Editing Eastern Samar (section)

==History==
{{further|Samar (historical province)}}

===Spanish colonial era===
[[File:Suluan quincentennial monument bas relief.jpg|thumb|165px|left|[[List of Quincentennial historical markers in the Philippines|Quincentennial historical marker]] of [[Ferdinand Magellan]]'s [[Magellan expedition|arrival]] in [[Suluan]], [[Guiuan]]]]

During his [[circumnavigation]] of the globe, [[Ferdinand Magellan]] had set foot on the tiny island of [[Homonhon]] in the southern part of the province. On March 16, 1521, the area of what is now Eastern Samar is said to be the first Philippine landmass spotted by Magellan and his crew.<ref name=FastFactsPhilProv-EasternSamar>{{cite book|last1=Lancion |first1=Conrado M. Jr. |others=cartography by de Guzman, Rey|title=Fast Facts about Philippine Provinces|date=1995|publisher=Tahanan Books|location=Makati, Metro Manila, Philippines|isbn=971-630-037-9|page=72|edition=The 2000 Millenium|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=r0EOAQAAMAAJ|access-date=4 December 2015|chapter=The Provinces; Eastern Samar}}</ref><ref name="Inquirer-GuiuansTreasure">{{cite news|last1=Labro|first1=Vicente S.|title=Guiuan's treasure chest of history, natural wonders|url=http://newsinfo.inquirer.net/13922/guiuan%E2%80%99s-treasure-chest-of-history-natural-wonders|access-date=24 April 2016|newspaper=[[Philippine Daily Inquirer]]|date=11 June 2011}}</ref><ref name="NSCBGovPH-EasternSamar">{{cite web|title=The Province of Eastern Samar|url=http://www.nscb.gov.ph/ru8/profiles/provincial_profiles/esamar.htm|website=National Statistical Coordination Board|access-date=24 April 2016|url-status=dead|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20141206021350/http://www.nscb.gov.ph/ru8/Profiles/Provincial_Profiles/esamar.htm|archive-date=6 December 2014}}</ref>

In 1596, many names, such as Samal, Ibabao, and Tandaya, were given to [[Samar|Samar Island]] prior to the coming of the Spaniards in 1596. During the early days of Spanish occupation, Samar was under the jurisdiction of [[Cebu]]. Samar and [[Leyte (province)|Leyte]] were later separated from Cebu in 1735. They were split in 1747 but was reversed in 1762 with the approval of the [[King of Spain]], following complaints from the [[Jesuits]]. The province of [[Samar (historical province)|Samar]] was later established as a distinct province in 1768 after it got separated from the province of [[Leyte (province)|Leyte]].<ref>{{cite web|url=https://samar.lgu-ph.com/history.htm|title=Samar History and Information|website=lgu-ph.com|accessdate=October 15, 2024}}</ref>  In 1777, Samar and Leyte split for the last time when it was approved in [[Madrid]] in 1786 and had been effective in 1799.

===American colonial era===
==== Philippine-American War ====
{{Further|Philippine–American War}}
Maj. [[Eugenio Daza]] Area Commander of [[Vicente Lukbán|General Lukbán's]] forces for Southeastern [[Samar]]

====Balangiga Massacre====
{{main|Balangiga massacre}}

====Pacification of Samar====
{{main|Pacification of Samar}}

===Japanese occupation===
In 1944, combined Filipino-American troops involved in the [[Philippines Campaign (1944–45)|liberation of the Philippines from Japan]] built in the town of [[Guiuan, Eastern Samar|Guiuan]] the largest military base in the Pacific. In the same town in 1949, approximately 5,000 Russian refugees escaping from communist China temporarily settled on [[Tubabao Island]] until 1951, when they were transferred to [[Australia]] and the [[United States]].<ref name="Inquirer-GuiuansTreasure" />

===Philippine independence===
====Foundation====
Eastern Samar, as a province, was created from [[Samar province]] through ''[[Republic Act]] No. 4221'' on June 19, 1965.<ref name=ChanRobles-RA4221>{{cite PH act|chamber=RA|number=4221|title=An Act Creating the Provinces of Northern Samar, Eastern Samar and Western Samar|url=http://www.chanrobles.com/republicacts/republicactno4221.html|date=June 19, 1965|access-date=December 19, 2015}}</ref> Approved by [[Congress of the Philippines|Congress]] in 1963, it was authored by Samar congressmen Eladio T. Balite ([[Samar's 1st congressional district|1st district]]), Fernando R. Veloso ([[Samar's 2nd congressional district|2nd district]]), and Felipe J. Abrigo ([[Samar's 3rd congressional district|3rd district]]). The law, ratified in a [[1965 Samar division plebiscite|plebiscite]] on June 19, 1965, divided Samar into three: [[Northern Samar]], Eastern Samar and (Western) [[Samar (province)|Samar]]. The first provincial officials of Eastern Samar, aside from the lone district representative, were elected on November 14, 1967, and on January 1, 1968, they officially assumed office.

===Contemporary===
[[File:Operation Damayan 131118-M-LT992-019.jpg|thumb|left|175px|Aerial view of Guiuan in November 2013 on the aftermath of [[Typhoon Haiyan]] (Yolanda)]]
The capital town of [[Borongan]] became a component city by virtue of ''Republic Act No. 9394'' which sought to convert the municipality into a city. The law was ratified on June 21, 2007.<ref>{{cite PH act|chamber=RA|number=9394|url=https://lawphil.net/statutes/repacts/ra2007/ra_9394_2007.html|title=An Act Converting the Municipality of Borongan in the Province of Eastern Samar Into a Component City to Be Known as the City of Borongan|date=March 16, 2007|accessdate=October 27, 2024}}</ref> However, the cityhood status was lost twice in the years 2008 and 2010 after the [[League of Cities of the Philippines|LCP]] questioned the validity of the cityhood law. The cityhood status was reaffirmed after the [[Supreme Court of the Philippines|court]] finalized its ruling on February 15, 2011, declaring the cityhood law constitutional.<ref>{{cite news|url=https://www.philstar.com/headlines/2011/04/13/675404/sc-affirms-cityhood-ruling|first=Edu|last=Punay|title=SC affirms cityhood ruling |date=April 13, 2011|accessdate=October 27, 2024|website=Philstar.com}}</ref>

[[Typhoon Haiyan|Typhoon Haiyan (Yolanda)]], one of the strongest typhoons ever recorded, made its first [[landfall (meteorology)|landfall]] in the coastal town of Guiuan in November 2013.<ref name=WSJ-Haiyan>{{cite news|last1=Baylis|first1=Paul|last2=Te-Ping Chen|title=How One Philippine Town Avoided Calamity|url=https://www.wsj.com/articles/SB10001424052702304243904579197242462490948|access-date=20 December 2015|publisher=The Wall Street Journal|date=22 November 2013}}</ref>