Description of the attraction
San José, also known as San José de Buenavista, is a small town, the capital of the Antique province on Panay Island. According to the 2000 census, a little over 48 thousand people lived there.
Tourists who come to San Jose will always find something interesting for themselves. So, every year from April 30 to May 2, the city hosts the Binirayan Festival - a theatrical performance dedicated to the historical arrival of people from the island of Borneo to Panay Island, who founded the first Malay settlement here in the 13th century. The first time the festival was held in 1971, and since then, it has attracted both residents of other regions of the Philippines and foreigners. Another popular holiday is the fiesta in honor of the patron saint of the city, St. Joseph, which is celebrated on May 1.
San Jose boasts a number of architecturally notable buildings, including the Old Capitol Building, the Evelio Javier Museum, the historic San Pedro Church and the Piedra’s Restaurant.
Right in front of the provincial capitol building is the Freedom Park, named after former governor Evelio Javier. There is a plaque in the park that says it is "a gift to a person who has done so much, not only for the people of Antique Province, but for the entire Philippine nation in their quest for justice, freedom, democracy and peace." The slab sits on the very spot where Evelio Javier was first injured in January 1986 in an attack.
5 km from San Jose is the wonderful Camp Ayutthaya beach, which is sometimes called Pigna Beach by the locals. On a 10 hectare plot of land, you can see a real garden with mangrove and bunk trees, benches and gazebos. This is the perfect place for family picnics, where you can make a fire, climb trees, pick fruit, or just play together.
