Before 1963 the barrio was headed by a barrio lieutenant, who was beholden to the Municipal President and later the Mayor. To better the conditions that prevailed in the barrio, laws were passed by: a.) Republic Act No. 1408 passed by the Philippine Congress in 1955 provided for the creation of Barrio Councils. b.) Republic Act No. 2370 (Barrio Charter) passed on June 20, 1959. “An act Granting Autonomy to Barrios in the Philippines. c.) Republic Act 3590 (Revised Barrio Charter) which was enacted by Congress in 1963.

 September 21, 1972, the intention of the leadership was to “save the Republic”. Martial law an institution of participatory democracy whereby the invaluable instrument of the people which they should participate in critical decision making.

 Barangay participatory democracy grew and developed:

1. Presidential Decree No. 86 passed on December 31, 1072, creation of Citizen’s Assembly, consisting of all persons who are fifteen (15) years old or over and residents for at least six (6) months.

2. Presidential Decree No. 86-A passed January 05, 1973 strenghtening and defining the role of Citizen’s Assemblies for citizens participation in government affairs and their collective views in the formulation of national policies or programs.

3. Presidential Decree No. 557 (September 21, 1974), it changed the name barrio to barangay. This decree aimed at making the barangay a truly meaningful basic political unit. It is on this decree that the poblacion barangays were distributed to eight (8) barangays and our barangay was created as Barangay No. 08, San Jose de Buenavista, Antique.

Republic Act No. 3590, as amended, otherwise known as the Revised Barrio Charter, is now adopted as the Barangay charter and officials of the barrio as constituted pursuant to said law are now known as Barangay Captain(Punong Barangay at present), Barangay Councilmen ( Barangay Kagawad at present, Barangay Secretary and Barangay Treasurer.

Description of Barangay:

 Barangay No. 08 Barangay 8 is situated at approximately 10.7426, 121.9445, in the island of Panay. Elevation at these coordinates is estimated at 18.5 meters or 60.7 feet above mean sea leveis. It is one of the barangays within the poblacion of San Jose de Buenavista, Antique, composed of twelve (12) puroks with a total land area of about more or less 30.494 hectares. Of this land area 80% are residential lots, 15% is intended for commercial buildings and 5% is shoreline or coastal line which is used for fishing.

 Barangay 8 is bounded on the north by Barangay 5, the south by Barangay Mala-iba, the east of Barangay San Angel and by Barangay 7, on the west. It is one of the 14 coastal barangays of the municipality. Being a poblacion barangay, it is 1 kilometer from the municipal hall and is accessible to all forms of vehicles. The most common means of public transportation to and within the barangay is the tricycle. However, other forms of transport, such as jeepneys and buses plying routes from Iloilo and the southern municipalities of the province, also pass through the barangay.

 The central location of the barangay makes it is very close to most service delivery institutions such as the Municipal Hall, police station, public market, hospital and rural health unit, banks, and other financial institutions, commercial establishments, chuch, educational institutions and the like. The province’s first and only mall, the Gaisano Grand Mall of Antique is also located in the barangay, just in front of the barangay hall.

Land Area : 30.494 hectares Registered Voters: 2,649

Facilities:

 Government owned: Barangay Hall, Tanod Outpost, Tanod Patrol, Barangay Streetlights, Bagumbayan Elementary School, Delegate Angel Salazar Jr. Memorial School, Antique SPED Center, Rehab Day Care Center, Barangay Day Care Center, Barangay Health Station, BJMP, Antique Rehabilitation Center, Provincial Old Capitol

Private Owned: YLL Drugstore, Mercury Drugstore, Rose Pharmacy, Gaisano Grand Mall of Antique, Petron Gasoline Station, Card Bank, China Bank, Bank of Philippine Island, St. Joseph Center, Apartment, SAC Grade School, etc.

Support Organization/ NGOs/POs: World Vision/Palanan-awon, Pangkauswagan sang Antique (PPSA), Inc., Antique Human Development Program (AHDP) Inc., Gawad Kalinga, (Answering the Cry of Poor) ANCOP TEKTON FOUNDATION, Inc,

Social Conditions:

A. Health

Delivery of health services is mostly handled by the point officers in the barangay; the midwife, Barangay Nutrition Scholars (BNS), the Barangay Health Worker (BHW) and the Barangay Service Point Officer (BSPO). They implement health and nutrition programs of the Department of Health(DOH) and the Rural Health Unit (RHU) of the municipality and respond to the minor medical needs of the residents.

 The barangay health station caters to the minor medical needs of residents, serve as venues for maternal and child care services and other health programs of the barangay. Medical equipment and paraphernalia are available for these purposes.

 More pressing medical needs of the residents are brought to the Angel Salazar Memorial General Hospital or to the Rural Health Unit which are 1.5 kilometers and approximately 1 kilometer away respectively.

The following are the current health and nutrition programs of the barangay:

 Maternal and child care. The barangay continues to provide pre and post-natal health services to mothers. Pre-natal check-ups and TT2 plus are provided to pregnant women, while Vitamin A Supplements are given to lactating mothers. Campaigns and programs for complete immunizations for young children are also being implemented. Aside from that Vitamin A supplements are provided to infants.

 Family Planning. Responsible Parenthood Programs, Reproductive Health Campaigns and preventive measures are implemented for individuals of reproductive age and married couples.

 Nutrition. To continue the battle against malnutrition food supplementation activities ( such as feeding programs for pre-school and grade school students) are implemented. De-worming are also regularly conducted.

 Water Sanitation. Potable water sourced by barangay residents from the San Jose Rural Waterworks and Sanitation Association, Inc. and through jetmatic pumps.

B. Common Illnesses and Diseases

Common illnesses and diseases are mostly effects of the changing of weather and climate. Fever, Flu and Colds occur mostly during the rainiest months of the year and during the transition from the summer to rainy season from June to January.

Occurrence of diarrhea and stomachaches peak from June to August. During these months, the rain disturbs the water tables introducing contaminants to the water source.

Dengue usually occurs from May to November with the onset of rains. While sore eyes turns up during the dry months. The latter arises as a problem from March to June.

 Potential for Development/Infrastructure Programs:

  Construction of Material Recovery Facility, Concreting of Farm to Market Road,

  2018

Punong Barangay : Hon. Irwin C. Decena

Barangay Kagawads : Hon. Homer L. Abagat

    Hon. Edwin N. Sorilla

    Hon. Isidro A. Gallano

    Hon. Oscar B. Patiño

    Hon. Jocelyn B. Lopez

    Hon. Alfredo O. Roxas

    Hon. William T. Tan

Barangay Secretary : Myrna P. Dela Fuente

Barangay Treasurer : Reynaldo E. Sarmiento

Barangay Clerk : Ma. Lorena D. Villaflor