Basey, Samar

Basey
Municipality
Bird's eye view of Basey, Samar from Guintolian Hill
Seal
Map of Samar showing the location of Basey
Basey Location within the Philippines
Coordinates: 11°17′N 125°04′E / 11.283°N 125.067°E / 11.283; 125.067Coordinates: 11°17′N 125°04′E / 11.283°N 125.067°E / 11.283; 125.067
Country	Philippines
Region	Eastern Visayas (Region VIII)
Province	Samar
District	2nd district of Samar
Founded	1591
Barangays	51
Government
• Mayor	Junji Igmedio Ponferrada
• Vice Mayor	Ramon Lancanan
Area
• Total	513.01 km2 (198.07 sq mi)
Population (2015 census)
• Total	55,480
• Density	110/km2 (280/sq mi)
Time zone	PST (UTC+8)
ZIP code	6720
IDD : area code	+63 (0)55
Income class	1st municipal income class
	086002000
Electorate	31,643 voters as of 2016
Website	elgu.ncc.gov.ph/ecommunity/basey-wsamar/

Basey is a 1st class municipality in the province of Samar, Philippines. According to the 2015 census, it has a population of 55,480 people.

Basey is said to be the Leyte's capital during the American period. It is currently the record holder in the Guinness Book of World Records for the world's longest mat or banig.

On 8 November 2013, Basey was one of the places heavily devastated by Super Typhoon Haiyan, leaving more than 200 people dead.

The town's name is pronounced "Basai" or "Basay", not "basÉY". This mispronunciation was propagated by American soldiers in the early days of the American colonial period. There is no "ey" sound in the Waray-Waray language. Basay is from the Waray word mabaisai, meaning "beautiful".

Basey is politically subdivided into 51 barangays. In 1957, the sitio of Cancoral was converted into the barrio of Roxas.

The town of Basey is famous for its beautiful Sohoton Caves, whose inner chamber features stalactites, stalagmites, and an underground river. The town is also known for artistically woven decorative mats called Banig. Tourists buy these mats as souvenir items.