One of the highly interesting provinces in the Philippines, Samar is also home to outstanding colleges and universities that offer superior quality education. The Samar education system is basically comprised of academic institutions that aim to nurture and develop the knowledge and skills of their students. From these educational establishments, students can expect to find a very nice atmosphere to study, complete with decent facilities and competitive academic programs.
When it comes to quality computer education, one of the top choices that always come to mind is STI College, which has a very nice campus that is part of the growing Samar education system. Just like its branches in other parts of the country, this school delivers topnotch education to all its students. Even though the focus is on computer-related courses such as information technology and computer science, STI College has expanded its academic programs by offering courses in other interesting fields like education, engineering and business courses. For those who like to enroll in health-related courses, there is a number of choices available including the highly in-demand nursing.
Founded in 1912, Samar State University was previously called Samar Trade School. This particular school system has three different campuses in the province, two of which are in the City of Catbalogan and another one in the municipality of Paranas. One of the highly popular courses offered in this university is Bachelor of Science in Industrial Technology, which clearly shows its focus technology-related courses. The academic programs of the school has expanded numerous times and now include degrees such as Bachelor of Science in Electrical Engineering, Bachelor of Science in Electronics and Bachelor of Science in Computer Engineering. Moreover, it also has very good graduate programs including Master in Vocational Education, Doctor of Philosophy in Educational Management and Doctor of Philosophy in Technology Management.
Another highly reputable school system in the country, Saint Mary’s College has a campus in the province, which has already surpassed the test of time. This educational institution offers well-selected courses such as Bachelors Degree in Secondary Education and Bachelors Degree in Elementary Education. For other options, students can enroll in other courses such as the teacher certification program, nursing assistant program and Bachelor of Science in Nursing.
Previously known as Colegio de San Vicente de Paul, Christ the King College was founded in 1905. This tertiary school has been one of the longest running in the area, offering academic programs in the fields of arts and sciences, nursing as well as accountancy. Furthermore, it also offers certain courses that are related to computer technologies and teaching.
Getting to know some information some information on a certain vacation spot should always be considered before going into the place. It does not really matter (unless the trip is all about serious investigation) whether the information is noteworthy or not the point is; information gives a sort of an idea of the place in a way or two.
The island of Samar is located within the central Philippines. It is specifically, an island of the Visayas Region. It is actually the easternmost island of the Visayas Region. Before the Spanish regime, the island had couple names attached to it. Names like Tanday, Samal and Ibabao were attributed to this island until the late 1500’s. The rough physical features of the place were the main reasons it was named 'Samar' (from the word 'samad' meaning a wound or cut). The province of Samar involved the island of Samar as a whole until it was divided into three main provinces namely Western Samar (officially known as Samar), Eastern Samar (capital-Borongan) and Northern Samar (capital-Catarman).
The island of Samar has been showered by nature's beauty like other noted places in the Philippines. Tourists could enjoy unexplored terrain and caves defined by exotic flora and fauna or wildlife. Sohoton Cave, which is located inside the Sohoton National Park is a cathedral-like ground with a parabolic arch-type entrance for approximately fifty (50) meters high. The Panhulugan Cave 1 and 2 are also considered places to check in Samar. The Panhulugan Cave 1 is recognized with a cliff-forming letter 'H' and snow-white gleaming stalactites of various proportions characterized Panhulugan Cave 2. Both wonderful caves are located at Sohoton National Park in Basey. Another special spot at Sohoton National Park is the Sohoton Natural Bridge that extends through the Sohoton River. This huge arch-shaped rock has a vertical clearance of about 23 feet. It is natural bridge is 40 meters long and 8 meters wide.
The wonders of the island of Samar and of some proximate islands or spots are the main reasons why there is a steady influx of tourists in the Visayas Region. As we all know, tourism means a lot to have a more stable economy. One of the travel agencies that answered the heed to maintain and tourism as a vital industry is the Leyte Gulf Travel and Tours or LGTT. They are specialized in setting up educational and family tours around the Visayas Region. To further enhance tourism, Leyte Gulf Travel and Tours is trying their best to unravel undeveloped and untapped tourist destinations in the said region. The name 'Samar' may bear a tinge of imperfection in its name; nonetheless, Samar Island is the one of the perfect places to enjoy the wonders of nature.
Celebration of life and all the blessings received are the central themes of Samar festivals and for those who like watching Filipino merrymaking, nothing compares to how the inhabitants of this region celebrate. It is said that the best of all the Samar festivals are held mid year, in between the start of the summer in March until the rainy season August.
Some Samar festivals are confined to certain towns but the Embajada Festival is something that is celebrated by the entire province albeit at different dates. The very first towns that celebrate Embajada Festival right after New Year, in January, are Catubig and Laoang. Similar to a domino effect, the nearby towns follow and come mid June, this Samar festival would have reached Catarman. The Moro-Moros, an indigenous group in Samar is said to be the first Filipinos ever to celebrate the Embajada Festival and being a tradition, they have been celebrating it for centuries.
This Samar festival depicts a time in history when conflict prevailed between the Moro-Moros and the Spaniards although nowadays it is presented in a comical fashion. During the Embajada Festival, street dancing is common and there’s always the delicious array of food served in the town center as night sets in. The Moro-Moros themselves take part in the Embajada Festival and this Samar festival is also a good opportunity to learn so much about one of the oldest tribes in Samar.
The main source of livelihood of the inhabitants of Samar is farming and harvesting is something that is celebrated, being considered by the locals as a time of abundance and blessing. The Parayang Harvest Festival is just one of the few festivities that center on harvest but this Samar festival is primarily held in the town of San Roque. The Parayang Harvest Festival is a day filled with celebration with several contests being held throughout the day such as cooking competitions and beauty pageants.
There’s also street dancing during the Parayang Harvest Festival where both young and old practice both modern and traditional dances prior to the event. There are of course prizes given out to winners of these competitions and at the end of the Parayang Harvest Festival, families and friends gather to enjoy a sumptuous feast together. The Parayang Harvest Festival is so much a part of Filipino tradition having been celebrated for a little over a century now.
Once known as Western Samar, Samar is a province in the Philippines situated in the Eastern Visayas Region. Catbalogan City is its capital and the western portion of Samar Island is its jurisdiction (this also includes the islands in the Samar Sea which are situated to the west of the mainland). Two of the three cities of Samar Island (Catbalogan City and Calbayog City) are positioned in the district or municipality of Samar. Flanking the area to the east is Eastern Samar. Samar is connected to Leyte via the San Juanico Bridge, which traverses the San Juanico Strait, the thinnest channel in the Philippines and the region to the north is Northern Samar. Leyte Gulf is situated at the south of the province is the. The phrase ‘Samar Al Safar’ is also signifying the season of summer.
The province of Samar is considered the center of kut-kut art. It is a method or technique merging or combining antique Western (European) and Oriental art procedure. Kut-kut creation is considered to be a lost art and thus it is now highly popular amongst are enthusiasts and collectors. Nowadays, only a small number of these art pieces are known to survive or exist. According to history and research, it was between the 1600's to 1800's that the technique was practiced. For this reason, Kut-kut was considered an exotic art technique in the Philippines based on early century methods (layering, encaustic and sgraffito). The combination of these early techniques created a unique artwork distinguished by multi-layered surface, an illusion of three-dimensional space and fragile whirling interwoven strokes.
The majority of locals in Samar province speak the native dialect Samarnon-Waray-Waray. This dialect or language is also known as or Samar-Leyte Visayan, Waraynon or Samarnon. However, Cebuano is the native tongue or dialect in the island municipalities of Santo Niño and Almagro.
The internet is one of the best ways to gain access some of the vital information regarding the province of Samar. The official website of tourism in Northern Samar (http://www.northernsamartourism.ph/) and the official website of Eastern Samar (http://www.easternsamar.gov.ph/) are some of the helpful sites to visit for related facts about Samar Province. These websites have updated and real-time news and information about current events happening in Samar. It is a must for first time visitors to check these sites.