Travel & tourism

San Jose, Antique

San Jose is a 2nd class municipality in the province of Antique, Philippines. It is the capital municipality of Antique. According to the 2000 census, it has a population of 48,261 people in 9,639 households.

History

In the middle of thirteenth century (year 1250), ten Bornean Datus and their wives, children, warriors servants and followers left Borneo and the cruelty, oppression and tyranny of Sultan Makatunao. They landed one day in December at Siriwagan, San Joaquin, Province of lloilo. After interrogating two Negritos, who were fishing, they were told that their leader, Chieftain Marikudo with his wife, Maniwangtiwan were living in Sinugbo not far from the place. Then the Datus went downstream and found the Ati ruler. Negotiations were made and the ‘Barter of Panay” took place. Panay was bought in exchange for a gold salakot for Marikudo and a long, gold necklace for Maniwangtiwan. The other three datus sailed northward to Luzon, leaving the seven datus under the leadership of Datu Sumakwel.

Settlements after settlements were soon established from Malandog, which later spread outside of Malandog including Tubigon, now San Jose de Buenavista. A settlement was also established in Naganya (Egana). Barangay Odiong served as a water dock for boats of Malays coming from Malandog to eastern part of Hantique (Antique). To signal stopping and coming in of boats, the aduana (port) authorities made use of budyong or horns made from a carabao’s horn. The blowing of budyong took place at Telegrapo in Tubigon as this spot served as the signal and control tower. The rivers of Hantique (Antique) at that time were navigable, thus, the means of travel was by water.

The Spanish colonizers came to Hantique (Antique) in 1581 .With them came the Augustinian friars that Christianized the inhabitants who lived in Hamtic. They taught the people to believe in God and accept Christ as the Savior of the Roman Catholic faith. They built churches in Maybato, Asluman, Naganya (Egana) and Bugason (Bugasong).

There was no place called San Jose at that time. The place was called Tubigon* because it was under water. Tubigon was still a part of Hamtic and a “visita”of the church of Hamtic, meaning it has no parish priest of its own. The people went to Maybato to hear mass. The church was a big stone edifice, which gave the name “Maybato” to its vicinity. Moro pirates frequently plundered the shore of Hamtic and went as far as Maybato. These Moro pirates burned the church and took away the huge bell in the belfry. They had not gone far away from Mala-iba when their boat sank into the sea and in colloquial Spanish, Mala-iba means, ‘it had gone away”, hence, the name of the place since then. It was in 1733 when San Jose, formerly called “Tubigon” was founded and in 1790, it acquired its land title through land grants issued by the then Governor-General Carlos Benequer de Marquina. Afterwards, it became a regular “curra”or parish having its first “curra paroco” or parish priest, Fr. Manuel Ibañes, OSA.

District

San José is politically subdivided into 28 barangay or barrio. [1]

Atabay Funda-Dalipe
Badiang Igbonglo
Barangay 1 (Población) Inabasan
Barangay 2 (Población) Madrangca
Barangay 3 (Población) Magcalon
Barangay 4 (Población) Malaiba
Barangay 5 (Población) Maybato Norte
Barangay 6 (Población) Maybato Sur
Barangay 7 (Población) Mojon
Barangay 8 (Población) Pantao
Bariri San Angel
Bugarot (Catungan- San Fernando
Bugarot) San Pedro
Cansadan (Cansadan Supa
-Tubudan) Durog

The spoken language in San Jose is English.

Language

Kinaray-a is the spoken language of the municipality. Kinaray-a came from the word “iraya” equivalent to “ilaya” in Tagalog, which refers to a group of people residing in the mountain areas of the province. Speakers from San Pedro and neighboring baranggays have a different intonation from speakers of the Poblacion and the rest of the municipality. There are also some words of the former that differs from the latter, take the word “Calamansi” for example, people from San Pedro calls the fruit as “Bis-bis”, while people from the Poblacion goes by “Calamansi” or “Limon”.

Tourism

San Jose de Buenavista offers an array of activities of great interest to both local and foreign tourists. Antique’s celebration of the Binirayan Festival is being conducted every April 30 to May 2 of every year. It’s a theatrical presentation commemorating the landing of the ten Malay datus in Malandog, Hamtic, Antique in the middle of the 13th century to set up the first Malayan settlement or barangay in this country. Started in 1971, it is now attracting the attention of Filipino and foreigners alike.

To add to the rich history of San Jose are the blends of the old and new faces of the town to include: the Old Capitol Building; Evelio B. Javier Memorabilia (New Capitol); ADF Handicrafts; Piedra’s Restaurant; La Granja & Binirayan Hills; and the San Pedro Old Church.

EBJ Freedom Park Located in front of the Antique Provincial Capitol building in San Jose, Antique. The Sangguiang Panlalawigan of Antique on behalf of the entire Antiqueño citizenry officially christens the place Evelio B. Javier Freedom Park. On the park found a marker which reads: a fitting tribute to a man who has done so much, not only for the people of Antique, but the entire Filipino nation, in pursuit of justice, freedom, dignity, democracy and peace. The marker also marks the spot where the late Gov. Evelio B. Javier was first shot by the forces of evil on February 11, 1986.

Camp Autajay Sometimes called Piña beach by the people, it is five kilometers away from San Jose town. It is a 10-hectare lot located along the beach, with an orchard array of narra and mahogany trees, nipa sheds, benches and cottages. The place is ideal for camping, live-in seminars of conferences where one can go swimming, set bonfire, climb trees, pick fruits or play during leisure hours.

San Jose celebrates it’s religious fiesta every 1st of May to honor its Patron St. Joseph the Worker./TE