Allen is a 5th class municipality in the province of Northern Samar, Philippines. According to the 2000 census, it has a population of 20,066 people in 4,145 households. The town borders the municipality of Victoria in the south, Lavezares in the east and the San Bernardino Strait in the northwest.
Allen is known for being an important port for inter-island transport, specifically between Samar and Luzon.
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The original name of the town was Manipa-a. During the Spanish era, the name of the town was changed to La Granja. The name Allen was given by the Americans in honor of General Robert Allen, the military governor of the Visayas after the Spanish-American War.
Allen is politically subdivided into 20 barangays.
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The area of present-day Allen was originally populated by natives of Malay stock from the western and central locations of the island. Migration from other islands was characterised by several waves. Malays from the neighbouring Bicol Peninsula crossed what is now the San Bernardino Strait using small sailing barges, trading with the locals before settling in. Simultaneously, Malays from the islands of Capul and San Antonio crossed the strait and settled in the area.
The first recorded persons to have their names officially entered into a Spanish census were that of Cosmenia Cajandab and Mariano Cabacang; both surnames originated from the island of Capul.
Allen serves as an important transit point, connecting Samar and other islands with Luzon. It is opposite the Luzon transit point in the municipality of Matnog, Sorsogon. The primary modes of transport are the inter-island bus route via the Maharlika Highway, and the ferry crossiung the San Bernardino Strait. Its location as a transit point, makes it a future 'transitropolitan' area in the country.
Ferries cross the strait, transporting passengers and vehicles to and from Allen and Matnog. Travel time ranges between one hour to 2 hours depending on the speed of the ferry.
Buses from the various provinces of the Visayas and Mindanao bound for destinations on Luzon pass through Allen, riding the ferry service to Matnog and vice-versa.
The bus terminal servicing the municipality is located at the pier. Booking offices for buses that ply the route are at the terminal.
A number of relatively low-priced hotels and inns within the town serve most of the transit passengers for overnight stay, specially during bad weather when some stranded passengers take refuge in the small hotels and inns. During bad weather conditions, ferries cannot cross the San Bernardino Strait due to high waves.
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