Their great grandparents traveled bound for Oquindo, somewhere in Samar Island, purposely to visit their parents and relatives. On the course of their trip they met a strong typhoon, so they were forced to find a haven for their safety and landed on a place which they did not know. In their stay while waiting for a fair weather they liked very much the place having a very fertile soil suitable for
farming, so they decided to discontinue their journey. Because they felt that this is a better place to live in, they started building their houses and tilled the land for their living. In 1834, a missionary was sent from Almeria, Spain (presently one of the beautiful cities in Spain) composed of Spanish soldiers who went around in an inspection trip to the Visayan Island. The Spaniards like this place so much that they made a strong recommendation to the Church and Military Authorities that a watch tower be erected on the same place. Later, when the missionary came back to the place, they decided to build a watch tower at the top of Baluarte Hill. Thru the missionary's representation to the spanish Government, the Governo Militar de Leyte issued a decree naming the place Pueblo de Almeria, in honor of the Birthplace of the discoverer, the missionary from Almeria Spain. Thus, the Municipality of Almeria derived its name. Almeria was one of the barangays of the Municipality of Kawayan. Later on September 1, 1948, Executive Order No. 162 was issued by then President Elpidio Quirino naming Barangay Almeria as one single local government unit to be called as the Municipality of Almeria. The Municipality of Almeria is located on the West Coast of Biliran Island, bounded on the North by the Municipality of Kawayan ; on the south by the Municipality of Culaba; and on the west by Biliran strait with a total area of 65.69 sq. Presently, the Municipality of Almeria consists of 13 barangays which includes the Barangay Poblacion. Endowed with a very rich natural resources and tourist spots consisting of water falls, such as the Tungauihan Falls and Bagongbong Falls in Barangay Iyusan; Kinaraha Spring; and the Agta Beach Resort in Brgy. Having an abundant supply of water, the Municipality of Almeria has its own rice terraces overlooking the whole Municipality located in Sitio Barubohan, Barangay Iyusan. Attuned with the land are the beautiful and hospitable people of the Municipality whose bright smiles and warm welcome fittingly complement the enchanting land. The most unforgettable experience will be the exuberant faces of the people of Almeria. Another History
In 1668, Fr. Francisco Alcina, a Jesuit missionary assigned to Leyte and Samar, made mention of Talahib, a place that presumably belonged to the present Almeria (probably on the present Talahid), as a settlement served by the first Jesuits in 1596. Talahib was listed with such diverse places as Capul, Tagapoloan (Tagapul-an), Camandang, Limbancauayan (Almagro), Napalisan, Libucan, Cana-abaw, Buri, and Maripipi. Talahib and nearby settlements probably disappeared from the map during the eruption of Panamao Volcano around 1669. Around 1770, Bagombong (probably on the present Almeria) and Panamao were listed as places with bases of Moro raiders along with Malbog, Cataingan and Malbaranon in Masbate and Limbancauayan (Almagro). Local folklore has it that the first settlers of Almeria came from Jagna, Bohol. Stories have it that a group of Boholanons sailed the Visayan Sea for Oquendo in Samar Island. Along the route they were struck by a strong typhoon, so they were forced to find a haven and landed on a place unknown to them. When the weather had cleared, the group discovered that their haven had fertile soil suitable for planting root crops, and the sea teemed with fish and seashells. They liked the place very much that they decided to stay. They started building their huts and tilled the land for their living. The settlement was earlier called Bagongbong, but was renamed Solano in honor of a Capitan Solano, the known founder and first chieftain of the place. In 1834, a Spanish missionary, accompanied by some soldiers, passed by Solano during an inspection trip of the Visayas islands. Its scenic beauty and the native’s hospitality pleased the Spanish visitors. They called it Almeria, after the hometown of the missionary in Spain. Upon their return to the place, they built a watchtower on the top of a hill (Baluarte Hill) to alert the natives from Moro raiders that were rampant at the time. A Roman Catholic chapel was also built. In 1886, a decree issued by the Govierno Militar de Leyte created Almeria as a pueblo or municipality. In 1905, during the early American occupation, a religious controversy triggered the transfer of the seat of government from Almeria to nearby Kawayan. The controversy started when Margarito Sabornido, the presidente municipal, together with some councilors, decided to bring in an Aglipayan priest, Fr. Fernando Buyser, to administer their religious affairs. The other councilors and officials from Barrio Kawayan opposed the idea that ended in a heated debate in the consejo (municipal council). Sabornido’s decision also provoked the ire of the devout Roman Catholics who immediately reported the case to the Roman Catholic authorities in Cebu. Likewise, a protest was filed with the American Civil Governor of Leyte, Colonel Peter Borseth. Acting on the official complaint instigated by Eugenio Obispo, a Kawayan resident who was juez de paz of Almeria, Borseth suspended Sabornido and three of his six councilors "for three months." Then he reorganized the municipal government by installing a former American soldier, Matthew MacFarland, as acting municipal president. He also appointed new councilors and officials to replace the suspended ones. The three-month suspension turned out to be permanent. MacFarland, a resident of the island barrio of Maripipi, and Obispo, from Kawayan, insisted on the convenience of transferring the seat of the municipal government to the barrio of Kawayan, which is located midway between Almeria and Maripipi. The transfer caused a perennial problem between the people of Almeria and Kawayan, so a plebiscite was conducted to settle the issue. The result favored Kawayan and thwarted the hopes of the suspended officials from Almeria who chose to remain and hold office in the former town hall for six months. In 1907, the Provincial Board of Leyte concurred with the idea and effected the transfer of the poblacion to Kawayan. Almeria was thus reduced into a barrio of the Municipality of Kawayan for more than four decades. From 1945 to 1947, during the term of Mayor Maximo Salloman, the municipal council of Kawayan deliberated and passed Municipal Resolution No. 55, which endorsed the creation of Almeria as a separate municipality. On September 1, 1948, President Elpidio Quirino, through Executive Order 292, granted separate township to Almeria. Thus, ended the long-drawn Almeria-Kawayan controversy.
