Basic Facts
Location : Easternmost coasts of the Philippine archipelago
Boundaries : N - tip of Bicol Peninsula
S - nickel belt of Surigao
E - Pacific Ocean
W - Maqueda Bay, Visayan and Camotes Sea
Capital : Tacloban City
Are : 21,562.8 sq. kms.
Topography : Leyte has vast plains. Samar is marked by broad upland areas and low rugged hills. Biliran has fertile plains and lush green hills. These islands have long undulating coastlines.
Climate : No distinct dry or wet season. Driest month - April to May. Rainiest months - November to January.
Population : 3.9 M (2007 census)
Dialect/Languages : Lineyte-Samarnon (Waray-waray), Cebuano, Inabaknon (Capul Island), Filipino and English.
Religion : Predominantly Catholic
Political Composition (Region 8)
Provinces
Biliran
Leyte
Southern Leyte
Eastern Samar
Northern Samar
Samar
Cities
Tacloban City
Calbayog City
Ormoc City
Maasin City
Number of Towns - 139
Places of Interest
Leyte Provincial Capitol - Tacloban City
Seat of the Philippine Commonwealth Government in 1944. View bas-relief depicting the first Cathlic Mass at Limasawa and MacArthur's return at Palo.
CAP Bulding (formerly Price Mansion) - Tacloban City
Official residence and headquarters of General Douglas MacArthur during the liberation of the Philippines in 1944. It is now owned by College Assurance Plan.
The Boy Scout Monument - Fatima Village - Tacloban City
The first Boy Scout Monument in the world in human form erected in 1941.
Sto. Nino Shrine and Heritage Museum - Tacloban City
Houses the miraculous image of the Holy Child and priceless art objects.
Palo Metropolitan Cathedral - Palo, Leyte
Converted into an evacuation hospital of the Allied Forces of Liberation and refuge of civilians during the Japanese-American War of 1944. A samply of modern gothic church architecture with gold-plated 17th century altar as the main attraction.
MacArthur Landing Memorial - Palo, Leyte
Statues one a hlaf times bigger than life-size reenact the historical landing of General Douglas MacArthur and his forces.
Visayas State University (formerly VISCA) - Baybay, Leyte
Internationally renowened agricultural institution, nestled between the foothills of the majestic Mt. Pangasugan and the serene Camotes Sea; the regions forefront for agricultural advancement and excellent discoveries and inventions.
Hill 522 - Palo, Leyte
Entrance to the first liberated town of Palo in 1944. The fight on this hill caused the loss of many American and Japanese lives.
Hill 120 - Dulag Leyte
Where the first American flag was raised by the US Liberation Forces on October 20 1944 after the Fall of Bataan.
Breakneck Ridge - Capoocan Leyte
Site of one of the bloodiest battles during the liberation of the Philippines.
Buga-Buga Hills - Villaba, Leyte
Stronghold of General Suzuki and a favorite destination of the Japanese.
Limasawa Island - 45 min. pumpboat ride from Padre Burgos, Southern Leyte
Site of the first Cathloic Mass in the Orient and the diver's paradise.
Navy 3149 Base -Guiuan, Eastern Samar
Base of the American soldiers of the World War II
Balangiga - Eastern Samar
At the Balangiga town plaza lies a 31-piece life-size brass mural depicting the September 28, 1901 "Balangiga Encounter", a work of art of our national artist napoleon Abueva. Nearny are the statue of the local war hero and the Balangiga Church.
Pilgrimage Sites
Sto. Nino Church - Tacloban City
Where the miraculus image of the infant Jesus, Senor Sto. nino de Leyte, Tacloban City's patron is enshrined.
Where the miraculus image of the infant Jesus, Senor Sto. nino de Leyte, Tacloban City's patron is enshrined.
1 comment:
First mass was in Limasawa?
The Easter mass incident on March 31, 1521 in the Philippines was held at an island named Mazaua where Magellan's armada was anchored from March 28 up to April 4, 1521.
The Mazaua episode is narrated at various lengths by eyewitnesses Antonio Pigafetta, Gines de Mafra, Francisco Albo, The Genoese Pilot, and Martin de Ayamonte. Pigafetta, Albo, and the Genoese Pilot may be accessed at http://digital.library.cornell.edu/cgi/t/text/pageviewer-idx?c=sea&cc=sea&idno=sea061&q1=Junk+of+Ciama&frm=frameset&view=image&seq=17.
Two chapters Gines de Mafra account deal with Mazaua. These are published at http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Talk:First_mass_in_the_Philippines#The_account_of_Gin.C3.A9s_de_Mafra. While Martin de Ayamonte is at http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mart%C3%ADn_de_Ayamonte.
The "Limasaua" story was written only in 1667, almost one and a half century after the Mazaua incident. You can read the original Spanish text of this 3-paragraph story by Fr. Francisco Combes, S.J., at http://quod.lib.umich.edu/cgi/t/text/pageviewer-idx?c=philamer;cc=philamer;q1=Limasaua;rgn=full%20text;idno=ahz9273.0001.001;didno=ahz9273.0001.001;view=image;seq=134. The English translation of the 3 paragraphs by Fr. Miguel A. Bernad, S.J., may be read at http://books.google.com/books?id=NbG7kHtBma8C&pg=PA1&dq=First+mass+in+Limasawa&ei=6w27SZi7IoLKlQS8neDVAg#PPA4,M1.
After reading Bernad's translation, let me ask you the following:
1. Is there any reference to an Easter mass or whatever mass in the Limasaua story?
2. Is Limasaua the ialand where Magellan and his fleet anchored from March 28 to April 4, 1521?
If you want to know the factual story of the first mass, please go to http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/First_mass_in_the_Philippines
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ginesdemafra@gmail.com
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