Eastern Visayas
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| Regional center | Tacloban City, Leyte |
|---|---|
| Population | 3,610,355 |
| – Density | 168.5 per km² |
| Area | 21,431.6 km² |
| Divisions | |
| – Provinces | 6 |
| – Cities | 6 |
| – Municipalities | 137 |
| – Barangays | 4,390 |
| – Cong. districts | 12 |
| Languages | Waray-Waray (Leyte-Samarnon), Cebuano, Abaknon |
Eastern Visayas is one of the two regions of the Philippines having no land border with another region, MIMAROPA being the other, and is designated as Region VIII. It consists of six provinces, namely, Biliran, Eastern Samar, Leyte, Northern Samar, Samar and Southern Leyte. These provinces occupy the easternmost islands of Visayas: Leyte, Samar and Biliran. The regional center is Tacloban City.
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Geography
Cultural groups
Region VIII is inhabited by the Waray-Warays , the country’s fourth largest cultural linguistic group. But Cebuanos, from the nearby island of Cebu live in Ormoc City, Western Leyte and parts of the southwest of Leyte.
Climate
The eastern portion of the region is frequently visited by storms from the Pacific Ocean. The region receives heavy rainfall throughout the year with no pronounced dry season.
Land
Eastern Visayas is primarily an agricultural region with rice, corn, coconut, sugarcane and banana as 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, 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.
Economy
Primary sources of revenue are manufacturing, wholesale and retail trade and services. Mining, farming, fishing and tourism contribute significantly to the economy Manufacturing firms include mining companies, fertilizer plants, sugar central, rice and corn mills and other food processing plants. Cebu is the hub of investment, trade and development in the region.
Other industries include mining, rice, corn and sugar milling, coconut oil extraction, alcohol distilling, beverage manufacture and forest products. Home industries include hat and basket weaving, metal craft, needlecraft, pottery, ceramics, woodcraft, shell craft and bamboo craft.
Education
Eastern Visayas is home to several state universities, including the prominent University of the Philippines Visayas (UPV Tacloban College). The region is also home to the University of Eastern Philippines (UEP), located in Catarman, Northern Samar, which holds the most number of baccalaureate and post-baccalaureate courses among universities in the region. UEP is considered one of the most notable state universities in the country, offering programs in liberal arts, sciences, medicine, agriculture, education, and law.
Shopping Malls
Wilsam Uptown Mall in Borongan City is the largest Shopping Mall in Eastern Visayas. However it will be displaced by Robinson's Tacloban as the biggest when it opens by December 2008. Gaisano Capital Mall also under construction in Tacloban City is expected to open simultaneously before year 2008 ends.
Languages
Waray-Waray is spoken on the island of Samar, eastern Biliran and the eastern part of the province of Leyte while Cebuano is spoken in the rest of Leyte, western Biliran, as well as in the province of Southern Leyte; both of these languages are called Visayan by their speakers. A Samar language, distantly related to the languages of the region, called Abaknon is spoken in the island of Capul in Northern Samar.
Political Divisions
| Province | Capital | Population (2000) |
Area (km²) |
Pop. density (per km²) |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Biliran | Naval | 140,274 | 555.4 | 252.6 |
| Eastern Samar | Borongan City | 375,822 | 4,339.6 | 86.6 |
| Leyte | Tacloban City | 1,592,336 | 5,712.8 | 278.7 |
| Northern Samar | Catarman | 500,639 | 3,498.0 | 143.1 |
| Samar | Catbalogan City | 641,124 | 5,591.0 | 114.7 |
| Southern Leyte | Maasin City | 360,160 | 1,734.8 | 207.6 |
Component Cities
- Borongan City, Eastern Samar
- Baybay City, Leyte
- Calbayog City, Samar
- Catbalogan City, Samar
- Maasin City, Southern Leyte
- Ormoc City¹, Leyte
- Tacloban City, Leyte
¹ Ormoc City is an independent component city.
External links
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