Skip to content

Province

Southern Leyte

Southern Leyte is a province in the Eastern Visayas region of Visayas, Philippines. Its population was 434,372 in the 2024 census, and it has 1 city and 18 municipalities.

  • Population: 2024 Census
  • Places: PSGC 2Q 2026
  • Checked by Scene: October 8, 2026
  • Page updated: October 8, 2026
A tall concrete bridge on a single slender pier spanning a deep green valley, with a white bus crossing it and forested hills rolling away to blue mountains under a bright sky.
The Agas-Agas Bridge, in Sogod.Photo: “Agas-agas Bridge, Philippines” by Ronald Tagra, CC BY 2.0, via Wikimedia Commons; cropped and resized by Scene.

  • PeopleSources

    434,372

    people counted in the 2024 censusCensusA count of every person in the country, all on one day. The 2024 census counted people as they were on 1 July 2024.More in the glossary

    Up 8.8% from 2010 to 2024

  • Rank by peopleSources

    5th

    of the 6 provinces of Eastern Visayas by population, 2024Rank and shareWorked out by Scene from the PSA's counts: where a place stands among the places listed with it, and how many of every 100 of its parent's people live in it.More in the glossary

    About 9 of every 100 people in Eastern Visayas lived in Southern Leyte in 2024 (9.39%)

  • Inside itSources

    19

    cities and municipalities

    500 barangays

  • LandSources

    1,518.40 km²

    of land, 2019 masterlistLand areaThe land inside the place's official boundary. A square kilometre is a square 1 km on each side, about the size of 140 football fields.Explained by Scene: Southern Leyte's land would fill a square about 39.0 km on each side. That is only a way to picture its size: its real shape is on the map.More in the glossary

    Average density, 2024: 286 people per km²Population densityHow crowded a place is on average: its people divided by its land area. 1,000 people per square kilometre is 10 people per hectare, a square of 100 by 100 metres.Explained by Scene: About 3 people per hectare if everyone were spread evenly across the land. In fact people live closer together in towns and farther apart in the countryside.More in the glossary

  • HomesSources

    106,977

    households in 2024HouseholdA person living alone, or people who sleep in the same home and share their meals. A family may be one household or several.More in the glossary

    4.1 people in each, on average, in 2024

  • Town or countrySources

    11%

    About 11 of every 100 people lived in urban barangays in 2024Urban barangayThe PSA counts a barangay as urban when it has 5,000 people or more, or a big employer, or several businesses and public services close by. Every barangay in Metro Manila is urban.More in the glossary

PSGC codePSGC codeThe code the Philippine Statistics Authority gives every place, so each one is known exactly, even when two share a name.More in the glossary
0806400000[4]Formerly 086400000

People

Southern Leyte had 434,372 people in the 2024 census, up 8.8% from 2010.
People at each census since 1960

Counts from 2000 on are on today’s borders; earlier counts are as the place was then, so the line may step where a border moved.

Southern Leyte had the 5th most people of the 6 provinces of Eastern Visayas in 2024[1]
  1. 1Leyte1,823,458
  2. 2Samar806,179
  3. 3Northern Samar645,789
  4. 4Eastern Samar472,683
  5. 5Southern Leyte434,372
  6. 6Biliran184,095
All 6 provinces of Eastern Visayas
Of every 100 people in Southern Leyte in 2024[1]
Age structure · 2024 Census[5]People living in households, by age and sex
  • About 24 of every 100 are children under 15 (23.5%)
  • About 67 of every 100 are of working age, 15 to 64 (67.2%)
  • About 9 of every 100 are 65 or older (9.3%)
MenWomen

The figures by age

People by age group, men and women
AgePeopleMenWomen
Under 526,73613,88612,850
5 - 934,40718,16516,242
10 - 1440,88421,31319,571
15 - 1942,00421,84820,156
20 - 2439,86120,66819,193
25 - 2934,31317,71716,596
30 - 3431,95416,44115,513
35 - 3928,72014,85313,867
40 - 4426,46113,54512,916
45 - 4924,51412,70811,806
50 - 5422,79611,58911,207
55 - 5921,65810,84810,810
60 - 6419,0709,3889,682
65 - 6915,0387,2147,824
70 - 7410,7714,7935,978
75 - 797,1832,9454,238
80 - 844,4551,6402,815
85 and over3,0198792,140

Every figure, census by census

People, 2024 CensusCensusA count of every person in the country, all on one day. The 2024 census counted people as they were on 1 July 2024.More in the glossary
434,372[1, 2]
Households, 2024HouseholdA person living alone, or people who sleep in the same home and share their meals. A family may be one household or several.More in the glossary
106,977[1, 2]
People in each household, 2024
4.1 on average[1, 2]
Share of Eastern Visayas, 2024Rank and shareWorked out by Scene from the PSA's counts: where a place stands among the places listed with it, and how many of every 100 of its parent's people live in it.More in the glossary
9.39%[1]
In urban barangays, 2024Urban barangayThe PSA counts a barangay as urban when it has 5,000 people or more, or a big employer, or several businesses and public services close by. Every barangay in Metro Manila is urban.More in the glossary
11% (47,568 people)[6]
Men and women, 2024
220,440 men, 213,404 women[5]People living in households
Population at each census, with its source
CensusPopulationGrowth since the census beforeHouseholdsPeople per household
2024as of July 1, 2024434,372[1, 2]0.27% a year106,9774.1
2020as of May 1, 2020429,573[1]0.39% a year——
2015as of August 1, 2015421,750[1]1.05% a year——
2010as of May 1, 2010399,137[1]———
2007as of August 1, 2007; as it was then390,847[36]1.13% a year——
2000as of May 1, 2000; on today’s borders360,160[36, 37]2.73% a year——
1995as of September 1, 1995; as it was then317,565[36]−0.26% a year——
1990as of May 1, 1990; as it was then321,940[36]0.83% a year——
1980as of May 1, 1980; as it was then296,294[36]1.40% a year——
1975as of May 1, 1975; as it was then276,418[36]1.92% a year——
1970as of May 6, 1970; as it was then251,425[36]1.79% a year——
1960as of February 15, 1960; as it was then209,608[36]———

Cities and municipalities

Southern Leyte is made up of 18 municipalities and 1 city, with 500 barangays in all.
Colour byColours the map of Southern Leyte by the figure chosen; the key beside it says what each colour means.
LeyteAnahawan: 8,766 people, 306 per km², 0.94% a yearBontoc: 32,082 people, 1,844 per km², 1.79% a yearMaasin City: 85,486 people, 408 per km², −0.54% a yearHinunangan: 30,384 people, 201 per km², 1.00% a yearHinundayan: 13,042 people, 320 per km², 1.22% a yearLibagon: 16,146 people, 164 per km², 1.39% a yearLiloan: 23,787 people, 468 per km², −1.00% a yearLimasawa: 6,480 people, 1,009 per km², 1.10% a yearMacrohon: 27,276 people, 362 per km², 0.62% a yearMalitbog: 21,691 people, 291 per km², −1.66% a yearPadre Burgos: 11,515 people, 600 per km², 0.76% a yearPintuyan: 10,930 people, 227 per km², 1.67% a yearSaint Bernard: 28,131 people, 288 per km², −0.24% a yearSan Francisco: 12,897 people, 188 per km², −0.98% a yearSan Juan: 15,036 people, 379 per km², 0.20% a yearSan Ricardo: 10,385 people, 286 per km², −0.26% a yearSilago: 14,677 people, 82 per km², 2.73% a yearSogod: 48,815 people, 223 per km², 0.63% a yearTomas Oppus: 16,846 people, 298 per km², −0.20% a year

People · 2024 Census

  • Under 20,000
  • 20,000 to 31,000
  • 31,000 to 45,000
  • 45,000 to 76,000
  • 76,000 and over

The same steps colour every map of cities and municipalities in the Atlas, so a colour means the same range everywhere.

Density · people per km², 2024

  • Under 140
  • 140 to 250
  • 250 to 390
  • 390 to 750
  • 750 and over

The same steps colour every map of cities and municipalities in the Atlas, so a colour means the same range everywhere.

Growth a year · 2020–2024

  • Fell by more than 1% a year
  • Fell, by up to 1% a year
  • Grew, by under 1% a year
  • Grew by 1 to 2% a year
  • Grew by 2% a year or more

Each place's yearly change between the 2020 and 2024 censuses, on the same steps as every map in the Atlas.

Borders from UN OCHA (PSA and NAMRIA), a guide and not the legal boundary[3]Open in OpenStreetMap
Cities and municipalities of Southern Leyte. Each column heading sorts the table.
Kind[1, 7]Share (2024)
AnahawanMunicipality8,7662.02%0.94% a year28.62 km²
BontocMunicipality32,0827.39%1.79% a year17.40 km²
Maasin CityComponent city85,48619.68%−0.54% a year209.55 km²
HinunanganMunicipality30,3846.99%1.00% a year151.51 km²
HinundayanMunicipality13,0423%1.22% a year40.72 km²
LibagonMunicipality16,1463.72%1.39% a year98.61 km²
LiloanMunicipality23,7875.48%−1.00% a year50.88 km²
LimasawaMunicipality6,4801.49%1.10% a year6.42 km²
MacrohonMunicipality27,2766.28%0.62% a year75.25 km²
MalitbogMunicipality21,6914.99%−1.66% a year74.52 km²
Padre BurgosMunicipality11,5152.65%0.76% a year19.20 km²
PintuyanMunicipality10,9302.52%1.67% a year48.18 km²
Saint BernardMunicipality28,1316.48%−0.24% a year97.73 km²
San FranciscoMunicipality12,8972.97%−0.98% a year68.59 km²
San JuanMunicipality15,0363.46%0.20% a year39.65 km²
San RicardoMunicipality10,3852.39%−0.26% a year36.35 km²
SilagoMunicipality14,6773.38%2.73% a year179.42 km²
SogodMunicipality48,81511.24%0.63% a year219.20 km²
Tomas OppusMunicipality16,8463.88%−0.20% a year56.60 km²

Land & Environment

Southern Leyte covers 1,518.40 km² of land, 286 people for every km² in 2024. Its land rises to 1,003 m above the sea and it has 344 km of coast.
Land areaLand areaThe land inside the place's official boundary. A square kilometre is a square 1 km on each side, about the size of 140 football fields.More in the glossary
1,518.40 km²[7]As listed in the 2019 Masterlist of Land Areas (LMB, DENR)
Average density, 2024Population densityHow crowded a place is on average: its people divided by its land area. 1,000 people per square kilometre is 10 people per hectare, a square of 100 by 100 metres.More in the glossary
286 people per km²[7]
Coordinates
10.43502° N, 125.08799° E[3]The point inside its border farthest from every edge, so it always falls within the place.
Height above the sea[32]
Lowest
0 m
Average
263 m
Highest
1,003 m

Heights from the Copernicus DEM, a 30 m model of the surface: it reads the tops of trees and roofs, not the bare ground, over the land inside the border, the sea left out. Produced using Copernicus WorldDEM-30 © DLR e.V. 2010-2014 and © Airbus Defence and Space GmbH 2014-2018 provided under COPERNICUS by the European Union and ESA; all rights reserved.

Water, coast and peaks

344.0 km of coastline[33]

Rivers[33]

  1. Himbangan River20.6 of 20.7 km
  2. Amparo River16.5 km
  3. Subangdaku River12.8 km
  4. Le Canturing River10.1 km
  5. Das-ay River9.9 of 10.0 km
  6. Silago River9.7 km
  7. Bonbon River8.7 km
  8. Talay River6.8 km

The longest inside it: 15 in all.

Peaks[33]

  1. Mount Bitanjuan965 m
  2. Mount Llave950 m
  3. Mount Cabalianvolcano945 m
  4. Mount Cantocloc905 m
  5. Cantolocvolcano820 m
  6. Mount Lunas698 m

The highest: 25 in all.

Named rivers, lakes and peaks as OpenStreetMap mapped them on 30 September 2026, and the coast within 150 m of the border. Map data © OpenStreetMap contributors, under the Open Database License.

Climate

Climate typeClimate typePAGASA sorts the country's climate into four types by when the rain falls. Type I has a dry season from November to April and a wet one for the rest of the year; Type II has no dry season, with the most rain from December to February; Type III has a short dry season; Type IV has rain spread through the year.More in the glossary

Type II[34]

No dry season. The rain is heaviest from December to February, and no month is truly dry.

Covers about 54 of every 100 parts of its land. Read by Scene off PAGASA's climate map, so approximate: the type that covers most of the place's land.

At Maasin, the nearest PAGASA station, 41 km away[35]Averages for 1991 to 2020: 2,339 mm of rain on 153 days a year; 27.5 °C on average

Rain each month Average temperature

The figures by month

Climate at Maasin, 1991 to 2020, by month
MonthRainRainy daysAverageHighLow
January289 mm1626.3 °C29.5 °C23.2 °C
February198 mm1226.6 °C30.1 °C23.2 °C
March143 mm1027.3 °C31.0 °C23.6 °C
April72 mm728.2 °C32.1 °C24.3 °C
May95 mm828.7 °C32.6 °C24.7 °C
June161 mm1128.1 °C31.7 °C24.5 °C
July210 mm1427.6 °C31.1 °C24.2 °C
August203 mm1427.7 °C31.1 °C24.3 °C
September237 mm1427.6 °C31.1 °C24.1 °C
October233 mm1527.6 °C31.1 °C24.0 °C
November214 mm1527.3 °C30.8 °C23.8 °C
December286 mm1726.7 °C29.9 °C23.5 °C
The year2,339 mm15327.5 °C31.0 °C23.9 °C

A station's figures describe the place around it only roughly: inland and in the hills it may be cooler and wetter. The station stands 72 m above the sea.

Life & Economy

Southern Leyte's economy made ₱62.4 billion of goods and services in 2025, ₱142,576 for each person. About 12 of every 100 people lived below the poverty line in 2023.
Economy, 2025Gross domestic productThe value of all the goods and services made in a place in a year: the size of its economy. The PSA measures it for every region, province and highly urbanized city. Counted at 2018 prices, it leaves out the rise in prices, so one year can be set beside another.More in the glossary
₱62.4 billion[19]Its gross domestic product at current prices; ₱50.9 billion at 2018 prices.
Growth, 2024–2025
3.3%[20]How much more it made than the year before, at 2018 prices.
For each person, 2025
₱142,576[21]Its economy divided by its projected population, at current prices, as the PSA works it out.
Poverty, 2023Poverty incidenceHow many of every 100 people live in families whose income is below the poverty line: what a person needs in a year for food and other basic needs, as the PSA sets it for each province. It is an estimate, from a survey or, for a town, a statistical model, so the PSA gives a range it is likely to fall in.More in the glossary
11.9% of people[22]Below the poverty line, by the PSA's survey.
Income classIncome classThe Department of Finance sorts provinces, cities and municipalities into classes by their average yearly income over recent years: 1st class has the most. It measures the local government's income, not how well off its people are.More in the glossary
1st class[4]
About 12 of every 100 people in Southern Leyte lived below the poverty line in 2023 (11.9%)[22]

The PSA's survey puts it between 9.1% and 14.7%, with 95% confidence. The poverty line was ₱31,449 a person for the year.

The PSA notes: Those with CVs higher than 10% in 2023 poverty incidence among population should be used with caution.

Public places

  • 348government offices
  • 54hospitals and health centres
  • 472schools
  • 171places of worship
  • 23markets
  • 31stations and terminals
  • 23parks
  • 21beaches
  • 13monuments and memorials

Counted from OpenStreetMap[3, 8]. Each town's page lists its own; this page lists the stations, parks, beaches and monuments.

Where a kind has more than 8, this page shows 6: first those with “Southern Leyte” in their name, then one in each of its most populous cities and municipalities.

Stations and terminals31

25 more stations and terminals are listed on the pages of the cities and municipalities they stand in. See the 19 cities and municipalities of Southern Leyte

Parks22

16 more parks are listed on the pages of the cities and municipalities they stand in. See the 19 cities and municipalities of Southern Leyte

Beaches21

15 more beaches are listed on the pages of the cities and municipalities they stand in. See the 19 cities and municipalities of Southern Leyte

Monuments and memorials13

7 more monuments and memorials are listed on the pages of the cities and municipalities they stand in. See the 19 cities and municipalities of Southern Leyte

As OpenStreetMap maps them on September 30, 2026. Map data © OpenStreetMap contributors, under the Open Database License.

Government & Leaders

A governor leads Southern Leyte. Its local laws, called ordinances, are passed by the Sangguniang Panlalawigan (the provincial board), led by the vice governor. The governor, the vice governor and the board's elected members serve three-year terms, and none may serve more than three in a row.[16, 17]

Capital
Maasin City[4]

2 legislative districtsLegislative districtThe area that elects one member of the House of Representatives. A big province or city may have several.More in the glossary[18]

Each district elects one member of the House of Representatives. These are the districts as the laws drew them for the 2025 elections.

1st district

2nd district

Leaders

The governor and vice governor elected at each election since 2001, as COMELEC's lists of the elected name them, and those in office now, as the DILG's directory lists them.

  1. 2025–2028In office as of February 2026

    Governor
    Damian Gaviola Mercado[23]
    Vice governor
    Rosa Emilia Gaviola Mercado[23]

  2. 2022–2025

    Governor
    Damian Gaviola Mercado[24]
    Vice governor
    Rosa Emilia Gaviola Mercado[24]

  3. 2019–2022

    Governor
    Damian Gaviola Mercado[25]
    Vice governor
    Christopherson Macabata Yap[25]

  4. 2016–2019

    Governor
    Damian Gaviola Mercado[26]
    Vice governor
    Christopherson Macabata Yap[26]

  5. 2013–2016

    Governor
    Roger Gaviola Mercado[27]
    Vice governor
    Sheffered Lino Siongco Tan[27]

  6. 2010–2013

    Governor
    Damian Gaviola Mercado[28]
    Vice governor
    Miguel Cagasan Maamo II[28]

  7. 2007–2010

    Governor
    Damian Gaviola Mercado[29]
    Vice governor
    Miguel Cagasan Maamo II[29]

  8. 2004–2007

    Governor
    Rosette Yneguez Lerias[30]
    Vice governor
    Miguel Cagasan Maamo II[30]

  9. 2001–2004

    Governor
    Rosette Y. Lerias[31]
    Vice governor
    Eva L. Tomol[31]
Governors and vice governors of Southern Leyte, by term
TermGovernorVice governor
2025–2028In office as of February 2026Damian Gaviola Mercado[23]Rosa Emilia Gaviola Mercado[23]
2022–2025Damian Gaviola Mercado[24]Rosa Emilia Gaviola Mercado[24]
2019–2022Damian Gaviola Mercado[25]Christopherson Macabata Yap[25]
2016–2019Damian Gaviola Mercado[26]Christopherson Macabata Yap[26]
2013–2016Roger Gaviola Mercado[27]Sheffered Lino Siongco Tan[27]
2010–2013Damian Gaviola Mercado[28]Miguel Cagasan Maamo II[28]
2007–2010Damian Gaviola Mercado[29]Miguel Cagasan Maamo II[29]
2004–2007Rosette Yneguez Lerias[30]Miguel Cagasan Maamo II[30]
2001–2004Rosette Y. Lerias[31]Eva L. Tomol[31]

History & Identity

Southern Leyte's fiesta and days

Everything listed for Southern Leyte in Now

Created
Created by Republic Act No. 2227, approved 22 May 1959, with effect from 1 July 1960[9]

How it got its name

Earlier plans to divide Leyte used other names: Act No. 3117 of 1923 would have made the towns from Villaba to Hinunangan into Occidental Leyte, and a 1957 bill proposed a Western Leyte of the 2nd and 3rd districts, except Ormoc City. The province finally created in 1959 took in Leyte's Third District, from Maasin to Silago with the towns on Panaon Island, under the name Southern Leyte.[9, 10, 11]

Its story

Its recorded history begins with Leyte's. On 28 March 1521 Magellan's expedition landed on Limasawa, where its ruler, Rajah Kolambu, made a blood compact with Magellan, and on Easter Sunday, 31 March 1521, the first Mass in the Philippines was said there. A 1960 law declared the site a national shrine.[10, 12, 13]

Under Spain the western and southern towns, centred on Maasin, already had their own court and treasury office. Under the Americans these offices went back to Tacloban, except the court.[10, 14]

Distance and bad roads to Tacloban led the Cebuano-speaking west coast to seek a province of its own from 1915 on. Act No. 3117 of 1923 divided Leyte into Oriental and Occidental Leyte, but the Governor-General never proclaimed it, and it never took effect.[10, 11, 14]

Republic Act No. 2227, signed by President Carlos P. Garcia on 22 May 1959, made the Third District the Province of Southern Leyte. It was inaugurated on 1 July 1960 with sixteen towns and Maasin as its capital, and Alfredo K. Bantug as its first governor.[9, 10]

The province marks 1 July as its charter anniversary.[15]

Timeline

  1. 28 March 1521

    Magellan's expedition lands on Limasawa.[10]

  2. 31 March 1521

    The first Mass in the Philippines is said on Limasawa.[12, 13]

  3. 27 March 1923

    Act No. 3117 provides for an Occidental Leyte; it is never proclaimed.[10, 11]

  4. 22 May 1959

    Republic Act No. 2227 creates the Province of Southern Leyte.[9]

  5. 19 June 1960

    Republic Act No. 2733 declares the site of the first Mass on Limasawa a national shrine.[13]

  6. 1 July 1960

    Southern Leyte is inaugurated, with Maasin as its capital.[9, 10]

Nearby

Southern Leyte shares a border with Leyte.

How it compares

Southern Leyte beside Eastern Visayas, and where it stands among the provinces of Eastern Visayas.

Southern Leyte beside Eastern Visayas
FigureSouthern LeyteEastern VisayasRank among the provinces of Eastern Visayas
People, 2024CensusA count of every person in the country, all on one day. The 2024 census counted people as they were on 1 July 2024.More in the glossary434,372[1, 2]4,625,9295th of 6
Growth a year, 2020–2024Growth a yearHow fast the number of people changed each year between two censuses. 1% a year means about 1 more person for every 100 people, each year.More in the glossary0.27% a year[1, 2]slower0.41% a year4th of 6
People per km², 2024Population densityHow crowded a place is on average: its people divided by its land area. 1,000 people per square kilometre is 10 people per hectare, a square of 100 by 100 metres.More in the glossary286[7]more crowded2203rd of 6
Land areaLand areaThe land inside the place's official boundary. A square kilometre is a square 1 km on each side, about the size of 140 football fields.More in the glossary1,518.40 km²[7]21,017.38 km²5th of 6
People in each household, 2024HouseholdA person living alone, or people who sleep in the same home and share their meals. A family may be one household or several.More in the glossary4.1[1, 2]higher4.0not ranked
In urban barangays, 2024Urban barangayThe PSA counts a barangay as urban when it has 5,000 people or more, or a big employer, or several businesses and public services close by. Every barangay in Metro Manila is urban.More in the glossary11%[6]lower17.3%not ranked

Shares a border with[3]

Sources

Page updated October 8, 2026. Sources checked by Scene October 8, 2026.
  1. 1.Philippine Statistics Authority. Population and Annual Population Growth Rate of the Philippines and its Regions, Provinces, and Highly Urbanized Cities Based on the 2010, 2015, 2020 and 2024 Population Census (OpenSTAT table 0211A6DAPG0). Published August 7, 2026. Read by Scene October 2, 2026. CC BY (PSA Terms of Use). Open the source
  2. 2.Philippine Statistics Authority. Total Population, Household Population, and Number of Households by Province, City, Municipality, and Barangay as of 01 July 2024: Eastern Visayas (OpenSTAT table 0081A6DTPH7). Published August 5, 2026. Read by Scene October 2, 2026. CC BY (PSA Terms of Use). Open the source
  3. 3.UN OCHA, from the PSA and NAMRIA. Philippines: Subnational Administrative Boundaries (COD-AB), barangay layer. Published February 13, 2025. Read by Scene September 25, 2026. CC BY-IGO 3.0. Open the source
  4. 4.Philippine Statistics Authority. Philippine Standard Geographic Code (PSGC), 2nd Quarter 2026: Publication Datafile. Published June 30, 2026. Read by Scene September 24, 2026. CC BY (PSA Terms of Use). Open the source
  5. 5.Philippine Statistics Authority. Household Population by Age-Group Region, Province, and Highly Urbanized City: Philippines, 2024 Census of Population (OpenSTAT table 0201A6DPAG0). Published August 7, 2026. Read by Scene October 2, 2026. CC BY (PSA Terms of Use). Open the source
  6. 6.Philippine Statistics Authority. Total Population and Urban Population by Urban Classification and Region, Province, Highly Urbanized City, City/Municipality and Barangay: Philippines, 2024 (OpenSTAT table 0231A6DPUP0). Published August 7, 2026. Read by Scene October 2, 2026. CC BY (PSA Terms of Use). Open the source
  7. 7.Philippine Statistics Authority, from the Land Management Bureau (DENR). Population, Land Area, Population Density, and Percent Change in Population Density by Region, Province/Highly Urbanized City, and City/Municipality: 2015, 2020, and 2024 (OpenSTAT table 0221A6DLPD0). Published August 7, 2026. Read by Scene October 2, 2026. CC BY (PSA Terms of Use). Open the source
  8. 8.OpenStreetMap contributors. Named public places in OpenStreetMap: schools, hospitals and health centres, places of worship, government offices, markets, stations, parks, beaches and monuments, from Geofabrik's extract of the Philippines. Published September 30, 2026. Read by Scene October 2, 2026. ODbL 1.0. Open the source
  9. 9.Congress of the Philippines. Republic Act No. 2227: An Act Creating the Province of Southern Leyte. Published May 22, 1959. Read by Scene October 2, 2026. Philippine government work, no copyright (Republic Act No. 8293, Section 176.1). Open the source
  10. 10.Provincial Government of Southern Leyte. History (as archived by the Internet Archive on 3 June 2025). Published July 28, 2022. Read by Scene October 2, 2026. Philippine government work, no copyright (Republic Act No. 8293, Section 176.1). Open the source
  11. 11.Philippine Legislature. Act No. 3117: An Act to Provide for the Division of the Province of Leyte into Two Provinces Independent from Each Other, Fix the Boundaries of Each, and for Other Purposes. Published March 27, 1923. Read by Scene October 2, 2026. Philippine government work, no copyright (Republic Act No. 8293, Section 176.1). Open the source
  12. 12.Provincial Government of Southern Leyte. Provincial Symbols. Published August 11, 2022. Read by Scene October 2, 2026. Philippine government work, no copyright (Republic Act No. 8293, Section 176.1). Open the source
  13. 13.Congress of the Philippines. Republic Act No. 2733: An Act to Declare the Site in Magallanes, Limasawa Island in the Province of Leyte, Where the First Mass in the Philippines was Held as a National Shrine, to Provide for the Preservation of Historical Monuments and Landmarks Thereat, and for Other Purposes. Published June 19, 1960. Read by Scene October 2, 2026. Philippine government work, no copyright (Republic Act No. 8293, Section 176.1). Open the source
  14. 14.Provincial Government of Southern Leyte. A Brief History of the Province of Southern Leyte (older site, as archived by the Internet Archive on 5 July 2015). Read by Scene October 2, 2026. Philippine government work, no copyright (Republic Act No. 8293, Section 176.1). Open the source
  15. 15.Office of the President of the Philippines. Proclamation No. 196, s. 1993: Declaring 1 July 1993 as a Special Day in the Province of Southern Leyte. Published June 29, 1993. Read by Scene October 2, 2026. Philippine government work, no copyright (Republic Act No. 8293, Section 176.1). Open the source
  16. 16.Congress of the Philippines. Republic Act No. 7160: the Local Government Code of 1991. Published October 10, 1991. Read by Scene October 2, 2026. Philippine government work, no copyright (Republic Act No. 8293, Section 176.1). Open the source
  17. 17.1986 Constitutional Commission. The 1987 Constitution of the Republic of the Philippines. Published February 2, 1987. Read by Scene October 2, 2026. Philippine government work, no copyright (Republic Act No. 8293, Section 176.1). Open the source
  18. 18.Congress of the Philippines. Republic Act No. 11198: An Act providing for the reapportionment of the Province of Southern Leyte into two (2) legislative districts. Published February 1, 2019. Read by Scene October 2, 2026. Philippine government work, no copyright (Republic Act No. 8293, Section 176.1). Open the source
  19. 19.Philippine Statistics Authority. Gross Domestic Product by Province and HUC (OpenSTAT table 0012A5FPPA0). Published August 28, 2026. Read by Scene October 2, 2026. CC BY (PSA Terms of Use). Open the source
  20. 20.Philippine Statistics Authority. Gross Domestic Product by Province and HUC, Growth Rates (OpenSTAT table 0032A5FPPA2). Published August 28, 2026. Read by Scene October 2, 2026. CC BY (PSA Terms of Use). Open the source
  21. 21.Philippine Statistics Authority. Per Capita Gross Domestic Product by Province and HUC (OpenSTAT table 0092A5FPPA8). Published August 28, 2026. Read by Scene October 2, 2026. CC BY (PSA Terms of Use). Open the source
  22. 22.Philippine Statistics Authority (PSA). Table 2a. Annual Per Capita Poverty Threshold and Poverty Incidence Among Population with Measures of Precision, by Region, Province and Highly Urbanized Cities: 2018, 2021, and 2023 (OpenSTAT table 0041F3DF02A). Published August 15, 2024. Read by Scene October 2, 2026. CC BY (PSA Terms of Use). Open the source
  23. 23.Department of the Interior and Local Government (DILG). Directory of LGU Elective Officials for Term 2025-2028 as of February 2026 (its sheet: Consolidated List of Officials for Election Terms (2025-2028)), released through the FOI portal. Published February 2026. Read by Scene October 2, 2026. A work of the Government of the Philippines: RA 8293, Section 176 (no copyright subsists in it; exploiting it for profit needs the agency's prior approval). Open the source
  24. 24.Commission on Elections (COMELEC), Records and Statistics Division, ERSD. List of Elected Provincial Candidates, May 9, 2022 National and Local Elections. Published December 23, 2025. Read by Scene October 2, 2026. Public domain: comelec.gov.ph says "All content is in the public domain unless otherwise stated." Each list carries COMELEC's data privacy notice (RA 10173).. Open the source
  25. 25.Commission on Elections (COMELEC), Records and Statistics Division, ERSD. List of Elected Provincial Candidates, May 13, 2019 National and Local Elections. Published December 23, 2025. Read by Scene October 2, 2026. Public domain: comelec.gov.ph says "All content is in the public domain unless otherwise stated." Each list carries COMELEC's data privacy notice (RA 10173).. Open the source
  26. 26.Commission on Elections (COMELEC), Records and Statistics Division, ERSD. List of Elected Provincial Candidates, May 9, 2016 National and Local Elections. Published January 12, 2026. Read by Scene October 2, 2026. Public domain: comelec.gov.ph says "All content is in the public domain unless otherwise stated." Each list carries COMELEC's data privacy notice (RA 10173).. Open the source
  27. 27.Commission on Elections (COMELEC), Records and Statistics Division, ERSD. List of Elected Provincial Candidates, May 13, 2013 National and Local Elections. Published January 12, 2026. Read by Scene October 2, 2026. Public domain: comelec.gov.ph says "All content is in the public domain unless otherwise stated." Each list carries COMELEC's data privacy notice (RA 10173).. Open the source
  28. 28.Commission on Elections (COMELEC), Records and Statistics Division, ERSD. List of Elected Provincial Candidates, May 10, 2010 National and Local Elections. Published January 10, 2026. Read by Scene October 2, 2026. Public domain: comelec.gov.ph says "All content is in the public domain unless otherwise stated." Each list carries COMELEC's data privacy notice (RA 10173).. Open the source
  29. 29.Commission on Elections (COMELEC), Records and Statistics Division, ERSD. List of Elected Provincial Candidates, May 14, 2007 National and Local Elections. Published January 14, 2026. Read by Scene October 2, 2026. Public domain: comelec.gov.ph says "All content is in the public domain unless otherwise stated." Each list carries COMELEC's data privacy notice (RA 10173).. Open the source
  30. 30.Commission on Elections (COMELEC), Records and Statistics Division, ERSD. List of Elected Provincial Candidates, May 10, 2004 National and Local Elections. Published January 8, 2026. Read by Scene October 2, 2026. Public domain: comelec.gov.ph says "All content is in the public domain unless otherwise stated." Each list carries COMELEC's data privacy notice (RA 10173).. Open the source
  31. 31.Commission on Elections (COMELEC), Records and Statistics Division, ERSD. List of Elected Provincial Candidates, May 14, 2001 National and Local Elections (its pages are headed "LIST OF ELECTED MEMBER, HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES"). Published January 8, 2026. Read by Scene October 2, 2026. Public domain: comelec.gov.ph says "All content is in the public domain unless otherwise stated." Each list carries COMELEC's data privacy notice (RA 10173).. Open the source
  32. 32.European Union and the European Space Agency (Copernicus), from DLR and Airbus Defence and Space (WorldDEM). Copernicus DEM GLO-30: global digital surface model at 30 m, one-degree tiles (2021 release). Published 2021. Read by Scene October 2, 2026. Copernicus DEM GLO-30 licence: free, any use including commercial, with the Copernicus notice. Open the source
  33. 33.OpenStreetMap contributors, extract by Geofabrik. Named rivers, lakes, reservoirs, peaks and the coastline of the Philippines in OpenStreetMap (Geofabrik extract, cut by osmium). Published September 30, 2026. Read by Scene October 2, 2026. ODbL 1.0. Open the source
  34. 34.Philippine Atmospheric, Geophysical and Astronomical Services Administration (PAGASA), Climatology and Agrometeorology Division. Climate Map of the Philippines (1951-2010), Modified Coronas Climate Classification. Published August 2014. Read by Scene October 2, 2026. A work of the Government of the Philippines: no copyright (RA 8293 s.176.1); PAGASA's approval is needed to use it for profit. Open the source
  35. 35.Philippine Atmospheric, Geophysical and Astronomical Services Administration (PAGASA), Climatology and Agrometeorology Division. Climatological Normals, 1991-2020, by synoptic station (one PDF each). Published January 2022. Read by Scene October 2, 2026. A work of the Government of the Philippines: no copyright (RA 8293 s.176.1); PAGASA's approval is needed to use it for profit. Open the source
  36. 36.Philippine Statistics Authority. 2015 Census of Population, Statistical Tables, Table 1: Population Enumerated in Various Censuses by City/Municipality, 1960-2015 (one workbook for each province, highly urbanized city and region). Published 2017. Read by Scene October 2, 2026. CC BY (PSA Terms of Use). Open the source
  37. 37.Philippine Statistics Authority. 2020 Census of Population and Housing: Table A (Population and Annual Growth Rate for the Philippines and its Regions, Provinces and Highly Urbanized Cities) and Table B (Population and Annual Growth Rates by Province, City and Municipality, by Region). Published July 2021. Read by Scene October 2, 2026. CC BY (PSA Terms of Use). Open the source

Scene adds what the sources do not print themselves: growth rates, shares, barangay areas and densities, coordinates, neighbours and distances, each computed from the figures and borders above. How each is made.

See something wrong on this page? Write to hello@scene.ph with the page address. We check every report against the source.

Cite this page

Scene.ph. “Southern Leyte.” Scene Atlas. Updated October 8, 2026. https://scene.ph/atlas/southern-leyte