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amar
occupying the southwestern
part of Samar Island,
is a rugged land
with bountiful waters
on the west and |
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Fast
Facts |
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Capital:
Catbalogan
Location:
N
- Northern
Samar
E -
Eastern
Samar
W -
Samar
Sea
S -
Leyte
Gulf
Land
Area:
1,342,863
hectares
No.
of Towns:
25 (twenty-five)
Cities:
Calbayog
Population:
533,733
(as
of 1990
census)
Climate:
The
province
of Samar
has
no distinct
dry
and
wet
season.
Rainfall
is more
or less
evenly
distributed
throughout
the
year.
April
to July
are
the
best
months
to visit
Western
Samar,
when
the
climate
is ideal
for
both
trips
to the
beach
and
treks
inland.
Topography:
The
physical
environ-ment
of Samar
includes
almost
every
kind
of topography:
mountains,
forests,
rivers,
lakes,
plains,
coasts
and
islands.
It has
a much
lower
highland
system
compared
to other
provinces.
The
central
upland
core
is formed
from
a broad
plateau
with
local
relief
sight
ranging
from
700
to 1,000
feet.
Nume-rous
streams
in the
island
have
cut
sharp
valleys
on the
surface
of this
plateau
and
the
overall
landscape
is hilly
and
rugged.
Southern
Leyte
has
numerous
small
rivers
in addition
to at
least
eleven
(11)
major
rivers.
Dialects:
Cebuano
Waray-waray
Assistance
Office:
Provincial
Tourism
Office
Samar
Provincial
Capitol
Catbalogan,
Samar
Tel.
No.
0918-680-1004
Fax.
No.
(055)
251-2484
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low mountain ranges
on the east. Caught
as it is between
mountain and sea,
Samar is no stranger
to rain which it
experiences in varying
degrees for most
part of the year.
Samar is blessed
with lush rainforest
harboring tropical
flora and fauna,
crossed by multiple
navigable rivers,
pocked by mysterious
caverns and refreshing
waterfalls. A tourist
wanting something
out of the ordinary,
indeed extra-ordinary
may experience all
these wonders of
nature and still
be a few hours from
civilization.
The favored route
to this part of
the Island is through
the 2.16 kilometers
long San Juanico
Bridge from Leyte
Island after a plane
trip via Manila-Tacloban.
From the south or
west, Calbayog City
and the capital
town Catbalogan
are accessible both
by plane and sea
with the Pan Philippine
Highway connecting
the coastal towns.
Brief History
The
Jesuit missionaries
founded Samar in
1596. They introduced
the Roman Catholic
faith to the people
of Samar. When the
Jesuits left Samar
in 1768, the Spanish
Franciscans took
over the administration.
The
former names given
to Samar were Zamal,
Ibabao, Achan and
Tandaya. Legend
stated that when
the Spaniards first
set foot in Homonhon,
they met a wounded
native from whom
they asked the name
of the place. The
wounded man did
not understand Spanish.
He thought they
were asking what
happened to him
and he replied “samad”
meaning wound in
the local dialect.
So, the navigators
adopted the name
for the island with
a slight alteration
of the last letter,
from Samad to Samar.
During
the early days of
Spanish occupation
in the Philippines,
Samar was under
the jurisdiction
of Cebu. Later,
it was declared
a separate province,
but in 1735, Samar
and Leyte were united
into one province
with Carigara, in
Leyte, as the capital.
The union, however,
did not prove satisfactory.
So, in 1968, Samar
has emerged as an
independent political
unit with Catbalogan
as its capital.
On
January 1900, the
Americans captured
the town of Catbalogan.
Civil governments
was established
on June 17, 1902.
Samar
was converted into
a first class “A”
province. Calbayog
City became a chartered
city on July 16,
1949 by virtue of
Republic Act No.
328.
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