Regions of the Philippines

A region ( filipino Rehiyon ) is a management level in the Philippines. Since 2002 there are 17 regions in 81 other provinces ( Lalawigan ) are divided.

Provinces are the primary political subdivision in the Philippines. However, they are joined together to facilitate the management in regions which do not have separate governments as a rule. Only the Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao ( ARMM ) selects a regional assembly and a governor. The Cordillera Administrative Region should be an autonomous region ( Cordillera Autonomous Region) originally. The plan failed, but through two referendums, so that the area eventually became an administrative region.

List of regions

The regions are geographically divided between the three island groups of Luzon, Visayas and Mindanao.

Luzon

• Abra
• Apayao
• Benguet
• Ifugao
• Kalinga
• Mountain Province

• Ilocos Norte
• Ilocos Sur
• La Union
• Pangasinan

• Batanes
• Cagayan
• Isabela
• Nueva Vizcaya
• Quirino

• Aurora
• Bataan
• Bulacan
• Nueva Ecija
• Pampanga
• Tarlac
• Zambales

• Batangas
• Cavite
• Laguna
• Quezon
• Rizal

• Marinduque
• Occidental Mindoro
• Oriental Mindoro
• Romblon
• Palawan

• Albay
• Camarines Norte
• Camarines Sur
• Catanduanes
• Masbate
• Sorsogon

Visayas

• Aklan
• Antique
• Capiz
• Guimaras
• Iloilo
• Negros Occidental

• Bohol
• Cebu
• Negros Oriental
• Siquijor

• Biliran
• Eastern Samar
• Leyte
• Northern Samar
• Samar
• Southern Leyte

Mindanao

• Zamboanga del Norte
• Zamboanga del Sur
• Zamboanga Sibugay

• Bukidnon
• Camiguin
• Lanao del Norte
• Misamis Occidental
• Misamis Oriental

• Compostela Valley
• Davao City
• Davao del Norte
• Davao del Sur
• Davao Oriental

• Cotabato
• Sarangani
• South Cotabato
• Sultan Kudarat

• Agusan del Norte
• Agusan del Sur
• Dinagat Islands
• Surigao del Norte
• Surigao del Sur

• Basilan
• Lanao del Sur
• Maguindanao
• Shariff Kabunsuan
• Sulu
• Tawi - Tawi

History

On September 24, 1972, the provinces were merged into eleven regions on Regulation of President Ferdinand Marcos. Since that time, new regions were created or renamed.

• July 7, 1975 - Region XII is established and there are small transformations of certain regions of Mindanao.
• August 21, 1975 - IX region is divided into the regions A and IX- IX -B, there are further minor variations in the regions Mindanao
• November 7, 1975 - the Metro Manila region arises
• August 1, 1989 - the Muslim Mindanao autonomous region is created.
• October 23, 1989 - the Cordillera region is added.
• February 23, 1995 - Region XIII ( Caraga ) is produced, further small changes in the Mindanao regions.
• 1997 - Small transformations of the Mindanao regions.
• September 19, 2001 - most of the regions in Mindanao are changed and renamed.
• May 17, 2002 - the regions CALABARZON (IV -A) and MIMAROPA (IV -B) arise from the former Region IV Southern Tagalog.

Former regions

The following regions have changed in recent years in their description and structure:

• Southern Tagalog was divided into the regions CALABARZON (or region IV -A) and MIMAROPA (or region IV -B).
• Western Mindanao Zamboanga Peninsula has been renamed, but still referred to as Region IX.
• Central Mindanao was renamed in SOCCSKSARGEN, but still referred to as Region XII.
• Southern Mindanao was renamed in Davao region, but still referred to as Region XI.