During hiscircumnavigation of the globe,Ferdinand Magellan had set foot on the tiny island ofHomonhon in the southern part of the province. On March 16, 1521, the area of what is now Eastern Samar is said to be the first Philippine landmass spotted by Magellan and his crew.[4][5][6]
In 1596, many names, such as Samal, Ibabao, and Tandaya, were given toSamar Island prior to the coming of the Spaniards in 1596. During the early days of Spanish occupation, Samar was under the jurisdiction ofCebu. Samar andLeyte were later separated from Cebu in 1735. They were split in 1747 but was reversed in 1762 with the approval of theKing of Spain, following complaints from theJesuits. The province ofSamar was later established as a distinct province in 1768 after it got separated from the province ofLeyte.[7] In 1777, Samar and Leyte split for the last time when it was approved inMadrid in 1786 and had been effective in 1799.
In 1944, combined Filipino-American troops involved in theliberation of the Philippines from Japan built in the town ofGuiuan the largest military base in the Pacific. In the same town in 1949, approximately 5,000 Russian refugees escaping from communist China temporarily settled onTubabao Island until 1951, when they were transferred toAustralia and theUnited States.[5]
Eastern Samar, as a province, was created fromSamar province throughRepublic Act No. 4221 on June 19, 1965.[8] Approved byCongress in 1963, it was authored by Samar congressmen Eladio T. Balite (1st district), Fernando R. Veloso (2nd district), and Felipe J. Abrigo (3rd district). The law, ratified in aplebiscite on June 19, 1965, divided Samar into three:Northern Samar, Eastern Samar and (Western)Samar. The first provincial officials of Eastern Samar, aside from the lone district representative, were elected on November 14, 1967, and on January 1, 1968, they officially assumed office.
Aerial view of Guiuan in November 2013 on the aftermath ofTyphoon Haiyan (Yolanda)
The capital town ofBorongan became a component city by virtue ofRepublic Act No. 9394 which sought to convert the municipality into a city. The law was ratified on June 21, 2007.[9] However, the cityhood status was lost twice in the years 2008 and 2010 after theLCP questioned the validity of the cityhood law. The cityhood status was reaffirmed after thecourt finalized its ruling on February 15, 2011, declaring the cityhood law constitutional.[10]
Typhoon Haiyan (Yolanda), one of the strongest typhoons ever recorded, made its firstlandfall in the coastal town of Guiuan in November 2013.[11]
Eastern Samar covers a total area of 4,660.47 square kilometers (1,799.42 sq mi)[12] occupying the eastern section and majority of southern Samar's coast ofSamar Island in theEastern Visayas region. The province is bordered to the north byNorthern Samar and to the west bySamar. To the east lies thePhilippine Sea, part of the vastPacific Ocean, while to the south liesLeyte Gulf.
Because it faces the Philippine Sea of the Pacific Ocean, Eastern Samar suffers heavily from powerfultyphoons.[4]
The population of Eastern Samar in the 2020 census was 477,168 people,[2] with a density of 100 inhabitants per square kilometre or 260 inhabitants per square mile. The predominant language isWaray[6] and it is the main lingua franca of the entire island ofSamar.[citation needed]
In the 2000 Census,Warays comprised97.78% (366,787) of the total provincial population of 375,124 at that time.Kapampangan came second at0.55% (2,067),Bisaya/Binisaya0.43% (1,613),Cebuano at0.18% (680), andTagalog at0.17% (621).[15]
The people of the province are devoted Catholics where a majority adhere toRoman Catholicism.[6] The dominant Catholic faith influences the events of the provincial education, politics and social functions of the people.
The province has one operational airport;Borongan Airport located in the capital city. Currently, only Leascor operates out ofBorongan Airport with flights weekly to serve locals and tourists to and fromCebu.
Borongan's Wilsam Uptown Mall, the largest shopping mall in the province
By land, mini buses and vans ply from the regional center inTacloban,Catbalogan, andCalbayog in Samar province and to some towns in Eastern Samar. FromBorongan, buses ply toMetro Manila. Motorized boats plies through Leyte Gulf ferrying passengers going to Tacloban City seaport.
Commercial activities in the province are centered on the provincial capital of Borongan while tourism activities are centered inGuiuan town whereCalicoan Island and the historicalHomonhon Island are located.[6] Generally, the province's major economic resource is fishery and agriculture which include production of coconut, copra, corn, rice, sugar, and vegetables.[6] Tourism potential is untapped on the northern part of the province.
^"List of Provinces".PSGC Interactive. Makati, Philippines: National Statistical Coordination Board. Archived fromthe original on 11 January 2013. Retrieved13 April 2013.
^abLancion, Conrado M. Jr. (1995). "The Provinces; Eastern Samar".Fast Facts about Philippine Provinces. cartography by de Guzman, Rey (The 2000 Millenium ed.). Makati, Metro Manila, Philippines: Tahanan Books. p. 72.ISBN971-630-037-9. Retrieved4 December 2015.
.jpg)
.svg)
.svg)
.svg)
Eastern Samar travel guide from Wikivoyage
Media related toEastern Samar at Wikimedia Commons
Geographic data related toEastern Samar atOpenStreetMap
Province ofEastern Samar
