What Are the Different Regions and Provinces in the Philippines?

Region I - Ilocos Region

The Ilocos Region is located in the island of Luzon. It is made up of the provinces of Ilocos Norte, Ilocos Sur, La Union, and Pangasinan.

It has 9 cities, 114 municipalities and 3,265 barangays.

Total population of Region I as of 2020 is 5,270,787

Important facts about The Ilocos Region

Tha main source of income of the people in this region is planting tobacco, corn, rice, sugar cane and fruit-bearing trees. They also raise animals cows, pigs, goats and chickens.

Economic activities in the region are predominantly in the agriculture and agro-industrial sector. Agro-industrial activities include milkfish or bangus production and processing, animal farming, fish paste (bagoong) production and processing.

The Lingayen Gulf and Agno River are two important water systems in the region.

The Ilocos Region or Region I provinces and their estimated 2020 population

Map of Ilocos Region

Tourist attractions in Ilocos Norte

• Marcos Museum
• Ilocos Norte Museum
• Batac Parish
• San Nicolas Church
• Paoay Church
• Badoc Church
• Sarrat Church
• Laoag Cathedral
• Sinking Belltower located in Laoag City
• Paoay Lake
• Fort Ilocandia Hotel
• Paoay Golf Course
• Malacanang Of The North
• Patapat Bridge
• Gilbert Bridge
• Ilocos Norte Capitol
• Cape Bojeador Lighthouse
• Bangui Windmills
• Aglipay Shrine
• Juan Luna Shrine
• Ricarte Park and Shrine
• Dap-ayan, Laoag, Ilocos Norte Food Court and Ilocos Norte Products
• La Paz Sandunes in Laoag City
• Ilocos Norte Fine Sandunes

Region II - Cagayan Valley

Just like the Ilocos Region, Cagayan Valley is also located in the island of Luzon. It is considered the second largest administrative region in the country based on land area. It is made up of the provinces of Batanes, Cagayan, Isabela, Nueva Viscaya, and Quirino.

It has one independent city, 3 component cities, 89 municipalities and 2,311 barangays.

Total population of Region II as of 2020 is 3,657,741

Important facts about Cagayan Valley:

Cagayan River, the longest and largest river in the country, is located in the region

The Cagayan Valley or Region II provinces and their estimated 2020 population

Map of Cagayan Valley

Region III - Central Luzon

Central Luzon as the name suggests is located in the island of Luzon.

This region is made up of the provinces of Aurora, Bataan, Bulacan, Pampanga, Nueva Ecija, Tarlac, and Zambales.

Map of Central Luzon

Central Luzon or Region III provinces and their estimated 2020 population

Region IV A - CALABARZON

The Calabarzon region is made up of the provinces of Cavite, Laguna, Batangas, Rizal, and Quezon.

Region V - Bicol Region

The Bicol Region is made up of the provinces of Albay, Camarines Norte, Camarines Sur, Catanduanes, Masbate, and Sorsogon.

Map of CALABARZON

Map of Bicol Region

Region VI - Western Visayas

The Western Visayas Region is made up of the provinces of Aklan, Antique, Capiz, Guimaras, Iloilo, and Negros Occidental.

Map of Western Visayas

Region VII - Central Visayas

The Central Visaya Region is made up of Bohol, Cebu, Negros Oriental, and Siquijor.

Map of Central Visayas

Region VIII - Eastern Visayas

The Eastern Visayas Region is made up of the provinces of Biliran, Eastern Samar, Leyte, Northern Samar, Samar, and Southern Leyte.

Map of Eastern Visayas

Region IX - Zamboanga Peninsula

The Zamboanga Peninsula is made up of the provinces of Zamboangan del Norte, Zamboanga del Sur, and Zamboanga Sibugay. There are five cities, 67 municipalities, and 1,904 barangays.

The cities are Zamboanga City, Pagadian City, Dipolog City, Dapitan, and Isabela City.

Map of Zamboanga Peninsula

Region X - Northern Mindanao

Northern Mindanao is made up of the provinces of Bukidnon, Camiguin, Misamis Occidental, Misamis Oriental, and Lanao del Norte. Its total land area is 2,049,602 square kilometers.

Map of Northern Mindanao

Region XI - Davao Region

The Davao Region is made up of the provinces of Davao de Oro, Davao del Norte, Davao del Sur, Davao Oriental, Davao Occidental. It is the 7th most populated region in the Philippines with a total of 5,243,536 people in 2020.

Region XI or Davao Region was formerly named Southern Mindanao. It was made up of the provinces of Compostela Valley, Davao del Norte, Davao del Sur, Davao Oriental, South Cotabato, and Saranggani. The cities were Davao City, Digos City, Panabo City, Tagum City, Samal City, General Santos City, and Koronadal City.

On February 23, 1995, Surigao del Sur was incorporated with the CARAGA Region

Map of Davao Region

Region XII - SOCCSKSARGEN

SOCCSKSARGEN should always be written in capital letters or uppercase letters because it is an acronym just like the CALABARZON, MIMAROPA, and CARAGA Regions. An acronym is "an abbreviation formed from the initial letters of other words and pronounced as one word"

In this case, SOCCSKSARGEN was formed from the first letters of the provinces of South Cotabato, Cotabato, Sultan Kudarat, Saranggani, and General Santos City.

Map of SOCCSKSARGEN

Map of Metro Manila

National Capital Region - Metro Manila

The National Capital Region also called Metropolitan Manila or Metro Manila is made up of 16 cities and 1 municipality. The cities are Quezon City, City of Manila, Caloocan City, Pasay City, Pasig City, Makati City, Marikina City, Mandaluyong City, Paranaque City, Las Pinas City, Muntinlupa City, San Juan City, Taguig City, Malabon City, Navotas City, Valenzuela City and the municipality of Pateros.

Region XIII - CARAGA

Caraga or Caraga Administrative Region or Region XIII

It has 6 cities, 67 municipalities and 1,311 barangays.

The Caraga Region is made up of 5 provinces: Agusan del Norte, Agusan del Sur, Dinagat Islands, Surigao del Norte, and Surigao del Sur.

The cities are: Butuan City, Surigao City, Bislig City, Bayagan City, Cabadbaran City

Map of CARAGA

MIMAROPA

MIMAROPA, for a long time was formerly called Southern Tagalog or Region IV-B until 2016.

It is one of 2 island regions of the country that has no other island region bordering it.

The other region is Eastern Visayas.

The name MIMAROPA is acronym of its 4 provinces: Mindoro, Marinduque, Romblon, and Palawan.

Map of MIMAROPA

Bangsamoro - BARMM

Bangsamoro or The Bangsamoro Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao (BARMM) was formerly called ARMM or the Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao.

BARMM was created by virtue of the Bangsamoro Organic Law (BOL) which was ratified by two plebiscites held in Western Mindanao on January 21, 2019 and on February 6, 2019.

The plebiscite held on January 21, 2019 was to ratify the BOL where most of the voters in the former ARMM will decide on its abolition and at the same time decide on the creation of the Bangsamoro Autonomous Region.

The result of this first plebiscite was that voters in Cotabato City chose to join the new autonomous region while voters in Basilan City voted against joining the new autonomous region. Subsequently, the Comelec declared the ratification of the BOL on January 25, 2019.

Majority of the voters in Sulu voted against joining the new autonomous region however, they were still included in the BARMM anyway because of some rules stipulated in the Bangsamoro Organic Law.

Map of BARMM