3. East: Philippine Sea
North: San
Bernardino Strait
South: Bohol Sea and
Surigao Strait
West: Camotes Sea
and Visayas Sea
Total land area:
2,156,285 hectares or
7.2% of the country’s
total land area.
52% of its total land area
are classified as
forestland and 48% as
alienable and disposable
land.
4. Population (2010)
• Total 4,101,322
• Density 190/km2 (490/sq. mi)
Provinces 6
Cities 7
Municipalities 136
Barangays 4,390
Cong. districts 12
5. Province Capital
No. of
Cities
Population
(2010)
Area
(km²)
Pop.
density
(per km²)
Biliran Naval 0 161,760 555.4 291.2
Eastern
Samar
Borongan 1 428,877 4,339.6 98.8
Leyte Tacloban 3 1,567,984 5,712.8 274.5
Northern
Samar
Catarman 0 589,013 3,692.9 159.5
Samar
(Western)
Catbalogan 2 733,377 5,591.0 131.2
Southern
Leyte
Maasin 1 399,137 1,734.8 230.1
Political Divisions
6. Southern Leyte
Maasin City
Eastern Samar
Borongan City
Biliran
Naval
Northern Samar
Catarman City
Samar (Western)
Catbalogan City
Calbayog City
Leyte
Tacloban City
Ormoc City
Baybay City
7. CLIMATE
Type II climate is characterizes by having no dry season but a pronounced maximum
rainfall from November to January. Samar Island and the eastern part of Leyte Island
fall under this type of climate.
Type IV on the other hand has an even distribution of rainfall the year round and a
short period of dry season that can be observed starting February up to May. This
type of climate is well exhibited the western half of Leyte island and some portion of
Samar which covers the municipality of Motiong up to San Isidro of Northern Samar.
In November 2013, the region was hit with the highest death toll in the
country by Typhoon Haiyan (Yolanda), the second deadliest typhoon ever to hit the
Philippines.
LANGUAGES
Waray-Waray is spoken on the island of Samar, Biliran and north-eastern Leyte.
A Samar language, distantly related to the languages of the region,
called Abaknon is spoken in the island of Capul in Northern Samar.
Cebuano is spoken in western, central, and southern parts of Leyte and in Southern
Leyte.
8. NATURAL RESOURCES
Sea and inland waters are rich sources
of salt and fresh water fish and other
marine products. It is one of the fish
exporting regions of the country.
There are substantial forest reserves in
the interiors of the islands.
Its mineral deposits include chromite,
uranium(in Samar), gold, silver,
manganese, magnesium, bronze, nickel,
clay, coal, limestone, pyrite and sand
and gravel.
It has abundant geothermal energy and
water resources to support the needs of
medium and heavy industries.
9. EDUCATION
University of the Philippines Visayas (UPV Tacloban College)
University of Eastern Philippines (UEP), located in Catarman, Northern
Samar.
Zonal Agricultural University for the Visayas under the National
Agriculture Education System
Visayas State University (VSU) is also in the region, located in Baybay City.
Palompon Institute of Technology, a maritime school in the Philippines
providing deck and engine cadet.
Eastern Visayas State University is Leyte's state university with five
extension campuses
Southern Leyte State University with five extension campuses.
In Biliran, Naval State University is the province state university.
For Eastern Samar, the Eastern Samar State University is the only state
university of the province with a single extension campus while
Samar State University is Western university specializes in education
courses.
10. INFRASTRUCTURE
Transportation
The region's Leyte and Samar islands serve as main link between Luzon
and Mindanao by land transport. A total of nine airports, are strategically
located in different parts of the six provinces that define the region. Daniel Z.
Romualdez Airport in Tacloban City is the main gateway by air to the region.
There are seaports in Tacloban, Catbalogan, Calbayog, Borongan,Ormoc, Bato,
Maasin, Sogod and Naval.
Power and Energy
The region is the top producer of geothermal energy supply in the
country. The province of Leyte hosts the biggest geothermal plant in the
Philippines. Still, geothermal exploration is ongoing in the nearby province of
Biliran. With abundance of river system, the region has potential in hydroelectric
production. Being coastal facing Pacific Ocean, the region have location being
eyed for wind power generation. The strait of San Juanico between Leyte and
Samar islands has been declared as potential source for water current and tidal
energy sources.
11. ECONOMY
Primary sources of revenue are
manufacturing, wholesale and retail trade and
services. Mining, farming, fishing and tourism
contribute significantly to the economy.
Manufacturing firms include mining
companies, fertilizer plants, sugar central, rice
and corn mills and other food processing
plants. Cebu is the hub of investment, trade
and development in the region. Other
industries include mining, rice, corn and sugar
milling, coconut oil extraction, alcohol
distilling, beverage manufacture and forest
products. Home industries include hat and
basket weaving, metal craft, needlecraft,
pottery, ceramics, woodcraft, shell craft and
bamboo craft.
The region also has the natural
resources, which is rich in fresh water fish and
marine product. That is why the region is also
one of the fish exporters in the country.
12.
13. Biliran (Cebuano: Probinsya sa Biliran; Tagalog: Lalawigan ng
Biliran)
It is one of the country's smallest and newest provinces of the
region.
Formerly a sub-province of Leyte, it became an independent
province in 1992.
Biliran lies less than a kilometer north of the island of Leyte.
Its capital is the Municipality of Naval on the western coast of the
island.
The province was originally known as Isla de Panamao (Panamao
Island). Panamao, according to an early Visayan dictionary,
refers to a native fishing net.
However, sometime between 1668-1712, the island was renamed
as Biliran, derived from a native grass “Biliran” which is used for
weaving mats.
14. Biliran has a total land area of 53,601
hectares, making it the fourth
smallest province in the Philippines.
The island lies off the northern
coast of Leyte island across Biliran
Strait. To the southeast is Carigara
Bay, to the northeast is the Samar
Sea, and across this sea is Samar. To
the west is the Visayan
Sea and Masbate lies 30 kilometres
(19 mi) to the northwest.
The province has 8 municipalities
and 132 barangays. The province
represents a lone congressional
district.
Majority people speak Cebuano of
the and Waray-waray.
15. Climate
Biliran has a combination of warm and cool climatic zones, thus the
prevailing climate is ideal for the cultivation of a wide range of
agricultural crops. There is no distinct dry season but the heavy
wet season generally occurs in December.
Political subdivision
Biliran is subdivided into 8 municipalities, with a total of 132
barangays. All the municipalities except Maripipi are located on
Biliran Island while Maripipi is an island municipality located to the
northwest. The largest among the towns is Naval, the capital of the
province, while the smallest is Maripipi.
Almeria Biliran
Cabucgaya Caibiran
Culaba Kawayan
Maripipi Naval
16. ECONOMY
Agricultural
Major Agricultural Products
• palay
• coconut.
• With the potential of major fruits such as banana, mango and citrus grown in
the area
the province is aiming to be the fruit basket in Eastern Visayas.
Aquaculture
Biliran is largely based on fishing. Most of its towns,especially Naval and Biliran,
have excellent seaports. There are 95 hectares of brackish water fishponds.
• prawns
• shrimps
• milkfish.
Another 30 hectares of seawater are suitable for seaweed farming and 10 more
hectares for fish cage culture.
17. The cool highlands are favorable to high-value crops such as cut flowers and
varieties of vegetables traditionally grown in Baguio City or Tagaytay City.
The inhabitants also engage in
*hunting *lumber *manufacturing
Raw material
*copra *coconut oil
Processed goods
*white clay ceramics *dried fish *raw gulaman *citronella oil
Untapped natural resources
*geothermal power *sulfur *gypsum
18. Biliran is richly endowed with natural attractions that lure both local and
foreign tourists.
• coral reef gardens
• scenic waterways
• white sand beaches
• natural hot and cold water springs
• clear and sweet-tasting water that flows from the Tomalistis Falls in
Caibiran which is believed to be one of the best in the world
with these natural wonders, the province is developing eco-tourism in the
area.
Major industries
*fashion bags *Romblon bags *shell crafts *placemats
*hot pads *baskets *beverage coasters *trays
