Eastern

Visayas (Filipino: Silangang

Kabisayaan, Waray: Sinirangan

Kabisay-

an; Cebuano: Sidlakang Kabisay-an) is anadministrative region in the Philippines, designated

as Region VIII. It consists of three main islands, Samar, Leyte and Biliran. The region has
six provinces, one independent city and one highly urbanized city [3] namely, Biliran, Leyte, Northern
Samar,Samar, Eastern

Samar, Southern

Leyte, Ormoc and Tacloban.

The highly

urbanized

city of Tacloban is the Eastern Visayas Regional Center (EVRC). These provinces and cities occupy
the easternmost islands of the Visayas group of islands.
Eastern Visayas faces the Philippine Sea to the east. The region is known for its famous landmark,
the San Juanico Bridge, dubbed as the "Most Beautifully Designed and Longest Bridge in the
Philippines". As of 2015, the region has a population of 4,440,150 people. [2]
Eastern Visayas lies on the east central section of the Philippine archipelago. It consists of two main
islands, Leyte and Samar, which form the easternmost coast of the archipelago. It is bounded on the
east and north by the Philippine Sea with the San Bernardino Strait separating Samar island from
southeastern Luzon; on the west by the Camotes and Visayan seas, and on the south by the Bohol
Sea with the Surigao Strait separating Leyte island from northwestern Mindanao. It has a total land
area of 2,156,285 hectares (5,328,300 acres) or 7.2% of the countrys total land area. [4] 52% of its
total land area are classified as forestland and 48% as alienable and disposable land.
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 characterized 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 at the western half of Leyte island and some portion of Samar which
covers the municipality of Motiong up to San Isidro of Northern Samar.
In November 2013, the region was hit with the highest death toll in the country by Typhoon Haiyan,
the second deadliest typhoon ever to hit the Philippines.
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 includechromite, uranium (in
Samar), gold, silver, manganese, magnesium, bronze, nickel, clay, coal, limestone, pyrite and sand
andgravel. It has abundant geothermal energy and water resources to support the needs of medium
and heavy industries.
Waray-Waray is the lingua franca of the Eastern Visayas Region mostly spoken on the island
of Samar, Biliran, Tacloban and north-eastern Leyte. A Sama language, distantly related to the
languages of the region, called Abaknon is spoken in the island of Capul inNorthern

Samar. Cebuano is spoken in western and southern parts of Leyte and inSouthern Leyte. Other
languages spoken in Eastern Visayas are Baybayanon, a language related to Waray-waray, which is
spoken in Baybay with 10,000 speakers andKinabalian, which is spoken in the municipality of San
Juan, Southern Leyte.
Eastern Visayas consists of 6 provinces, 1 highly urbanized city, 1 independent component city,
5 component cities, 136municipalities and 4,390 barangays.
Eastern Visayas is primarily an agricultural region with rice, corn, coconut, sugarcane and banana as
its major crops.
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. Tacloban is the hub of investment, trade and development in the region.
Other industries include 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.
Eastern Visayas is home to several state universities, including the prestigious University of the
Philippines Visayas 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.
The Zonal Agricultural University for the Visayas under the National Agriculture Education System
concept, Visayas State University (VSU) is also in the region, located in Baybay. Also, the region is
home to Palompon Institute of Technology, a maritime school in the Philippines providing deck and
engine cadet. Its main campus is located in the municipality of Palompon, Leyte province.
The Eastern Visayas State University is Leyte's state university with five extension
campuses. Southern Leyte State University with five extension campuses, is the only state university
in the province of Southern Leyte. In Biliran, Naval State University is the province state university.
For Eastern Samar, the Eastern Samar State University is the only state university of the province
with a single extension campus while Samar State University is Samar's state university with two
extension campuses. For normal education, theLeyte Normal University specializes in education
courses.

1. http://www.communitrip.com/philippines/catbalogan/sights/the_obelisk.html

2. ^ Jump up to:a b c d e "Region VIII (EASTERN VISAYAS)". Census of Population (2015): Total
Population by Province, City, Municipality and Barangay (Report). PSA. Retrieved20 June 2016.
3. Jump up^ Eastern Visayas in Visayas Philippines
4. Jump up^ http://web.evis.net.ph/lineagencies/da-r8/index.php?
option=com_content&task=blogcategory&id=19&Itemid=32
5. Jump up^ "Population and Annual Growth Rates for The Philippines and Its Regions, Provinces,
and Highly Urbanized Cities" (PDF). 2010 Census and Housing Population. National Statistics
Office. Retrieved 10 August 2013.
6. Jump up^ "PSGC Interactive; List of Provinces". Philippine Statistics Authority. Retrieved29
March 2016.
7. Jump up^ "PSGC Interactive; List of Cities". Philippine Statistics Authority. Retrieved 29
March2016.