Eastern Samar Province, Philippines Genealogy

Philippines Eastern Samar Province

Guide to  ancestry, family history and genealogy: birth records, marriage records, death records, census records, parish registers, and military records.

History
Prior to the coming of the Spaniards in 1596, Samar Island was called in different names (Samal, Ibabao/Cibabao, Tandaya, etc.). Legend says that when the Spaniards arrived in Homonhon Island, they met a wounded man and asked the name of the place, he replied “samad” which implies of what had happened to him for he didn’t understand Spanish. So, the word “samad” was adopted with an alteration in the last letter (from d to r). The name Samar was derived from the local dialect “Samad”, meaning wound or cut, which aptly describes the rough physical features of the island that is rugged and deeply dissected by streams or a multitude of rivers dissect the island in various directions like crease-crossing wounds.

In the early days of Spanish occupation, Samar and Leyte islands were under the jurisdiction of Cebu. In 1735, Samar and Leyte were separated from Cebu and declared into one province with Carigara, Leyte as the capital. Consequently, during the Spanish-American colonial period, Samar was separated from Leyte and declared as a province in 1768 with Catbalogan as the provincial capital.

On June 19, 1965, RA 4221 was passed by Congress dividing Samar Island into three (3) provinces: Northern Samar with Catarman as capital, Eastern Samar with Borongan as capital, and Western Samar with Catbalogan as capital. A subsequent legislation passed on June 21, 1969 (RA 5650) changed the title “Western Samar” to simply Samar.

Cemeteries

 * Find A Grave


 * Maydolong Cemetery


 * Leyte Catholic Cemetery


 * Oras Public Cemetery


 * Giporlos Public Cemetery


 * Cantanam Cemetery


 * Parish Cemetery


 * Maydolong Cemetery


 * Guiuan Public Cemetery

Family History Library

 * FHL Results


 * Philippines Civil Registration (Archives Division) (FamilySearch Historical Records)


 * Philippines Genealogy


 * Philippines Genealogy Family Search


 * Family History Library Research Outlines

Philppine Statistics

 * Philippine Statistics

Researching Filipino Ancestors

 * Philippines, Civil Registration, Spanish Period (FamilySearch Historical Records)


 * Philippines Civil Registration- Vital Records


 * Philippines, Civil Registration, National (FamilySearch Historical Records)


 * Philippines, Civil Registration, Local (FamilySearch Historical Records)


 * [Philippines, Civil Registration (Archives Division) (FamilySearch Historical Records)]


 * Philippines Births and Baptisms (FamilySearch Historical Records)


 * Philippines Marriages (FamilySearch Historical Records)


 * Philippines Deaths and Burials (FamilySearch Historical Records)


 * Philippines, Court Records (FamilySearch Historical Records)


 * Philippines Church Records


 * Philippines


 * Death Records


 * National Archives Government Website


 * Catalog of Filipino Names


 * Civil Registration


 * Parish Registers - Family History before 1837


 * BYU Education Research Phillippines


 * Philippines, Civil Registration (Archives Division), 1902-1945


 * Filipino Ancestors


 * Obits Philippines freepages


 * Families of the Philippines


 * Surnames, etc


 * Resources for genealogy in the Philippines


 * PHILIPPINES-L Archives


 * Philippines » Birth, Marriage, Death


 * Philippines


 * Bona's Philippine Genealogy Site


 * Philippine Army and Guerrilla Records

Vital Statistics

 * Vital Statistics Special Release