Magasang Rock Formation on Biri Island, Northern Samar
Photo: Jtepace · CC BY-SA 4.0 · Wikimedia Commons
Map

Northern Samar

Eastern Visayas
Visayas
Capital Catarman
Population (2024) 645,789
Area 3,693 km²
Municipalities 24
Cities 0
Island Group Visayas
Languages Waray, Cebuano

Population: 2024 census (PSA). Area: land area.

Kapitbahay — Neighboring Provinces
Eastern Samar Samar

Northern Samar occupies the northern portion of Samar Island in Eastern Visayas. It is a province of dense forest, rough coastline, and a people—the Waray—known for tenacity. Its capital, Catarman, sits on a coastal plain facing the Philippine Sea. The province remains one of the least developed in the Visayas, which has preserved much of its natural character.

CatarmanCapital
3,693 km²Area
24Municipalities
VisayasIsland Group
Eastern Visayas (VIII)Region

Land and Water

The province is largely mountainous interior ringed by coastal lowlands. The Samar Island Natural Park, the largest land protected area in the Philippines, spreads across the island's interior and into Northern Samar. The Biri-Larosa Protected Landscape and Seascape off the northern tip protects the unusual rock formations of Biri Island.

★
The Biri Rock Formations

Biri Island has a large number of unusual rock formations along its northern shore, facing the Philippine Sea. Bel-at, with its tidal pool, is one of the best known. They are part of the Biri-Larosa Protected Landscape and Seascape.

The Pacific coastline is exposed to some of the strongest typhoons in the world. Northern Samar has been struck repeatedly by major storms, including Typhoon Ruby (Hagupit) in 2014. Communities here have developed an ingrained resilience that is not metaphor—it is practical knowledge passed down through generations.

The 2024 census counted 645,789 people in Northern Samar, which has 24 municipalities. Most speak Waray; Cebuano is spoken especially in the island town of San Antonio, and Inabaknon on Capul.

Samar was among the first islands encountered by Magellan's fleet in 1521. In the north, Palapag became a Jesuit mission and a royal port for the Manila galleons, which also called at the fortified island of Capul before crossing the San Bernardino Strait.

1614

Jesuit Mission at Palapag

The Jesuits set up a mission residence at Palapag. Because the San Bernardino Strait lay on the route of the Manila–Acapulco galleons, a royal port was also established at Palapag to shelter the galleons from bad weather.

1649–1650

Sumuroy Rebellion

Agustin (Juan) Sumuroy of Palapag led a Waray revolt against Spanish rule that spread across the eastern Visayas in 1649–1650. His men camped on Mount Bubuya, the Palapag Mesa.

1768

Samar Separated from Leyte

Samar became a separate province from Leyte in 1768. In the same year the Jesuits were expelled from the Philippines and replaced by the Franciscans.

1899–1902

Resistance Under Lukban

General Vicente Lukban led the Samar resistance against the Americans. When American troops landed at Catarman, his forces faced them with cannons, rifles, bolos and homemade guns.

1965

Northern Samar Created

Republic Act No. 4221 divided Samar into Northern Samar, Eastern Samar and (Western) Samar. The law was ratified in a plebiscite on 19 June 1965, with Catarman as the capital of the north.

★
The Balangiga Ambush, 1901

The 1901 Balangiga attack, planned by an area commander of Vicente Lukban's forces, took place in what is now Eastern Samar, but its aftermath swept across the island. The American pacification of Samar under General Jacob Smith that followed is estimated to have killed about 2,000 Filipino civilians.

The Waray people of Northern Samar share a cultural identity with their counterparts across Eastern Visayas—defined by their language, Waray-Waray, and a reputation for directness and physical courage. The phrase 'Waray-waray'—meaning 'nothing' or 'never mind'—has been adopted as a symbol of resilience rather than indifference.

Festivals and Traditions

The Sarakiki Festival in Catarman celebrates the province's heritage each June. Communities along the coast maintain boat-building traditions tied to fishing—bancas are still built by hand in several coastal barangays. Indigenous Waray weaving practices, particularly the production of buntal hats, persist in some interior communities.

★
Waray Literary Tradition

Waray is the fifth-most-spoken native regional language of the Philippines and has its own body of folk literature, including riddles (bugtong) and folk songs. On Capul, people speak Inabaknon, a Sama–Bajaw language that is not part of the Visayan family.

Fishing is central to coastal life. Families in communities facing the Pacific and San Bernardino Strait organize their calendars around fish runs and typhoon seasons. The banca remains the primary vessel, and knowledge of currents and weather patterns is passed down practically, not academically.

See the great festivals in Pista ng Pilipinas →

Waray cooking is characterized by sour, salty flavors and minimal ornamentation. The most common souring agents are tamarind, kamias (bilimbi), and vinegar. Fish dominates the diet—fresh, dried, and fermented—alongside root crops and leafy vegetables gathered from forests and gardens.

Binagol

A sweet made from gabi (taro) root mixed with coconut milk and sugar, packed into half a coconut shell and baked or steamed. It is a traditional pasalubong of Leyte and Samar; its name means "placed in a coconut shell".

Tinola na Isda

A broth-based fish soup with ginger, green papaya or sayote, and malunggay leaves. Simple and practical, it is the everyday meal of coastal households. The fish varies by season and catch—lapu-lapu, tanigue, or whatever comes in.

Linubihang Baboy (Waray Pork Stew)

Northern Samar / Eastern Visayas
15 minutesPrep
1 hourCook
4–6Serves
Ingredients
  • 1 kg, cut into chunkspork belly
  • 2 cupscoconut milk
  • 1 thumb, slicedginger
  • 1 medium, slicedonion
  • 4 cloves, crushedgarlic
  • 2 tbspfish sauce
  • 1 tsp, crackedblack pepper
  • 1 cupwater
Method
  1. Sauté garlic, onion, and ginger in a heavy pot until softened.
  2. Add pork and brown on all sides.
  3. Pour in water and bring to a boil. Skim foam.
  4. Reduce heat and simmer 30 minutes until pork is tender.
  5. Add coconut milk and fish sauce. Simmer 20 more minutes until sauce thickens.
  6. Season with cracked pepper. Serve with steamed rice.
Cook's note

Waray cooking does not sweeten this dish. If the coconut milk is rich enough, the fat from the pork will render into the sauce and create enough body without added sugar.

Waray-Waray (also called Waray or Lineyte-Samarnon) is the primary language of Northern Samar. It is native to Eastern Visayas and is spoken across Samar Island and much of Leyte. It belongs to the Visayan language family and is mutually intelligible in part with Cebuano, though distinct in phonology and vocabulary.

Key Phrases

Maupay nga adlawHello
SalamatThank you
Kumusta ka?How are you?
Taga-diin ka?Where are you from?
MaupayGood
★
The Word 'Waray'

The word 'waray' means 'nothing' or 'none' in the language. The repetition 'waray-waray' became a colloquial expression of indifference or resilience—'it's nothing'—which outsiders turned into a label for the people themselves.

Waray has a rich oral tradition of bugtong (riddles) and folk songs. While Filipino and English are used in schools and government, Waray remains the language of home, fishing, and community throughout the province.

~90 min flight to Catarman AirportFrom Manila
Ferry via Calbayog or Allen to Matnog (Sorsogon)By sea
March to May (dry season)Best months
Waray-Waray, FilipinoLanguage

Places to Visit

Biri Island Rock Formations

Located at the northernmost tip of Samar, Biri Island's northern shore is lined with huge, unusual rock formations shaped by the sea. The formations—channels, pools, and caves—are accessible by boat from Allen. There is no entrance fee but hiring a local guide is practical and supports the community.

Samar Island Natural Park

The country's largest land protected area, about 333,300 hectares of old-growth forest across Northern Samar, Samar and Eastern Samar. Interior areas require permits and guides. Birdwatchers come for Philippine eagle sightings and the park's endemic species.

Catubig River

The Catubig flows through the province's interior and empties on the Pacific coast. River trips through the valley pass farming communities and secondary forest. The town of Catubig itself has a historic church and was the site of a significant battle during the Philippine-American War.

✦
Getting to Biri

From Catarman, take a van or bus north to Allen (about 1.5 hours). From Allen port, a motorized banca to Biri Island takes 20–30 minutes. Overnight accommodation on the island is limited—confirm in advance.

Samar Island Natural Park covers about 333,300 hectares, the largest contiguous tract of old-growth forest in the Philippines and the country's largest land protected area. It was made a natural park under the Expanded NIPAS Act of 2018, and in Northern Samar it reaches Catubig, Las Navas, Lope de Vega, Mondragon and Silvino Lobos. Its forests belong to the Mindanao and Eastern Visayas Endemic Bird Area, with species such as the Samar hornbill and the Visayan broadbill.

A Philippine eagle in the wild (photographed in Mindanao)
Photo: Francesco Veronesi from Italy · CC BY-SA 2.0 · Wikimedia Commons
Philippine Eagle
Pithecophaga jefferyi
Critically Endangered
The national bird, found only in the Philippines. The Samar Island Natural Park is a known nesting site.
Field note: Never disturb a nest. Killing a Philippine eagle carries a prison term under the Wildlife Act.
A Philippine tarsier (photographed in Bohol)
Photo: John Martin PERRY · CC BY-SA 4.0 · Wikimedia Commons
Philippine Tarsier
Carlito syrichta
Near Threatened
A tiny nocturnal primate with huge eyes. The Samar forests hold a significant population.
Field note: Do not handle tarsiers or use camera flash.
Meet all 65 Philippine animals in Hayop ng Pilipinas →

The Stones of Biri

The rocks of Biri stand along the island's northern shore, facing the Philippine Sea. Bel-at, with its tidal pool, is among the best known, and small islands such as Magasang and Talisay lie close by. For the fishing families of Biri the formations are part of daily life: landmarks, shelter from the wind, and fishing grounds.

Biri's waters belong to the Biri-Larosa Protected Landscape and Seascape, a marine protected area. Waves and weather carved the rocks over a very long time and are still reshaping them. Local guides know which paths are safe on the wet rock and when the tide is low enough to walk among the formations.

Most visitors come from Catarman by road to Allen and then cross by banca. Calm, dry months are the safest time to go. After a storm the swell can make both the crossing and the rocks dangerous, so ask the guides before setting out.

Sources · updated 4 October 2026
Photo credits (3)

Photos from Wikimedia Commons, used under the licences shown; some were resized. All photo credits

Panahon ng Hapon · 2 moments in Northern Samar
Animals · Hayop ng Pilipinas
Philippine EaglePhilippine Tarsier
Play
Lakbay: travel province to province Hulaan: guess the province Province quiz