Hi. I'm Vicente Alejandro "Ven" S. Labro, a retired journalist with more than 20 years experience as reporter and editor of community newspapers. I had been the editor of regional newspapers such as The Reporter, the first regional weekly newspaper. and the Leyte Samar Daily Express, the first daily newspaper in Eastern Visayas.

 

Since 1994 until my recent retirement, I was the correspondent for Eastern Visayas of the Philippine Daily Inquirer (PDI). During that time, I also contributed articles to the Philippine Center for Investigative Journalism (PCIJ), the Newsbreak Magazine and Vera Files.

 

I have been a fellow of the Konrad Adenauer Asian Center for Journalism. I earned my Master of Arts, major in Journalism degree from the Ateneo de Manila University in 2006.

 

Although I was born in Samar, I have been staying in Leyte, particularly in Tacloban City, for nearly 20 years now due to my work. My work in the media brought me to different places in Samar and Leyte. I have been to major tourist destinations in our region

 

Eastern Vsayas is endowned with many natural wonders such as rock formations, caves, beaches, waterfalls, rivers, lakes and islets as well as lush forests and an amazing wildlife like tarsiers and flying lemurs.

 

The region is home to the Philippine Eagle, the national bird. It also hosts the famous Biri Rock Formations in Northern Samar; the scenic Kalanggaman Island in Palompon, Leyte; the Langun-Gobingob Cave -- the largest in the Philippines and second largest in Asia -- in Calbiga, Samar; the Leyte Geothermal Field in Ormoc City and Kananga town, which is one of the largest geothermal deposits in the world; and the Samar Island Natural Park, one of the biggest protected areas in the country.

 

It also have some engineering marvels like the San Juanico Bridge, the longest in the country; the Agas-agas Bridge, the tallest in the Philippines; and the Loop-D-Loop Bridge in Taft, Eastern Samar, a unique bridge constructed long before the country had a skyway. The Loop-D-Loop Bridge, which has a highway below the bridge instead of water as bridges are supposed to have underneath. The Loop-D-Loop was constructed  in the 1930's or 1940's to solve the problem of the terrain and a sudden rise in elevation in that portion of the highway.

 

Old stone churches as well as other historical and religious relics also abound in the region. Among the most famous memorials are the MacArthur Landing Memorial in Palo, Leyte; the First Mass Shrine in Limasawa, Southern Leyte; and the marker of the Magellan Landing in Homonhon Island, Guiuan, Eastern Samar, an event in 1521 that is considered the "discovery" of the Philippines.

 

Other historical events that occurred in the Eastern Visayas region include the Sumuroy Rebellion, the longest revolt during the Spanish era, and, the Battle of  Catubig and the Balangiga Encounter during the Philippine-American War.  In World War II, Leyte gurerillas paved the way for the landing of Gen. Douglas MacArthur and his men as well as the Allied Forces.

 

These facts prompted me to write about Eastern Visayas, particularly its tourist destinations. I want people in Samar, Eastern Samar, Northern Samar, Biliran, Southern Leyte and Leyte to be aware of the exstence of beautiful places in the region so that they will have their vacations or escapades in Eastern Visayas instead of going to places outside the region. Samar, Leyte, Biliran and the rest of Eastern Visayas are really awesome isalnds!