We've Come A Long Way Baby!
I know I've talked at length about Calbayog City in the past, in person, in videos and on my regular blog. I've done my best to help promote it to foreigners, visitors and tourists alike. Someone from Manila even contacted me once about a video I produced It's Where We Live - Calbayog City thinking I was doing paid promotion of the city. I told him no and he said "You should be getting paid for promoting the city!" I don't! My reward is watching the city grow and seeing it attract all the creature comforts that come with that growth. Soon we will have a Greenwich Pizza place... and that is reward enough for me!
I'm not taking any responsibility for the growth in our area, on the contrary. It is possible though that there may have been a foreigner or two, encouraged to visit Samar or move here through my blogging efforts, I can't really be certain. But the expat population has definitely exploded here in the last couple of years. It was shortly after Samar Island's Bureau of Tourism adopted the slogan "Discover, Samar... Before Others Do" in 2014 that things began happening. Tourism picked up and investment money began pouring into the city. We have been witness to constant change since we arrived nearly 5 years ago. Two new supermarkets, a 5 story mall, new car dealership, new hotels and restaurants and tourism projects have been built or are ongoing, just to name a few.
There was a news article published about Calbayog's growth last year titled "No Longer Shy to Shine" where it described area images of the 1980s that evoked a quaint picture of the then much smaller metro area - mysterious yet almost magical—for an urban place. It also conjured up images of the breathtaking views of the sea and the clear rivers that invite a trek up to its source. It talked of the hills, full of rugged and natural beauty like they were hand-painted. Also described were majestic waterfalls that are seemingly more beautiful than what you see in tourism brochures. I can personally affirm that!
Samar is a place where people talk in hush. Where a stranger will surely invite a cautious stare, yet friendly and inviting at the same time. Many years ago it was said that travelers would receive cautious advice from locals - don't buy street-peddled foods, bring your own water, avoid looking into the eyes of the people and never accept an invitation from a person with a missing philtrum (that indentation on the upper lip, just under the nose). Age-old anecdotal beliefs still held true.
Being an isolated province all it's own, Samar was full of unsubstantiated warnings - many gone unheeded as it was difficult not to be attracted to this city - if just only to enjoy a piece of the natural beauty this side of Samar Island holds. For those who enjoy the ocean views, the city offers nearly 50 to 60 kilometers of shoreline views - some with panoramic blue green waters and deserted beaches. Traveler's will also witness kids playing in the gentle shoreline surf alongside fishing boats parked in the shallows after returning from plying their routes where fisherman haggled with traders over the price of their fresh catch. Then there is the panoramic backdrop of the extended shoreline dotted with bamboo shacks and nipa huts nestled among thousands of tall coconut trees.
With quick glance, one can easily say Calbayog is blessed with unspoiled scenic beauty of rivers, caves, and waterfalls, along with the rich marine resources of the Samar Sea. The interior is vast with fertile agricultural land and hardworking and friendly people. Yet, for a long time, the city was underdeveloped and has only been awakened during the last two decades. It has been quoted as the Philippines own "Sleeping Giant" not only because it is the third largest island in the archipelago, but because it has never been tapped for its abundant natural resources.
Rapid Development
Fast forward to the present time and the place still looks familiar, with it's blues and the greens, but now with many more concrete structures, paved roads, heavy traffic, city parks, and busy streets, all indicating booming economic activity. In recent years, the city's infrastructure has been improved with widening of streets, improved drainage system, and traffic guidance. People here still drive a little on the crazy side and I believe in time, when the city begins cracking down on illicit driving practices, that too will improve. There are more privately owned cars here than there ever has been, a by-product of solid growth and economic development. All in all, Calbayog City has ripened itself for further economic expansion by way of creating a positive investment outlook by passing an investment code that provides a five-year moratorium on business taxes for new companies that will invest in the city.
Mayor Aquino has said that his dream for his constituents is simple - to be able to provide for the basic needs of the city residents and create jobs so that they no longer have to leave the city to look for greener pastures.
The City Already, a New.
Just last fall, Gaisano Grand Mall opened its multi-floor department and grocery supermarket as a prelude to the rest of the 5 story mall filling up with new businesses. Some are already open and others are nearly ready to open their doors. After the mall opens its final phase, it will be set to employ up to 500 workers with at least 80 percent of that workforce provided by the local populace as part of the corporation's pact with the city. Robinson's Land Corporation is also planning to put up another mall on the south end of the city once they complete the ongoing project in Tacloban, the Robinson's North Mall. There is discussion of a Cebu-based shipbuilding company locating a new shipyard for building and repair near the newly established Calbayog City port. A Toyota dealership has already opened and another auto dealership is rumored to be already involved in the construction process.
Calbayog serves as the commercial, industrial and fishing hub of Western Samar. In 2014 it generated an income of over P77 million, the third-largest among cities in Eastern Visayas, derived mainly from production in fishery, abaca, copra and coconut oil processing. Currently, there are 14 banks operating in the city.
Aquino also says the focus of his present administration is to improve the ecotourism potentials of the city. Three ecotourism destinations have been identified as priority areas for development—a dive site in Pawikan island (named after its turtle-shape), Bangon Falls and Malajog Beach and zipline, which opened last year. These sites are already drawing potential tourists to the city. It was reported that last year 13,000 tourists visited Bangnon Falls based on their tourist logbook. The Malajog zipline already had 7,000 zippers recorded in the first nine months of its operation. Where else can you find a zipline that goes from a mountain-top ridge, crossing the sea on its way to an island? No place that I know of.
There is still a lot to do to develop facilities and infrastructure to improve the city’s chances of being an important tourist destination. More work to roads and bridges are needed to handle the increase in traffic and to help deliver commerce. More farm-to-market roads and other road networks in the city need to be identified that help make that transport of goods a lot easier.
Religion and Mysticism
CALBAYOG City is rich in history, culture, religion and a dose of mysticism. While most of its residents are deeply religious as shown by a great number of regular churchgoers, tales of mysticism and paranormal happenings are also common fare. Some who believe in the paranormal say Calbayog City holds one portal to the enchanted city of Biringan, a story always laughed about, but believed by many.
Calbayog City is the third-biggest city in the country in terms of land and water area. It’s land alone, 880.74 square kilometers, makes it the sixth-biggest city in the country by land area. In the 2015 census, Calbayog City has a population of 183,851, the third most-populous city in Eastern Visayas.
The early history of Calbayog is deeply associated with the spread of Catholicism in the Philippines. Calbayog started as a small settlement, run by the Jesuit missionaries, referred then as Jibatang by Jesuit chronicler Fr. Ignacio Alcina. Due to flooding, the settlers were transferred to where the city proper is now located.
During the Spanish era, Calbayog, as a town and a parish, was composed of several villages, the most populated of which were called visitas. Calbayog grew from visita and became a pueblo (town). In 1785 Calbayog became a separate parish from the ecclesiastical jurisdiction of the parish priest of Capul.
On April 10, 1910, the Diocese of Calbayog was created by virtue of the Papal Bull of Pope Pius X. The diocese was responsible for the religious and spiritual growth of residents of Samar and Leyte islands. From the Diocese of Calbayog, the other dioceses in the region were created on a much later date.
Calbayog became a city on July 15, 1948, when then-President Elpidio Quirino signed into law Republic Act 328, otherwise known as the Charter of the City of Calbayog. Its first set of city officials was inaugurated on October 16, 1948.
Calbayog City has come a long way since then. "It is no longer shy to shine."