The province of Southern Leyte occupies the southern portion of Leyte Island. Its neighboring provinces are Leyte on the north, Dinagat Island on the southeast across Cabalian Bay, Surigao Del Norte on the south, and Bohol on the west across Cabulao Bay. Terrain is dominated by hills and mountains with some narrow coastal plains. Climate on the eastern part of the province has no dry season with maximum rainfall from November to January while the western part experience rainfall more or less evenly distributed throughout the year.

The province is accessible by air via the airpot in Tacloban City then travel three hours by car or van to Maasin City, the capital. It can also be reached by sea using the Maasin port. Ferry services are available from Cebu. Traveling to Southern Leyte by land using the whole length of the Maharlika Highway can be an enjoyable experience.

Southern Leyte Provincial Capitol

Majority of its people are Boholanos who migrated from Bohol Province. Others are Waray-Warays, Cebuanos, and Tagalogs. Several festivals are celebrated in the province. The most popular is the Sinugdan Festival held in Limasawa town commemorating the first Christian mass in Asia. Other festivals include the Pagkamugna (province-wide) and Pabulhon (city-wide) in Maasin City, Manha-on in Macrohon, Sinulog in Malitbog, Sinabligay in San Juan, Dayan-Dayan in Hinundayan, and Layag in Pintuyan.

1. Nicanor Yniguez - Speaker of the Batasang Pambansa (1984 - 1986)
2. Ramon Fernandez - From Maasin City; Considered as one of the greatest Philippine basketball player

Agricultural is the main economic activity. Farm and fishery production in 2007 are as follows (figure in thousand metric tons, rank among 79 provinces)

Animal inventory of Southern Leyte in 2007 are as follows (figure in thousand, rank among 79 provinces)

Other farm products include pineapple, abaca, lanzones, rootcrops, and vegetables. Cottage industries produce articles from abaca like bags and slippers, ceramics, sinamay, and woven baskets. As of 2007, 18 banks were operating in the province with total deposits of 3.2 billion pesos. Poverty incidence stood at 36% in 2006, a little higher than the national average of 32.9%.

Southern Leyte offers business opportunities in mariculture and fish processing, production and processing of high value crops such as cacao and coffee, fruits and vegetables, sweet corn, and yam. Tourist facilities are highly recommended. Furniture and organic textile manufacturing have potential to become export winners.

1. Limasawa Island - site of the first catholic Mass in the Philippines
2. Guinsohotan Falls - in Maasin City
3. Padre Burgos and San Francisco dive sites
4. Pintuyan town has beaches, corals, rock formations, and waterfalls. It has also a good diving site in an area with scary but gentle whalesharks.
5. Cambaro Caves in Macrohon
6. Lake Danao at the top of Mount Cabalian on the boundary of San Juan town and Anahawan town
7. Sogod Bay - a veritable fish sanctuary
8. Hinunangan town with its 6-kilometer stretch of golden sand beach with a good view of Twin Islands
9. Silago white sand beach
10. Maasin Cathedral
11. San Juan Church
12. Abiera Museum of Arts in Maasin City

Capitol photo credit to maasinnews.com

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