF THE IGLESIA FILIPINA INDEPENDIENTE IN BUENAVISTA

Buenavista, Guimaras

February 18, 2026

CMPG

“Pag Patay kay Jesus” is a religious book authored by Elpidio G. Zaragoza of the Iglesia Filipina Independiente in Buenavista, Guimaras.Commonly known as the ‘Red Book’ for its red fabric binding, this book plays an important role in the religious practices of the IFI. Its script is used in the annual Pagtaltal performances in Buenavista, Guimaras, which commemorate the passion and death of Jesus Christ. The book is also said to be source of the script for a similar religious performance in Albasan, Aklan. It is believed that it is the only known existing copy in possession of the IFI ...

Intangible Cultural Heritage, Knowledge and Practices Concerning Nature and the Universe

SALT MAKING

Bubog, Guimaras, Sebaste, Sibunag

February 18, 2026

CMPG

Salt making is practiced in the coastal barangays of Sebaste and Bubog in Sibunag, Guimaras, where residents use punungan or fishponds during the dry season, January until May, to produce salt. The practice in the barangay was said to have began in 1983 when Teofisto Vilchez converted his fishpond into an asinan to provide income and employment. At present, only Sebaste remained active in salt production, sustained by 39 workers in the Sebaste-Bubog Salt-Making Association. The process of salt production involves creating clay boxes (kahons) and filling them with seawater. Once the salt has dried and crystallized, it is harvested ...

Intangible Cultural Heritage, Knowledge and Practices Concerning Nature and the Universe

PAGPANULO

Guimaras, Igcawayan, San Lorenzo, Suclaran

February 18, 2026

CMPG

Pagpanulo, or night gleaning, is a traditional practice in the coastal barangays of Igcawayan and Suclaran in San Lorenzo, Guimaras, where people catch various shellfish and small fishes during low tide at night. Originally, gleaners used bamboo torches (sulo), later replaced by kerosene-fueled gauze lamps, and now flashlights or headlamps for better lighting. The tools they use include bolos, knives, and any type of a container to collect species like shrimp, crab, and various fish, which are either consumed or sold for income. This activity is best done during the habagat season when rivers overflow. The practice is passed down ...

SABANG SEAWEED GROWERS ASSOCIATION

Cultural Mapping Of Panay and Guimaras

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