Leyte
has a colorful history. Leyteños, like the Samareños
when it comes to their province, like to point out of that their
forebear were among the first to welcome the Spaniards but they
were also among the first to resist the invaders. Leyte was
one of the provinces where the early seeds of nationalism were
planted. In
1521, Magellan sailed from the island of Homonhon, Samar to
the island of Limasawa, Leyte, entered into a blood compact
with Rajah Kolambu. On Eastern Sunday, March 31, of that year,
was celebrated the First Mass in the Philippines. Some historical
researchers, however, are now disputing this.
The next
century witnessed a religious uprising lead by Bancao, the Limasawa
chief, and his high priest, Pagail. The revolt began in Carigara
and spread to neighboring towns before it was quelled. 27 years
after the 1622 uprising, another revolt hit Leyte - an offshoot
of the Sumoroy rebellion then simmering in Samar. And in the
center of the disturbances, the village of Bacor, rebels burned
the church and its convent. By 1768, Leyte, now separated from
Samar, became a politico-military province. The set up continued
until the end of Spanish rule, when Gen. Vicente Lukban took
over Leyte and Samar in the name of the Revolutionary Government.
It was WWII,
however, which placed Leyte on the world map. On October 20,
1944, Gen. Mac Arthur, at the head of the largest US fleet of
transport and warships, and accompanied by Commonwealth President
Sergio Osmeña and Gen Carlos P. Romulo, landed on Palo,
Leyte to reclaim the Philippines from the Japanese. On
May 22, 1959, the province was divided into Leyte and southern
Leyte.
Leyte is
one of the country's historic provinces. It is the site of uprising
against the Spaniards and the famous landing of US forces during
World War II. This
historical consciousness is reflected in Leyte's seal, with
stars symbolizing the 49 towns of the province and an alphabet
on cross argent representing the ancient letter L. A white cross
indicates the second phase of Leyte's development, when Magellan
passed through enroute to Cebu; while the upper portion commemorates
the landing of Gen. Douglas MacArthur through a perspective
of the National Freedom Park.
