The Biliran Context
(This situational analysis of Biliran Province provides the context of the operations of the
Panamao Development Initiatives (PDI), Inc.)
in the afternoon of March 28, 2005 from the window of the Sangguniang Bayan Hall of Biliran town.
Biliran is an island province located north of Leyte Province in the Eastern Visayas Region (Region 8). Its capital town is Naval, located 123 kms. northwest of Tacloban City, the regional capital, and is accessible by any form of land and sea transportation. Biliran Province consists of 8 municipalities ( Almeria, Kawayan, Culaba, Caibiran, Cabucgayan, Maripipi, Biliran and Naval) and has 132 barangays. It is a lone congressional district. It had a total population of 140,274 in 2000 which annually grows at a rate of 1.28 %. The native languages spoken are Waray-waray (43.3%) and Cebuano (55.9%).
Origin History
The island of Biliran was first called Isla de Panamao, referring to an ethnic fishing net. Between 1668-1712, the name was changed to Biliran, which was derived from a native grass called “borobiliran”. On April 8, 1959, R.A. 2141 made Biliran a sub-province of Leyte, with the title Lt. Governor. On June 21, 1969, R.A. 5977 was enacted to amend the original charter, changed the title Lt. Governor to Governor, with the executive power of a provincial governor. On May 11, 1992, the people of Biliran and Leyte ratified in a plebiscite the conversion of the sub-province into a regular province.