Ormoc: 17 Years after the Flash Flood

Seventeen years ago, the seaside city of Ormoc in Leyte island was ravaged by a flash flood that swept the city and killed around than eight thousand people. Ghastly photos of the tragic event was shown not only in the Philippines but the whole world and triggered massive relief efforts to help the survivors. The tragedy was blamed, as usual, to people's irreverence and exploitation of Mother Nature.

With his recent visit to Ormoc, he was able to visualize the damage to the city, including its reputation as a unsafe place to travel, from locals who showed him around, even from survivors of the disaster who have their own stories to tell. Tutubi will just share photos of Ormoc, 17 years after the tragedy, from an image of disaster to a new one pulsating with promise, a clear picture of a liveable city who has learned from past mistakes.



St. Peters College and St. Peter and Paul Church. Also partly visible is Ormoc City Astrodome



Lots of trees visible from a distance where a football game, something not usual in Manila is also held. Football is popular in the Visayas particularly Bacolod and Iloilo

closer view of the football field (200mm at f11)


This post is not to perpetuate Ormoc as a place of tragedy but rather provide a fresh outlook and image of the city as a safe, livable place. Some people already chose this as their retirement place two hours away from bustling Cebu City.

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Ormoc Travel and Living Information

Other tourist attractions:

Laki Danao Natural Park
Go boating, camping, mountain trekking and birdwatching

Ormoc Golf Course
Leyte Golf and Country Club, Brgy. Mabini

Old bridge near the City Hall, Carlota Hills

World War II Memorial Markers, Ormoc Bay

Ormoc Beach Resorts:

a few resorts line the beach of Ormoc most popular is Sabin Beach Resort. Note though that Sabin's beach front is not so desirable for beach bummers; the resort though has a nice swim-around pool.

Ormoc Pasalubong/delicacies:

Young Attitudes Cassava Cake
Pineapples (Queen variety, you may buy them at the market or the pasalubong center near Ormoc bus terminal)

How to get there:

Manila to Ormoc: There are now flights to Ormoc Airport by PAL Express on Monday, Wednesday, Friday and Sunday.

Alternatives are you take a flight to Tacloban then ride a bus or v-hire for about 3 hours land travel to Ormoc or a flight to Cebu then a 2 hour fastcraft (Supercat) or slow ferry (e.g. Cebu Ferries), about 6 hours sea travel.

For the budget-conscious and with luxury of time, Ormoc Ro-ro buses are available at Philtranco and Ultrabus.

Getting around Ormoc:

there are no taxis in Ormoc but plenty of tricycles to take you anywhere around or beyond the city.

Languages spoken:

Ormocanons speak Waray language (should be a language and not merely a dialect), English and Filipino is widely spoken.

Shopping Malls and Nightlife:

there are no giant malls and always alive nightlife in Ormoc (Tutubi doesn't like them malls anyway). Lots of them in Cebu City and there are also the soon-to-be open Robinsons mall and Gaisano in booming Tacloban City and probably an SM in the future.

The flash flood in Ormoc City occured on November 5, 1991 attributed to illegal logging but some claimed it's due to the presence of waterspouts and a storm that created a dam under the bridge of a river. When the dam burst, the water swept houses on a sandbar at the mouth of the river.

All photos taken on the roof deck of OCCCI building, currently the tallest building in the city. For other posts on Ormoc, please click the Ormoc categories below.