ABOUT NORTHERN SAMAR

Northern Samar occupies the entire northern portion of Samar Island on the eastern edge of the Philippines archipelago. It is bounded on the north by the San Bernardino Strait, on the east by the Pacific Ocean, on the west by the Samar Sea, and on the south by the province of Samar.

Capital : Catarman
Land Area : 3498 sq km
Population : 382 830
Cities : none
Number of Towns: 24

The Land

The province has extensive lowland areas along the coast and up to the valleys of the Catarman, Catubig, and Palapag rivers. The remaining portion has rugged terrain that becomes rolling and moutainous towards the interior.

The province has no distinct dry and wet seasons but rainfall is pronounced from October to January.

Brief History

The San Bernardino Strait was along the route of the Spanish galleons that plied between Manila and Acapulco during Spanish times. A royal port was established in Palapag, as a refuge for galleons during storms.

In 1649, a general uprising against Spain took place. It took a year for the Spaniards to quell the rebellion.

In 1898, Americans landed on the beach of Catarman.
On June 19, 1965, the provinces of Northern Samar, Eastern Samar and Western Samar were created out of Samar Island.

The People

Like the rest of Samar Island, the people here speak the Waray dialect.
Commerce and IndustryCoconut is the main crop produced by the province. Other crops produced are rice, corn, abaca, etc.

The province, however, is considered a "food-deficent" area as it has a shortage not only of rice but also fruits, vegetables and legumes.

The three bodies of water that surround Northern Samar are major fishing grounds.

Other industries in the province include furniture-making, ceramics, metalcraft, garements, food processing, and related crafts.

Getting There and AwayDomestic flights are available from Manila to Catarman daily.