Leyte
The province is situated in the Eastern Visayas Region of the Philippines.
Leyte has hosted some of the turning points in the history of the Philippines. General Douglas MacArthur, accompanied by Commonwealth President Sergio Osmena and Carlos P. Romulo, landed in Palo, Leyte to reclaim the country from the Japanese forces.
A historical marker in Palo marks the spot in Leyte where General Douglas MacArthur and his army landed on October 20, 1944. The provincial capitol building (second picture above), was the seat of the Philippine Commonwealth Government from October 23, 1944 to February 27, 1945.
The picturesque San Juanico Bridge (third picture) connects the Leyte and Samar islands and is a vital component of the road network that spans the whole country. It is the longest and best aesthetically designed bridge in the Philippines.
Industrious, cooperative, and very hospitable, whatever your business is, you will find that doing business with the people is a pleasure and a treat.GeorgraphyLeyte is the largest province in the Eastern Visayas Region.
The province of Leyte is one of the six provinces of Eastern Visayas Region located in Central Philippines adjacent to Cebu which ranks eighth in size among larger islands in the Philippine Archipelago. It is situated in the island of Leyte and is the oldest province in the region.
The province is bounded on the north by the Province of Biliran, in the east by the San Juanico Strait and the island of Samar, the Visayas and Ormoc Seas in the west and Southern Leyte to its south.
The province is considered the regional center of eastern Visayas where the regional and provincial capital, Tacloban City, is situated. Tacloban City is the oldest and most metropolitan of three other regional cities. Another city to its west, Ormoc City, is a chartered city which enjoys substantial autonomy from the provincial government in the management of its local affairs.
Basic Facts
Land Area - 5,712.80 sq.kms or 571,280 hectares
Congressional Districts - 5
Cities – 2
Municipalities - 4
Barangays - 1641
Provincial Capital - Tacloban City
Population - 1.57 million (2000 census)
Population density - 264.5 Leytenos per square kmAverage Annual Growth rate - 1.4%
Major languages - English, Chinese and Filipino
Local dialects - Waray-waray and Cebuano
Literacy rate - 91.1%
Total labor force - 1.022 million
Topography
Leyte is a picture of heavily settled coastal plains and relatively deserted mountainous and hilly interiors. Lowlands tend to lie in the coastal peripheries or in the alluvial plains and deltas accompanying the large rivers.
The largest contiguous lowland area is the Leyte Valley in North eastern Central cordillera. An intricate system of short rivers drains the valley towards Carigara Bay in one part and Leyte Gulf in the other. The second largest lowland area in Leyte is Ormoc Valley, which lies along the western side of the island and is rimmed by mountains.
There are other lowland areas that are relatively smaller and they are found along the coasts and near the mouths of rivers in Western and Southern Leyte.
Climate
There are two types of climate in the province. The eastern part has Type II climate characterized by a very pronounced rainfall from November to January. The western portion has Type IV with a rainfall that is more or less distributed throughout the year
History
Prior to the arrival of Westerners, Filipinos had robust trading activities with merchants from China and neighboring nations. On March 28, 1521, Ferdinand Magellan, a Portuguese navigator in the service of the Spanish crown, found the Leyte gateway.
Soon after, he reached Limasawa, a 5-square-mile island at the southern tip of Leyte mainland. Here Magellan met the native ruler, Rajah Kolambu, and his brother, Rajah Siagu, chieftain of Butu (in Mindanao).
In this little island, the first recorded blood compact of treaty of friendship between Magellan and Rajah Kolambu took place, the first mass was celebrated, and Magellan, after planting a cross on a hilltop, took possession of the territory.
In 1595, the Jesuits established the first mission in Leyte. At this time, there were only 19 pueblos with 70,000 people whom the missionaries converted to Christianity, easing the settlement of the province by Spanish conquistadors.
The Jesuit mission from the Philippines in 1768. Politically, Leyte seems to have existed as early as 1622. The simple structure of government by encomienderos gave way to alcalde mayores, corregidores, and tenientes.
By Royal Decree of July 31, 1860 which ordered the reorganization of provincial governments of the Visayas, Leyte was classified as a third class province; it had 28 pueblos or villages then. The politico-military government existed until the end of the Spanish rule in the Philippines.
The capital site of Leyte changed several times before Tacloban City became the permanent capital in 1787. The first capital was Carigara, then successively, Palo and Tanauan.
The civil government under the Americans was organized on April 22, 1901. The Americans at once saw the need for a road network linking the eastern and western parts of the islands separated geographically by mountain range and culturally by two distinct dialects: the Lineyte-Samarnon and Cebuano.
The road was formally inaugurated on April 5, 6 and 7, 1937. The Second World War hit the Philippines in 1941; the Japanese occupation followed. Col. Ruperto Kangleon organized a guerilla organization that harassed the Japanese forces in Leyte.
In 1944 Leyte became world-famous as the point of entry for the American forces of liberation.During the liberation, the province was placed prominently on the world map. General Douglas MacArthur, head of the largest United States fleet of transport and warships, accompanied by Commonwealth President Sergio Osmena and Carlos P. Romulo, landed in Palo, Leyte to reclaim the country from the Japanese forces.
A historical marker in Palo marks the spot in Leyte where General Douglas MacArthur and his army landed on October 20, 1944. From October 23, 1944 to February 27, 1945, Tacloban became the temporary seat of the Philippine Commonwealth.
On May 22, 1959, by virtue of Republic Act No. 2227, the island province was divided into Leyte and Southern Leyte. Years later, on May 11, 1992, the sub-province of Biliran was converted into a regular province.
The original Leyte Province was again trimmed down by 8 municipalities(leyte.org)
Leyte has hosted some of the turning points in the history of the Philippines. General Douglas MacArthur, accompanied by Commonwealth President Sergio Osmena and Carlos P. Romulo, landed in Palo, Leyte to reclaim the country from the Japanese forces.
A historical marker in Palo marks the spot in Leyte where General Douglas MacArthur and his army landed on October 20, 1944. The provincial capitol building (second picture above), was the seat of the Philippine Commonwealth Government from October 23, 1944 to February 27, 1945.
The picturesque San Juanico Bridge (third picture) connects the Leyte and Samar islands and is a vital component of the road network that spans the whole country. It is the longest and best aesthetically designed bridge in the Philippines.
Industrious, cooperative, and very hospitable, whatever your business is, you will find that doing business with the people is a pleasure and a treat.GeorgraphyLeyte is the largest province in the Eastern Visayas Region.
The province of Leyte is one of the six provinces of Eastern Visayas Region located in Central Philippines adjacent to Cebu which ranks eighth in size among larger islands in the Philippine Archipelago. It is situated in the island of Leyte and is the oldest province in the region.
The province is bounded on the north by the Province of Biliran, in the east by the San Juanico Strait and the island of Samar, the Visayas and Ormoc Seas in the west and Southern Leyte to its south.
The province is considered the regional center of eastern Visayas where the regional and provincial capital, Tacloban City, is situated. Tacloban City is the oldest and most metropolitan of three other regional cities. Another city to its west, Ormoc City, is a chartered city which enjoys substantial autonomy from the provincial government in the management of its local affairs.
Basic Facts
Land Area - 5,712.80 sq.kms or 571,280 hectares
Congressional Districts - 5
Cities – 2
Municipalities - 4
Barangays - 1641
Provincial Capital - Tacloban City
Population - 1.57 million (2000 census)
Population density - 264.5 Leytenos per square kmAverage Annual Growth rate - 1.4%
Major languages - English, Chinese and Filipino
Local dialects - Waray-waray and Cebuano
Literacy rate - 91.1%
Total labor force - 1.022 million
Topography
Leyte is a picture of heavily settled coastal plains and relatively deserted mountainous and hilly interiors. Lowlands tend to lie in the coastal peripheries or in the alluvial plains and deltas accompanying the large rivers.
The largest contiguous lowland area is the Leyte Valley in North eastern Central cordillera. An intricate system of short rivers drains the valley towards Carigara Bay in one part and Leyte Gulf in the other. The second largest lowland area in Leyte is Ormoc Valley, which lies along the western side of the island and is rimmed by mountains.
There are other lowland areas that are relatively smaller and they are found along the coasts and near the mouths of rivers in Western and Southern Leyte.
Climate
There are two types of climate in the province. The eastern part has Type II climate characterized by a very pronounced rainfall from November to January. The western portion has Type IV with a rainfall that is more or less distributed throughout the year
History
Prior to the arrival of Westerners, Filipinos had robust trading activities with merchants from China and neighboring nations. On March 28, 1521, Ferdinand Magellan, a Portuguese navigator in the service of the Spanish crown, found the Leyte gateway.
Soon after, he reached Limasawa, a 5-square-mile island at the southern tip of Leyte mainland. Here Magellan met the native ruler, Rajah Kolambu, and his brother, Rajah Siagu, chieftain of Butu (in Mindanao).
In this little island, the first recorded blood compact of treaty of friendship between Magellan and Rajah Kolambu took place, the first mass was celebrated, and Magellan, after planting a cross on a hilltop, took possession of the territory.
In 1595, the Jesuits established the first mission in Leyte. At this time, there were only 19 pueblos with 70,000 people whom the missionaries converted to Christianity, easing the settlement of the province by Spanish conquistadors.
The Jesuit mission from the Philippines in 1768. Politically, Leyte seems to have existed as early as 1622. The simple structure of government by encomienderos gave way to alcalde mayores, corregidores, and tenientes.
By Royal Decree of July 31, 1860 which ordered the reorganization of provincial governments of the Visayas, Leyte was classified as a third class province; it had 28 pueblos or villages then. The politico-military government existed until the end of the Spanish rule in the Philippines.
The capital site of Leyte changed several times before Tacloban City became the permanent capital in 1787. The first capital was Carigara, then successively, Palo and Tanauan.
The civil government under the Americans was organized on April 22, 1901. The Americans at once saw the need for a road network linking the eastern and western parts of the islands separated geographically by mountain range and culturally by two distinct dialects: the Lineyte-Samarnon and Cebuano.
The road was formally inaugurated on April 5, 6 and 7, 1937. The Second World War hit the Philippines in 1941; the Japanese occupation followed. Col. Ruperto Kangleon organized a guerilla organization that harassed the Japanese forces in Leyte.
In 1944 Leyte became world-famous as the point of entry for the American forces of liberation.During the liberation, the province was placed prominently on the world map. General Douglas MacArthur, head of the largest United States fleet of transport and warships, accompanied by Commonwealth President Sergio Osmena and Carlos P. Romulo, landed in Palo, Leyte to reclaim the country from the Japanese forces.
A historical marker in Palo marks the spot in Leyte where General Douglas MacArthur and his army landed on October 20, 1944. From October 23, 1944 to February 27, 1945, Tacloban became the temporary seat of the Philippine Commonwealth.
On May 22, 1959, by virtue of Republic Act No. 2227, the island province was divided into Leyte and Southern Leyte. Years later, on May 11, 1992, the sub-province of Biliran was converted into a regular province.
The original Leyte Province was again trimmed down by 8 municipalities(leyte.org)
Labels: Eastern Visayas, Leyte
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