the other side of almagro island

sunrise in almagro

History of Almagro Island, Western Samar

During the early times, the first inhabitants of the island of Almagro called this island “Guang”, which means matured bananas for the place was covered with banana plants. Several years later, a strong typhoon decimated the banana plants and the place was overrun by fast – growing talahib. The inhabitants then called the island Talahib.

In the mid – 18th century, the country was struck by a long drought. This drought was felt not only in Mindanao but throughout the Visayas. Severely hit were the provinces of Samar, Masbate, Cebu and Leyte. To avert the calamity, the settlers of the island planted drought – resistant rootcrops like ube, camote, corioso, bilanghoy and species of ube called cubong, tumanok, bilyacog and corot. The supply was so abundant that those rootcrops even reached as far as Quezon province in the north, and Bohol on the south.

The inhabitants of the neighboring provinces has heard of the wonder rootcrops in the island that they came in bilos (local sailboats) to barter for the rootcrops. When questioned where they got the rootcrops, they pointed to the island saying “Al Milagro”.

The word “Al Milagro” was later corrupted by the inhabitants to “Alimagro” and “Alimagroso”. Through time the Spanish authorities finally called the island Almagro which was adopted as the official name of the municipality at the beginning of the American regime.

almagro map

Almagro is politically subdivided into 23 barangays.
Bacjao,Biasong I,Costa Rica,Guin-ansan,Kerikite,Lunang I (Look),Lunang II,Malobago,Marasbaras.
Panjobjoban I,Poblacion,Talahid,Tonga-Tonga,Imelda (Badjang),Biasong II,Costa Rica II,Mabuhay,
Magsaysay,Panjobjoban II,Roño,San Isidro,San Jose,Veloso
Almagro is a 5th class municipality in the province of Samar, Philippines. According to the 2000 census, it has a population of 10,619 people in 2,192 households.

this called pasaheroan or pasenger boat