Down with my last 3 island provinces left to visit, I used my Cebpasses (roundtrip) to visit this island on weekends since I don’t have much leave credits yet. One attraction comes to my mind when thinking of Biliran: Sambawan Island. So I scoured the travel tips left by fellow backpackers in that Facebook travel page and inquired. Hence, my first domestic flight this year.
The Visayas, or the Visayan Islands (Visayan: Kabisay-an; Filipino: 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, it consists of several islands, primarily surrounding the Visayan Sea, although the Visayas are also considered the northeast extremity of the entire Sulu Sea. Its inhabitants are predominantly the Visayan peoples.
Eastern Visayas (Waray: Sinirangan Kabisay-an; Cebuano: Sidlakang Kabisay-an; Tagalog: Silangang Kabisayaan or Silangang Visayas) is an administrative 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 namely, Biliran, Leyte, Northern Samar, Samar, Eastern Samar, Southern Leyte, Ormoc and Tacloban. The highly urbanized city of Tacloban is the sole regional center. 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’s most famous landmark is the San Juanico Bridge, which links the provinces of Samar and Leyte.
Working at Makati a day before my trip, I went back to my dorm to change and pick up my backpack. Since it’s an early morning flight, I took Grab from here to NAIA Terminal 3 and waited few hours before departure. Time to tick my 79th province as part of my #project81.
Presenting my itinerary map above of Eastern Visayas, with arrival at Tacloban City airport, travel to island province of Biliran, Kawayan Port for island trip at Sambawan Island, day trip at Ormoc City, back to downtown Tacloban and departure at same airport.
HIGHLIGHTS PER REGION:
EASTERN VISAYAS designated as Region VIII
Province of Biliran where the capital is the Municipality of Naval
📍Provincial Capitol of Biliran
📍Our Lady of the Holy Rosary Cathedral
📍Naval Municipal Hall
📍Naval People’s Park
📍Biliran Province State University
📍Sambawan Island (Municipality of Maripipi)
📍Ulan-Ulan Falls (Municipality of Almeria)
📍Tinago Falls (Municipality of Caibiran)
📍Higatangan Island and Sandbar (Municipality of Naval)
Ormoc City officially the City of Ormoc, a 1st class independent component city
📍New Ormoc City Hall
📍Saints Peter and Paul Parish Church
📍Ormoc City Heritage Museum (Old City Hall)
📍Ormoc City Park
📍Battle of Ormoc Bay Historical Marker and Park
📍Ormoc City Port
📍Western Leyte Guerilla Warfare Forces Monument
📍Puente de la Reina – city’s oldest bridge
📍Ormoc City Pasalubong Center for queen pineapples, souvenirs and other delicacies
Tacloban City officially the City of Tacloban, a highly urbanized city
📍Provincial Capitol of Leyte
📍Archdiocesan Shrine of Santo Niño Parish Church
📍Tacloban City Hall
📍Santo Niño Shrine and Heritage Museum
📍Rizal Plaza
📍Price Mansion
📍M/V Eva Jocelyn Shrine
📍Kanhuraw Hill
📍Joedy’s Pasalubong and other stores at Zamora St for Leyte delicacies such as sagmani, moron, binagol, etc.
The present name, believed to be adopted sometime between the late 17th century and the early 18th century, was, according to many publications, derived from a native grass called borobiliran which once grew abundantly on the island’s plains. A contending theory states that the name came from the word bilir, which was defined in an old Visayan dictionary to be the “corner or edge of a boat, vase or anything protruding, like veins, or the furrow made by the plow.”
Biliran lies less than a kilometer north of the island of Leyte. A bridge-causeway fixed link over Poro Island in the gateway town of Biliran connects the province to Leyte. Its capital is the municipality of Naval on the western coast of the island. My 79th province!
Erected in 1988, the diocese was created from territory of the Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Palo, to which the diocese remains a suffragan.
Maripipi Municipality is composed of Maripipi Island and surrounding islets situated northwest off the coast of Biliran Island. Mount Maripipi is the highest point in the island with an elevation of 3,031 ft (924 m) above sea level.
The Pride of Ormoc City is Among the Sweetest in the World.
The “Queen Pineapple” is often referred to as the dwarf pineapple due to its size which is between 500 grams to 700 grams. The exterior is rough and thorny, yet very sweet and succulent on the inside. It is best eaten fresh as it is not ideal for canning. Ormoc produces roughly 100 tons per year. Not enough to supply the growing local demand for their pineapples.
The Veteran’s Park was constructed in early 1990s in honor of the Filipino soldiers who fought for the liberation of Leyte and the Philippines. The Centennial Marker was erected in 1998 to commemorate the 100th year of Philippine independence.The park is located in the city, it is a leisure and picnic ground for the young and old alike.
The Monument commemorates the Filipino resistance fighters who fought in the guerilla war against the Japanese occupiers in the Second World War.
Known as the oldest bridge in the city. Its cobblestones still intact, relic of an age long gone. It was built in the early 1800s but was completed in 1861. In Spanish era, the bridge was used as docking area for sailboats, vintas of Chinese, Javans and Indonesians who frequented the island to sell their produce. The bridge is still in use to this day.
Just as Ormoc City is known to be one of the country’s most progressive and safest cities, it’s also a City that has not forgotten its roots in the rehabilitation of the Old Ormoc City Hall and transformed it into a functional City Museum that showcases the rich history and artistry of every Ormocanon.
The Museum was officially opened on October 20, 2019 together with the Ormoc City 72nd Charter Day celebration. It houses different kinds of paintings, photographs, sculptures, artifacts, documents and books. It is now considered as an artists haven where every Ormocanon and its visitors have had the chance to witness the long-hidden treasure of Ormoc and to learn and gain insights on the preserved culture and history of the city. The second floor of the Museum houses more art pieces of some notable artists in the country like Benedicto Cabrera.
This is one of the best city museums I’ve visited. It reminds me of Sorsogon Provincial Museum that used to be a prison.
Sal’s Restaurant
163 Salazar St, Downtown, Tacloban City, Leyte
This street near Tacloban Port is where you can buy Leyte and Samar delicacies such as sagmani, moron and binagol. (n_n)
390.88 MNL-TAC Cebpass Voucher
634.56 Add-on for booking MNL-TAC flight
390.88 TAC-MNL Cebpass Voucher
599.56 Add-on for booking MNL-TAC flight
22 Jeep TAC Airport to Downtown Van Van’s Terminal
200 Van Tacloban-Naval ETD636am ETA914am
1000 Boat Roundtrip Kawayan Port-Sambawan (chance passenger on a privately-hired boat by Kuya Johndave 09655574615)
125 Sambawan Entrance Fee (100) and Environmental Fee (25)
600 Habal-habal roundtrip Naval-Kawayan Port (Kuya Joery Catigbe in Facebook is my initial contact but I didn’t get early to his day tour that time so he asked Kuya Sadam to fetch me at Naval and bring me to Kawayan port and fetch back to Naval. I initially planned to have waterfalls tour after Sambawan but unfortunately, I slipped on a cemented stairway from Sambawan viewpoint so I got bruises on my right knee and left ankle. I can’t barely walk then so I decided not to push the waterfalls tour. Instead I went back to my hotel in Naval to treat my wounds and rest).
499.36 Hotel Benjamin Naval 2D1N Single AC Room with CR booked via Agoda
15 Trike Biliran capitol to Naval cathedral
200 Van Van’s Naval-Lemon Crossing 844am ETA950am (No van going to Ormoc that day so I opted cutting trip to Lemon crossing. From Lemon crossing, wait for van, ejeep or bus to Ormoc).
140 Van Lemon Crossing-Ormoc 959am-1051am
10 trike New Ormoc City Hall to downtown
200 Van Van’s Ormoc-Tacloban ETD130pm ETA340pm
22 Jeep Tacloban downtown to airport
TOTAL EXPENSES (EXCLUDING FOOD and PASALUBONG) = Php5049.04
#EasternVisayasInfiniteEscapes 😁 (n_n)
Ben Goes Where 