| T |
he
Philippine archipelago
dotted with numerous
tiny islands, some
islands of which
remain |
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Fast
Facts |
Capital:
Naval
Location:
N
-
Samar
Sea
E
-
Western
Samar
W
-
Visayan
Sea
S
-
Carigara
Bay
Land
Area:
555.42
sq.
kms.
No.
of
Towns:
8
(eight)
Cities:
Tacloban
&
Ormoc
Population:
132,209
(as
of
1995
census)
Climate:
Biliran
island
does
not
experience
a
prolonged
dry
season.
It
has
a
very
pronounced
rainfall
during
December
which
subsides
in
January
and
minimum
rainfall
in
April.
Topography:
Bilirans
topography
ranges
from
slightly
flat
to
gently
rolling
terrain.
It
has
coastal
lowlands
with
mountainous
interior
except
for
the
municipalities
of
Naval
and
Caibiran.
Mountain
ranges
occupy
the
major
portion
of
the
island
munici-pality
of
Maripipi.
Dialects:
Cebuano
Waray-waray
Assistance
Office:
Provincial
Tourism
Office
Province
of
Biliran
Provincial
Capitol
Naval,
Biliran
Tel.
No.
0912-891-8931
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largely undiscovered
by travelers due
to distance or lack
of information.
Several of this
beautiful but little
known islands can
be found in the
Visayas. Biliran
Island, a newly
created province,
lies between Northern
Leyte and Eastern
Samar.
Comprising (8) eight
towns namely: Kawayan,
Almeria, Naval Biliran,
Culaba, Caibiran,
Cabucgayan and Maripipi
with Naval as the
capital town. Biliran
thrives mainly on
the fishing and
seaport industry.
Most of its towns
like Naval and Biliran
are considered as
excellent ports
and are often the
gateway to further
destinations within
the Visayas and
even the Mindanao
region.
The Biliranons like
other Visayans are
warm, friendly and
hospitable. They
speak a mixture
of the Cebuano and
Waray-waray dialects
and are very accommodating
to tourists, be
they foreign or
domestic.
Brief History
In
the early Spanish
time, the island
was known as Isla
de Panamao. Panamao
referred to an ethnic
fishing net. Panamao
Island was the site
of the first large-scale
Spanish shipyard
in the Philippines.
But somehow between
1668-1712, the name
Isla de Panamao
was changed to Biliran,
a name derived from
a native grass called
“borobiliran” which
grew abundantly
on the plains.
On April 8, 1959,
Republic Act No.
2141 made Biliran
a sub-province of
Leyte. Then it became
a province in May
1992.
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For
the adventurous
traveler,
Biliran offers
a glimpse
of the simple
country living
that is slowly
being abandoned
else- where.
Color abounds:
the luminous
green of the
young shoots
carpeting
the floor
of the paddies,
the rich ochre
brown of the
mud walls
and the charcoal
black of the
basalt rocks.
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Daryl Orchard
Philippine
Airlines Mabuhay
Magazine
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