LEYTE 

     Leyte, the center of commerce and industry, is on the western part of Leyte Island. Because of the fertile soil and rich fishing grounds of Ormoc City, the residents are engaged in agriculture and fishing.

    �Leyte- Samatnon� is the local dialect of Tacloban, the provincial capital which is described as �waray-speaking.�

     Ten years before the end of the Spanish rule, it was dominantly a typical colonial community � most of its residents were either pure Iberian families or new generations of Spanish-Filipino blood. On May 25, 1942, the Japanese forces landed in Tacloban. They fortified the city, improved its airfields, and made San Pedro Bay a port of call and entry for the Japanese Imperial Army.

     On October 20, 1944, General Douglas Mac Arthur�s assault troops landed on the Tacloban-Palo Beaches (White Beach and Red Beach) and on the neighboring towns of Dulag (Blue Beach). 

Former Names: Felipina and Tandaya

Land Area: 6,268.3 square kilometers

Capital: Tacloban City

Population: 1,302,648 (1980)

Principal Dialect: Cebuano, Waray and Leyte-Sumatnon

Income Classification: First Class Province

No. of Cities: 2 (Ormoc and Tacloban) 

No. of Municipalities: 49 (Abuyog, Alangalang, Albuera, Almeria, Babatngon, Barugo, Bato, Baybay, Biliran, Burauen, Cabucgayan, Caibiran, Calubian, Capoocan, Carigara, Culaba, Dagami, Dulag, Hilongos, Hindang, Inopacan, Isabel, Jaro, Javier, Julita, Kananga, Kawayan, La Paz, Leyte, Mac Arthur, Mahaplag, Maripipi, Matag-ob, Matalom, Mayorga, Merida, Naval, Palo, Palompon, Pastrana, San Isidro, San Miguel, Santa Fe, Tabango, Tabontabon, Tanauan, Tolosa, Tunga and Villava) 

No. of Municipal Districts: None 

Topography: Aside from the Central Cordillera (the mountain range that bisects Leyte Island), two smaller mountain systems are located on the northwestern and northeastern corners of Leyte. Between the central and the northeastern range fronting San Juanico Strait lies the largest lowland in the province, Leyte Valley. In this valley is found the highest concentration of the province�s population. Slightly lower concentrations are found in Ormoc Valley, the second largest lowland in Leyte. 

No. of Principal Rivers: 3

No. of Mountains: 76 

Climate: The climate varies in eastern and western Leyte. The eastern side, having no dry season, has rain throughout the year, with the heaviest rainfall from November to July. The western side has an even distribution of rain throughout the year. 

Average Annual Rainfall: 97.17 inches

Principal products/crops: Rice, sugar, copra and corn 

Industries: Logging (major industry), livestock raising and fishing. 

Mineral Resources: Magnetite iron, sand rock asphalt, manganese and iron

Forest Resources: Hardwood 

Tourist Attractions: Palo Beach where Mac Arthur�s Liberation forces landed, White Beach, Tacloban Amusement Park, Marcos Bridge (San Juanico), and the old and elegant cathedrals in Palo and Tacloban. 

Governor: Larrazabal

Congressman: Cirilo Roy G. Montejo, Manuel Horca Jr., Alberto S. Veloso, Carmelo J. Locsin, Eriberto V. Loreto Jr.

SOUTHERN LEYTE 

     Bounded on the north by Northern Leyte, on the south by the Surigao Strait, on the east by the Pacific Ocean and on the west by the Canigao Channel and the Visayas Sea, Southern Leyte holds one of the most important sites in Philippine history. In the southern section of the island of Limasawa, the country�s first blood compact between Ferdinand Magellan and Rajah Kolambu was held on Good Friday March 29, 1521.

    The strategic location of Southern Leyte provides the province valuable access to several important Visayan and Mindanao provinces. Maasin, the capital of the province is a trade center and a national port. The presence of the Daang Maharlika (formerly the Pan-Philippine Highway), which traverses the province, is also instrumental in the development of Southern Leyte.

Former Name: None

Land Area: 1,734.8 square kilometers

Capital: Maasin

Population: 296,294 (1980)

Principal Dialect: Cebuano

Income Classification: Fourth Class Province

No. of Cities: None 

No. of Municipalities: 18 (Anahawan, Bontoc, Hinunangan, Hinundayan, Libagon, Liloan, Maasin, Macrohon, Malitbog, Padre Burgos, Pintuyan, Saint Bernard, San Francisco, San Juan, San Ricardo, Silago, Sogod, and Tomas Oppus)

 No. of Municipal Districts: None 

Topography: The province has a mountainous terrain with hills and valleys lying at the foot of the larger mountains. Small lowland areas occur on the coasts, particularly the southern tip of the island. 

No. of Principal Rivers: 2

No. of Mountains: 24

Climate: The province generally has no dry season. It gets substantial amounts of rain throughout the year. Rainfall is pRonounced from July to December. Southern Leyte is warm, with an average annual temperature of 81oF. 

Average Annual Rainfall: 114 inches

Principal products/crops: Rice and corn 

Industries: Fishing (major industry), livestock and poultry raising 

Mineral Resources: Iron ore and magnetic iron sand

Forest Resources: Hardwood 

Tourist Attractions: Limasawa Island, the sites of the first blood compact and the first mass in the Philippines, the Canturing and Ibarra beach resorts and Ginsuhotan Falls. 

Governor: Oscar K. Tan

Congressman: Roger G. Mercado 

SAMAR 

    The island of Samar was once the largest province in the Visayas until it was divided into three separate provinces: Western Samar, Northern Samar and Eastern Samar. On June 21, 1969, by Republic Act No. 5650, the name of Western Samar was changed to Samar.

   Samar has many raw materials which may be processed into a variety of commercial products: rattan for furniture, mangrove for wood, almaciga for boat coating, coconut palm leaves for baskets, and low-grade fish for fish meal. The province also has vast natural timberlands, from which a significant amount of the country�s wood exports originate.

  The most spectacular caves of the province, with vast formations of stalactites and stalagmites, are Panhulugan I, Bugasan III, and Sohoton.

These caves have historical, cultural and archaelogical values. These were used as hideouts by Filipino �insurrectos� during the Spanish-American War. 

Former Names: Ibabao and Western Samar

Land Area: 5,591 square kilometers

Capital: Catbalogan

Population: 501,439 (1980)

Principal Dialect: Waray

Income Classification: Third Class Province

No. of Cities: 1 (Calbayog) 

No. of Municipalities: 26 (Almagro, Basey, Calbiga, Cardinal Rosales, Catbalogan, Daram, Gandara, Hinabangan, Jiabong, Marabut, Matuguinao, Motlong, Pagsanghan, Pinabacdao, San Jorge, San Jose de Buan, San Sebastian, Santa Margarita, Santa Rita, Santo Nino, Tagapulan, Talalora, Tarangnan, Villareal, Wright, and Zumarraga)

 No. of Municipal Districts: None

Topography: The province is generally rugged and hilly, although lowlands can be found in Calbayog and in the valley of the Gandara River. The San Juanico Strait separates Leyte and Samar. The highest elevation at 850 meters is Mt. Capotoan.  

No. of Principal Rivers: 3 (with other Samar provinces)

No. of Mountains: 28 (with other Samar provinces) 

Climate: Very humid throughout the year with almost continuous rainfall. Maximum rainfall is from November to February. Occasional dry spells occur in May and June. The province is often visited by typhoons. 

Average Annual Rainfall: 114.3 inches

Principal products/crops: Coconut and rootcrops 

Industries: Fishing (major industry), and cottage industries 

Mineral Resources: Gold, silver and copper

Forest Resources: Rattan, resin, bamboo, tanbark, dyebark, charcoal and firewood 

Tourist Attractions: The caves of Basey, the Blanca Aurora Falls in Gandara, and the Sohotan National Park in Basey.

 Governor: Antonio Bolastig

Congressman: Jose A. Ro�o, Venancio T. Garduce 

EASTERN SAMAR 

      Eastern Samar, the second largest province of the island of Samar, was the part of the Philippines first sighted by Ferdinand Magellan on March 16, 1521. However, it was in �Mumunu� or �Homonhon�, south of Samar, where Magellan and his men first set foot on Philippine soil.

     The town of Balangiga was the center of guerilla warfare in the country during the American occupation. This is where the so-called �Balangiga Massacre� occurred in 1901. Revolutionaries led by Gen. Vicente Lukban attacked the American garrison in Balangiga, and killed all but one of the American soldiers. To the Filipinos, however, it was an admirable show of courage. Filipino revolutionaries fought with bolos against American Krag- Jorgensen rifles and 45 caliber pistols to thwart the American �pacification� campaign of the island. 

Former Names: Ibabao and Samar

Land Area: 4,339.6 square kilometers

Capital: Borongan

Population: 320,637 (1980)

Principal Dialect: Waray

Income Classification: Fourth Class Province

No. of Cities: None 

No. of Municipalities: 23 (Arteche, Balangiga, Balangkayan, Borongan, Can Avid, Dolores, Gen. Mac Arthur, Giporlos, Guiuan, Hernani, Jipapad, Lawa-an, Llorente, Maslog, Maydolong, Mercedes, Oras, Quinapundan, Salcedo, San Julian, San Policarpio, Sulat, and Taft) 

No. of Municipal Districts: None 

Topography: The whole island is hilly with no major plains. The slopes, however, permit the planting of agricultural crops. 

No. of Principal Rivers: 3 (with other Samar provinces) 

No. of Mountains: 28 (with other Samar provinces) 

Climate: There is a continuous rainfall throughout the year, particularly from November to February. The province is frequently visited by typhoons. 

Average Annual Rainfall: 167.8 inches 

Principal products/crops: Abaca, rice, coconut, corn, and sweet potato 

Industries: Logging and fishing 

Mineral Resources: Iron, copper, zinc, manganese, and limestone 

Forest Resources: Charcoal, rattan, firewood, bamboo, tanbark, and dyebark 

Tourist Attractions: The Bagacay Mines which is one of the richest mineral mines in the country, and Homonhon Island where Ferdinand Magellan first landed. 

Governor: Lutgardo B. Barbo

Congressman: Jose Tan Ramirez 

NORTHERN SAMAR      

     The biggest revolt in Philippine history occurred in Northern Samar in 1649. Led by Sumuroy, the people of Palapag and Pambujan rose in arms against the recruitment of natives for forced labor in the Cavite shipyards. The revolt ended with pocket surrenders after the Spanish forces used �converted rebels� from other provinces to assault the fort of Sumuroy and his followers.

    Of the three Samar provinces, Northern Samar has the smallest land area and the second smallest territory in the Eastern Visayas region. In terms of population, Northern Samar, as of the 1980 census, ranked third among the five provinces in Eastern Visayas. 

Former Names: Ibabao and Samar

Land Area: 3,498.0 square kilometers

Capital: Catarman

Population: 378,516 (1980)

Principal Dialect: Waray

Income Classification: Fourth Class Province

No. of Cities: None 

No. of Municipalities: 24 (Allen, Biri, Bobon, Capul, Catarman, Catubig, Gamay, Laoang, Lapinig, Las Navas, Lavezares, Lope de Vega, Manapas, Mondragon, Palapag, Pambujan, Rosario, San Antonio, San Isidro, San Jose, San Roque, San Vicente, Silvino, Lobos, and Victoria) 

No. of Municipal Districts: None

Topography: There are extremely rugged hills in most parts of the province. However, the widest lowland area in the whole island of Samar is in Northern Samar, along the coast of the province. 

No. of Principal Rivers: 3 (with other Samar

provinces)

No. of Mountains: 28 (with other Samar provinces) 

Climate: Extremely humid throughout the year, there are dry spells in May and June. Maximum rainfall occurs from November to February. Destructive typhoons are frequent. 

Average Annual Rainfall: 137.7 inches

Principal products/crops: Rice, coconut, corn, mongo and fruits 

Industries: Fishing and logging (major industries)

Mineral Resources: None 

Forest Resources: Firewood, charcoal, rattan, bamboo, dyebark, and tanbark 

Tourist Attractions: Spanish churches in Catubig, old massive rocks and caves between Palapag and Gamay, and the historic stone towers in Capul and Palapag. 

Governor: Harlin C. Abayon

Congressman: Raul Daza, Jose L. Ong Jr., Roger G. Mercado

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