Being a fishing community and the only municipality with the most number of island barangays, the town is rich in fishery and aquatic resources. It is considered by the fisheries authorities as the best fishing belt in the region.
The coastal waters offer almost all speciesof marine life: euchuema, abalone, ornamental fish, lobster and the GoldenCowry (known for its extraordinary goldensheen). They also offer delicacies, shellcraft products as well as fresh andprocessed marine products. Existing land use indicates a predominanceof agriculture use which covers 38.2% of the total land area. Most of the agriculturallands are dominantly planted with coconuttrees. Other major crops include vegetables, rootcrops, palay, corn, banana and other fruit trees, coffee and pineapple.
The municipality is likewise rich in mineral resources. It has an estimated mineral reserve of bauxite, nickel and titaferous magnitie of more than 26.7 million metric tons.
Geography
The municipality of Guiuan is located at the southernmost tip of Samar Island. It is bounded on the north by the municipality of Mercedes, on the eastby the Pacific Ocean, on the south by the Surigao Strait, and on the west by the Leyte Gulf.
Clustered around the municipality are numerous islands and islets, like Tubabao, Calicoan, Sulangan, Homonhonand Suluan.
Guiuan is 109 kilometers south of Borongan and 154kilometers from Tacloban. It has a total land area of 175.49 square kilometers. It is composed of sixty (60) barangays and the only town in the province with biggest number of island barangays.
Clustered around the municipality are numerous islands and islets, like Tubabao, Calicoan, Sulangan, Homonhonand Suluan.
Guiuan is 109 kilometers south of Borongan and 154kilometers from Tacloban. It has a total land area of 175.49 square kilometers. It is composed of sixty (60) barangays and the only town in the province with biggest number of island barangays.
History
Guiuan is widely known for two significant events in history 423 years apart. In 1521, Ferdinand Magellan first set foot on Philippine soil in Homonhon on his way to discover the Philippines for the Western World. In 1944, the American Forces landed on the island of Suluan where they fought their first battle in the Philippine territory three days before Gen. Mac Arthur stormed the beaches of Leyte.
The name of the town originated from its geographical location. The first settlers named the town “Guibang” when they discovered a sharp break in the mountain range (Tenigbang – partly chiseled off) which screens the town from the Pacific Ocean in the East. Subsequently, settlers modified its name to Guiuan.
The occurrence of World War II shook the town and people moved to the mountains to find comfort. In June 28, 1943, several Japanese soldiers set foot on Guiuan soil. Not as fearful and brutal as they were thought of by the local populace, a cordial relation soon existed between the conquered and the conquerors. Evacuees came down from the mountains and resumed a normal urban life.
Except for a few killings of suspected traitors by both Japanese, Filipino soldiers and local guerillas, not a drop of blood was shed needlessly. This made Guiuan one of the few places in the islands where World War II did not leave so many tragic memories.
The first sign of liberation of the town came on November 27, 1944 when a US Navy submarine chaser steamed the harbor for reconnaissance duty. On December 1, 1944 a fleet of LCTs, Liberty ships and barges poured into the Guiuan Bay to unload machines that was to transform Guiuan into one of the biggest Naval Base in the Far East that time.
Many years after the American Liberation, Guiuan has slowly progressed from a sleepy town to a bustling municipality.
On November 10, 1978, Proclamation No. 1801 was issued declaring Guiuan, Eastern Samar as a Tourist Zone and Marine Reserve under the administration and control of the Philippine Tourism Authority (PTA).
The name of the town originated from its geographical location. The first settlers named the town “Guibang” when they discovered a sharp break in the mountain range (Tenigbang – partly chiseled off) which screens the town from the Pacific Ocean in the East. Subsequently, settlers modified its name to Guiuan.
The occurrence of World War II shook the town and people moved to the mountains to find comfort. In June 28, 1943, several Japanese soldiers set foot on Guiuan soil. Not as fearful and brutal as they were thought of by the local populace, a cordial relation soon existed between the conquered and the conquerors. Evacuees came down from the mountains and resumed a normal urban life.
Except for a few killings of suspected traitors by both Japanese, Filipino soldiers and local guerillas, not a drop of blood was shed needlessly. This made Guiuan one of the few places in the islands where World War II did not leave so many tragic memories.
The first sign of liberation of the town came on November 27, 1944 when a US Navy submarine chaser steamed the harbor for reconnaissance duty. On December 1, 1944 a fleet of LCTs, Liberty ships and barges poured into the Guiuan Bay to unload machines that was to transform Guiuan into one of the biggest Naval Base in the Far East that time.
Many years after the American Liberation, Guiuan has slowly progressed from a sleepy town to a bustling municipality.
On November 10, 1978, Proclamation No. 1801 was issued declaring Guiuan, Eastern Samar as a Tourist Zone and Marine Reserve under the administration and control of the Philippine Tourism Authority (PTA).
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