Ormoc City
Encyclopedia
The City of Ormoc is a 1st class city in the province of Leyte, Philippines
. The city's name is derived from ogmok, an old Visayan
term for lowland or depressed plain. It is the first non-provincial city of the Philippines. According to the 2007 census, it has a population of 177,524 people. Ormoc is the economic, cultural, commercial and transportation hub of western Leyte.
Ormoc City is an independent component city, not subject to regulation from the Provincial Government of Leyte. However, the city is part of the congressional district IV of Leyte together with Albuera, Kananga, Merida, and Isabel towns.
In November 1991, the Ormoc region was inundated by Tropical Storm Thelma
(local name: Uring). Flash floods and landslides killed more than 6,000 people, mostly in Ormoc itself.
was created in 1950 from the barrios of Lonoy, Kananga, Rizal, Tugbong, Montebello, Aguiting, Tagaytay, Montealegre, Libungao, Naghalin, and Masarayao which all used to be part of Ormoc City.
in Samar. Fronting Ormoc Bay
, the city's terrain is mostly of gently rolling plains. It is bounded on the northwest by the towns of Matag-ob
and Merida
, in the north by Kananga
, in the northeast by the towns of Jaro
, Pastrana
and Dagami
, and in the south by the town of Albuera
. High mountain ranges separate Ormoc from the eastern portion of Leyte. Numerous rivers and streams traverse Ormoc. Among them are the Bao River in the north, Pagsangahan River in the west, the Bagong-bong River in the south, the Panilahan River also in the south and the Anilao and Malbasag Rivers which border the eastern and western flanks of Ormoc City Proper.
Ormocanons, with most being Cebuano
speakers (or Kana, as Cebuano-speakers in Leyte and Southern Leyte are often called) together with the whole western part of Leyte island. The people relate more to neighboring towns and Cebu
than to eastern Leyte itself.
Like most Filipinos, Ormocanons are predominantly Roman Catholic
, and the city celebrate its annual fiesta in honour of the patron saints Saint Peter
and Saint Paul on June 28 and 29. Other main Catholic holy days, including the local fiestas of barangays, are observed throughout the year. There is also a visible Muslim
minority within the city and all over the island, evidenced by the occasional mosque in the cityscape.
Ormoc City's economic base is a good mix of agriculture, aquaculture, industry, tourism, and commercial services. Sugar cane, rice and pineapple are the bulk produce of the agricultural sector. The city enjoys economic growth because it supplies the whole country of its power needs due to the abundant geothermal power resources
in Tongonan and neighbouring Kananga
town. Ormoc is also the gateway to the Leyte Industrial Development Estate in the nearby town of Isabel
, home of the Philippine Phosphate Fertilizer Plant, the largest fertilizer factory in Asia, and the Philippine Associated Smelter and Refining Company, the country's biggest copper processing plant, among other industries.
The commercial service sector in the city is on the upswing. Banks, restaurants, cafes, night spots, and sports centers dot the city. There are sizable shopping centers in Ormoc City, among them Gaisano Riverside Mall, Gaisano Capital, BOSS (Brodeth One-Stop Shop), Yuvallos Hypermart, Ormoc Centrum, The Point Mall, and A-Mall. There are also many giftshops, videoshops, cellshops, pawnshops, bookstores, and whole-sale stores around the city.
has direct flights to Manila. TV and radio networks broadcasting from Cebu reach the city. Internet connection is available through local and national ISPs like Globe broadband and Smart Bro. The city is served by telecommunication companies such as Ormoc Telephone Company (OrTelCo), PLDT, BayanTel, Globelines, Globe, Smart, and Sun Cellular.
-run Catholic college and the oldest, followed by Western Leyte College http://www.wlc-ormoc.org, a private non-sectarian college. In the 1990s, the city saw the establishment of Sto. Niño College and the STI computer college
. In the 2000s, tertiary institutions founded were AMA Computer Learning Center, Ormoc City School of Arts and Trades
, San Lorenzo Ruiz College, SYNTACS Computer College, Ormoc City Institute of Technology (OCIT) and the Ormoc campus of the Eastern Visayas State University
.
Ormoc also has their own Chinese school which is ORMOC SE SAN SCHOOL.
's study titled The Philippine Cities Competitiveness Ranking Project 2005 ranked the city first in 'infrastructure' and tenth in 'dynamism of local economy' among small cities of the Philippines. The city also garnered the 2005 Most Business-Friendly City award in the Visayas by the Philippine Chamber of Commerce and Industry.
s.
Philippines
The Philippines , officially known as the Republic of the Philippines , is a country in Southeast Asia in the western Pacific Ocean. To its north across the Luzon Strait lies Taiwan. West across the South China Sea sits Vietnam...
. The city's name is derived from ogmok, an old Visayan
Visayan languages
The Visayan languages of the Philippines, along with Tagalog and Bikol, are part of the Central Philippine languages...
term for lowland or depressed plain. It is the first non-provincial city of the Philippines. According to the 2007 census, it has a population of 177,524 people. Ormoc is the economic, cultural, commercial and transportation hub of western Leyte.
Ormoc City is an independent component city, not subject to regulation from the Provincial Government of Leyte. However, the city is part of the congressional district IV of Leyte together with Albuera, Kananga, Merida, and Isabel towns.
In November 1991, the Ormoc region was inundated by Tropical Storm Thelma
Tropical Storm Thelma
Tropical Storm Thelma was the deadliest tropical storm of the 1991 Pacific typhoon season, killing between 5,101 to 8,100 people as it crossed the Philippines.-Meteorological history:A tropical disturbance developed over the eastern Caroline Islands in late October...
(local name: Uring). Flash floods and landslides killed more than 6,000 people, mostly in Ormoc itself.
History
In 1950, KanangaKananga, Leyte
Kananga is a 2nd class municipality in the province of Leyte, Philippines. According to the 2000 census, it has a population of 42,866 people in 8,665 households....
was created in 1950 from the barrios of Lonoy, Kananga, Rizal, Tugbong, Montebello, Aguiting, Tagaytay, Montealegre, Libungao, Naghalin, and Masarayao which all used to be part of Ormoc City.
Geography
Ormoc City is a port city and is the largest city by land area in Leyte and second largest in Eastern Visayas after Calbayog CityCalbayog City
Calbayog City is a first class city in the province of Samar, Philippines. It lies along the coastal region of the province stretching about from the northern tip of the island and from southern boundaries...
in Samar. Fronting Ormoc Bay
Ormoc Bay
Ormoc Bay is a bay on the island of Leyte in the Philippines. The bay is an inlet of the Camotes Sea. The city of Ormoc lies at the head of the bay and exports rice, copra and sugar. The World War II Battle of Ormoc Bay took place from November 11 until mid-December in Ormoc Bay during late 1944....
, the city's terrain is mostly of gently rolling plains. It is bounded on the northwest by the towns of Matag-ob
Matag-ob, Leyte
Matag-ob is a 5th class municipality in the province of Leyte, Philippines. According to the 2000 census, it has a population of 17,527 people in 3,523 households....
and Merida
Merida, Leyte
Merida is a 4th class municipality in the province of Leyte, Philippines. According to the 2000 census, it has a population of 25,326 people in 5,622 households.-Barangays:Merida is politically subdivided into 22 barangays.* Benabaye* Cabaliwan...
, in the north by Kananga
Kananga, Leyte
Kananga is a 2nd class municipality in the province of Leyte, Philippines. According to the 2000 census, it has a population of 42,866 people in 8,665 households....
, in the northeast by the towns of Jaro
Jaro, Leyte
Jaro is a 4th class municipality in the province of Leyte, Philippines. According to the 2007 census, it has a population of 38,797 people in 7,554 households. It is located just 20 kilometers west of tacloban or a 45min ride on a jeepney. Tacloban Is a large city and is famous for General...
, Pastrana
Pastrana, Leyte
Pastrana is a 5th class municipality in the province of Leyte, Philippines. According to the 2000 census, it has a population of 14,351 people in 2,805 households.-Barangays:Pastrana is politically subdivided into 29 barangays.* Arabunog* Aringit...
and Dagami
Dagami, Leyte
Dagami is a municipality in the Province of Leyte, Philippines. According to the August 2007 census of population in the Philippines, the town has a population of 30,451 inhabitants with a density of 188 persons per square kilometer...
, and in the south by the town of Albuera
Albuera, Leyte
Albuera is a 3rd class municipality in the province of Leyte, Philippines. According to the 2000 census, it has a population of 34,335 people in 7,193 households.The town boasts of a semi-concrete municipal building...
. High mountain ranges separate Ormoc from the eastern portion of Leyte. Numerous rivers and streams traverse Ormoc. Among them are the Bao River in the north, Pagsangahan River in the west, the Bagong-bong River in the south, the Panilahan River also in the south and the Anilao and Malbasag Rivers which border the eastern and western flanks of Ormoc City Proper.
People and Culture
The natives of this city are calledDemonym
A demonym , also referred to as a gentilic, is a name for a resident of a locality. A demonym is usually – though not always – derived from the name of the locality; thus, the demonym for the people of England is English, and the demonym for the people of Italy is Italian, yet, in english, the one...
Ormocanons, with most being Cebuano
Cebuano language
Cebuano, referred to by most of its speakers as Bisaya , is an Austronesian language spoken in the Philippines by about 20 million people mostly in the Central Visayas. It is the most widely spoken of the languages within the so-named Bisayan subgroup and is closely related to other Filipino...
speakers (or Kana, as Cebuano-speakers in Leyte and Southern Leyte are often called) together with the whole western part of Leyte island. The people relate more to neighboring towns and Cebu
Cebu
Cebu is a province in the Philippines, consisting of Cebu Island and 167 surrounding islands. It is located to the east of Negros, to the west of Leyte and Bohol islands...
than to eastern Leyte itself.
Like most Filipinos, Ormocanons are predominantly Roman Catholic
Roman Catholicism in the Philippines
The Roman Catholic Church in the Philippines is part of the worldwide Catholic Church, in full communion with the Pope.With 73.8 million members in 2005, it is the predominant religion, making the Philippines the third largest "Catholic" nation in the world after Brazil and Mexico, as well as one...
, and the city celebrate its annual fiesta in honour of the patron saints Saint Peter
Saint Peter
Saint Peter or Simon Peter was an early Christian leader, who is featured prominently in the New Testament Gospels and the Acts of the Apostles. The son of John or of Jonah and from the village of Bethsaida in the province of Galilee, his brother Andrew was also an apostle...
and Saint Paul on June 28 and 29. Other main Catholic holy days, including the local fiestas of barangays, are observed throughout the year. There is also a visible Muslim
Islam in the Philippines
Islam is the oldest recorded monotheistic religion in the Philippines. Islam reached the Philippines between the 12th and 14th century with the arrival of Muslim traders from Persian Gulf and the Malabar Coast in Southern India, and their followers from several sultanate governments in the Malay...
minority within the city and all over the island, evidenced by the occasional mosque in the cityscape.
Economy, Commerce, and Industry
Geothermal power
Geothermal energy is thermal energy generated and stored in the Earth. Thermal energy is the energy that determines the temperature of matter. Earth's geothermal energy originates from the original formation of the planet and from radioactive decay of minerals...
in Tongonan and neighbouring Kananga
Kananga
Kananga, formerly known as Luluabourg or Luluaburg, is the capital of Lulua District in the Democratic Republic of the Congo. It has a population of 1,130,100 ....
town. Ormoc is also the gateway to the Leyte Industrial Development Estate in the nearby town of Isabel
Isabel, Leyte
Isabel is a 1st class municipality in the province of Leyte, Philippines. According to the 2000 census, it has a population of 38,486 people in 8,303 households....
, home of the Philippine Phosphate Fertilizer Plant, the largest fertilizer factory in Asia, and the Philippine Associated Smelter and Refining Company, the country's biggest copper processing plant, among other industries.
The commercial service sector in the city is on the upswing. Banks, restaurants, cafes, night spots, and sports centers dot the city. There are sizable shopping centers in Ormoc City, among them Gaisano Riverside Mall, Gaisano Capital, BOSS (Brodeth One-Stop Shop), Yuvallos Hypermart, Ormoc Centrum, The Point Mall, and A-Mall. There are also many giftshops, videoshops, cellshops, pawnshops, bookstores, and whole-sale stores around the city.
Transportation and Communications
Land and sea transport are available year-round. Ormoc AirportOrmoc Airport
Ormoc Airport is an airport serving the general area of Ormoc City, located in the province of Leyte in the Philippines. It is one of three airports in the province of Leyte, the others being Daniel Z. Romualdez Airport in Tacloban City and Hilongos Airport...
has direct flights to Manila. TV and radio networks broadcasting from Cebu reach the city. Internet connection is available through local and national ISPs like Globe broadband and Smart Bro. The city is served by telecommunication companies such as Ormoc Telephone Company (OrTelCo), PLDT, BayanTel, Globelines, Globe, Smart, and Sun Cellular.
Education
Ormoc is the educational centre for western Leyte. It has a range of primary and secondary schools, both public and private. Tertiary education was originally offered by St. Peter's College of Ormoc, a BenedictineBenedictine
Benedictine refers to the spirituality and consecrated life in accordance with the Rule of St Benedict, written by Benedict of Nursia in the sixth century for the cenobitic communities he founded in central Italy. The most notable of these is Monte Cassino, the first monastery founded by Benedict...
-run Catholic college and the oldest, followed by Western Leyte College http://www.wlc-ormoc.org, a private non-sectarian college. In the 1990s, the city saw the establishment of Sto. Niño College and the STI computer college
STI College
Systems Technology Institute College is the largest network of for-profit information technology-based colleges in the Philippines. This private college system offers a curriculum including business studies, computer science, education, engineering and health care.STI uses a trimestral calendar as...
. In the 2000s, tertiary institutions founded were AMA Computer Learning Center, Ormoc City School of Arts and Trades
Ormoc City School of Arts and Trades
Ormoc City School of Arts and Trades is an arts and trades school in Ormoc City, Leyte, the Philippines. Its predecessor Ormoc City High School was elevated into a tertiary institution with the passage of Republic Act No. 8379.-External links:...
, San Lorenzo Ruiz College, SYNTACS Computer College, Ormoc City Institute of Technology (OCIT) and the Ormoc campus of the Eastern Visayas State University
Eastern Visayas State University
The Eastern Visayas State University is a public university in the Philippines. It is mandated to provide advanced education, higher technological, professional instruction and training in trade, fishery, agriculture, forestry, science, education, commerce, architecture, engineering, and related...
.
Ormoc also has their own Chinese school which is ORMOC SE SAN SCHOOL.
Tourism
Tourism highlights include:- Lake Danao is a violin shaped lake 3 km long at an elevation of 2,100 feet (640 m) above sea level. There are floating cottages, and boats are available for hire.
- Tongonan Hotsprings National Park is a valley of geothermal power source that can supply electricity to the whole region. The first geothermal plant to operate in the Philippines.
- Leyte Golf and Country Club is a golfing resort covering more than 80 hectares of semi-rolling terrain, located 7 km from the heart of Ormoc City.
- Pineapple Plantation lies in 210 hectares in rolling terrain located north of the city Brgy. Hibunawon. Ormoc's Queen Pineapple is famous for its sweetness, a favourite pasalubong, and the unofficial icon of the city.
- Centennial Park, located in the city, is a leisure and picnic ground for the young and old alike.
Awards
Ormoc City is a consistent winner of the Cleanest and Greenest City program of the DILG from 1995 to the present. The Asian Institute of ManagementAsian Institute of Management
The Asian Institute of Management, or simply AIM, is a graduate school of business and a center of business and management research. It is one of the few business schools in Asia to be internationally accredited with the AACSB. It was established in partnership with Harvard Business School and uses...
's study titled The Philippine Cities Competitiveness Ranking Project 2005 ranked the city first in 'infrastructure' and tenth in 'dynamism of local economy' among small cities of the Philippines. The city also garnered the 2005 Most Business-Friendly City award in the Visayas by the Philippine Chamber of Commerce and Industry.
Barangays
Ormoc City is politically subdivided into 110 barangayBarangay
A barangay is the smallest administrative division in the Philippines and is the native Filipino term for a village, district or ward...
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