Southern Leyte

Southern Leyte
Habagatang Leyte (Cebuano)
Salatan nga Leyte (Waray)
Timog Leyte (Filipino)
Province
(from top: left to right) Agas-Agas Bridge, Wawa Bridge in Liloan, Hinunangan town, Maasin Cathedral, and Hinunangan Beach
Flag of Southern Leyte
Flag
Official seal of Southern Leyte
Seal
Location in the Philippines
Location in the Philippines
OpenStreetMap
Map
Coordinates: 10°20′N 125°05′E / 10.33°N 125.08°E / 10.33; 125.08
CountryPhilippines
RegionEastern Visayas
FoundedMay 22, 1959
Capital
and largest city		Maasin
Government
 • TypeSangguniang Panlalawigan
 • GovernorDamian G. Mercado (PFP)
 • Vice GovernorRosa Emilia G. Mercado (PDP-Laban)
 • LegislatureSouthern Leyte Provincial Board
Members
Area
[1]
 • Total
1,798.61 km2 (694.45 sq mi)
 • Rank65th out of 81
Highest elevation
(Mount Bitanjuan)
965 m (3,166 ft)
Population
 (2020 census)[2]
 • Total
429,573
 • Rank63rd out of 81
 • Density240/km2 (620/sq mi)
  • Rank40th out of 81
Divisions
 • Independent cities0
 • Component cities
1
 • Municipalities
18
 • Barangays500
 • DistrictsLegislative Districts of Southern Leyte
Time zoneUTC+8 (PHT)
ZIP code
6600–6618
IDD : area code +63 (0)53
ISO 3166 codePH-SLE
Spoken languages
Websitewww.southernleyte.gov.ph

Southern Leyte (Cebuano: Habagatang Leyte; Kabalian: Habagatan nga Leyte; Waray: Salatan nga Leyte; Tagalog: Timog Leyte[3]), officially the Province of Southern Leyte, is a province in the Philippines located in the Eastern Visayas region. Its capital and largest city is Maasin. Southern Leyte comprised the third congressional district Leyte until it was made into an independent province in 1959. Southern Leyte includes Limasawa, an island to the south where the first Roman Catholic Mass in Philippine soil is believed to have taken place and thus considered to be the birthplace of Roman Catholicism in the Philippines.[4]

The province ranks as the second least populated in the region, after the province of Biliran. According to the 2020 census, the province has a population of 429,573.[5]

Southern Leyte's geological features created several issues in the province after the flooding of the Subangdaku River and the 2006 mudslide in Guinsaugon. Organizations warned the province it was susceptible to natural occurrences like landslides and floods.[6][failed verification]

Southern Leyte forms an important part of the inter-island transportation system of the country, with ferries transporting people and goods between Liloan and Surigao del Norte in Mindanao. The province is well known for its quality abaca products and is the country's major producer of abaca fiber.

In September 2017, Representative Roger Mercado authored House Bill 6408, proposing to change the name of the province to Leyte del Sur.[7]

  1. ^ "List of Provinces". PSGC Interactive. Makati City, Philippines: National Statistical Coordination Board. Archived from the original on January 17, 2013. Retrieved July 2, 2013.
  2. ^ Census of Population (2020). "Region VIII (Eastern Visayas)". Total Population by Province, City, Municipality and Barangay. Philippine Statistics Authority. Retrieved July 8, 2021.
  3. ^ "Mapa ng mga Wika (Rehiyon) – Rehiyon VIII" (in Filipino). Commission on the Filipino Language. Retrieved September 23, 2021.
  4. ^ "Travel; Southern Leyte". GlobalPinoy. Archived from the original on April 10, 2005. Retrieved July 28, 2016.
  5. ^ Census of Population (2015). "Region VIII (Eastern Visayas)". Total Population by Province, City, Municipality and Barangay. Philippine Statistics Authority. Retrieved June 20, 2016.
  6. ^ Policy and Advocacy | Haribon
  7. ^ "House Bill No. 6408" (PDF). Congress of the Philippines. Retrieved May 7, 2018.