The pool beneath Sohoton Natural Bridge, Basey, Samar
Photo: Lawrence Ruiz · CC BY-SA 4.0 · Wikimedia Commons
Map

Samar

Eastern Visayas
Visayas
Capital Catbalogan City
Population (2024) 806,179
Area 6,048 km²
Municipalities 24
Cities 2
Island Group Visayas
Languages Waray, Cebuano

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

Kapitbahay — Neighboring Provinces
Eastern Samar Northern Samar

Samar—formally Western Samar, but known simply as Samar—occupies the western and central portions of Samar Island in Eastern Visayas. Its capital, Catbalogan City, is the administrative hub of the province; Calbayog City, also in Samar, is the island's largest city. Samar is defined by its cave systems—particularly the Sohoton Natural Bridge and Caves—its dense forests, and its history as one of the most actively contested territories during the Philippine-American War and World War II.

Catbalogan CityCapital
6,048 km²Area
24 + 2 citiesMunicipalities
VisayasIsland Group
Eastern Visayas (VIII)Region

The Cave Province

The Sohoton Cave and Natural Bridge Park in Basey, first set up as a national park in 1935, has caves, underground rivers, waterfalls, limestone formations, thick forest and a natural stone bridge. The formations were shaped by the same geological processes that created Palawan's underground river, but at a smaller and more accessible scale. Samar Island Natural Park, shared with Northern Samar and Eastern Samar, protects the largest unbroken stretch of old-growth forest in the Philippines.

★
Sohoton Natural Bridge

The Sohoton Natural Bridge is a natural stone arch over the river, inside a protected park of about 840 hectares. Digs in the Sohoton Caves have turned up ancient stone flake tools. The park is reached mainly by boat along the river from Basey.

The 2024 census counted 806,179 people in Samar's 24 municipalities and two cities. Catbalogan is the capital, while Calbayog is the most populous city. The province is bordered by Northern Samar to the north, Eastern Samar to the east, and Leyte and Leyte Gulf to the south, and on the west it faces the Samar Sea, where several of its islands lie. About nine in ten households speak Waray-Waray. On 8 November 2013 Typhoon Yolanda (Haiyan) caused heavy damage, especially in Basey, Marabut and Santa Rita.

Samar Island's colonial history is one of the most turbulent in the Philippines. Magellan's expedition sighted Samar in 1521, and the island remained difficult to govern throughout the Spanish period. During the Philippine-American War, Samar became the site of events that shaped American public debate about the war—including the Balangiga Massacre of 1901 and the subsequent 'Howling Wilderness' campaign.

1521

Magellan's Fleet Arrives

On 16 March 1521 Magellan's expedition sighted Samar, and the next day it landed on Homonhon Island, now part of Guiuan in Eastern Samar.

1901

Balangiga Attack

On 28 September 1901, townspeople and fighters surprised Company C of the 9th U.S. Infantry at Balangiga, now in Eastern Samar. Of 74 Americans, 36 were killed in action and 8 later died of wounds. In reply, General Jacob Smith ordered Samar turned into a "howling wilderness", and the campaign that followed killed an estimated 2,000 Filipino civilians.

1942–1945

WWII Guerrilla Resistance

During the Japanese occupation, guerrilla units operated from Samar's forests until the island was liberated in 1944–45.

1965

Samar Divided into Three Provinces

Republic Act No. 4221 of 19 June 1965 divided Samar into Northern Samar, Eastern Samar and Western Samar, with Catarman, Borongan and Catbalogan as their capitals.

1969

Western Samar Renamed Samar

Republic Act No. 5650 of 21 June 1969 renamed Western Samar as Samar, with Catbalogan still the capital.

1973

San Juanico Bridge

The San Juanico Bridge between Samar and Leyte was inaugurated on 2 July 1973.

2013

Typhoon Yolanda

On 8 November 2013 Typhoon Yolanda (Haiyan) hit the province, causing heavy damage in Basey, Marabut and Santa Rita.

JS

General Jacob Smith

U.S. Army General (infamy)1840–1918

Smith's order after Balangiga—'I want no prisoners. I wish you to kill and burn. The more you kill and burn, the better it will please me'—was reported in American newspapers and sparked a Senate inquiry. He was court-martialed and admonished, then retired. The debate in the American press about his orders was one of the first sustained public reckonings with the conduct of the Philippine-American War.

The Waray people of Samar share a cultural identity with Waray speakers across Eastern Visayas. Their reputation for toughness—earned through centuries of typhoons, colonial warfare, and economic marginalization—is a source of pride rather than complaint. The Waray cultural tradition includes oral poetry, folk music, and a weaving tradition that uses locally grown cotton and abaca.

Pintados and Tattoo Tradition

The pre-colonial Visayans were called 'Pintados' (painted people) by the Spanish, because of the extensive tattooing that covered their bodies. Tattoos indicated status, valor, and community identity. The tradition largely ended under Spanish colonialism, but the term has been recovered as a source of cultural pride. The Pintados-Kasadyaan Festival in Tacloban (Leyte) celebrates this heritage, and Samar communities have similar historical connections to the practice.

★
The Balangiga Bells

After the Balangiga attack in 1901, American forces took the church bells of Balangiga as war trophies. Two bells ended up at F.E. Warren Air Force Base in Wyoming and a third with U.S. forces in South Korea. After decades of Philippine requests, all three were returned in 2018. They are now displayed in Balangiga, Eastern Samar.

Calbayog City is the commercial center of northern Samar and the province's most populous city; in 1910 it became the seat of the Diocese of Calbayog, which first covered both Samar and Leyte. It has a distinct urban identity from Catbalogan and is known for its waterfalls—Bangon Falls and Malajog Beach are among its natural attractions.

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Samar's food tradition is Waray—defined by sour broths, abundant seafood, and root crops from the interior. The province's coastal communities eat fish in every preparation: fresh, dried, fermented, and smoked. River shrimp (pasayan) and freshwater crabs (alimasag) from the province's rivers supplement the marine diet.

Igado

A Waray pork dish made with liver, heart, and tenderloin braised in vinegar and soy sauce with bay leaf and pepper. It is similar to but distinct from the Ilocano igado, using different ratios and sometimes including reconstituted dried meat. A celebratory dish served at fiestas and family gatherings.

Binagol

Taro (gabi) root mixed with coconut milk and brown sugar, packed into a half coconut shell and baked or steamed until set. A traditional sweet made throughout Eastern Visayas, sold as pasalubong and eaten as dessert or snack. The half-shell presentation is distinctive and practical for transport.

Inun-unan na Isda (Waray Sour Fish Stew)

Samar / Eastern Visayas
10 minutesPrep
20 minutesCook
4Serves
Ingredients
  • 1 kg, cleanedwhole fish (any firm white fish)
  • 1/2 cupnative cane vinegar
  • 1 thumb, sliced thinginger
  • 5 cloves, crushedgarlic
  • 1 medium, slicedonion
  • 2 cupswater
  • 1 tbspfish sauce
  • 3 pieces, slitlong green chili
  • 1/2 tsp, crackedblack pepper
Method
  1. Combine vinegar, water, ginger, garlic, onion, and pepper in a pot. Bring to a boil.
  2. Add fish and chili. Reduce heat to a gentle simmer.
  3. Cover and cook 12–15 minutes until fish is cooked through.
  4. Season with fish sauce. Do not stir—let fish remain intact.
  5. Serve directly from the pot with the broth.
Cook's note

Use good native cane vinegar, not commercial white vinegar. The Waray prefer a distinctly sour broth—this is not a timid dish. The fish should taste of vinegar and ginger. It is better eaten the day it is made.

Waray-Waray is the language of Samar, shared with Northern Samar, Eastern Samar, and the province of Leyte across the San Juanico Strait. It is one of the major regional languages of the Philippines. About 90% of Samar's households speak Waray-Waray, and about 10% also speak Cebuano. Filipino and English are used in education and government.

Waray-WarayPrimary
~90% of householdsIn Samar
Visayan language groupFamily
Filipino, English, some CebuanoAlso spoken
★
Waray Literature

Waray has a rich oral tradition of songs, poems and riddles (bugtong). Researchers at the Leyte Normal University and other institutions in Eastern Visayas have worked to document and preserve these traditions. Contemporary Waray writers also produce poetry and fiction in the language.

Waray, also called Samareño in old Spanish texts, is the fifth-most-spoken native regional language of the Philippines and the third most spoken Bisayan language after Cebuano and Hiligaynon. Its name comes from waray, the word for "none" that outsiders often heard. The linguist Jason Lobel counted 25 dialects and subdialects.

Fly to Tacloban, then about 2 hrs by road to CatbaloganFrom Manila
Ferry from Manila or Cebu to Calbayog or CatbaloganBy sea
~1 hr by road to Basey, then 30 min by boatSohoton from Catbalogan
March to JuneBest months

Places to Visit

Sohoton Natural Bridge and Caves

The centerpiece of Samar's natural attractions. Access is by boat along the river from Basey, and visits are guided boat trips and cave tours regulated by local authorities. The park has caves with limestone formations, underground rivers, waterfalls and the stone arch of the natural bridge.

Catbalogan City Heritage Walk

Catbalogan has a compact heritage area around its waterfront and central plaza. The San Bartolome Parish Church and the provincial capitol are the main landmarks.

Bangon Falls, Calbayog

Located in Calbayog City, Bangon Falls drops in cascades into a clear pool reached by a short hike. The falls are best visited in the morning before tour groups arrive. Calbayog also has Malajog Beach on the Samar Sea coast. Catbalogan, the capital, has its own airport at Buri, and the San Juanico Bridge, opened in 1973, links Samar by road with Leyte and Tacloban.

✦
Getting to Sohoton

The boat passage to Sohoton from Basey requires timing with the tide—the cave entrance is only passable at certain water levels. Early morning trips are recommended for the best light in the caves and to avoid afternoon weather. Bring rubber sandals; the cave floor and boat boarding involves wading.

Samar Island Natural Park, declared in 2003, is the largest land protected area in the Philippines at about 333,300 hectares, and it holds the country's largest unbroken stretch of old-growth forest. Its buffer zone reaches across all three Samar provinces and covers about a third of the island. The park's large watersheds include the Gandara watershed in Samar province. It is a known nesting site of the critically endangered Philippine eagle and shelters the Philippine eagle-owl, Philippine tarsier, Philippine flying lemur and the Samar hornbill. In Basey, the Sohoton park protects caves, underground rivers and limestone forest.

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 nests in the old-growth forest of Samar Island Natural Park.
Field note: Report sightings and never disturb nests; killing the eagle is punishable by law.
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 night-active primate with huge eyes, found on Samar, Leyte, Bohol and Mindanao. Samar Island Natural Park has a significant population.
Field note: Do not handle tarsiers or use flash photography; they are easily stressed.
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Lugar · Calbayog

Calbayog, Coastal Gem of Samar

LBy Lemcon Field Team, Lemcon✓ Fact-checked

Calbayog is a coastal city in Samar, one of the trade centers of Eastern Visayas, where the common tongue is Waray-Waray. Its name is said to come from Ka-Labayog, for the rattan vine that once grew thick here.

Its history runs deep. A Jesuit mission settlement first, it became a town in 1785, and in 1910 the Diocese of Calbayog was created by Pope Pius X. The Cathedral of Saints Peter and Paul, designated in 1913, is the mother church of the whole region and one of the most beautiful in the Visayas.

Beyond the city lie rolling hills, forests, and a long coast on the Samar Sea. The Bangon-Bugtong Falls tumble in cascades, the Mapaso Hot Spring soothes tired travelers, and the Malajog Ridge rewards a climb with a fine view. Do not leave without a taste of the local tinapa, the smoked fish that visitors carry home.

Mga Larawan

Sources · updated 4 October 2026
Photo credits (3)

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

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