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VISAYAS
PHILIPPINE LITERATURE
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GEOGRAPHY
Eastern Visayas lies on the east central section of the Philippine archipelago. It
comprises 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. 52% of
its total land area are classified as forestland and 48% as alienable and disposable
land.
CLIMATE
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.
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, uranium (in Samar), gold, silver, manganese, magnesium, bronze, 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.
HISTORY
Eastern gateways to the archipelago, the islands of Leyte and Samar were natural
harbors for ancient seafarers. On March 16, 1521 the explorer Ferdinand Magellan
anchored what remained of his fleet on Homonhon, a small island on the southeastern
tip of Samar. Two weeks later, on Good Friday, a kasikasi (blood compact) between
Magellan and Rajah Kolambu, emissary of the King of Limasawa, an island off the coast
of southern Leyte, sealed an implicit political pact between Spain and the
Philippines. The first Mass on Philippine soil was celebrated two days later, on Easter
Sunday.
Inspired by Magellan's exploits, the Spanish Crown sent several other expeditions to the
East. In 1583 Spanish voyagers under the command of Ruy Lopez de Villalobos
reached Abuyog, east of Leyte. The Villalobos expedition christened the littoral between
Samar and Leyte, then called Tendaya, Las Yslas Felipinas. The name would later
apply to the entire country. In 1564 Miguel Lopez de Legazpi crossed Panaon Strait, the
same waterway that Magellan earlier had taken, on his course toward Abuyog and
Limasawa.
While the people of Leyte and Samar were the first to receive the Spaniards, they were
also among the first to repel them. The incident in Mactan, where Magellan's attempt to
show off Spanish military might have ended in his death, tolled like a warning bell
throughout the islands. In Limasawa the warriors who welcomed Legazpi were far from
the hospitable rajahs of Magellan's time. Although Legazpi was able to befriend the
island's chieftain and high priest, who both allowed themselves to be converted to the
new faith, no sooner had the Spaniards left than the chieftains returned to their pagan
practices and organized a religious revolt in Leyte.
In 1596 Filipino rebels Sumoroy, Juan Ponce and Pedro Camuug led an uprising
against Governor Diego Fajardo's order requiring the conscription of polistas (laborers
who were compelled to build ships for the galleon trade) from the Visayas for the
shipyards of Cavite. This rebellion spread as far away as northern Mindanao and went
on until 1650, when a government expedition composed of Spaniards and Filipino
mercenaries captured the leaders of the movement in the mountains of Samar, after
which the revolt was easily suppressed.
Eventually the Spanish regime ended, only to give way to the American occupation of
the Philippines. Like all Filipinos, the Visayans had a new enemy to face. Rebels, led by
General Vicente Lukban, attacked the American garrison in the town of Balangiga in
eastern Samar during the Filipino-American War. They killed all but one of the American
soldiers. Western historians were quick to record the incident as the Balangiga
Massacre. In truth, it was an admirable show of courage by the Filipinos, who fought
with bolos against the American rifles and .45-caliber pistols, to thwart the Americans'
pacification campaign, a movement to take control of the islands.
Holding the enemy at bay in Leyte was a risky strategy, MacArthur would later admit in
his memoirs. The island stood in the center of the Japanese network of airfields and
military bases covering the entire archipelago and was almost impregnable. But a
successful landing in Leyte would presage the eventual occupation of the
Philippines. On October 20, 1944 MacArthur took the gamble. After the troops secured
a beachhead, MacArthur waded on to a muddy beach in Palo and dramatically
announced his return to the Filipino people. Three days later, with battles still raging
for the region, civil government under Commonwealth President Sergio Osmea was
restored in Tacloban, and Leyte's capital became the seat of the Commonwealth until
February 1945.
CULTURE
DANCES
Tinikling, the Philippines' national dance is folkdance that originated from the region. But
the most popular cultural dance among Warays is the Kuratsa, danced during feast
celebrations and special gatherings. The Leyte Kalipayan Dance Company, a local
cultural group, held highly successful performances around the world.
MUSIC
Waray people are music lovers whose folkloric music are mostly ballads in form, famous
of which is Dandansoy while Iroy nga Tuna (Motherland) is a patriotic song.
DEMOGRAPHICS
LANGUAGES
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
in Northern Samar. Cebuano is spoken in western and southern parts of Leyte and in
Southern Leyte. Other languages spoken in Eastern Visayas are Baybayanon, a
language related to Waray-waray, which is spoken in Baybay with 10,000 speakers and
Kinabalian, which is spoken in the municipality of San Juan, Southern Leyte.
ECONOMY
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.
POINTS OF INTEREST
Photo
Name
niya ini han pinalaprak hiya han bala. An mga katamsihan nga
nagpupurungkay ha igbaw han kakahoyan nagkalupad.
Dinaop hi Pendo ngan gamit an bayoneta nga nagtiwas han
kinabuhi han asawa, ginbinuno an
Hapon ngan binanyakan an lawas tipakadto han makusog nga
sulog han salog. Tigda la binunok nahugasan an dugoon nga
pangpang.
Iya ginsul-ot an kwentas ngan tikang hadto waray na hukasa.
Gin upay niya pagtabon kan Himaya an gisigisi nga dugoon
hini nga bado. Kahoman kinugos ngan hinay-ad ha butnga han iya
namumukadkad nga mga tanaman. An puya didto han duyan, diri
na nakiwa. Waray maantos an lara han dagko nga tubak. Naghimo
hiya hin lubongan para han duha nga minahal niya ha kinabuhi
ngan nagpaaga hin lamay.
Pagsidlit han adlaw, tinuoray na an pag api niya han mga
guerilya. Mas mabangis na hiya, waray pagkahadlok ngan
pagkalooy han mga kakontra.
Hoy, Mia, ginsangpit ako han boses ni Mama. Diin ka ba nga
planeta kumadto nga bagan nawara ka man.
Hiniyom ako ha iya ngan nagpadayon an iya gin iinistorya.
Diri tinuod nga namatay an puya ni Pendo...
Ginkulba ako dayon, ngan waray pa niya katatapos an
ginyiyinakan, baga hin nasabot na ako kun ano an nahitabo
hadton puya ngan kon hin-o hiya. Nagsaro an akon mga pagbati,
pero diri upod an pagbasol nga bata la an pagkilala ko han akon
tinuod nga amay. Kun panhuhunahunaon, nabuhat la niya an
pagpaangkon ha akon kay waray gud lugar an kapuyahan didto
han kinabuhi nga iya pinili. Ako ngan han akon nanay, sugad ha
iya mga biktima han gubot nga dara han ika-duha nga
pangkalibutanon nga guera.
Waray man liwat hiya ngan han ginmat-an ko nga mga kaganak pagkulang hin pagmatngon ngan pagmayoyo ha akon.
Nagpasalamat ako han higayon makilala ngan mapasabot ko hiya
han pagkarawat ko ha iya nga amay.
Adi, Mia, an urhi nga habilin ni im tatay. ngan gindulhan ako
hin dako nga sobre.
Siyahan ko nakit-an an bulawan nga bitay han kwentas. Inabri
ko dayon an kasingkasing ngan inatubang ha akon an hulagway
han akon tinuod nga iroy. An iya kamahusay nalutaw didto han
nagtitikalubad nga retrato. Ha kaluyo nga bahin han kasingkasing,
may mas bag-o nga kodak adton kuha ha akon han ika-katorse
ko nga ka-adlawon. Kun diri daan an usa, makakasiring an makita
nga retrato ini han usa la nga babaye. Asya ini ngay-an an antinganting han akon amay.
Ginpalipali ko an mga dokumento han iya mga propriydad
ngan binificio nga iginbilin niya ha akon. Panhigawas hinin tanan,
may nahabilin pa nga surat.
Siguro Iday, natikang an surat, pakabasa mo hini maaram
ka na nga ako an imo amay.
Yana nga inihap na it ak mga adlaw, kinahanglan ka na gud
masayod hit im pagkatawo.
Iginbuburod ka na ni Himaya han pagka-asawa namon.
Ginlugos hiya han tatay ni Primo, nga may asawa ngan anak nga
daan. Dara gihapon han dako ko nga paghigugma han tinuod mo
nga iroy, waray ako magruhaduha han pag-angkon, labi na
pagtindog nga tatay nimo.
Diri ko gad buot ipahinundum o dugangan an kaul-ol nga imo
inabat o inaabat pa abot yana,
pero panahon na nga masayod ka han hinungdan kay ano
ginkinahanglan igsakripisyo an iyo paghigugmaay. Dako adto nga
kasal-anan ha Diyos kun nahinayon.
Huy, Lider
Vicente I. De Veyra
Translation by V.N. Sugbo