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PROVINCIAL PROFILE OF SOUTHERN LEYTE
FAST FACTS
Capital : Maasin
Area : 1,734.8 sq. km.
Population : 338,998
Cities : none
No. of Towns : 18
Click Here To View The
List Of Towns
LOCATION
Southern Leyte occupies the southern portion of Leyte Island in
eastern
Visayas. It is bounded on the north by Leyte, on the east by the
Leyte Gulf,
on the west by the Camotes Sea, and on the south by the Surigao
Strait.
THE LAND
The province includes Limasawa and Panaon islands south of
mainland
Leyte. It is characterized by relatively flat coastal areas and a
mountainous
interior. It has no dry season, with more or less evenly
distributed rainfall
throughout the year.
A BRIEF HISTORY
Limasawa, where the first Christian Mass was held in the country
in 1521, is
in Southern Leyte. It became the springboard of Catholicism in
the
Philippines. A movement to divide Leyte Province began as early
as 1919
when the first bill dividing it into two was filed in Congress
but was defeated
in the Senate.
In 1922, Act No. 3117 was passed, providing for an Oriental and
Occidental
Leyte to take effect after the proclamation of the governor
general, but the
proclamation never came. In 1953, another bill for the division
of Leyte was
filed in Congress but this time it died in the House of
Representatives. Finally,
on May 22,1959, Republic Act No.2227 divided Leyte into the
present Leyte
and Southern Leyte provinces.
THE PEOPLE
Most of the people of Southern Leyte are descendants of
Boholanos.
Generally, they speak the Cebuano and Boholano dialects.
COMMERCE AND INDUSTRY
The important crops grown in the province are coconut, abaca,
rice,
sugarcane, and banana. Sugod Bay abounds with fish.
Information gathered from:
League of
Provinces
by:Roberto C. Arellano
This page last revised:February 02, 1999.
