What you need to know about Guiuan, Eastern Samar

For starters, lemme tell you a few basic things about Guiuan. I got some of the info from (I am ashamed to admit) Wikipedia, and some from my own heart and soul. 

Profile:

• Guiuan is a town in Eastern Samar. Eastern Samar is in the island of Samar-in Region 8-in the Visayas-in the Philippines-in South East Asia-in the Asian continent-in the World- in the Solar System..la la la. You get the point.
• Seriously though, it is located at the southernmost tip of Samar Island. It is bounded on the north by the municipality of Mercedes, on the east by the Pacific Ocean, on the south by the Surigao Strait, and on the west by the Leyte Gulf.
• Guiuan is 109 kilometers south of Borongan (the capital of the province) and 154 kilometers from Tacloban (the nearest city; 3-4 hours travel time)
• Guiuan has 60 barangays; 45,000 inhabitants (more or less); and 7 major islands.
• Locals are called Guiunanons; we can speak Waray-Waray (our man language), Filipino, Tagalog, Cebuano and English.
• Our main socio-economic activity is fishing. 
• We are surrounded by water and coconut trees.

Basic Info on History and Culture (detailed entries to follow):

• In 1521, Ferdinand Magellan first set foot on Philippine soil in Homonhon Island (one of the major islands of Guiuan).
• 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.
• US Navy and Army set up a base in Calicoan Island during WWII (evidence: a 3km runway). In fact, it was one of the biggest Naval Base in the Far East that time
• The United Nations placed 5,000 Russian refugees (fleeing from Communist Russia and China) in Tubabao Island in 1949-1951.
• The town has one of the oldest baroque churches in the Philippines- the Immaculate Conception Parish (built in the 1700s).
• A major festival is held on October during the town fiesta.
• We throw crispy peso bills around a couple dancing the Curacha Mayor or the Aminudo. Yes, this is our tradition. 
• We believe in aswangs, tikbalang, agta (kapre), kataw (sirena or mermaid), enkantos, and higantes. In fact, we still have tambalans (traditional healers) to heal the victims of these creatures and we still use lana (sacred oil) to ward them off.
• In relation to the previous point, we have a rich folk literature.
• We have local sweets and delicacies that are made out of silut or buko.
• We still do the harana.

Tourist Activities and Spots:

• Surfing. You can visit the popular surf spot in Calicoan Island- the only spot in Guiuan with local surfers; the "Philippine Dream" surfing spot featuring the "Jurassic Waves" in Suluan Island; or Homonhon Island. Or you can just drive around the coastal areas looking for your perfect spot where you can surf naked and get wiped out w/o anyone to laugh at you.
• Spelunking. You can visit the popular caves in Buro-Buro, Calicoan, and Suluan Island (in folktales, it is the home of the giant, Macandog). Or, again, you can drive around to look for a cave. I'm sure there are more waiting to be discovered.
• Hiking/Climbing. If you want to see the Pacific Ocean from up above, climb the rocky mountain in Sapao or Calicoan. You can also climb up the red-desert-like (due to mining) mountains of Homohon and Manicani islands. Again, go, explore and discover your own trail.
• Heritage spots - the old church in the town proper; the Magellan's Cross in Homonhon Island; the miraculous church in Sulangan; the 3km runway of the US Navy; the old Light House with 200+ steps in Suluan Island; Macandog's huge (out of this world) footprint in Suluan Island.
• The majestic cliffs in Calicoan
• The popular beaches in Dumpao and Sapao
• Watch the sun set in Tubabao Island and rise in Sulangan
• Boating in the calm waters near Tubabao Island
• Mercury Drug- the only famous commercial store in Guiuan. It's the local SM. loljk.
• Barrio-style clubbing at DJ Disco in Brgy. Campoyong
• White sand beaches in Calicoan (not recommended for leisurely swimming due to the crazy waves), Suluan, Homonhon, and Manicani Islands.
• Snorkeling in Pearl Island.
• Fishing. duh.
• Scuba Diving.
• Yoga Camp. It is already closed but you can still climb up and get a breath-taking view of the Pacific.
• Star-gazing and swimming at the Pagnamitan Bridge
• Bars/Restos: 
• Match Point- rockeoke and disco bar
• DJ Disco- oldest disco house in Guiuan; kubo-style architecture; near the sea; plays old-school music
• The Lugay St. Strip and Lactason St. Strips- strips of karaoke bars and barbeque places
• Tanghay View Lodge - near the sea; can watch the sunset
• Misty Blue - tropical vibe resto with a sea-water pool; the only resto to serve pizzas?
• Calicoan Villa - average rate resort in Calicoan, near the surfing spot.
• The Surf Camp- elite resort in Calicoan with beautiful Balinese structures and an infinity pool; offers surf lessons.
• A Private Resort in Sulangan (found out about it through a friend) - very beautiful building with an outdoor resto; owned by an Italian cook; serves heavenly Iltalian dishes and desserts..by request.
• The Public Plaza - offers yummy streetfoods such as isaw, dirty ice cream, bbq, bodigon (rice wraps with coconut meat), ice crumble, popcorn, etc.
• okay, there are A LOT of things to do and go to. :) One tip is that you GO AND EXPLORE. That's the beauty of Guiuan- there are a lot of hidden treasures.

Things you might worry about (especially if you are a city person) but don't need to:

• Cellphone. Yes, we have cellular sites of Smart and Globe. No Sun Cellular, sorry. Here's what you should worry about though: the signal dies as you go farther away from the town proper. In the islands, you have to climb the mountain (or any high place) to get a signal. No kidding.
• Landline. Yes, we have PLDT landline. The area code is 055.
• Internet connection. Yes, we already have internet access, and a bunch of internet cafes. We even have wifi in certain restos. However, internet is only available in the town proper.
• Electricity. There is electricity in most parts of the town, even in the islands. However, we frequently experience brown-outs, and the electricity in the islands are not full-time (they turn it off in the evening).
• Water. We have lots of that here. We are surrounded by water, remember? :)) Seriously though, we already have a water system like the one in Manila, and water stations for purified drinking water. 
• LBC. There is one located across the town plaza.
• We have Mercury Drug that sells drugs (duh), sunblock, beauty products, wipes and other kaartehan, liquor, high-quality chocolates, chips, ice cream, etc.
• Liquor. Well..we have the common liquor brands such as The Bar, Red Horse, etc. What we do not have are the more sophisticated ones- Absolut, Jack Daniels, etc.
• Party. Hmm. We have some clubs (if you can even call it clubs)...and a rockeoke place.
• Souvenir Shops. we have the Tourism Center that sells all kinds of souvenir stuff and pasalubongs. You can also visit the area near Sulangan Church for one-of-a-kind shell crafts.

 How to get here:

• From Manila: 
• by plane: you can take Philippine Airlines, Zest Air, and Cebu Pacific to reach Tacloban City. The cheapest, usually, is Zest Air. For surfers, please note that PAL asks for expensive board charges and I was told that Zest Air doesn't allow boards at all. Cebu Pac is the best option.
• from Tacloban City: you can ride a van going to Guiuan- the two famous companies are Duptours and Van Vans. The usual fare is 200-300php. It will take you 3-4 hours to reach the town of Guiuan.
• by bus: you can take Silver Star or Eagle Star in the bus station near Farmers, Cubao. The fare is usually 2000-3000php one way. It will take you 24hours (more or less) to reach Guiuan.
• by private car/road trip: this is definitely more fun than any means of travel! anyway, I haven't memorized the route. I suggest you get map. What I'm sure though is that you have to ride a barge/roro from Allen to Matnog to reach the island of Samar. 
• From Cebu:
• by plane: same shit as the one above. 
• by sea: you can take the Supercat to reach Ormoc; then ride a bus in Ormoc to Tacloban; and finally, a van or bus from Tacloban to Guiuan. You can also ride a ship from Cebu to Tacloban City; then ride a bus or van in Tacloban to reach Guiuan.
• by bus: i'm not sure if there's a roro in Cebu going to Tacloban or Ormoc. I think there is. 

So there you have it. A really short introduction of Guiuan to tourists and travelers and wanderers and pilgrims like you. :)

See you soon!