Ormoc (IPA: [ʔoɾˈmok]), officially the City of Ormoc (; ; ), is an independent component city in the Eastern Visayas region of the Philippines. According to the 2024 census, it has a population of 238,545 inhabitants, making it the second most-populous city in the province of Leyte after the provincial capital of Tacloban. Ormoc City is the economic, cultural, commercial and transportation hub of western Leyte.
Ormoc is an independent component city, not subject to regulation from the Provincial Government of Leyte. However, the city is part of the 4th Congressional District of Leyte together with Albuera, Kananga, Merida, Palompon and Isabel, and statistically grouped under the province by the Philippine Statistics Authority. On November 8, 2013, the city was extensively damaged by Super Typhoon Yolanda (Haiyan), having previously suffered severe destruction and loss of life in 1991 from torrential flooding during Tropical Storm Uring (Thelma).
Etymology The city's name is derived from ogmok, an archaic Visayan term for "lowland" or "depressed plain". The city also celebrates an annual thanksgiving festival called the Piña Festival in honor of the saints Peter and Paul in thanks for the bountiful pineapple harvest.
History
Early history This place was used during the Spanish occupation and the migration of the neighboring towns to settle in the more fertile plains of Ormoc. Much of the settlers in the town were the Malayans. These people had a constant trading with the Chinese, Javans and Indonesians. Their living, however, was always threatened by the attack of the Moro pirates. As a result, The Malayan people in Ormoc developed "grapevine". a warning system communication used from people manning watch towers to inform and warn the people of the coming of these pirates.
Spanish Period July 16, 1595, Pedro Cherino and the Jesuit missionaries arrived in Leyte. On May 1597, a mission in Ormoc was established by these missionaries. That year, the locals were converted to Christianity. Years of peace was shortly disturbed when in year 1634, the sultan of Sulu, Raja Bungsu captured 300 natives after invading the town. The towns of Sogod, Kabalian, Inopacan and Baybay were also invaded and plundered. The locals of Ormoc fought Raja and his men but because they were outnumbered, they were massacred to the last man.
In 1768. The Jesuits were replaced by Augustinian missionaries. On February 26, 1834, Ormoc was separated into a municipality from Palompon.
Philippine Revolution Ormoc was a hotbed of revolutionaries seeking independence from Spanish rule. from which they would take part a few months after the outbreak of the Philippine Revolution that occurred on August 1896. In which Leyte was in control from the Revolutionary Government controlled by Vicente Lukban.
Early American Period After the fall of the Revolution. A civil government was established on Leyte on April 22, 1901, when the Filipinos were under the authority of the Americans. from which the revolutionary leader Faustino Ablen inspired locals to join the Pulahan Movement. In 1903, the municipality of Albuera was consolidated into Ormoc.
World War II
After the Japanese Occupation and a rule of Second Philippine Republic. Ormoc is a garrison of small divisions of the Imperial Japanese Army. With the Allies near the city. Japan began to reinforce the city and the Battle of Ormoc Bay begins. The city is liberated afterwards.
Cityhood
Ormoc became a city by virtue of Republic Act No. 179 on October 20, 1947, becoming the fifteenth city in the Philippines and the first in the Eastern Visayas region.
Kananga 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.
1991 Flash Flood
On the morning of November 5, 1991, the Ormoc region was inundated by Tropical Storm Uring. The city government recorded 4,922 deaths, 3,000 missing persons, 14,000 destroyed houses and more than P600 million worth of damaged property. None of the 3,000 missing persons were ever found and are now presumed dead. Illegal logging and kaingin (slash-and-burn farming) were blamed as the reasons of the flood. Heavy rainfall caused water to collect upstream the Anilao and Malbasag rivers until it poured to the lowlands in Ormoc, particularly District 26, also known as Isla Verde.
On November 5, 2011, a monument by national artist Francis Cinco commemorating the 20th anniversary of the event was inaugurated. It sits on top of the mass grave at the Ormoc City Public Cemetery where an estimated 4,900 victims are buried. The sculpture, entitled "Gift of Life", is an abstract depicting a life taken to heaven.
2013 Super Typhoon Haiyan
On November 7, 2013, Typhoon Haiyan, one of the most powerful tropical cyclones ever recorded, made a landfall in the Philippines. While it killed far fewer people as Tropical Storm Uring, it left widespread devastation to the city with destruction and damages in 90% of its structures.
2022 plebiscite On January 19, 2021, the City Council enacted Ordinance 52 Series of 2021 to merge the numbered barangays (all in Poblacion) and renaming them: Barangays 1–8, 12, 13, 15, 17, 23 & 27 shall be merged to form a single unit to be named as Barangay South; Brgys. 9–11, 16, 18, 25 & 28 as Brgy. East; Brgys. 14, 19–22, 24 & 26 as Brgy. West; and Brgy. 29 will be renamed as Brgy. North. The ordinance require a plebiscite and the determination of an affirmation will be based on the majority vote of the proposed administrative subdivision and not a majority vote per barangay. This is to avoid creation of enclaves and exclaves. Then mayor Richard Gomez approved the ordinance on January 22, 2021. On June 22, 2022, the Commission on Elections through Resolution No. 10796 set the plebiscite on October 8.Resolution No. 10796. (Link for PDF file) Commission on Elections (Philippines). Retrieved September 4, 2022.
The plebiscite was held at the Ormoc City Central School, with 35 polling precincts, wherein 10,209 registered voters from 29 barangays were expected to participate. With a voter turnout of more than half, majority of them approved the reorganization.
+ Results by proposed barangays Proposed barangay Yes No Valid votes Actual voters Registered voters Total % Total % Total % Total % North 236 3 239 239 2,290 East 1,546 227 1,773 1,773 2,663 West 1,395 90 1,485 1,498 2,453 South 1,590 218 1,808 1,817 2,803 Total 4,767 538 5,305 5,327 10,209 Source: (1) (2) (3)
Geography
Ormoc City is a port city and is the largest city in Leyte by land area and the second-largest in Eastern Visayas after Calbayog in Samar. At the head of 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 and Carigara, 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.
Barangays Ormoc is politically subdivided into 85 barangays. Each barangay consists of puroks and some have sitios.
The number had reduced from 110 upon ratification of an ordinance merging 29 of them to four.
Airport Alegria Alta Vista Bagongbong Bagong Buhay Bantigue Batuan Bayog Biliboy Cabaon-an Cabintan Cabulihan Cagbuhangin Camp Downes Can-adieng Can-untog Catmon Cogon Combado Concepcion Curva Danhug (Lili-on) Dayhagan Dolores Domonar Don Carlos B. Rivilla Sr. (Boroc) Don Felipe Larrazabal Don Potenciano Larrazabal Doña Feliza Z. Mejia Donghol East (Poblacion; consisting former Brgys. District 9–11, 16, 18, 25 (Malbasag), 28) Esperanza Gaas Green Valley Guintigui-an Hibunawon Hugpa Ipil Juaton Kadaohan Labrador (Balion) Lake Danao Lao Leondoni Libertad Liberty Licuma Liloan Linao Luna Mabato Mabini Macabug Magaswi Mahayag Mahayahay Manlilinao Margen Mas-in Matica-a Milagro Monterico Nasunogan Naungan North (Poblacion; consisting former Brgy. District 29 (Nadongholan)) Nueva Sociedad Nueva Vista Patag Punta Quezon, Jr. Rufina M. Tan (Rawis) Sabang Bao Salvacion San Antonio San Isidro San Jose San Juan San Pablo (Simangan) San Vicente Santo Niño South (Poblacion; consisting former Brgys. District 1–8, 12, 13, 15, 17, 23, 27) Sumangga Tambulilid Tongonan Valencia West (Poblacion; consisting former Brgys. District 14, 19–22, 24, 26 (Isla Verde))
Climate
Demographics
The natives of this city are called Ormocanons, with most being Cebuano speakers, as with the whole western and southern parts of the island of Leyte. A definite number of Waray speakers is also present within the city.
Like most Filipinos, Ormocanons are predominantly Roman Catholic, and the city celebrates 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 mosques within the cityscape and most of them are Maranaos from the twin provinces of Lanao del Norte and Lanao del Sur in Mindanao.
Elected Officials
+ 2025-2028 Ormoc City OfficialsPosition Name Party Mayor Lucy Marie T. Gomez Vice Mayor Leo Carmelo L. Locsin Jr. Councilors Ari G. Larrazabal Edmund B. Kierulf Tomas R. Serafica Jasper M. Lucero Peter M. Rodriguez Ma. Carmen Jean T. Rama Eusebio Gerardo S. Penserga Burt J. Pades Krizea Caessandra A. Mercadal Lalaine A. Marcos Ex Officio City Council Members ABC President Esteban V. Laurente SK Federation President Jhana Lyka T. Calixtro
Economy
Ormoc's economic base is a mix of agriculture, aquaculture, industry, tourism, and commercial services. Sugar cane, rice and pineapple are the major agricultural production.
The city enjoys economic growth because it supplies a large part of the country's power needs with its abundant geothermal power resources from the Tongonan Geothermal Power Plant in Barangay Tongonan and the 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.
Tourism
Among sites visited by the city's tourist are: 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 and a future zipline. Lake Danao was formerly called as Lake Imelda. On February 3, 1998, it was renamed and declared as Lake Danao National Park and is protected by the National Integrated Protected Area System Act of 1992. Tongonan Hotsprings National Park is located at an elevation of 2,000 ft. amid densely forested hills. It is a 272-hectare park at the west end of the Leyte Mountain Trail, 18 km. northeast of Ormoc City. It also has a cool climate, lush tropical vegetation and underbrush, a warm medicinal pool, a cavernous hillside geyser that spouts boiling water and steam hourly and formations exuding sulfuric vapors. It is a valley of geothermal power source that can supply electricity to the whole region. The first geothermal plant to operate in the Philippines.