GUIMARAS SOCIO-DEMOGRAPHIC PROFILE

GEOGRAPHY

Guimaras is composed of five (5) municipalities and ninety eight (98) barangays with Jordan as the capital town. Hiligaynon is the native dialect.

Anchored on agricultured for its economy, Guimarasnon derived their livelihood from the bounties of the land and its surrounding seas. Farm or agri-tourism destination is being set by the Guimaras for its definitive tourism image in Western Visayas by diversifying its agriculture and introducing tourim related activities supplementing or enhancing agricultural areas.

LOCATION: Southest of Panay and Northwest of Negros Island in Western Visayas, Philippines.

TOPOGRAPHY: Generally gently slopping to rolling with land elevation ranging from 0-300 m above sea level

LAND AREA: 0,457 hectares (604.57 sq.km)

POLITICAL SUBDIVISIONS:

POPULATION PROFILE:(NSO, 2000)

•   Total Population 141, 450- 167,338 (2007)
•   Household Pop. - 141,218-32,811(2007)
•   No. of Household - 27,465

POPULATION DISTRIBUTION:

• Urban - 18,100
• Rural - 123,350
• Ave. Annual Growth Rate (NSO, 1990 & 1995) 2.43 %
• Population Density - 234/sq. km

MAJOR AGRICULTURAL PRODUCTS:
Palay, coconut, mango, cashew. Vegetable, citrus, camote, com, cassava, legumes, livestock, poultry and fihery products.

MAJOR INDUSTRY:
Mining and quarrying, lime production, fruit processing, handcraft making and tourism

ACCESSIBILITY:
ILOILO City is the gateway to Guimaras. Guimaras can be reached by air and boat from Manila ant other orogin, via Iloilo City and by Pumpboat in Pulupandan, Negros Occidental. The island province is 20-30 minutes by motorboat or ferry from Parola, Ortiz Wharf, Muelle Loney or lapuz in Iloilo City. Direct travel to Guimaras is possible by light planes, which can land at the Guimaras Feedr Airport.

MAJOR POINTS OF ENTRY:

• Jordan Wharf (Rizal)
• Jordan Port (Hoskyn)
• Mc Arthurs Wharf (Sto. Rosario, Bueavista)
• Suclaran Wharf
• M. Chavez Wharf
• Feeder Airport ( Mclain, Buenavista)

TRANSPORT WITHIN THE RPOVINCE:
All the five(5) municipalities and most baranagys within the province are accessible by land transport. However, three island barangays can only be reached via pumpboats and about 10 inland barangays are only accessible ae only accessible by using four-wheel drive vehicles and motorcycles due to poor condition roads.

• No. of PUJs - 960
• No. of Tricycles/ Motorcycles - 4,496
• No. of Trucks - 314
• No. of Private vehicle - 5,757
• No. of Cars - 157
  (Source: LTO, as of 2003)

BEST TIME OF THE YEAR TO VISIT: March to May

COMMUNICATION:
Islacom Landline Phones available n some barangays of Buenavista and wireless phones also are in Jordan.

• Cellular Phones Available
• 5 Post Offices
• 2 Telecom Sub- Ofifces
• Several private communication systems (cellular phones, UHI/VFH radios)

Several Government Offices have cellular phones and some with fax machines
Each barangay (except island barangays) has VFH radio/handset

INCOME CLASSIFICAION( BLGF, July 1, 1996) : 4^th Class

• Dry Season - November to April
• Wet Season - May to October
• Ave. No. of Rainy Days/ Month - 16
• Ave. Monthly Rainfall - 2,310.95mm
• Ave. Monthly Temperature - 27.3C
• Ave. Max Monthly Temperature - 29.9C
• Ave. Monthly Relative Humidity - 8.14%

LAND USE CLASSIFICATION: (DENR 6, 1996)

• Certified Alienable and Disposal - 56,768 has.
• Agricultural - 56,127 has.
• Fishpond - 641 has.
• Classified public Timberland
  • Upland - 3,024 has.
  • Mangrove - 625 has.
• Unclassified Public Timberland - 40 has.
  • Forest Cover - 1%
  • Vegetation Compositon -
  • Mangrrove, Open & Cultivated land & Cropland

POWER: (GUIMELCO, January 2005)

• No. of Barangays Energized - 89 (93%)
• No. of Household Energized - 12,064 (51%)

PROVINCIAL INCOME (PTO, 2000) - Php 186, 483, 017.87

EDUCATION: (NSO, 1990 & DepEd, SY 1999-2000)

• Literacy Rate - 94.97%

ROAD NETWORK:

• ( DPWH and PEO 2003) - 547.48 KM.
• Paved ( 21.16%) - 115.831 km.
• Unpaved (78.84%) - 431.649 km.

BANKING SERVICES:

• Land Bank of the Philippines
• Rural Bank of San Enrique