Buenavista, Guimaras Etymology
- Jack Maico
- May 30
- 3 min read
Buenavista is the oldest municipality in Guimaras. It was established in 1775, during the Spanish colonial period. A Spanish governor general was reputedly impressed by the scenery of the location and called the place Buenavista, meaning "beautiful view" in Spanish.
Special credits: https://www.facebook.com/ilonggotraveler/posts/buenavista-town-
hallbuenavista-guimarasguimaras/1016955625113807/
Church in town: 𝐌𝐨𝐬𝐭 𝐇𝐨𝐥𝐲 𝐍𝐚𝐦𝐞 𝐨𝐟 𝐉𝐞𝐬𝐮𝐬 𝐂𝐡𝐮𝐫𝐜𝐡 𝐢𝐧 𝐁𝐮𝐞𝐧𝐚𝐯𝐢𝐬𝐭𝐚, 𝐆𝐮𝐢𝐦𝐚𝐫𝐚𝐬
Most Holy Name of Jesus Church is a Roman Catholic church located in Buenavista, Guimaras, Philippines.
A church existed in Old Poblacion in 1854. It is currently in ruins from the destruction during the Philippine Revolution and the Second World War, and for a time, the Catholic faith waned.
A small place of worship was built in Supang. After the war, another was established in Sto. Rosario was within the property of the Ortiz Family, but the property was sold years later.
The present-day church began as a shed converted to a chapel in McLain that was owned by Juan Salvador, and it was reconstructed between 1968 and 1969. The residence of the parish priest of Buenavista was transferred in 1987.
The portico of the church is supported by fluted columns of composite capital. Its gable is richly ornamented with a finial, dentil, scrollwork, and rosettes that flank a bas-relief symbol. These decorative elements, including fluted pilasters with similar capitals and leaf-like bas-reliefs, are also found in the facade. Above the entrance are a pair of arch windows bounded by Solomonic engaged columns. On the pediment is a rose window containing the image of the titular.
𝐍𝐨𝐭𝐚𝐛𝐥𝐞 𝐁𝐮𝐞𝐧𝐚𝐯𝐢𝐬𝐭𝐚 𝐡𝐢𝐬𝐭𝐨𝐫𝐲
In 1521, after the defeat of Ferdinand Magellan, the Spanish survivors aboard three vessels went to Leyte to undergo some repairs. Later they abandoned one of the vessels named Concepcion in Bohol for being unseaworthy and sailed towards the nearby islands of Negros and Panay.
R. Morales, an author of the book “The Augustinians in Panay” published in 1987, believed that the Spaniards must have cruised close to the southern coasts of Negros and Panay. The utterly homesick Portuguese mariner could have given the name Guimaraez to that small island lying very near to Panay’s southeast shores, to immortalize in this part of the world the first capital of the country and the birthplace of Portuguese nationality: Guimaraez.
Guimaras was cited in numerous documents and books on natives who are “masters in building all kinds of ships.” It was also mentioned in the “Relation by Loarca of the Philippine Islands” by Blair and Robertson that the island was rich in products such as wood, stone for construction, wax, and honey. In the latter years, the natives harvested rice, corn, tobacco, and some coffee and cacao. It was also recognized as important in the fishing and agricultural industries in the book “The Philippine Islands Ecclesiastical Affairs, 1638-1640”.
𝐏𝐥𝐚𝐜𝐞𝐬 𝐭𝐨 𝐬𝐞𝐞 𝐢𝐧 𝐁𝐮𝐞𝐧𝐚𝐯𝐢𝐬𝐭𝐚:
- Most Holy Name of Jesus Church
- Roca Encantada
- Oro Verde Mango Plantation
- Navalas Church
- Daliran Cave
- Ambakan Falls
𝐅𝐚𝐦𝐨𝐮𝐬 𝐧𝐚𝐭𝐢𝐨𝐧𝐚𝐥 𝐡𝐞𝐫𝐨𝐞𝐬 𝐛𝐨𝐫𝐧 𝐢𝐧 𝐁𝐮𝐞𝐧𝐚𝐯𝐢𝐬𝐭𝐚:
- Teofisto Guingona Sr (a Filipino revolutionary soldier, lawyer, judge, and politician. He was the father of former Vice President Teofisto Guingona Jr. and the grandfather of former Senator TG Guingona)
𝐏𝐢𝐧𝐨𝐲 𝐜𝐞𝐥𝐞𝐛𝐫𝐢𝐭𝐢𝐞𝐬, 𝐤𝐧𝐨𝐰𝐧 𝐩𝐞𝐫𝐬𝐨𝐧𝐚𝐥𝐢𝐭𝐢𝐞𝐬 𝐢𝐧 𝐁𝐮𝐞𝐧𝐚𝐯𝐢𝐬𝐭𝐚:
- Sofie Garrucho (first FHM Philippines Girl Next Door of 2005.. She appeared in the cover of FHM in the November 2005 issue.)
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