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27-515: It is located in the northernmost part of Samar Island . Ages before the coming of the Spaniards, the Philippines was already settled. Each settlement was an independent kingdom known as barangay. About one hundred families consisted each barangay. Each barangay had a ruler called datu, also known as hari or raja. He exercised executive, legislative and judicial power in the barangay. During wartime, he

54-736: A "Samar datu by the name of Iberein was rowed out to a Spanish vessel anchored in his harbor in 1543 by oarsmen collared in gold; while wearing on his own person earrings and chains." Scott recounted a Samarnon saga, which was called siday , about Bingi of Lawan, a prosperous Lakanate in Samar, and he also recorded that Datu Hadi Iberein came from the Lakanate of Lawan. Samar also had names which are recorded in early Spanish sources, including Ibabao (or Cibabao ), Achan , Camlaya , and Taridola . The Spanish captain Miguel Lopez de Legaspi also infamously called

81-428: A distinct province named Samar in 1768. On June 19, 1965, through Republic Act No. 4221, Samar was divided into three provinces: Northern Samar , (Western) Samar and Eastern Samar . The capitals of these provinces are, respectively, Catarman , Catbalogan , and Borongan . In commemoration of the establishment of these provinces, June 19 is celebrated as an annual holiday and many have the day off from work. Samar

108-548: A military governor. He assumed office on 1830 as the first military governor of Samar and the number of government personnel was increased. For administrative purposes, he suggested the division of Samar into three administrative districts, the west, north and the east coasts. It was approved on 1867 in Manila and in the Council of Administration in Madrid , however it was not realized. By 1890,

135-641: A pall on the army's achievement and, for generations, has been associated in the public mind as typifying the Philippine War." The waters off the east side of the island also hosted the Battle off Samar on October 25, 1944, wherein a small, unarmored force of United States Navy escorts fought off the center force of the Imperial Japanese Navy , including the Japanese battleship Yamato . During World War II

162-456: A total land area of 17,960 hectares (44,400 acres). The climate falls under Type 2 , no distinct dry season with a very pronounced rainy season, maximum rain period generally occur in December and January. It has an average annual rainfall of 3,000 to 4,000 millimetres (120 to 160 in) per year with an average annual temperature of 26.9 °C (80.4 °F). The warmest month mean temperature

189-558: Is 28 °C (82 °F). This climate type in Palapag plays an important rule to its agricultural economy. Although the agricultural land area is wide enough for the farmers, mostly the cultivation is being limited by the excessive rainfall and the regular sweeping of the typhoon on Samar Islands. Palapag is subdivided into 32 barangays . Each barangay consists of puroks and some have sitios . Poverty incidence of Palapag Source: Philippine Statistics Authority The municipality

216-421: Is bounded on the north by the vast Pacific Ocean , on the east by the municipality of Mapanas , on the west by the municipality of Laoang and on the south by the municipality of Catubig . The town center is located in the north-eastern part of the municipality. Its physical features are characterized by mountainous part on the east and a relatively plain on the north-western side of the municipality. Palapag has

243-635: Is not directly connected by land to other regions of the Philippine archipelago; it still relies on the wharfs provided by the Barangay's near coastal areas (Barangay Sumoroy and Barangay Pangpang) through motorized boats on going to and from the town. It has a small port in Barangay Mapno but currently idle, no facilities yet provided for the port users. Elementary: Secondary: Tertiary: Samar Island Samar ( / ˈ s ɑː m ɑːr / SAH -mar )

270-496: Is the third-largest and seventh-most populous island in the Philippines , with a total population of 1,909,537 as of the 2020 census. It is located in the eastern Visayas , which are in the central Philippines . The island is divided into three provinces : Samar (formerly Western Samar), Northern Samar , and Eastern Samar . These three provinces, along with the provinces on the nearby islands of Leyte and Biliran , are part of

297-516: Is the third-largest island in the Philippines by area, after the islands of Luzon and Mindanao . Mount Huraw is Samar's highest point, with an elevation of 2,920 ft (890 m). Samar is the easternmost island in the Visayas. It lies to the northeast of Leyte , separated from it only by the San Juanico Strait , which at its narrowest point is only about 2 kilometres (1.2 mi) across;

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324-556: The Eastern Visayas region. About a third of the island of Samar is protected as a natural park, known as the Samar Island Natural Park . Many names, such as Samal , Ibabao , and Tandaya , were given to the island prior to the arrival of the Spaniards in 1596. During the early days of Spanish occupation , Samar was under the jurisdiction of Cebu . It later became part of Leyte in 1735 until its separation to become

351-502: The Franciscans divided Samar into three vicariates, the west, north and east coasts. On the municipal level, the pueblo was headed by a Gobernadorcillo elected annually. He was both the judicial and executive officer, the general supervisor and ensure of public order, the main collector of tributes and in charge of the repair and maintenance of public buildings and roads. In order to perform his task efficiently he had to work closely with

378-406: The Samar island was approximated as Zamal by Antonio Pigafetta in 1521. In 1543, King Iberein with his official oarsmen approached a Spanish vessel anchored in his harbour. Iberein is from Lawan. There is also a Samarnon saga that tells the story of Bingi of Lawan. There are other principalities on the island such as Ibabao (or Cibabao ), Achan , Camlaya , Taridola , and Candaya . Samar

405-548: The Tagalog region, and the hayuhay or ayuway which were equivalent of the aliping sagigilid. By the 17th century, Spanish colonists numbered only a few thousand throughout the Philippines and had few incentives to settle and carve out the land in the provinces. On the Island of Samar, the land and people were distributed among the Spanish colonists under the encomienda system. A Spaniard who

432-400: The coast and the river before the Spaniards arrived. These settlements called bungto were ruled by a datu, also called the ginaopan or gindolohan. The datus who ruled the bayside settlements or alongside deep harbors were the most richest and powerful. The society in prehispanic Samar was composed of datu, the freemen or timawa, the tuhay or mamahay which were also known as aliping namamahay in

459-455: The groups of pueblos were called alcaldia or districts headed by alcalde mayor. When the Jesuits were expelled in Samar in 1768, there were sixteen pueblos already established but only fifteen pueblos had Jesuit parish priests resident and were already divided into three residences: the east, north and the west coasts. The center of the north-east coasts referred to as Ibabao, was Palapag, while for

486-585: The island Tandaya , after mistaking the name of a lord with the name of the island (not to be confused with Datu Daya of northern Cebu). This was spelled by Miguel de Loarca as Candaya . The final campaign of the Philippine–American War (1899-1902) took place in Samar and is one of the best known, and most notorious, of the entire war. A combination of factors resulted in particularly violent clashes. On September 28, 1901, Eugenio Daza , Area Commander of Southeastern Samar and Valeriano Abanador,

513-547: The island Filipinas, while the Portuguese called it Lequios. Although Samar was the first island of the Philippines sighted by Magellan, he did not land there. He continued south, weighed anchor at Suluan Island, and then finally, on 17 March 1521, he landed on Homonhon Island. Later in the 1700s, Samar was recorded to have about 103 Spanish Filipino families and 3,042 native families. Years later, other Spanish expeditions arrived. The historian William Henry Scott wrote that

540-404: The order during the pacification of Samar "I want no prisoners. I wish you to kill and burn; the more you kill and burn, the better it will please me ... The interior of Samar must be made a howling wilderness ..." — Gen. Jacob H. Smith which brought about the slaughter of thousands of Filipinos by American Marines . . In his history of the war, Brian McAllister Linn asserts "Samar cast

567-419: The priest for support and visto bueno of documents. His subordinates were called cabeza de barangay who was in charge of collecting tributes and other taxes of each family. Aside from them, there were three superintendents and assistants of fields, livestock, police and lieutenants (tenientes) and police for every visita and barrio. With the increase of pueblo officials the role of the priest was reduced. Palapag

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594-757: The strait is spanned by the San Juanico Bridge . And it lies to the southeast of the Bicol Peninsula on Luzon , separated from it only by the San Bernardino Strait . To the south is Leyte Gulf , which in October 1944 became the site of one of the most consequential naval battles of World War II . And to the north and east of Samar lies the Philippine Sea , part of the Pacific Ocean . The name for

621-531: The town's police chief, launched an attack on U.S. Army Company C 9th Infantry Regiment who were occupying Balangiga . This action, commonly known as the Balangiga massacre , brought one of the only Filipino victories of the war and the worst American defeat in decades. In 1989, "Balangiga Encounter Day" was established as a provincial holiday in Eastern Samar to celebrate that victory. The action resulted in

648-437: The west coast was Catbalogan and at the same time the capital of Samar Island . Being the capital, it was there where the provincial government personnel numbering no more than three or four Spaniards including the governor. His prime duty was to collect revenues, pay the accounts and balance the books. He had executives, judicial and legislative functions. As of 1830, a royal order was issued substituting civilian governor by

675-422: Was the commander of barangay warriors. The datu usually obtained his position by inheritance, wisdom, wealth or physical strength. The early Filipinos had their own form of government. They had both oral and written laws. The unwritten laws were the customs which were passed down from generation to generation and the written laws were promulgated by the datus. In Samar, there were already settlements located along

702-557: Was the first island of the Philippines sighted by the Spanish expedition led by Ferdinand Magellan (transcribed as Zamal in the diary of Antonio Pigafetta ). He sighted it on 16 March 1521, having sailed there from the Mariana Islands . Realizing he had arrived at an archipelago , he charted the islands, and called them San Lazaro ( Saint Lazarus in English) because they were sighted on Lazarus Saturday . The Spaniards later called

729-415: Was trusted with encomienda was called an encomendero . He was tasked to collect tributes , recruit able-bodied males for public services or polo and ensure the physical and spiritual well-being of the inhabitants. But because of abuses, the system was abolished. In order to enhance their administration on the colony, the Spaniards did not abolish the old barangays and merged it into towns called pueblos and

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