The Samar Sea is a small sea within the Philippine archipelago, situated between the Bicol Region of Luzon and the Eastern Visayas .
31-578: It is bordered by the islands of Samar to the east, Leyte to the south, Masbate to the west, and Luzon to the north. The sea is connected to the Philippine Sea to the north via San Bernardino Strait , to Leyte Gulf to the southeast via San Juanico Strait , to the Visayan Sea to the southwest, and to the Sibuyan Sea to the northwest via Masbate Pass and Ticao Pass . It contains Biliran Island,
62-573: 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 the island Tandaya , after mistaking
93-641: 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
124-418: Is a supplementary activity. Rice and corn (maize) are the main food crops; cash crops include coconuts, abaca, tobacco, bananas, and sugarcane. There are some manganese deposits, and sandstone and limestone are quarried in the northwest. Politically, the island is divided into two provinces : (Northern) Leyte and Southern Leyte . Territorially, Southern Leyte includes the island of Panaon to its south. To
155-479: Is a virgin island with pure white sand. The ecological atmosphere of the island had been preserved by the municipality. The Sto. Nino Shrine and Heritage Museum boasts the painting of the fourteen stations of the cross done by Filipino artists and a bas-relief of the legend of the first Filipino man and woman ( Malakas and Maganda ). The San Juanico Bridge is the longest bridge in the Philippines . Leyte Island
186-553: 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 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
217-523: Is the birthplace of the Tinikling dance, popular throughout the Philippines. On Friday, 8 November 2013, Super Typhoon Yolanda (Haiyan) destroyed 70-80% of the structures in its path on Leyte province. An estimated 10,000 people died and up to 620,000 people were displaced across the region. Leyte was affected by Tropical Storm Megi (2022) . Leyte Tide Embankment Project was conceptualized as part of
248-424: The Battle of Leyte . The convergence of naval forces resulted in the four-day Battle of Leyte Gulf , the largest naval battle in history . During World War II the island was part of a large US Navy base Leyte-Samar Naval Base . The island measures about 180 kilometres (110 mi) north-south and about 65 kilometres (40 mi) at its widest point. In the north it nearly joins the island of Samar , separated by
279-711: The San Juanico Strait , which at its narrowest point is only about 2 kilometres (1.2 mi) across; 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
310-522: The San Juanico Strait , which becomes as narrow as 2 kilometres (1.2 mi) in some places. The island province of Biliran is also to the north of Leyte and is joined to Leyte island by a bridge across the narrow Biliran Strait . To the south, Leyte is separated from Mindanao by the Surigao Strait . To the east, Leyte is somewhat "set back" from the Philippine Sea of the Pacific Ocean , Samar to
341-400: 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 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
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#1732845599030372-485: The 1960s, to 8 kg/day in 1981, to 3.5 kg/day in 1991. Having depleted the large predatory fish, fishermen turned to smaller species , allowing jellyfish populations to explode. Deforestation of surrounding lands has led to increased silt from denuded mountains that choke coral reefs. Only some 5% of reefs are considered to be in a healthy condition. Another result of the increased silt are red tides , causing paralytic shellfish poisonings . The first red tide in
403-506: The Leyte and Ormoc valleys. The island was once the location of Mairete , a historic community which was ruled by Datu Ete. Before being colonized by Spain, the island was once home to indigenous animist Warays to the east and other indigenous animist Visayan groups to the west. In the early 17th Century Father Ignacio Alcina, recorded a local epic that a certain Datung Sumanga of Leyte courted
434-461: The Philippines occurred in the Samar Sea in 1983 and thereafter continued to occur at irregular intervals. Samar Samar ( / ˈ s ɑː m ɑːr / SAH -mar ) 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
465-478: The establishment of these provinces, June 19 is celebrated as an annual holiday and many have the day off from work. Samar 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
496-574: 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 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
527-509: The island such as Ibabao (or Cibabao ), Achan , Camlaya , Taridola , and Candaya . Samar 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
558-568: The island was part of a large US Navy base Leyte-Samar Naval Base . Leyte Leyte ( / ˈ l eɪ t i , ˈ l eɪ t eɪ / LAY -tee, LAY -tay ) is an island in the Visayas group of islands in the Philippines . It is eighth-largest and sixth-most populous island in the Philippines, with a total population of 2,626,970 as of 2020 census. Since the accessibility of land has been depleted, Leyte has provided countless number of migrants to Mindanao . Most inhabitants are farmers. Fishing
589-433: The islands of Almagro , Maripipi , Sto. Nino , Daram , and Tagapul-an . The Samar Sea has experienced a significant degradation of marine resources, that is even characterized as " ecocide ". Before 1981, there were 50 commercial fish species, but within 10 years, it was reduced to only 10 due to overfishing and destructive fishing methods (like dynamite fishing ). Average daily catch has reduced from 30 kg/day in
620-544: The islands, and called them San Lazaro ( Saint Lazarus in English) because they were sighted on Lazarus Saturday . The Spaniards later called 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
651-722: The landing of General Douglas MacArthur . The MacArthur Landing Memorial National Park in Red Beach, Palo , marks the 1944 landing by the American liberation forces. It also has a lagoon where a life-sized statue of Gen. MacArthur stands. Mahagnao Volcano Natural Park Located in Burauen , Leyte, about 66 km (41 mi) from Tacloban City, the Mahagnao Volcano Natural Park attracts visitors with its lakes, craters, hot springs, multi-colored mud, virgin forests and lagoon. It
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#1732845599030682-547: 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,
713-406: The north and east of Samar lies the Philippine Sea , part of the Pacific Ocean . The name for 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
744-428: The north of Leyte is the island province of Biliran , a former sub-province of Leyte. The major cities of Leyte are Tacloban , on the eastern shore at the northwest corner of Leyte Gulf , and Ormoc , on the west coast. Leyte today is notable for the geothermal electric power plants near Ormoc. The island was known to 16th-century Spanish explorers as Tandaya. Its population grew rapidly after 1900, especially in
775-680: The northeast and the Dinagat Islands to the southeast forming Leyte Gulf . To the west is the Camotes Sea . Leyte is mostly heavily forested and mountainous, but the Leyte Valley in the northeast has much agriculture. The Leyte provincial capitol is the seat of the provincial government where there is a mural depicting the First Mass in the Philippines , believed to have happened in Limasawa , and
806-404: 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
837-470: The princess, Bugbung Humasanum of Bohol by raiding Imperial China, and upon their marriage, they were the precursors of a kingdom there . Leyte was once labeled as Ceylon in early Spanish maps of the Philippines and in the 1700s, was home to 38 Spanish Filipino families and 7,678 native families. Leyte is most famous for its role in the reconquest of the Philippines in World War II . The province
868-468: The program on rehabilitation from the aftermath of the strongest typhoon , to build safer cities/communities. The flood control shall cover a length of about 27.3 kilometers stretching from the shoreline of Barangay Diit, Tacloban City passing through the entire shoreline of the Municipality of Palo, Leyte and ending up to Barangay Ambao of Tanauan, Leyte . The 1959 Japanese film Nobi ("Fires on
899-531: 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
930-452: Was proclaimed as a national park in 1937. Like other regions in the Philippines, the area enjoys a temperate climate. It has an elevation of 1,200 meters above sea level and an area of 635 hectares, within the boundaries of Burauen, La Paz and McArthur towns. Lake Danao is a guitar-shaped lake hemmed by the cloud-capped Anonang-Lobi mountain ranges. Kalanggaman Island in Palompon, Leyte
961-460: Was utilized by the Japanese as a hub for sexual slavery. Some sex slave sites included Tacloban and Burauen, where the Japanese kidnapped girls, teenagers, and young adults and forced them into becoming sex slaves under the brutal " comfort women " system. On 20 October 1944, General Douglas MacArthur waded ashore on Leyte, saying, "I have returned", but the Japanese continued to resist strongly in