a few days in southern leyte

First Mass in the Philippines

by Carlos V. Francisco

A few weeks ago I had a chance to visit the Province of Southern Leyte in the Eastern Visayas Region (Region VIII). According to historical accounts, Limasawa, an island in the southern part of the province, was the venue for the first Christian mass thus considered by some to be the birthplace of Christianity in the Philippines.

I was in Southern Leyte for a few days not for leisure but for work so I did not have the luxury of going around to see the sights around the province. However, during the travel to and from the Municipality of Hinunangan, the venue for a training we were facilitating, I was convinced that the province was beautiful and breathtaking.

The province had amazing landscapes, green and thick forests, magnificent views of the coast from the mountains, thunderous waves along the beach, enchanting beaches, and uniquely beautiful islands. In addition, it is breathtakingly awesome since Agas-agas Bridge, the highest bridge in the Philippines, can be found in Sogod, Southern Leyte. The bridge is 350 meters long and is about 90 meters high from the riverbed.

Aside from the wonderful scenes, the people were also warm and friendly. It also amazed me that the Province of Southern Leyte had its own flag and hymn. For the people of the province, the flag is a "visible representation of their feelings, aspiration of fulfilling their legitimate dreams, values of faith, and confidence in their capability to undertake the task of nation-building, freed from the inequalities and maladies of old".

My visit to the Province of Southern Leyte may be short but it has encouraged me to consider coming back and see more of the wonderful sights it has to offer.