Samar (province)

The province of Samar, long time under the name Western Samar known, is a province of the Philippines in the region, Eastern Visayas (Region VIII). On 8 November 2013, the Typhoon Haiyan devastated the province of Samar. Provincial capital is Catbalogan City.

• 4.1 Cities
• 4.2 communities

Geography

The provincial area covers the western part of the island of Samar. It includes various islands situated to the north of the island of Leyte in the Samar Sea. The province is bordered on the north by the province of Northern Samar and to the east by Eastern Samar. In the south, the Gulf of Leyte spreads, while the San Juanico Strait, which separates Samar from the neighboring island of Leyte, runs along the southern portion of its west coast and merges into the Samarsee. The San Juanico Bridge spans the San Juanico Strait to their schmälster place and creates an important transport link between the two islands.

The capital Catbalogan City ( 94 317 inhabitants) is centrally located, while Calbayog City ( 172 778 inhabitants) is located in the north of the province.

The topography of the province is presented in parts hilly, and it has some hills from 200 to 800 m. In addition, lowland plains that stretch along the coastal areas, the alluvial and river deltas that are made ​​of many major rivers extend. The largest lowland areas can be found on the northern coasts and far from up to the river plains of Catubig and Catarman River. Minor lowland areas are located in the area of Calbayog, nestled in the river deltas and valleys of the rivers Gandara and Ulot. The slopes are usually soaked and barely covered due to the deforestation of trees. After heavy rains, the water flows out of the hills and into the plains to flooding and erosion in the mountains that extend the plains on the coasts of the province becoming more and expand.

Samar has a total area of ​​5591 km ². 1511 km ² or 27.3 % of them are classified as agricultural land and other 1673 km ² covered with forests.

For the province belong to the islands Tagapul - Karikiki, Camandang, Almagro, Santo Niño Iceland, Libucan and Daco.

Population and Culture

Demography

The province has according to the 2007 census, a total population of 695 149 people. Thus, it is the 38th most populous provinces of the country.

Almost 95 % of the indigenous population of the province of Samar are Filipinos. The rest of the inhabitants belong to the Chinese, the U.S. or other foreign nationalities.

Language

The inhabitants of the province belong to the ethnic group of the Samar - Leyte or Waray Group, the sixth largest cultural linguistic group in the country. The vast majority of the locals ( 90.2 %) used the dialect of Waray - Waray - Samarnon, also known under the names Waraynon, Samarnon or Samar - Leyte Visayan. In the communities Almagro and Santo Niño, however, dominates the Cebuano language that combines 9.8% of all speakers of the province. In addition, the dialects Tagalog ( 0.5%) and are Boholano (0.07 % ), and other, lesser-used languages ​​, such as English and Chinese represent.

Religion

The Roman Catholic faith united with 95% of Samareños the majority of the followers of this religion province. Other religious communities are the United Church of Christ, the Aglipayan, the Iglesia ni Cristo, Mormons, Baptists, the community of the revival movement and the Seventh- day Adventist Church.

Art

Samar is the center of Kut - kut art. This is a technique that combines the art of the ancient Orient to European. She is a very respected and collectable because long-lost art form. Today there are only a few known examples of this technique that has been practiced from the 16th to the 18th century.

Kut - kut is an exotic Philippine art form based on ancient techniques and combines the sgraffito and encaustic with several successive layers applied. The mixture of different styles produces a unique work of art that is characterized by exquisite swirling interwoven lines, multi-layered textures and an illusion of three-dimensional spaces.

Economy

Ninety percent of the population of Samar is dependent on the main staple food rice. In addition, the coconut is the most important crop whose cultivation is mostly concentrated in the coastal areas. Furthermore, cassava, maize, sweet potato, taro and yams, and bananas are grown and sold in the province in many places.

Another industry is the cattle and poultry. Chickens are according to the records from the year 2004, the most widely consumed meat in the province, since the inflation rate for other types of meat has increased significantly.

Samar is also rich in mineral resources. The area of the province provides mainly hematite and magnetic chromates, nickel and manganese. Moreover, copper, zinc and lead are removed as sulfides and in connection with pyrite mines in the area.

The province has on its western side by a relative extensive coastline that extends more than 300 km from Calbayog City to the marabout southeastern community. Here, fishing is the main source of income of the province residents. The water areas include fishing grounds with a total area of ​​298 km ².

Political Structure

The Samar province is divided into 24 autonomous communities and two cities managed. This in turn ( districts ) are divided into a total of 952 barangays.

The province is further divided into two districts Congress.

Cities

• Catbalogan City
• Calbayog City

Communities

• Almagro
• Basey
• Calbiga
• Daram
• Gandara
• Hinabangan
• Jiabong
• Marabout
• Matuguinao
• Motiong
• Pagsanghan
• Parana ( Wright)

• Pinabacdao
• San Jorge
• San Jose De Buan
• San Sebastian
• Santa Margarita
• Santa Rita
• Santo Niño
• Tagapul - on
• Talalora
• Tarangnan
• Villareal
• Zumarraga

History

About the origin of the name, there is a widespread legend. When the Spaniards set foot on the island, they asked a wounded locals after the name of the place in which they found themselves. The locals, who did not speak Spanish, thought you would ask about his condition. So he replied: Samad, meaning injured. Although there are some other names for this island existed in the past, as Zamel, Ibabao, Achan and Tandaya, the Spaniards later adopted the name for the island of Samar, which presumably developed from the word Samad.

Jesuit missionaries founded in 1596 by a Roman Catholic settlement on Samar and instructed the locals in Christian doctrine. The headquarters of the administration was at this time in Cebu, until in 1735 Samar and Leyte politically united into one province with Carigara and the town of Leyte seat of government of this management area was awarded. In 1768 they separated Samar and Leyte from each other and formed out of them independent provinces. In 1769 the Jesuits were replaced by Spanish Franciscans, who took over the management of the site in the sequence.

In January 1900, American soldiers occupied the town of Catbalogan. In 1901, during the Philippine - American War, American troops were taught a painful defeat in a surprise attack on their garrison. The well-known as Balangiga Massacre attack followed serious American retaliation. A battalion of U.S. Marines was commissioned to transform the island into a howling wilderness and look at all the locals for over 10 years as enemies.

A civil government was established on June 17, 1902, Julio Llorente was appointed first governor of Samar.

On July 16, 1948 Calbayog was appointed with effect of Republic Act No. 328 to a notarized city.

The province of Samar comprised before the entry into force of the Republic Act No. 4221 on June 19, 1965, the entire island of Samar. By this law it was now divided into three independent provinces: Northern Samar, with its capital Catarman, Eastern Samar with the seat of the provincial government in Borongan, Samar and Western, with its capital Catbalogan. In 1969, the province of Samar was renamed.

The efforts for the conversion of Catbalogan into a city already entered in the 1960 's. However, the official appointment took place only on 15 March 2007, after the Republic Act No. 9391 was ratified.

Climate

The Samar province falls under the second and fourth climate category. The second category is characterized in that it contains no dry season, but at times characterized by a very strong rainy season, which usually occurs in December and January. Generally there are the areas that belong to this type of climate, at or near the east coast of the island, which open to the weather influence of the northeast monsoon. But also other nearby communities in the southeastern part of the province belong to this climate category.

The fourth type of climate falls by more or less intense rainfall that may occur throughout the year. This category is classified between the first and second class air, but is the 2nd type more closely since it has no dry season. Primarily located in the northwestern part of the province areas are assigned to this climate. The heaviest rain amounts here are to be expected in the months of October and December. Thus, the highest measured rainfall amounts were in 2004 359 mm and in December of the same year, 350 mm per cm ². The month of April has recorded this year with 99.3 mm, the lowest rainfall.

Attractions

• Samar Nature Park
• Sohoton -Natural Bridge National Park
• The caves of Calbiga
• The Basey Church
• The hot springs of Mapaso in Rizal, Calbayog City
• The natural cave of Guinogo - in Longsob, Calbayog City
• The Bangon - Bugtong cases in San Joaquin, Calbayog City
• The Tabokno Falls
• The island Binaliw Isle
• The Blanca Aurora Falls of San Jorge
• The Lologayan Falls
• The Bagacay Beach
• The marabout Marine Park
• The island Kantikan (Pearl Island )
• The San Juanico Bridge