Ormoc, officially the City of Ormoc (Cebuano: Dakbayan sa Ormoc; Waray: Syudad han Ormoc; Filipino: Lungsod ng Ormoc), is a 1st class independent component city in the Eastern Visayas region of the Philippines. According to the 2020 census, it has a population of 230,998 inhabitants, making it the second most-populous city in the province of Leyte after the provincial capital of Tacloban. Ormoc is the economic, cultural, commercial and transportation hub of western Leyte.Ormoc is an independent component city, not subject to regulation from the Provincial Government of Leyte. However, the city is part of the 4th Congressional District of Leyte together with Albuera, Kananga, Merida, Palompon and Isabel, and statistically grouped under the province by the Philippine Statistics Authority. On November 8, 2013, the city was extensively damaged by Super Typhoon Yolanda (Haiyan), having previously suffered severe destruction and loss of life in 1991 from torrential flooding during Tropical Storm Thelma (Uring).The city's name is derived from ogmok, an archaic Visayan term for "lowland" or "depressed plain".The city also celebrates an annual thanksgiving festival called the Piña Festival in honor of the saints Peter and Paul in thanks for the bountiful pineapple harvest.EtymologyThe place got its name from the word ogmok, an old Visayan term for lowland or depressed plain.HistoryEarly HistoryThis place was used during the Spanish occupation and the migration of the neighboring towns to settle in the more fertile plains of Ormoc. Much of the settlers in the town were the Malayans. These people had a constant trading with the Chinese, Javans and Indonesians. Their living, however, was always threatened by the attack of the Moro pirates. It is said that the people in Ormoc developed a warning system communication through people manning watch towers to inform and warn the people of the coming of these pirates.Spanish PeriodJuly 16, 1595, Jesuit missionaries arrived in Leyte. In May 1597, a mission in Ormoc was established by these missionaries. That year, the locals were converted to Christianity. Their years of peace was shortly felt when in 1634, a ruler of Sulu by the name of Raja Bungsu captured 300 natives from Ormoc after the invasion of the notorious pirates in the town. The towns of Sogod, Kabalian, Inopacan and Baybay were also invaded and plundered. More locals of Ormoc still fought this Raja and his men but because they were outnumbered, they were massacred up to the last man.Philippine RevolutionOrmoc was a hotbed of revolutionaries seeking independence from Spanish rule. The revolutionary leader Faustino Ablen inspired locals to join the Pulahan Movement.Early American PeriodIn 1903, the municipality of Albuera was consolidated into Ormoc.World War IIAfter the Japanese Occupation and a rule of Second Philippine Republic, Ormoc was a garrison of small divisions of the Imperial Japanese Army. With the Allies near the City, Japan began to reinforce the city and the Battle of Ormoc Bay began. The city is liberated afterwards.CityhoodOrmoc became a city by virtue of Republic Act No. 179 on October 20, 1947, becoming the fifteenth city in the Philippines and the first in the Eastern Visayas region.[Kananga was created in 1950 from the barrios of Lonoy, Kananga, Rizal, Tugbong, Montebello, Aguiting, Tagaytay, Montealegre, Libungao, Naghalin, and Masarayao which all used to be part of Ormoc City.
Ormoc, officially the City of Ormoc (Cebuano: Dakbayan sa Ormoc; Waray: Syudad han Ormoc; Filipino: Lungsod ng Ormoc), is a 1st class independent component city in the Eastern Visayas region of the Philippines. According to the 2020 census, it has a population of 230,998 inhabitants, making it the second most-populous city in the province of Leyte after the provincial capital of Tacloban. Ormoc is the economic, cultural, commercial and transportation hub of western Leyte.Ormoc is an independent component city, not subject to regulation from the Provincial Government of Leyte. However, the city is part of the 4th Congressional District of Leyte together with Albuera, Kananga, Merida, Palompon and Isabel, and statistically grouped under the province by the Philippine Statistics Authority. On November 8, 2013, the city was extensively damaged by Super Typhoon Yolanda (Haiyan), having previously suffered severe destruction and loss of life in 1991 from torrential flooding during Tropical Storm Thelma (Uring).The city's name is derived from ogmok, an archaic Visayan term for "lowland" or "depressed plain".The city also celebrates an annual thanksgiving festival called the Piña Festival in honor of the saints Peter and Paul in thanks for the bountiful pineapple harvest.EtymologyThe place got its name from the word ogmok, an old Visayan term for lowland or depressed plain.HistoryEarly HistoryThis place was used during the Spanish occupation and the migration of the neighboring towns to settle in the more fertile plains of Ormoc. Much of the settlers in the town were the Malayans. These people had a constant trading with the Chinese, Javans and Indonesians. Their living, however, was always threatened by the attack of the Moro pirates. It is said that the people in Ormoc developed a warning system communication through people manning watch towers to inform and warn the people of the coming of these pirates.Spanish PeriodJuly 16, 1595, Jesuit missionaries arrived in Leyte. In May 1597, a mission in Ormoc was established by these missionaries. That year, the locals were converted to Christianity. Their years of peace was shortly felt when in 1634, a ruler of Sulu by the name of Raja Bungsu captured 300 natives from Ormoc after the invasion of the notorious pirates in the town. The towns of Sogod, Kabalian, Inopacan and Baybay were also invaded and plundered. More locals of Ormoc still fought this Raja and his men but because they were outnumbered, they were massacred up to the last man.Philippine RevolutionOrmoc was a hotbed of revolutionaries seeking independence from Spanish rule. The revolutionary leader Faustino Ablen inspired locals to join the Pulahan Movement.Early American PeriodIn 1903, the municipality of Albuera was consolidated into Ormoc.World War IIAfter the Japanese Occupation and a rule of Second Philippine Republic, Ormoc was a garrison of small divisions of the Imperial Japanese Army. With the Allies near the City, Japan began to reinforce the city and the Battle of Ormoc Bay began. The city is liberated afterwards.CityhoodOrmoc became a city by virtue of Republic Act No. 179 on October 20, 1947, becoming the fifteenth city in the Philippines and the first in the Eastern Visayas region.[Kananga was created in 1950 from the barrios of Lonoy, Kananga, Rizal, Tugbong, Montebello, Aguiting, Tagaytay, Montealegre, Libungao, Naghalin, and Masarayao which all used to be part of Ormoc City.
Ormoc, officially the City of Ormoc (Cebuano: Dakbayan sa Ormoc; Waray: Syudad han Ormoc; Filipino: Lungsod ng Ormoc), is a 1st class independent component city in the Eastern Visayas region of the Philippines. According to the 2020 census, it has a population of 230,998 inhabitants, making it the second most-populous city in the province of Leyte after the provincial capital of Tacloban. Ormoc is the economic, cultural, commercial and transportation hub of western Leyte.Ormoc is an independent component city, not subject to regulation from the Provincial Government of Leyte. However, the city is part of the 4th Congressional District of Leyte together with Albuera, Kananga, Merida, Palompon and Isabel, and statistically grouped under the province by the Philippine Statistics Authority. On November 8, 2013, the city was extensively damaged by Super Typhoon Yolanda (Haiyan), having previously suffered severe destruction and loss of life in 1991 from torrential flooding during Tropical Storm Thelma (Uring).The city's name is derived from ogmok, an archaic Visayan term for "lowland" or "depressed plain".The city also celebrates an annual thanksgiving festival called the Piña Festival in honor of the saints Peter and Paul in thanks for the bountiful pineapple harvest.EtymologyThe place got its name from the word ogmok, an old Visayan term for lowland or depressed plain.HistoryEarly HistoryThis place was used during the Spanish occupation and the migration of the neighboring towns to settle in the more fertile plains of Ormoc. Much of the settlers in the town were the Malayans. These people had a constant trading with the Chinese, Javans and Indonesians. Their living, however, was always threatened by the attack of the Moro pirates. It is said that the people in Ormoc developed a warning system communication through people manning watch towers to inform and warn the people of the coming of these pirates.Spanish PeriodJuly 16, 1595, Jesuit missionaries arrived in Leyte. In May 1597, a mission in Ormoc was established by these missionaries. That year, the locals were converted to Christianity. Their years of peace was shortly felt when in 1634, a ruler of Sulu by the name of Raja Bungsu captured 300 natives from Ormoc after the invasion of the notorious pirates in the town. The towns of Sogod, Kabalian, Inopacan and Baybay were also invaded and plundered. More locals of Ormoc still fought this Raja and his men but because they were outnumbered, they were massacred up to the last man.Philippine RevolutionOrmoc was a hotbed of revolutionaries seeking independence from Spanish rule. The revolutionary leader Faustino Ablen inspired locals to join the Pulahan Movement.Early American PeriodIn 1903, the municipality of Albuera was consolidated into Ormoc.World War IIAfter the Japanese Occupation and a rule of Second Philippine Republic, Ormoc was a garrison of small divisions of the Imperial Japanese Army. With the Allies near the City, Japan began to reinforce the city and the Battle of Ormoc Bay began. The city is liberated afterwards.CityhoodOrmoc became a city by virtue of Republic Act No. 179 on October 20, 1947, becoming the fifteenth city in the Philippines and the first in the Eastern Visayas region.[Kananga was created in 1950 from the barrios of Lonoy, Kananga, Rizal, Tugbong, Montebello, Aguiting, Tagaytay, Montealegre, Libungao, Naghalin, and Masarayao which all used to be part of Ormoc City.