What is a Region in the Philippines?
A Philippine region is an administrative and geographic grouping of provinces and highly urbanized or independent cities. Regions provide a broader level of organization between the national government and local government units. They are also used for government planning, statistics, development programs, elections, infrastructure planning, and other national activities.
A province is a local government unit with its own elected provincial government. A region is primarily an administrative and geographic grouping without an independent legislative body, except in special autonomous territories.
Configurations vary across the country: NCR contains cities rather than provinces; CAR encompasses 6 mountain provinces; and the newly re-established NIR spans 3 provinces across two islands.
All 17 Administrative Regions
Browse regional directories and profiles organized by major island group.
Luzon Island Group
8 RegionsCurrently houses administrative regions including NCR, CAR, Region I, Region II, Region III, CALABARZON, MIMAROPA, and Bicol Region.
Visayas Island Group
3 RegionsCurrently houses administrative regions including Western Visayas, Negros Island Region (NIR), Central Visayas, and Eastern Visayas.
Mindanao Island Group
6 RegionsCurrently houses administrative regions including Zamboanga Peninsula, Northern Mindanao, Davao Region, SOCCSKSARGEN, Caraga, and BARMM.
Compare Regions at a Glance
Visual comparison of population, provinces, cities and municipalities, and other metrics across all 17 regions.
Regional Statistics Table
Compare all 17 administrative regions side by side. Click any column heading to sort, and select a region name to open its full profile.
| Region | Region Name | LGUs | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Region 5 | Bicol Region | Luzon | 114 |
| Region 2 | Cagayan Valley | Luzon | 92 |
| Region 3 | Central Luzon | Luzon | 128 |
| Region 4A | CALABARZON | Luzon | 140 |
| Region 4B | MIMAROPA | Luzon | 71 |
| Region 1 | Ilocos Region | Luzon | 129 |
| Region 6 | Western Visayas | Visayas | 134 |
| Region 7 | Central Visayas | Visayas | 130 |
| Region 8 | Eastern Visayas | Visayas | 141 |
| Region 9 | Zamboanga Peninsula | Mindanao | 69 |
| Region 10 | Northern Mindanao | Mindanao | 93 |
| Region 11 | Davao Region | Mindanao | 48 |
| Region 12 | SOCCSKSARGEN | Mindanao | 49 |
| Region 13 | Caraga | Mindanao | 73 |
| NCR | National Capital Region | Luzon | 17 |
| CAR | Cordillera Administrative Region | Luzon | 77 |
| BARMM | Bangsamoro Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao | Mindanao | 115 |
An n/a marks a metric not yet recorded for that region. Totals follow the current PSA Philippine Standard Geographic Code framework.
History & Evolution of Philippine Regions
How territorial organization evolved from pre-colonial barangays to today's administrative regions.
Pre-Colonial, Colonial & Early Geographic Systems
The regions of the Philippines have changed significantly over time as the nation reorganized its provinces, cities, municipalities, and local territories. Before modern administrative regions existed, early communities were organized around barangays, coastal settlements, sultanates, and indigenous political networks. Boundaries were based on local authority, trade alliances, and territorial control rather than central governance.
During the Spanish colonial era, authority was centralized by dividing territories into provinces and administrative districts. The American administration after 1898 retained and expanded this provincial structure, creating, dividing, and renaming provinces to establish standardized local government units.
Development of the Modern Regional System
The modern regional concept developed during the 20th century and crystallized in the 1970s. The national government began grouping adjacent provinces into larger administrative units to streamline regional planning, infrastructure projects, and socio-economic statistical reporting by the Philippine Statistics Authority (PSA) under the Philippine Standard Geographic Code (PSGC).
Key Administrative Milestones & Reorganizations
Created in 1987 via Executive Order No. 220, unifying Abra, Apayao, Benguet, Ifugao, Kalinga, Mountain Province, and Baguio City.
Established as ARMM in 1989 and succeeded by the Bangsamoro Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao (BARMM), officially incorporated into PSGC in 2021.
Established in 1995 to unite Agusan del Norte, Agusan del Sur, Dinagat Islands, Surigao del Norte, and Surigao del Sur in northeastern Mindanao.
Formerly Region IV-B, officially renamed MIMAROPA Region in 2016 through RA 10879 (Mindoro, Marinduque, Romblon, and Palawan).
Originally established in 2015 (EO 183) and dissolved in 2017 (EO 38), NIR was officially re-established in 2024 via Republic Act No. 12000. It unifies Negros Occidental (with Bacolod City), Negros Oriental, and Siquijor under PSGC Region Code 18.
Why Boundaries Change & Historical Research
Regional boundaries adjust according to evolving economic connections, administrative efficiency, decentralization goals, and geographic logistics. When analyzing historical census reports, maps, or demographic records, historical researchers must note that a province’s regional grouping depends on the period studied.
Directory records are structured using current PSA PSGC geographic framework standards while documenting historical evolutions to help users accurately explore businesses, attractions, and local cultures nationwide.
Frequently Asked Questions
Regional breakdowns, province listings, geographic classifications, and administrative FAQs.
How many administrative regions are there in the Philippines?
Today, the Philippines has 18 administrative regions across Luzon, Visayas, and Mindanao, governed under the Philippine Standard Geographic Code (PSGC) maintained by the Philippine Statistics Authority (PSA).
What is the difference between a region and a province?
A province is an official Local Government Unit (LGU) with an elected provincial government. A region is an administrative and geographic grouping of provinces and independent cities used by the national government for planning, administration, and statistical aggregation.
What is the Philippine Standard Geographic Code (PSGC)?
The PSGC is a standardized coding system maintained by the Philippine Statistics Authority (PSA) to classify and structure geographic units (regions, provinces, cities, municipalities, and barangays).
What is Bicol Region (Region V)?
Bicol Region (Region V) is an administrative region located in Luzon. It encompasses 6 provinces (Albay, Camarines Norte, Camarines Sur, Catanduanes, Masbate and Sorsogon) and 114 cities and municipalities.
What is Cagayan Valley (Region II)?
Cagayan Valley (Region II) is an administrative region located in Luzon. It encompasses 5 provinces (Isabela, Nueva Vizcaya, Quirino, Batanes and Cagayan) and 92 cities and municipalities.
What is Central Luzon (Region III)?
Central Luzon (Region III) is an administrative region located in Luzon. It encompasses 7 provinces (Aurora, Bataan, Bulacan, Nueva Ecija, Pampanga, Tarlac and Zambales) and 128 cities and municipalities.
What is CALABARZON (Region IV-A)?
CALABARZON (Region IV-A) is an administrative region located in Luzon. It encompasses 5 provinces (Batangas, Cavite, Laguna, Quezon and Rizal) and 140 cities and municipalities.
What is MIMAROPA (Region IV-B)?
MIMAROPA (Region IV-B) is an administrative region located in Luzon. It encompasses 5 provinces (Marinduque, Occidental Mindoro, Oriental Mindoro, Palawan and Romblon) and 71 cities and municipalities.
What is Ilocos Region (Region I)?
Ilocos Region (Region I) is an administrative region located in Luzon. It encompasses 4 provinces (Ilocos Norte, Ilocos Sur, La Union and Pangasinan) and 129 cities and municipalities.
What is Western Visayas (Region VI)?
Western Visayas (Region VI) is an administrative region located in Visayas. It encompasses 6 provinces (Aklan, Antique, Capiz, Guimaras, Iloilo and Negros Occidental) and 134 cities and municipalities.
What is Central Visayas (Region VII)?
Central Visayas (Region VII) is an administrative region located in Visayas. It encompasses 4 provinces (Bohol, Cebu, Negros Oriental and Siquijor) and 130 cities and municipalities.
What is Eastern Visayas (Region VIII)?
Eastern Visayas (Region VIII) is an administrative region located in Visayas. It encompasses 6 provinces (Biliran, Eastern Samar, Leyte, Northern Samar, Samar and Southern Leyte) and 141 cities and municipalities.
What is Zamboanga Peninsula (Region IX)?
Zamboanga Peninsula (Region IX) is an administrative region located in Mindanao. It encompasses 3 provinces (Zamboanga del Norte, Zamboanga del Sur and Zamboanga Sibugay) and 69 cities and municipalities.
What is Northern Mindanao (Region X)?
Northern Mindanao (Region X) is an administrative region located in Mindanao. It encompasses 5 provinces (Bukidnon, Camiguin, Lanao del Norte, Misamis Occidental and Misamis Oriental) and 93 cities and municipalities.
What is Davao Region (Region XI)?
Davao Region (Region XI) is an administrative region located in Mindanao. It encompasses 5 provinces (Davao de Oro, Davao del Norte, Davao del Sur, Davao Occidental and Davao Oriental) and 48 cities and municipalities.
What is SOCCSKSARGEN (Region XII)?
SOCCSKSARGEN (Region XII) is an administrative region located in Mindanao. It encompasses 4 provinces (Cotabato, Sarangani, South Cotabato and Sultan Kudarat) and 49 cities and municipalities.
What is Caraga (Region XIII)?
Caraga (Region XIII) is an administrative region located in Mindanao. It encompasses 5 provinces (Agusan del Norte, Agusan del Sur, Dinagat Islands, Surigao del Norte and Surigao del Sur) and 73 cities and municipalities.
What is National Capital Region (NCR)?
National Capital Region (NCR) is an administrative region located in Luzon. It consists of 17 cities and municipalities rather than provinces.
What is Cordillera Administrative Region (CAR)?
Cordillera Administrative Region (CAR) is an administrative region located in Luzon. It encompasses 6 provinces (Abra, Apayao, Benguet, Ifugao, Kalinga and Mountain Province) and 77 cities and municipalities.
What is Bangsamoro Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao (BARMM)?
Bangsamoro Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao (BARMM) is an administrative region located in Mindanao. It encompasses 6 provinces (Basilan, Lanao del Sur, Maguindanao del Norte, Maguindanao del Sur, Sulu and Tawi-Tawi) and 115 cities and municipalities.
Notes & Data Sources
- Geographic regional codes and PSGC statutory data are sourced directly from the Philippine Statistics Authority (PSA).
- Listing totals, travel profiles, and verified local business counts are continuously updated.