Chapter 9 Eastern Visayas

Eastern Visayas or Region VIII is one of the two regions of the Philippines having no land border with another region, MIMAROPA being the other. It is composed of two main islands, Leyte and Samar, connected by the famous San Juanico Bridge. It consists of six provinces and seven cities,^[2] namely, Biliran, Eastern Samar, Leyte, Northern Samar, Samar, Southern Leyte, the cities of Ormoc City, Baybay City, Maasin City,Calbayog City, Catbalogan City, Borongan City and the highly-urbanized city of Tacloban, the regional center. These provinces and cities occupy the easternmost islands of Visayas: Samar, Leyte and Biliran.

Eastern Visayas directly faces the Pacific Ocean. The land area of the region is 2,156,285 hectares. As of 2010, it has a population of 3,912,936.

Geography 

Political map of Eastern Visayas

Eastern Visayas lies on the east central part of the Philippines archipelago. It is composed of two main islands, Leyte and Samar, which formed the eastern most coast of the archipelago. It is bounded by Philippine sea on the east and north with San Bernardo Strait separating Samar island from southeastern Luzon: Camotes sea and Visayas sea on the west: Bohol sea on the south with Surigao Strait separating Leyte island from northwestern Mindanao. It has a total land area of 2,156,285 hectares or 7.2% of the country’s total land area.

Climate 

There are two types of climate prevailing in the region under the Corona system of classification: Type II and Type IV. Type II climate is characterizes by having no dry season but a pronounced maximum rainfall from November to January. Samar Island and the eastern part of Leyte Island fall under this type of climate. Type IV on the other hand has an even distribution of rainfall the year round and a short period of dry season that can be observed starting February up to May. This type of climate is well exhibited the western half of Leyte island and some portion of Samar which covers the municipality of Motiong up to San Isidro of Northern Samar.

Land 

Eastern Visayas is primarily an agricultural region with rice, corn, coconut, sugarcane and banana as its major crops. Its total land area is 21,431.7 km². 52% of its total land area are classified as forestland and 48% as alienable and disposable land.

Natural Resources 

The region's sea and inland waters are rich sources of salt and fresh water fish and other marine products. It is one of the fish exporting regions of the country. There are substantial forest reserves in the interiors of the islands. Its mineral deposits include chromite, uranium(in Samar), gold,silver, manganese, magnesium, bronze, nickel, clay, coal, limestone, pyrite and sand and gravel. It has abundant geothermal energy and water resources to support the needs of medium and heavy industries.

1..MATUDNILA

Matud nila ako dili angay
Nga magmamanggad sa imong gugma,
Matud nila ikaw dili malipay,
Kai WA ako'y bahanding nga kanimo igasa,

Gugmang putli Mao day pasalig
Maoy bahanding labaw sa bulawan
Matud nila kaanugon lamang
Sa imong gugma ug parayeg,

Dili maluba kining pagbati
Bisan sa unsa nga katarungan
Kay unsa pay bili ning kinabuhi
Kon sa gugma mo hinikawan

Ingna ko nga dili ka motuo
Sa mga pagtamay kong naangkon
Ingna ko nga dili mo kawangon
Damgo ko'g pasalig sa gugma mo

2.. WARAY-WARAY

(Folksong;Northern Samar)

Waray-Waray, pirme may upay 
Mayda lubi, mayda pa humay 
Iton dagat damo it isda 
Ha bungto han mga Waray. 

Waray-Waray pirme malipay 
Di makuri igkasarangkay 
Nag-iinom kon nagkikita 
Bas' kamingaw mawara! 

Lugar han mga Waray-Waray 
Kadto-a naton, pasyadaha 
Diri birilngon an kalipay 
Labi nga gud kon may fiesta. 

Mga tawo nga Waray-Waray 
Basta magkita, mayda upay 
Diri kabos hit pakig-angay 
Sayod kamo basta Waray. 

¡Waray-Waray! (Waray-Waray kabuhi maupay) 
¡Waray-Waray! (Damo iton lubi pati humay) 
¡Waray-Waray! (It mga dagat riko hin isda) 
Ha bungto han mga Waray! 

¡Waray-Waray! (Waray-Waray pirme la malipay) 
¡Waray-Waray! (Diri makuri igkasarangkay) 
¡Waray-Waray! (Nag-iirignom kon nagkikita) 
Bas' kamingaw mawara!