3. Samar: Poverty-Stricken Province

Eastern Visayas is one of the poorest regions in the Philippines according to government data and natural calamities is to blame. The region may be poor due to disasters but it has also been blessed with rich resources. Authorities are now banking on tourism to help uplift their constituents. Samar, one of the last frontiers of the Philippines, hosts the largest remaining lowland forest reserve in the country.