PROFILE OF REGION 8

Eastern Visayas (Filipino: Silangang Kabisayaan, Waray-Waray: Sinirangan Bisayas) is one of the 17 regions of the Philippines, designated as Region VIII. It is composed of three main islands, Leyte and Samar, connected by the San Juanico Bridge, and Biliran Island. It consists of six provinces, one independent city and one highly urbanized city namely, Biliran, Eastern Samar, Leyte, Northern Samar, Samar, Southern Leyte, Ormoc City and Tacloban. The Highly Urbanized City of Tacloban is Eastern Visayas Regional Center (EVRC). These provinces and cities occupy the easternmost islands of Visayas group of islands. It is one of only two regions having no land border with another region, MIMAROPA being the other.

Eastern Visayas directly faces the Pacific Ocean. The land area of the region is 2,156,285 hectares. As of 2010, it has a population of 4,101,322 people.

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 country’s total land area.[4] 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.

from Wikipedia