Leyte

Leyte is a major island located within the Visayas island group of the Philippines. It stands as the eighth-largest island in the country. It is also the sixth-most populous island, with 2,626,970 residents recorded in the 2020 census. The island is politically divided into two distinct provinces: Northern Leyte and Southern Leyte. Southern Leyte includes the island of Panaon to its south.

To the north, the island province of Biliran sits near Leyte. A bridge across the narrow Biliran Strait connects the two. In the north, Leyte nearly joins the island of Samar via the San Juanico Strait. This strait becomes very narrow in certain locations. The San Juanico Bridge is the longest bridge in the Philippines.

The geography of Leyte is defined by diverse landforms and surrounding waters. To the east, the island sits near the Philippine Sea of the Pacific Ocean. Samar lies to the northeast, while the Dinagat Islands are to the southeast. These features form the Leyte Gulf. To the west, the island faces the Camotes Sea. To the south, the Surigao Strait separates Leyte from the island of Mindanao. Much of the island is mountainous and heavily forested. However, the Leyte Valley in the northeast provides fertile land for agriculture. The island's landscape also includes unique features like the Mahagnao Volcano Natural Park. This park sits at an elevation of 1,200 meters above sea level. It covers 635 hectares across the towns of Burauen, La Paz, and MacArthur.

Agriculture and natural resources drive the local economy. Most inhabitants work as farmers, and fishing serves as a supplementary activity. Rice and corn, also known as maize, are the primary food crops. Farmers also grow various cash crops for trade. These include coconuts, abaca, tobacco, bananas, and sugarcane. The land also provides minerals and building materials. There are manganese deposits found on the island. In the northwest, people quarry sandstone and limestone. Additionally, Leyte is notable for its geothermal electric power plants. These plants are located near the city of Ormoc and use heat from the earth to create electricity.

The history of Leyte spans many centuries and cultures. Before Spanish explorers arrived in the 16th century, the island was known as Tandaya. Indigenous groups lived there, including the animist Warays to the east. Other animist Visayan groups lived to the west. A local epic recorded by Father Ignacio Alcante in the 17th century tells of Datung Sumanga. He reportedly married a princess from Bohol after raiding Imperial China. During the colonial period, Spanish maps sometimes labeled the island as Ceylon. By the 1700s, the island was home to 7,678 native families and 38 Spanish-Filipino families. By 1818, the number of Spanish-Filipino families grew to 56. These families lived in towns such as Tacloban, Dulag, Tanauan, and Matalom.

World War II brought significant changes and conflict to the island. Leyte was part of the large Leyte-Samar Naval Base for the US Navy. The island also served as a hub for the Japanese, who utilized it for a brutal system of sexual slavery. This involved the kidnapping of women and girls in places like Tacloban and Burauen. On 20 October 1944, General Douglas MacArthur landed on the island.

He famously declared, "I have returned." This event was part of the effort to reconquer the Philippines. This period also saw the Battle of Leyte Gulf. This four-day conflict was the largest naval battle in history. Today, the MacArthur Landing Memorial National Park in Palo marks this historic landing.

Leyte is home to several notable natural and cultural sites. Lake Danao is a lake shaped like a guitar. It is surrounded by the cloud-capped Anonang-Lobi mountain ranges. For those seeking beaches, Kalanggaman Island in Palompon offers pure white sand. The municipality works to preserve the ecological atmosphere of this island. Culturally, Leyte is the birthplace of the Tinikling dance. This dance is popular throughout the entire Philippines. The Sto. Nino Shrine and Heritage Museum also holds important art. It features paintings of the fourteen stations of the cross and legends of the first Filipino man and woman.

Recent history has also been shaped by extreme weather. On 8 November 2013, Super Typhoon Yolanda, also known as Haiyan, struck the region. The storm was incredibly powerful and destructive. It destroyed between 70% and 80% of the structures in its path. An estimated 10,000 people died during this event. Up to 620,000 people were displaced from their homes. In 2022, the island was also affected by Tropical Storm Megi. To prepare for future disasters, the Leyte Tide Embankment Project was planned. This flood control project aims to rehabilitate the area. It will stretch about 27.3 kilometers from Tacloban City through Palo and ending in Tanauan.