[3] Santa Rita is connected to Tacloban and Leyte Island by the San Juanico Bridge.

The bridge traverses the picturesque water strip that connects the island of Samar and Leyte as vital link of the Pan-Philippine Highway.

The town of Santa Rita straddles an area of 552.6354 square kilometers (213.3737 sq mi) with a population of 41,591 as of 2015 census.

Bounded by the Province of Eastern Samar in the east; Talalora in the west; Villareal and Pinabacdao in the north; and Municipality of Basey in the south.

Verdant hills and mountains surround the hinterland that is somewhat two triangular in shape with irregular borderlines that face the seaway.

Captain Bartolome Sanchez, the head of a Spanish expedition in 1800, was captivated by the friendliness and hospitality of the people in the island so he decided to stay and help them.

He called the neighboring tribes to unite with them and appointed Joaquin Amistoso to be the Cabeza de Barangay.

In years between 1810 and 1898, several attempts of fleet of Moro vintas or “pancos” who tried to rob the puro's golden bell, which was given by the Spaniards.

The ruins of the fortress locally known as “barawalte” still stands today and are mute evidence of Moro raids in the past.

The inhabitants transferred across the mainland of Samar to a place called Lalawiton, the present site of the municipality.

This is the statement of declaration of the Spaniards when they fully acknowledged the municipality, “La fundacion de este pueblo se debe á los RR.