Samar Day is a Foundation Day celebrated in Samar Province, Philippines. It is currently celebrated on 11 August, but festivities start several days earlier.[1]
Samar Day was initially celebrated on 10 November, marking the day that Samar Island was established as a province.[2] During the Marcos period of martial law, the date of the celebration was moved to August 23.[2] The date was changed again when it was moved to 11 August in the late 1970s to honor the day that the Queen of Spain established Samar as a separate province from Leyte.[3]
Mutya Han Samar is a provincial-wide beauty pageant held annually (since 1980) on August 9 in Catbalogan, the provincial capital of Samar, Philippines. The pageant is one of the activities of the Samar Day celebrations.[4]