Buenavista, officially the Municipality of Buenavista (Hiligaynon: Banwa sang Buenavista; Tagalog: Bayan ng Buenavista), is a 2nd class municipality and the largest settlement in the province of Guimaras, Philippines. According to the 2020 census, it has a population of 52,899 people.^[3]

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Buenavista
Municipality
Municipality of Buenavista
Roca Encantada House
Flag
Map of Guimaras with Buenavista highlighted
OpenStreetMap
Buenavista Location within the Philippines
Coordinates: 10°42′N 122°38′E
Country	Philippines
Region	Western Visayas
Province	Guimaras
District	Lone district
Founded	1775
Barangays	36 (see Barangays)
Government  [1]
• Type	Sangguniang Bayan
• Mayor	Dr. Samuel T. Gumarin MD
• Vice Mayor	Cyril C. Beltran
• Representative	Ma. Lucille L. Nava
• Municipal Council	Members Arthur A. Cartel Jr. Raquel A. Sambas Perfecto T. Habaña Jr. Edgar G. Gallo Paul C. Esmaya Cheryl F. Fernandez Ronnie L. Ferrer Carlito D. Gaitano
• Electorate	36,365 voters (2022)
Area [2]
• Total	128.26 km2 (49.52 sq mi)
Elevation	53 m (174 ft)
Highest elevation	133 m (436 ft)
Lowest elevation	0 m (0 ft)
Population  (2020 census)[3]
• Total	52,899
• Density	410/km2 (1,100/sq mi)
• Households	13,730
Economy
• Income class	2nd municipal income class
• Poverty incidence	6.99 % (2018)[4]
• Revenue	₱ 169.8 million (2020)
• Assets	₱ 368.9 million (2020)
• Expenditure	₱ 134.7 million (2020)
• Liabilities	₱ 108.6 million (2020)
Service provider
• Electricity	Guimaras Electric Cooperative (GUIMELCO)
Time zone	UTC+8 (PST)
ZIP code	5044
PSGC	067901000
IDD : area code	+63 (0)33
Native languages	Hiligaynon Ati Tagalog
Website	buenavistaguimaras.gov.ph

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The town acts as a cheaper link between Panay and Negros, as opposed to taking a ship directly between the two islands.^{[citation needed]}

Buenavista is a part of the Metro Iloilo–Guimaras area, centered on Iloilo City.

Buenavista is the oldest municipality on 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, Spanish for "beautiful view".^[5]

Santo Rosario was formerly known as Baybay, while Salvacion's old name was Ambulong, and furthermore Old Poblacion's name was Daan Banwa.

Buenavista is located at the northern tip of Guimaras Island, and is one of the five towns comprising the province of Guimaras. The northern and north-west part of the town overlooks Panay Island and the north-east portion faces Negros Island. Iloilo Strait lies between the town and Panay, and Guimaras Strait lies between the town and Negros.^[5] MacArthur's Wharf serves as the municipal wharf for Buenavista and part of San Lorenzo is used by passengers from the neighboring Panay Island in going to Negros Province and vice versa. This transportation route serves as a cheaper link, rather than taking a ship. Buenavista is 17 kilometres (11 mi) from Jordan.

Buenavista's terrain ranges from plains (nearly level in the central and north-west coastal areas) to mountains (north-western part).^[5]

In the 2020 census, the population of Buenavista, Guimaras, was 52,899 people,^[3] with a density of 410 inhabitants per square kilometre or 1,100 inhabitants per square mile.

There are passenger ferries, utilizing pump boats to Iloilo City. The ferry terminal in Iloilo is on the Iloilo River.

Buenavista is the center of higher education. In fact, the main campus of Guimaras State University, only state university in Guimaras, is found in Barangay Mclain. Furthermore, the municipality has 19 public elementary schools, 5 public high schools, and 1 vocational technical school.^[5] It has a literacy rate of 98.4%, the highest in the whole of Guimaras.