San Jose de Buenavista

San Jose de Buenavista, or simply San Jose, is a town of 63,000 and the capital of Antique province in the Philippines, on Panay island.

For other places with the same name, see San Jose (disambiguation).

Understand

The first people who lived around San Jose are the indigenous Ati, or Negritos, until one of the ten datus who left Borneo and settled in Panay bought their traditional lands along the coast. What would become San Jose started as the village of Tubigon ("under water" in the Kinaray-a language), then a part of nearby Hamtic, mostly covered by jungle and was frequently targeted by Moro pirates. Tubigon became a formal settlement in 1733, and its first parish church was established in 1790. The center of government is at the sitio (hamlet) of Mala-iba, soon renamed to San Jose, both after its patron saint and the son of a local town chief. When Antique is separated from Oton (present Iloilo province), San Jose is made the capital, but only in 1872 became a town and the suffix "de Buenavista" was added after its remarkable views.

San Jose is 96 km (60 mi) from Iloilo City, but it receives few visitors. One draw to San Jose is the Binirayan Festival, the beaches and its the town. Pace of life in San Jose is much relaxed, and there are a few visitors.

Get in

By plane

By bus

By van

UV Express vans run from Iloilo, and takes 2 hours. Like the Ceres buses, they also arrive around Tradetown.

Get around

The bus terminal is 1 km from the center.

See
  • 🌍 Evelio Javier Freedom Park (In front of the Antique Provincial Capitol). A park dedicated to Antique Governor Evelio Javier, who was assassinated in 1986. There is a marker that 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" at the spot where he is shot dead. The circumstances behind Javier's assassination remains unknown, but he is known for his vocal opposition to president Ferdinand Marcos. (updated Oct 2020)
  • 🌍 San Jose Esplanade. A seaside promenade with good views of the Sulu Sea. It is partially opened in 2020, and you can walk, bike or watch the sunset. (updated Oct 2020)
  • 🌍 Province Of Antique Plaza, Tobias Fornier Street. Recreation center. (updated Aug 2023)
  • 🌍 Marina Bay Walk, Princesa Street. Open 24 hours. Tourist attraction. Free. (updated Aug 2023)
  • 🌍 Balay Nga Bato, Marina Street. Open 24 hours. Historical landmark. Free. (updated Aug 2023)
  • 🌍 ESPRUTINGKLE Convention Center, ☏ +63 36 641 5721. 8AM-5PM. Community center. Free. (updated Aug 2023)
  • 🌍 Malandog River Park, Tobias Fornier-Anini-y Road. Open 24 hours. A memorable place to remember where significant event took place and is being commemorated every year as part of Philippine history. Free. (updated Aug 2023)

Do
  • Binirayan Festival: Every last week of January.
  • Camp Autajay (Piña Beach). (updated Oct 2020)

Buy

There are two banks with 24-hour ATMS, BDO (at Moscoso St) and PNB (at Tobias Fornier St)

Eat

Sleep

Go next
Routes through San Jose de Buenavista
Kalibo ← Sibalom ←  N  S  → Hamtic → Iloilo City


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