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In the sixteenth century, Magellan passed through Leyte on his way to Cebu, making a blood compact with the local chieftain as he did so. But it was World War II that really brought Leyte fame. On October 20, 1944, General Douglas MacArthur landed at Leyte, fulfilling the promise he had made to Filipinos, "I shall return." He brought with him an enormous fleet of transport and warships, and the first President of the Commonwealth, Sergio Osmena. On the northeast coast, the capital of Leyte, TACLOBAN , is associated by most Filipinos with that tireless collector of shoes, Imelda Marcos, who was born here to a humble family called Romualdez. The airport has been renamed Daniel Z Romualdez Airport and numerous streets and buildings bear the same name. In her youth, Imelda was a local beauty queen, and referred to herself in later life as "the rose of Tacloban". There's little to see at Tacloban itself. A climb up to Tacloban Town Hall atop Kanhuraw Hill in front of Santo Nino Church, rewards you with panoramic views of Cancabato Bay, San Pedro Bay, San Juanico Strait, Cataisan Point and Samar Island. The Tacloban Festival in the last week of June kicks off with the Subiran Regatta, an annual boat race held at the eastern entrance of the San Juanico Strait. Around Tacloban some of the most memorable sights are the reminders of World War II and how fierce it was on Leyte. A memorial marks the spot where MacArthur landed on Red beach, Palo , south of Tacloban; you can reach it by jeepney. Just outside Palo, on Hill 522, foxholes still remain. The Battle of Baluarte Marker, 52km away in Barugo, commemorates a hellish battle that saw a small band of Filipinos wipe out a Japanese platoon. From Tacloban buses travel through the rugged hinterland to the port town of ORMOC , where ferries set sail for Cebu. Ormoc is also the starting point for a trail called the Leyte Mountain Trail , which winds for 40km through jungle and over mountains to serene Lake Mahagnao, from where you can catch a jeepney or bus back to Ormoc. The town hall in Ormoc can provide details of the trail.
trip to leytemhelamarsh says "road maps from samar to leyte"
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