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Southern Leyte ( ceb, Habagatang Leyte; Kabalian: ''Habagatan nga Leyte''; war, Salatan nga Leyte; tl, Timog Leyte), officially the Province of Southern Leyte, is a
province A province is almost always an administrative division within a country or state. The term derives from the ancient Roman ''provincia'', which was the major territorial and administrative unit of the Roman Empire's territorial possessions outsi ...
in the
Philippines The Philippines (; fil, Pilipinas, links=no), officially the Republic of the Philippines ( fil, Republika ng Pilipinas, links=no), * bik, Republika kan Filipinas * ceb, Republika sa Pilipinas * cbk, República de Filipinas * hil, Republ ...
located in the Eastern Visayas
region In geography, regions, otherwise referred to as zones, lands or territories, are areas that are broadly divided by physical characteristics (physical geography), human impact characteristics (human geography), and the interaction of humanity and t ...
. Its capital is the city of Maasin. Southern Leyte comprised the third congressional district Leyte until it was made into an independent province in 1959. Southern Leyte includes Limasawa, an island to the south where the first Roman Catholic Mass in Philippine soil is believed to have taken place and thus considered to be the birthplace of Roman Catholicism in the Philippines. The province ranks as the second least populated in the region. According to the 2020 census, the province has a population of 429,573. Southern Leyte's geological features created several issues in the province after the flooding of the
Subangdaku River The Subangdaku River is the largest river in Southern Leyte, Philippines. It drains into the Sogod Bay at the municipality of Sogod. The river's name means "big river" or "wide river" in Cebuano. For years, following the flooding of the river, ...
and the 2006 mudslide in Guinsaugon. Organizations warned the province it was susceptible to natural occurrences like
landslide Landslides, also known as landslips, are several forms of mass wasting that may include a wide range of ground movements, such as rockfalls, deep-seated slope failures, mudflows, and debris flows. Landslides occur in a variety of environments, ...
s and
flood A flood is an overflow of water ( or rarely other fluids) that submerges land that is usually dry. In the sense of "flowing water", the word may also be applied to the inflow of the tide. Floods are an area of study of the discipline hydrol ...
s.Policy and Advocacy , Haribon
/ref> Southern Leyte forms an important part of the inter-island transportation system of the country, with ferries transporting people and goods between Liloan and Surigao del Norte in
Mindanao Mindanao ( ) ( Jawi: مينداناو) is the second-largest island in the Philippines, after Luzon, and seventh-most populous island in the world. Located in the southern region of the archipelago, the island is part of an island group of t ...
. The province is well known for its quality abaca products and is the country's major producer of abaca fiber. In September 2017, Representative Roger Mercado authored House Bill 6408, proposing to change the name of the province to Leyte del Sur.


History


Precolonial history

The province, being part of Leyte island, is believed to be influenced by ''Datu Et''e, ruler of the historic community of Mairete, meaning ''Land of Ete'', which was centered in Tacloban. The area which is to be Southern Leyte is believed to have been occupied by animist Visayan ethnic groups from Bohol. There is no proof that the indigenous animist
Warays The Waray people (or the Waray-Waray people) are a subgroup of the larger ethnolinguistic group Bisaya people, who constitute the largest Filipino ethnolinguistic group in the country. Their primary language is the Waray language (also calle ...
of Samar, who at the time occupied northeast Leyte, ever occupied Southern Leyte.


Early settlement

As early as 1898 during the Spanish and American periods, there existed a "sub-province" consisting of the municipalities from
Palompon Palompon (IPA: ɐlom'pɔn, officially the Municipality of Palompon ( ceb, Lungsod sa Palompon; war, Bungto han Palompon; tl, Bayan ng Palompon), is a 2nd class municipality in the province of Leyte, Philippines. According to the 2020 census, i ...
to Hinunangan, with Maasin as the center. Some government offices had already been established in Maasin on the southwestern part of Leyte to govern the area. Historically, the governing city was the depository of ''cedula'' tax collections from Palompon to Hinunangan. This was administered by the office of the ''Administrado de Hacienda'', equivalent to the Provincial Treasurer, a position under the ''Secretario de Hacienda''. There was also established in Maasin a
Court of First Instance A court is any person or institution, often as a government institution, with the authority to adjudicate legal disputes between parties and carry out the administration of justice in civil, criminal, and administrative matters in accor ...
, then known as the Promoter Fiscal, where all minor administrative and other cases from Palompon to Hinunangan were heard. During the Spanish colonization, the province was sparsely populated. The continued raiding of Moro slaves discouraged the province from growing and developing. However, in the 19th century immigrants from adjacent provinces like Bohol and
Cebu Cebu (; ceb, Sugbo), officially the Province of Cebu ( ceb, Lalawigan sa Sugbo; tl, Lalawigan ng Cebu; hil, Kapuroan sang Sugbo), is a province of the Philippines located in the Central Visayas region, and consists of a main island and ...
populated the area. In 1942, Ruperto Kangleon held a conference in the town of Sogod, when the first meeting attempt in Malitbog, a town to the east, failed due to many leaders staying away. He was trying to unify all guerrillas helping the Philippine Commonwealth troops during
World War II World War II or the Second World War, often abbreviated as WWII or WW2, was a world war that lasted from 1939 to 1945. It involved the World War II by country, vast majority of the world's countries—including all of the great power ...
. From 1944 to 1945, the Allied Philippine Commonwealth Army soldiers and Filipino guerrillas attacked the
Japanese Imperial forces The Imperial Japanese Armed Forces (IJAF) were the combined military forces of the Japanese Empire. Formed during the Meiji Restoration in 1868,"One can date the 'restoration' of imperial rule from the edict of 3 January 1868." p. 334. they ...
in an effort to liberate Southern Leyte, and American troops landed on Leyte on October 20, 1944.


Independent province

Due to a change of sovereign powers, all the offices in Maasin except the Fiscal's Office were abolished and reverted to
Tacloban Tacloban ( ; ), officially the City of Tacloban ( war, Syudad han Tacloban; fil, Lungsod ng Tacloban), is a first class highly urbanized city in the Eastern Visayas region of the Philippines. The city is autonomous from the province of Leyte, ...
, the capital of Leyte. This created a major problem because of the dearth of transportation, the difficulty in managing the affairs of government in Tacloban and the language barrier between the Cebuano-speaking South-westerners and the
Waray Waray may refer to: * Waray people of the Philippines * Waray language, the fifth most spoken native language of the Philippines, spoken by the Waray people * Waray literature * Warray language Warray (Waray) was an Australian language spoken ...
-speaking North-easterners. The difficulty of managing the entire island from the main city suggested a need to separate the island into two provinces. At first there was a general movement for a ''Western Leyte'' and soon after, many prominent men and leaders rallied behind the movement. Six attempts to pass a law for the division of Leyte were made. On the sixth attempt, then Congressman Nicanor Yñiguez introduced into the
House A house is a single-unit residential building. It may range in complexity from a rudimentary hut to a complex structure of wood, masonry, concrete or other material, outfitted with plumbing, electrical, and heating, ventilation, and air ...
a division law similar in substance to that of the ''Kangleon Bill'', but recognizing the impossibility of creating an East-West Division, he instead opted to make his own district a province. Abandoning the first bill, Congressman Nicanor Yñiguez presented ''House Bill No. 1318'' proposing a new province of Southern Leyte comprising Third Congressional District of Leyte to include sixteen municipalities, from Maasin to
Silago Silago, officially the Municipality of Silago ( ceb, Lungsod sa Silago; tl, Bayan ng Silago), is a 4th class municipality in the province of Southern Leyte, Philippines. According to the 2020 census, it has a population of 13,116 people. It was u ...
in the mainland, and in the Panaon Island. The bill became ''
Republic Act This article contains a partial list of Philippine laws. Sources of Philippine laws ;Notes : *Customs may be considered as supplementary source of law, however, customs which are contrary to law, public order or public policy shall not be ...
2227'' otherwise known as an "Act Creating the Province of Southern Leyte" and was signed into Law by President Carlos P. Garcia on May 22, 1959. On July 1, 1960, Southern Leyte was inaugurated as a province with sixteen municipalities and Maasin as the capital town. Thus, the third District of Leyte became the ''Province of Southern Leyte'' and the Lone District of Southern Leyte.


Mudslides

In December 2003, a landslide in San Francisco, Southern Leyte destroyed most of the town, killing 200 people. On February 17, 2006, several mudslides caused by heavy rains, amounting over , and a minor
earthquake An earthquake (also known as a quake, tremor or temblor) is the shaking of the surface of the Earth resulting from a sudden release of energy in the Earth's lithosphere that creates seismic waves. Earthquakes can range in intensity, from ...
destroyed at least one town and many commercial and residential infrastructures, leaving hundreds dead. The municipality of Saint Bernard was one of the worst hit areas with 23 confirmed deaths, up to 200 estimated deaths and another 1,500 missing. Barangay Guinsaugon, a mountain village on the said municipality with 2,500 people, was almost completely destroyed, killing 1,800 of its 1,857 residents. Many rescuers from national and international responded to the incident. However, rescue efforts were greatly hampered by poor road conditions and lack of heavy equipment. Survivors also reported lack of coordination of rescue efforts. The few handful of Guinsaugon citizens which escaped the mudslide were put up in emergency shelters without adequate nutrition and care despite the National Government collecting millions of dollars worth of donations.


Geography

Southern Leyte occupies the southern quarter of the island of Leyte. It is bounded by the province of Leyte to the north, by
Surigao Strait Surigao Strait (Filipino: ''Kipot ng Surigaw'') is a strait in the southern Philippines, between the Bohol Sea and the Leyte Gulf of the Philippine Sea. Geography It is located between the regions of Visayas and Mindanao. It lies between northern ...
to the east, Bohol Sea to the south, and Canigao Channel, across from Bohol, to the west. Its total land area is . The central portion of the province is dominated by the Sogod Bay, a long
bay A bay is a recessed, coastal body of water that directly connects to a larger main body of water, such as an ocean, a lake, or another bay. A large bay is usually called a Gulf (geography), gulf, sea, sound (geography), sound, or bight (geogra ...
that cuts deep into the island.


Topography

Southern Leyte is characterized by relatively flat lands along the coastal areas where population centers lie, but rugged mountains towards the interior. The province has inland water features. Based on national data, the province has altogether 93 rivers, including 18 major ones, namely the Amparo River in
Macrohon Macrohon, officially the Municipality of Macrohon ( ceb, Lungsod sa Macrohon; tl, Bayan ng Macrohon), is a 4th class municipality in the province of Southern Leyte, Philippines. According to the 2020 census, it has a population of 26,580 people. ...
, the Canturing River in Maasin City, the Das-ay and Pondol Rivers in Hinunangan, the Divisoria River in Bontoc, the Hitungao and Lawigan Rivers in Saint Bernard, the Maag River in
Silago Silago, officially the Municipality of Silago ( ceb, Lungsod sa Silago; tl, Bayan ng Silago), is a 4th class municipality in the province of Southern Leyte, Philippines. According to the 2020 census, it has a population of 13,116 people. It was u ...
, and the Subangdaku River in Sogod which is the biggest of all. The province has an inland lake called Lake Danao located in the mountains of
San Juan San Juan, Spanish for Saint John, may refer to: Places Argentina * San Juan Province, Argentina * San Juan, Argentina, the capital of that province * San Juan, Salta, a village in Iruya, Salta Province * San Juan (Buenos Aires Underground), ...
and Anahawan, towns in the eastern region. Subangdaku, the province's largest river, created an issue over the area. It can be considered a braided river composed of several channels from near areas that divide and reunite forming an alluvial fan with a very wide
floodplain A floodplain or flood plain or bottomlands is an area of land adjacent to a river which stretches from the banks of its channel to the base of the enclosing valley walls, and which experiences flooding during periods of high discharge.Goudi ...
. As such, the river usually became hazardous during typhoons after heavy rains. The river has overflowed, spilling its waters on the low-lying towns of Liloan and San Vicente and destroyed an ongoing flood control project worth millions of pesos. The river meanders along its course, ever changing its way over time. During the time it floods, it destroys every side of its course. In 2001, portions of the road and banks in Barangay San Miguel along the river were destroyed, including part of the Philippine National Road. Local officials blamed the re channelization and uncontrolled
quarry A quarry is a type of open-pit mining, open-pit mine in which dimension stone, rock (geology), rock, construction aggregate, riprap, sand, gravel, or slate is excavated from the ground. The operation of quarries is regulated in some juri ...
ing of gravel and sand at the side of the river as the cause of the flood. At a meeting on March 18, 2002, one of the representatives of a government agency alleged that the reason of the incidents of flood and other environmental problems in the river was due to the "Philippine Fault" which caused rocks to rumble down. However, the reason was contended because the fault is a geological feature and environmental problems in the province just occurred that time. Along with other mountain forms in the province,
Mount Nacolod Mount is often used as part of the name of specific mountains, e.g. Mount Everest. Mount or Mounts may also refer to: Places * Mount, Cornwall, a village in Warleggan parish, England * Mount, Perranzabuloe, a hamlet in Perranzabuloe parish ...
in Hinunangan town has the highest peak with an elevation of above
sea level Mean sea level (MSL, often shortened to sea level) is an average surface level of one or more among Earth's coastal bodies of water from which heights such as elevation may be measured. The global MSL is a type of vertical datuma standardise ...
. Young volcanic rocks are discovered in the terrain areas, which cover the top of the southern mountain ranges of
Mount Cabalian Mount is often used as part of the name of specific mountains, e.g. Mount Everest. Mount or Mounts may also refer to: Places * Mount, Cornwall, a village in Warleggan parish, England * Mount, Perranzabuloe, a hamlet in Perranzabuloe parish ...
in the Pacific Area and
Mount Nelangcapan Mount is often used as part of the name of specific mountains, e.g. Mount Everest. Mount or Mounts may also refer to: Places * Mount, Cornwall, a village in Warleggan parish, England * Mount, Perranzabuloe, a hamlet in Perranzabuloe parish ...
in Panaon Area. The province lies within the Philippine Fault System. The major fault lines traverse the municipalities of Sogod, Libagon, Saint Bernard and
San Juan San Juan, Spanish for Saint John, may refer to: Places Argentina * San Juan Province, Argentina * San Juan, Argentina, the capital of that province * San Juan, Salta, a village in Iruya, Salta Province * San Juan (Buenos Aires Underground), ...
to Panaon Island. Based on
Mines and Geosciences Bureau The Mines and Geo-sciences Bureau (MGB) is a government agency of the Philippines under the Department of Environment and Natural Resources (DENR). The MGB is responsible for the conservation, management, development and use of the country's mi ...
Region 8 data, these areas had experienced strong
earthquake An earthquake (also known as a quake, tremor or temblor) is the shaking of the surface of the Earth resulting from a sudden release of energy in the Earth's lithosphere that creates seismic waves. Earthquakes can range in intensity, from ...
s in 1907 and 1948 with a magnitude of 6.9 and on July 5, 1984, with a 6.4
scale Scale or scales may refer to: Mathematics * Scale (descriptive set theory), an object defined on a set of points * Scale (ratio), the ratio of a linear dimension of a model to the corresponding dimension of the original * Scale factor, a number ...
. The Mines and Geosciences Bureau warned that Southern Leyte's natural and geological features make it susceptible to landslides and floodings. The affiliated group stated that there are four contributory reasons: unusually heavy rains; numerous faults and badly broken rocks; steep slopes; and absence of effective vegetative cover. The province has numerous types of
soil Soil, also commonly referred to as earth or dirt, is a mixture of organic matter, minerals, gases, liquids, and organisms that together support life. Some scientific definitions distinguish ''dirt'' from ''soil'' by restricting the former ...
. Soil types within the Maasin Clay, Guimbalaon Clay, Himay-angan Clay, Bolinao Clay, Quingua Clay and Malitbog Clay series serve as raw materials for
ceramic A ceramic is any of the various hard, brittle, heat-resistant and corrosion-resistant materials made by shaping and then firing an inorganic, nonmetallic material, such as clay, at a high temperature. Common examples are earthenware, porcelai ...
s and
pottery Pottery is the process and the products of forming vessels and other objects with clay and other ceramic materials, which are fired at high temperatures to give them a hard and durable form. Major types include earthenware, stoneware and po ...
made by local residents.


Climate

Southern Leyte has two types of climate according to the Coronas Classification. These are Type II and Type IV. Type II is characterized by the absence of dry season with a very pronounced maximum rain period occurring from November to January. This type prevails in the eastern half of the province that includes the municipality of Sogod, Libagon, Liloan, San Francisco, Pintuyan, San Ricardo, Saint Bernard, San Juan, Anahawan, Hinundayan, Hinunangan and Silago. On the other hand, Type IV has a rainfall that is more or less evenly distributed throughout the year. This type prevails in the western part of the province that includes the City of Maasin and the municipalities of Macrohon, Padre Burgos, Limasawa, Malitbog, Tomas Oppus, Bontoc and little part of Sogod. In 2004, the province recorded a maximum
temperature Temperature is a physical quantity that expresses quantitatively the perceptions of hotness and coldness. Temperature is measured with a thermometer. Thermometers are calibrated in various temperature scales that historically have relied on ...
of and a minimum temperature of . In addition, mean minimum temperature was . The province has 163 rainy days per year and total rainfall of .


Vegetation and biodiversity

Inhabitants of the province plant
rice Rice is the seed of the grass species '' Oryza sativa'' (Asian rice) or less commonly '' Oryza glaberrima'' (African rice). The name wild rice is usually used for species of the genera '' Zizania'' and ''Porteresia'', both wild and domestica ...
, white corn,
banana A banana is an elongated, edible fruit – botanically a berry (botany), berry – produced by several kinds of large herbaceous flowering plants in the genus ''Musa (genus), Musa''. In some countries, Cooking banana, bananas used for ...
s, root crops,
sugar cane Sugarcane or sugar cane is a species of (often hybrid) tall, perennial grass (in the genus '' Saccharum'', tribe Andropogoneae) that is used for sugar production. The plants are 2–6 m (6–20 ft) tall with stout, jointed, fibrous stal ...
,
coconut The coconut tree (''Cocos nucifera'') is a member of the palm tree family (Arecaceae) and the only living species of the genus ''Cocos''. The term "coconut" (or the archaic "cocoanut") can refer to the whole coconut palm, the seed, or ...
and abacá. They also plant various types of vegetables. A three-year project was established in Sogod Bay conducted by the ''Southern Leyte Coral Reef Conservation Project'' (SLCRCP) to surveyed coral reefs in the area. The undertaking was to provide local residents educational opportunities to have knowledge on protecting the province's biodiversity as well as to have a long-term sustainability.


Administrative divisions

Southern Leyte is subdivided into 18 municipalities and 1
city A city is a human settlement of notable size.Goodall, B. (1987) ''The Penguin Dictionary of Human Geography''. London: Penguin.Kuper, A. and Kuper, J., eds (1996) ''The Social Science Encyclopedia''. 2nd edition. London: Routledge. It can be de ...
, all encompassed by a double legislative districts and further subdivided into 500
barangay A barangay (; abbreviated as Brgy. or Bgy.), historically referred to as barrio (abbreviated as Bo.), is the smallest administrative division in the Philippines and is the native Filipino term for a village, district, or ward. In metropolit ...
s. The province originally comprised 16 municipalities and 349
barangay A barangay (; abbreviated as Brgy. or Bgy.), historically referred to as barrio (abbreviated as Bo.), is the smallest administrative division in the Philippines and is the native Filipino term for a village, district, or ward. In metropolit ...
s, with four islands: Panaon Island, Limasawa Island, San Pedro Island and San Pablo Island. After the inauguration of the province, three more municipalities were subsequently created: ''San Ricardo'' from Pintuyan, ''Tomas Oppus'' from Malitbog and ''Limasawa'' from Padre Burgos. In 2000, Maasin was converted into a
city A city is a human settlement of notable size.Goodall, B. (1987) ''The Penguin Dictionary of Human Geography''. London: Penguin.Kuper, A. and Kuper, J., eds (1996) ''The Social Science Encyclopedia''. 2nd edition. London: Routledge. It can be de ...
as capital of Southern Leyte. The remaining component municipality classes ranges from 2nd to 5th level in the province. From 2nd class belongs Sogod municipality which is the center of
trade Trade involves the transfer of goods and services from one person or entity to another, often in exchange for money. Economists refer to a system or network that allows trade as a market. An early form of trade, barter, saw the direct exch ...
,
commerce Commerce is the large-scale organized system of activities, functions, procedures and institutions directly and indirectly related to the exchange (buying and selling) of goods and services among two or more parties within local, regional, natio ...
and industry among municipalities within the Sogod Bay. Hinunangan, which holds the distinction as the "Rice Granary of the Province" for its vast
plain In geography, a plain is a flat expanse of land that generally does not change much in elevation, and is primarily treeless. Plains occur as lowlands along valleys or at the base of mountains, as coastal plains, and as plateaus or uplands. ...
land that is entirely planted with
rice Rice is the seed of the grass species '' Oryza sativa'' (Asian rice) or less commonly '' Oryza glaberrima'' (African rice). The name wild rice is usually used for species of the genera '' Zizania'' and ''Porteresia'', both wild and domestica ...
, Liloan, Malitbog, Saint Bernard, and
Macrohon Macrohon, officially the Municipality of Macrohon ( ceb, Lungsod sa Macrohon; tl, Bayan ng Macrohon), is a 4th class municipality in the province of Southern Leyte, Philippines. According to the 2020 census, it has a population of 26,580 people. ...
, are in the 4th level. The remaining municipalities— Anahawan, Hinundayan, Libagon, Padre Burgos,
Pintuyan Pintuyan, officially the Municipality of Pintuyan ( ceb, Lungsod sa Pintuyan; tl, Bayan ng Pintuyan), is a 5th class municipality in the province of Southern Leyte, Philippines and was established in 1865. During the American regime, the seat of ...
,
San Francisco San Francisco (; Spanish language, Spanish for "Francis of Assisi, Saint Francis"), officially the City and County of San Francisco, is the commercial, financial, and cultural center of Northern California. The city proper is the List of Ca ...
,
San Juan San Juan, Spanish for Saint John, may refer to: Places Argentina * San Juan Province, Argentina * San Juan, Argentina, the capital of that province * San Juan, Salta, a village in Iruya, Salta Province * San Juan (Buenos Aires Underground), ...
(formerly Cabalian),
San Ricardo San Ricardo, officially the Municipality of San Ricardo ( ceb, Lungsod sa San Ricardo; tl, Bayan ng San Ricardo), is a 5th class municipality in the province of Southern Leyte, Philippines. According to the 2020 census, it has a population of 10, ...
,
Silago Silago, officially the Municipality of Silago ( ceb, Lungsod sa Silago; tl, Bayan ng Silago), is a 4th class municipality in the province of Southern Leyte, Philippines. According to the 2020 census, it has a population of 13,116 people. It was u ...
, Tomas Oppus and Limasawa, a component island to the south—are under 5th level.


Demographics

The population of Southern Leyte in the 2020 census was 429,573 people, with a density of . The 1980 national
census A census is the procedure of systematically acquiring, recording and calculating information about the members of a given population. This term is used mostly in connection with national population and housing censuses; other common censuses in ...
recorded the province of Southern Leyte with a population of 296,294 from the historic record in 1903 of 72,369. In 1990, the population of the province increased to 321,940 which was caused by in-migration and increasing rate of birth over death. In 2000, population increased to 360,160 with a rate of 2.73 from the negative growth rate recorded in 1995 period with 317,565. The sudden decrease of the 1995 records was due to the late census in the province. While regular censuses were done in May where most of the students were at their respective places of residence, in 1995 the census of the population was done in September where the students were out for schooling in nearby provinces. The decrease in population was also, theoretically, attributed to out-migration of the rural population to cities to seek better employment and livelihood opportunities. A corresponding increase on the number of households was also recorded at 72,894 households higher by 7,327 households over the 1995 figure. Southern Leyte ranked fifth in terms of population among the six provinces in Eastern Visayas with 9.98 percent of the 3.6 million persons of the region. On the contrary, it was the fastest-growing province in the region. At the national level, the province contributed 0.47 percent to the total population of the Philippines with 76.5 million.


Ethnicity

According to the 2000 census survey, of the total provincial population of 359,738, about were Bisaya, Boholano, Cebuano, Tagalogs, and
Waray Waray may refer to: * Waray people of the Philippines * Waray language, the fifth most spoken native language of the Philippines, spoken by the Waray people * Waray literature * Warray language Warray (Waray) was an Australian language spoken ...
. In Panaon, an island situated in the southernmost part of the province, a certain
aboriginal Aborigine, aborigine or aboriginal may refer to: *Aborigines (mythology), in Roman mythology * Indigenous peoples, general term for ethnic groups who are the earliest known inhabitants of an area *One of several groups of indigenous peoples, see ...
folk are found locally known as ''kongking'' or variously called ''mamanwa'' which means "
mountain people Hill people, also referred to as mountain people, is a general term for people who live in the hills and mountains. This includes all rugged land above and all land (including plateaus) above elevation. The climate is generally harsh, with s ...
". They were believed to be migrants from
Mindanao Mindanao ( ) ( Jawi: مينداناو) is the second-largest island in the Philippines, after Luzon, and seventh-most populous island in the world. Located in the southern region of the archipelago, the island is part of an island group of t ...
, inhabiting the portions of Agusan, after their migration from the island to evade militarization and the logging/mining corporations’ intrusion to their ancestral domains in the early 1980s. They have a dark complexion and curly hair, and they are short in stature. Hunting and gathering, mat weaving and rattan craft are among the main economic activities of the ''Mamanwas'', so they prefer to inhabit the forested areas in the newfound Southern Leyte mountains. However, they were again displaced by the recent landslides in the province.


Language

The
native language A first language, native tongue, native language, mother tongue or L1 is the first language or dialect that a person has been exposed to from birth or within the critical period. In some countries, the term ''native language'' or ''mother tong ...
is a Boholano dialect variant of Cebuano.
Waray Waray may refer to: * Waray people of the Philippines * Waray language, the fifth most spoken native language of the Philippines, spoken by the Waray people * Waray literature * Warray language Warray (Waray) was an Australian language spoken ...
is sometimes spoken (concentrated in some barrios near Waray speaking towns such as
Abuyog Abuyog (IPA: ɐ'bujog, officially the Municipality of Abuyog ( war, Bungto han Abuyog; ceb, Lungsod sa Abuyog; tl, Bayan ng Abuyog), is a 1st class municipality in the province of Leyte, Philippines. According to the 2020 census, it has a p ...
and Mahaplag), while
Tagalog Tagalog may refer to: Language * Tagalog language, a language spoken in the Philippines ** Old Tagalog, an archaic form of the language ** Batangas Tagalog, a dialect of the language * Tagalog script, the writing system historically used for Tagal ...
and English are used as second languages.
Kinabalian The Kabalian (Cabalian) language, ''Kinabalian'', is spoken in the municipality of San Juan, Southern Leyte, San Juan in the province of Southern Leyte in the Philippines. It is closely related to Waray-Waray language, Waray-Waray. Native speake ...
, a type of "rare, unique language", is spoken alongside Cebuano in the towns of
San Juan San Juan, Spanish for Saint John, may refer to: Places Argentina * San Juan Province, Argentina * San Juan, Argentina, the capital of that province * San Juan, Salta, a village in Iruya, Salta Province * San Juan (Buenos Aires Underground), ...
and Anahawan.


Religion

Limasawa, an island municipality to the south, is believed to be the site of the first Christian mass in Philippine soil and the birthplace of
Christianity in the Philippines The Philippines is ranked as the 5th largest Christian-majority country on Earth , with about 93% of the population being adherents. , it was the third largest Catholic country in the world and was one of two predominantly Catholic nations in ...
, when
Ferdinand Magellan Ferdinand Magellan ( or ; pt, Fernão de Magalhães, ; es, link=no, Fernando de Magallanes, ; 4 February 1480 – 27 April 1521) was a Portuguese explorer. He is best known for having planned and led the 1519 Spanish expedition to the Eas ...
, a Portuguese
navigator A navigator is the person on board a ship or aircraft responsible for its navigation.Grierson, MikeAviation History—Demise of the Flight Navigator FrancoFlyers.org website, October 14, 2008. Retrieved August 31, 2014. The navigator's primar ...
and
explorer Exploration refers to the historical practice of discovering remote lands. It is studied by geographers and historians. Two major eras of exploration occurred in human history: one of convergence, and one of divergence. The first, covering most ...
landed on March 28, 1521. The first Holy Sacrifice of the Mass was held on March 31, 1521, led by Friar Pedro de Valderrama, the chaplain of
Ferdinand Magellan Ferdinand Magellan ( or ; pt, Fernão de Magalhães, ; es, link=no, Fernando de Magallanes, ; 4 February 1480 – 27 April 1521) was a Portuguese explorer. He is best known for having planned and led the 1519 Spanish expedition to the Eas ...
during the expedition. The mass marked the start of Christian propagation.


Culture


Beliefs

Although most people are Christians, a very few who live in remote villages of the province hold on to pre-Hispanic influences and make offerings and sacrifices before planting their crops. Farmers ritually sacrifice chickens and pigs to ensure that the spirits or elementals which they believe to be the cause of good harvest will grant them one.


Religious events

''Fiesta'', a Spanish term meaning "festivity", is celebrated in the province with
prayer Prayer is an invocation or act that seeks to activate a rapport with an object of worship through deliberate communication. In the narrow sense, the term refers to an act of supplication or intercession directed towards a deity or a deifi ...
, food, drinking, dance and music. Every barangay of every town in the province has its own celebration date. For instance, Hinunangan celebrates a town fiesta on the 29 June with the Saint Peter and Saint Paul Fluvial boat parade the day before. The ''kuratsa'' – a
courtship Courtship is the period wherein some couples get to know each other prior to a possible marriage. Courtship traditionally may begin after a betrothal and may conclude with the celebration of marriage. A courtship may be an informal and private ...
dance-drama – highlights every occasion. The province also holds its own festivals. "Sinulog sa malitbog" is an annual
religious Religion is usually defined as a social- cultural system of designated behaviors and practices, morals, beliefs, worldviews, texts, sanctified places, prophecies, ethics, or organizations, that generally relates humanity to supernatural, ...
street pageant in Malitbog to pay homage to the Holy Child Jesus ( Santo Niño), the town's
patron saint A patron saint, patroness saint, patron hallow or heavenly protector is a saint who in Catholic Church, Catholicism, Anglicanism, or Eastern Orthodoxy is regarded as the heavenly advocacy, advocate of a nation, place, craft, activity, class, ...
. Similarly, the historic and religious coming of the Spaniards is commemorated every 31 March in Limasawa with a cultural presentation and anniversary program dubbed "Sinugdan", meaning "beginning." Other festivals held in the province to highlight events are the ''Pagkamugna Festival'' and ''Pabulhon Festival'' in Maasin City, ''Karomata Festival'' in Beunavista,
Pintuyan Pintuyan, officially the Municipality of Pintuyan ( ceb, Lungsod sa Pintuyan; tl, Bayan ng Pintuyan), is a 5th class municipality in the province of Southern Leyte, Philippines and was established in 1865. During the American regime, the seat of ...
, ''Tangka-tangka Festival'' in Tangkaan, Padre Burgos and ''Manhaon Festival'' in
Macrohon Macrohon, officially the Municipality of Macrohon ( ceb, Lungsod sa Macrohon; tl, Bayan ng Macrohon), is a 4th class municipality in the province of Southern Leyte, Philippines. According to the 2020 census, it has a population of 26,580 people. ...
.


Economy


Farming


Coconut

Most of the people in Southern Leyte go into coconut planting, a widely distributed industry, especially in mountainous and even plain regions. The GIZ of the German Development Cooperation has embarked on a value chain study on one of the most important products in Region 8 – the coconut, particularly in Leyte and Southern Leyte. In the year 2004, a beetle pest threatened the Philippine coconut industry including
Visayas The Visayas ( ), or the Visayan Islands ( Visayan: ''Kabisay-an'', ; tl, Kabisayaan ), are one of the three principal geographical divisions of the Philippines, along with Luzon and Mindanao. Located in the central part of the archipelago, i ...
. '' Brontispa longissima'' causes great damage to seedlings and mature coconut trees and ornamental palms, killing the young spears and eventually the entire trees.


Abaca

People in Southern Leyte also go into abaca planting. The province is one of the major producer of abaca fiber in the country along with
Catanduanes Catanduanes (; ), officially the Province of Catanduanes, is an island province located in the Bicol Region of Luzon in the Philippines. It is the 12th-largest island in the Philippines, and lies to the east of Camarines Sur, across Maqueda Ch ...
, Leyte,
Davao Oriental Davao Oriental ( Cebuano: ''Sidlakang Dabaw''; tl, Silangang Davao), officially the Province of Davao Oriental, is a province in the Philippines located in the Davao Region in Mindanao. Its capital is city of Mati, and it borders the province of ...
,
Northern Samar Northern Samar ( war, Amihanan Samar/Norte san Samar; tl, Hilagang Samar), officially the Province of Northern Samar, is a province in the Philippines located in the Eastern Visayas region. Its capital is Catarman and is located at the norther ...
,
Sorsogon Sorsogon, officially the Province of Sorsogon ( Bikol: ''Probinsya kan Sorsogon''; Waray: ''Probinsya han Sorsogon''; tl, Lalawigan ng Sorsogon), is a province in the Philippines located in the Bicol Region. It is the southernmost province in L ...
,
Sulu Sulu (), officially the Province of Sulu ( Tausūg: ''Wilāya sin Lupa' Sūg''; tl, Lalawigan ng Sulu), is a province of the Philippines in the Sulu Archipelago and part of the Bangsamoro Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao (BARMM). Its capi ...
, Davao del Sur, and
Surigao del Sur Surigao del Sur ( Surigaonon: ''Probinsya nan Surigao del Sur''; ceb, Habagatang Surigao; tl, Timog Surigao), officially the Province of Surigao del Sur, is a province in the Philippines located in the Caraga region in Mindanao. Its capital is ...
. The fibers from Leyte and the province are recognized as having the best quality. On the year 1990 to 1999, Southern Leyte produced abaca with a rate of 17 percent. In 2003, '' Abaca bunchy top virus'' threatened the abaca industry in the province. Almost all of the abaca-producing municipalities in the area namely Maasin City, Padre Burgos, Malitbog, Tomas Oppus, Bontoc, Sogod, St. Bernard,
San Juan San Juan, Spanish for Saint John, may refer to: Places Argentina * San Juan Province, Argentina * San Juan, Argentina, the capital of that province * San Juan, Salta, a village in Iruya, Salta Province * San Juan (Buenos Aires Underground), ...
, Hinunangan and
Silago Silago, officially the Municipality of Silago ( ceb, Lungsod sa Silago; tl, Bayan ng Silago), is a 4th class municipality in the province of Southern Leyte, Philippines. According to the 2020 census, it has a population of 13,116 people. It was u ...
were greatly affected by the deadly virus except from the municipalities at Panaon Island. Eighty percent of the province's abaca, particularly in Sogod town, was greatly affected while Maasin City was estimated to suffer about 30 percent in damages.


Tourism

Some 200,000 tourists visit Southern Leyte each year. Domestic tourism is mostly those wishing to enjoy the sandy beaches, hotels and resorts along the coastline. Significant numbers also visit for religious festivals such as Sinulog and Limasawa Most international travellers visit Southern Leyte for reef diving and
snorkeling Snorkeling ( British and Commonwealth English spelling: snorkelling) is the practice of swimming on or through a body of water while equipped with a diving mask, a shaped breathing tube called a snorkel, and usually swimfins. In cooler waters ...
, from just outside Maasin City, all the way around Sogod Bay via Padre Burgos. There are also an increasing number of non-divers who come to see the
whale shark The whale shark (''Rhincodon typus'') is a slow-moving, filter-feeding carpet shark and the largest known extant fish species. The largest confirmed individual had a length of .McClain CR, Balk MA, Benfield MC, Branch TA, Chen C, Cosgrove J, ...
s between October and April. In recent years there has been a drive to promote tourism in the region. There is a new Zoo and Wildlife Park in Barangay Danao in Maasin City. Not far from Sogod is a zip line over the tallest bridge in the Philippines. With this increase in numbers, there is a selection of new hotels along the coast.


Parks

*Napantao Marine Sanctuary *Puting Buhangin Island *Banahaw Cold Spring


Beaches

*Santa Sofia Beach *Bituon Beach *Silago Beach *Tangkaan Beach


Landmarks

*Monte Cueva Shrine * Agas-Agas Bridge *Our Lady of the Assumption *Maasin Cathedral


Industries

Abaca fiber helps livelihood in the province. Women in the selected areas go into abaca-based handicrafts, which is widely known in the area as ''tagak'' or spooled abaca fiber. Natives usually called it as ''tinagak'' or continuous spooled abaca fiber. The half-finished product is then made into ''sinamay'' or hand woven clothe out of ''tinagak'' ready to be made into other ''sinamay''based products. Products are being exported by Leyte to Japan. Because of a wide distribution of an industry called ''tagak'', provincial sectors taught farmers on how to cultivate a suitable variety locally called ''laylay''. In Bontoc, a project was successfully established with a mudcrab hatchery with eleven hatchery tanks at the RKKMAFTI Compound. Initially, 25 spawners are being worked-on by the project. Aside from abaca-based products, ceramics and handicraft items made from coconut and
bamboo Bamboos are a diverse group of evergreen perennial flowering plants making up the subfamily Bambusoideae of the grass family Poaceae. Giant bamboos are the largest members of the grass family. The origin of the word "bamboo" is uncertain, ...
are also the province's industry. Among the province's economic activities are fishing, livestock and poultry raising. Generally,
rice Rice is the seed of the grass species '' Oryza sativa'' (Asian rice) or less commonly '' Oryza glaberrima'' (African rice). The name wild rice is usually used for species of the genera '' Zizania'' and ''Porteresia'', both wild and domestica ...
is the
staple food A staple food, food staple, or simply a staple, is a food that is eaten often and in such quantities that it constitutes a dominant portion of a standard Diet (nutrition), diet for a given person or group of people, supplying a large fraction of ...
of the province, and
corn Maize ( ; ''Zea mays'' subsp. ''mays'', from es, maíz after tnq, mahiz), also known as corn ( North American and Australian English), is a cereal grain first domesticated by indigenous peoples in southern Mexico about 10,000 years ago. ...
is also used. Mountainliving folks, however, prefer root crops, which are abundant. Native delicacies of the province include ''tres marias'', ''bocarillo'', 'salvaro'', ''bibingka'', and ''starhoy''. ''They also have their own ''kinilaw''.


Communication

Postal communication is the main mode of communication in the province. There are five
telephone A telephone is a telecommunications device that permits two or more users to conduct a conversation when they are too far apart to be easily heard directly. A telephone converts sound, typically and most efficiently the human voice, into el ...
exchange companies operating in the province and two radio stations. These two radio stations (Radio Natin and DYSL) are located in Sogod.


Transportation

The road network of Southern Leyte consists of major arterial highways that link the province to Leyte, passing through two major outlets. On the western part is the and the central part by the MahaplagSogod road via the Maharlika Highway. On the eastern part of the province, the opening of the new
Abuyog Abuyog (IPA: ɐ'bujog, officially the Municipality of Abuyog ( war, Bungto han Abuyog; ceb, Lungsod sa Abuyog; tl, Bayan ng Abuyog), is a 1st class municipality in the province of Leyte, Philippines. According to the 2020 census, it has a p ...
Silago Silago, officially the Municipality of Silago ( ceb, Lungsod sa Silago; tl, Bayan ng Silago), is a 4th class municipality in the province of Southern Leyte, Philippines. According to the 2020 census, it has a population of 13,116 people. It was u ...
Roads provides fast and convenient travel to the eastern towns of Southern Leyte. Maharlika road contributes to the development of the province. There are six designated bus terminals in Southern Leyte: Maasin, Liloan, Sogod,
San Juan San Juan, Spanish for Saint John, may refer to: Places Argentina * San Juan Province, Argentina * San Juan, Argentina, the capital of that province * San Juan, Salta, a village in Iruya, Salta Province * San Juan (Buenos Aires Underground), ...
, Hinunangan and
Silago Silago, officially the Municipality of Silago ( ceb, Lungsod sa Silago; tl, Bayan ng Silago), is a 4th class municipality in the province of Southern Leyte, Philippines. According to the 2020 census, it has a population of 13,116 people. It was u ...
. However, these terminals are open spaces used by buses as parking areas and are therefore not equipped with buildings and other facilities. Southern Leyte has a total of 11 seaports, two of which are declared as national ports, the Maasin and Liloan ports, and the 10 are municipal ports. Of these 10 ports, five are operational: Maasin, Liloan, Saint Bernard, San Juan and Sogod. By sea, travel to Cebu from Maasin port takes an average of six hours and a maximum of two hours. A ferryboat from Liloan to Surigao takes three hours. The province has only one existing airport,
Panan-awan Airport Panan-awan Airport (Filipino: ''Paliparan ng Panan-awan'', Cebuano: ''Tugpahanan sa Panan-awan'', Waray-Waray: ''Luparan han Panan-awan'') , also known as Maasin Airport, is an airport serving the general area of Maasin, the provincial capital ...
located in Maasin City. At present, however, the airport does not service any commercial flight. It has no terminal and can only accommodate aircraft for general aviation weighing and below at daytime. It is considered a feeder airport with a total runway length of and width of .


Colleges and universities

* College of Maasin – Maasin * Maasin City College – Maasin * Saint James College – Padre Burgos * Saint Joseph College – Maasin *
Saint Thomas Aquinas College St. Thomas Aquinas College (STAC) is a private college in Sparkill, New York. The college is named after the medieval philosopher and theologian Thomas Aquinas. It was founded by the Dominican Sisters of Sparkill, whose headquarters are ...
Sogod * Southern Leyte Business College – Maasin * Southern Leyte State UniversityBontoc Campus * Southern Leyte State UniversityHinunangan Campus * Southern Leyte State University
San Juan San Juan, Spanish for Saint John, may refer to: Places Argentina * San Juan Province, Argentina * San Juan, Argentina, the capital of that province * San Juan, Salta, a village in Iruya, Salta Province * San Juan (Buenos Aires Underground), ...
Campus * Southern Leyte State UniversitySogod (main campus) * Southern Leyte State UniversityTomas Oppus Campus * STI College – Maasin *
Maasin Christian Academy Maasin (IPA: ɐ'ʔasɪn, officially the City of Maasin ( ceb, Dakbayan sa Maasin; war, Syudad han Maasin, fil, Lungsod ng Maasin), is a 4th class component city and capital of the province of Southern Leyte, Philippines. According to th ...
– Maasin


References


External links

* * * {{Authority control Provinces of the Philippines States and territories established in 1959 1959 establishments in the Philippines