Eastern Samar is a province in the Eastern Visayas Region of the Philippines.
Profile of Eastern Samar Province (Geography)
Location –> Eastern Visayas Region, Philippines (See map below)
Neighboring Provinces –> Northern Samar and Samar (Western)
Capital –> Borongan City
Area –> 4,660.47 km2 (1,799.42 sq mi)
Population –> 467,160 (2015 census)
Terrain –> Mountainous and hilly with narrow coastal plains
Industries –> Agriculture
Major Products –> Rice, Coconut, Corn, Abaca
People/Language –> Waray, Bisaya, Tagalog, English
Cities –> Borongan
Municipalities (Towns) –> (22) Arteche, Balangiga, Balangkayan, Can-avid, Dolores, Gen. MacArthur, Giporlos, Guiuan, Hernani, Jipapad, Lawaan, Llorente, Maslog, Maydolong, Mercedes, Oras, Quinapondan, Salcedo, San Julian, San Policarpo, Sulat, and Taft
Government Officials
Go here to see the elected provincial officials of Eastern Samar.
Eastern Samar History
Historians believe that the first land mass in the Philippines spotted by Spanish explorer Ferdinand Magellan and his crew was Eastern Samar. On March 16, 1521, they landed in Homonhon Island, now part of Guiuan Municipality.
On September 28, 1901, the local people made a surprised attack on the American Forces stationed in the town of Balangiga. The following days, the Americans retaliated, burning whole towns, looting homes and churches, and carting away valuable properties, the most prominent of them were the church bells of Balangiga. These series of attacks and counter-attacks came to be known as Balangiga Massacre.
On June 19, 1965, Eastern Samar was created as a regular province by virtue of Republic Act 4221, the law that split the huge Samar Province into three provinces. In that same year, Felipe J. Abrigo was elected as the first representative of the independent province to the Philippine Congress.
Typhoon Haiyan, considered the strongest and deadliest typhoon in the world, landed in the town of Guiuan in November of 2013. More than 6,ooo people were killed and billions worth of properties were destroyed in the province and elsewhere in the Visayas Islands.
Go here to see all the famous people from Eastern Samar Province.
Read the history of Eastern Samar in Tagalog here.
Former Governors
Lutgardo Barbo
Economy of Eastern Samar
Eastern Samar is primarily an agricultural province and marginal farmers and fishermen make up the majority of the population. Rice, Coconut, and fish are the main products. Cottage industries include the production of handicraft and food items. Tourism development is still in its infancy although the town of Guiuan is considered one of the most popular surfing areas in the country.
Provincial Festival
Kura-cha Mardi Gras
RELATED: Profile of Bohol Province
See also: List of Philippine Provinces and Capital by Region
Map of Province