Provinces of the Philippines

The province (Filipino: lalawigan or probinsya) is the primary local government unit in the Philippines. The country is divided into 79 provinces, which are further subdivided into cities (lungsod) and municipalities (bayan). The National Capital Region, which includes the capital city Manila, is not divided into provinces.

The provinces are grouped into 17 regions (rehiyon) based on geographical, cultural, and ethnological characteristics. Fourteen of the regions are designated with numbers corresponding roughly with their geographic location from north to south. The National Capital Region, Cordillera Administrative Region, and Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao do not have a number designation.

The provincial government is headed by a governor (gobernador). For purposes of legislative representation, the province is divided into one or more congressional districts (distrito). Each city or municipality belongs to one of these districts. One congressman (kinatawan) represents each district in the House of Representatives. Every district also has board members in the Provincial Board (see the succeeding section on the Provincial government).

Provincial government

The provincial government has an executive and a legislative branch. The judicial powers in the province are under the supervision of the Supreme Court of the Philippines. The provincial government is an autonomous unit, given direct supervision of the affairs of the province. The president of the Philippines coordinates with the provinces through the Department of Interior and Local Government (DILG).

Executive branch

The provincial government is headed by a governor (gobernador), who is the chief executive and head of the province. Under the governor are the various provincial departments such as the Administration, Legal Office, Information Office, Engineering Office, and Treasury Office.

The governor is elected a term of three years and may be elected for a maximum of three terms. The provincial department heads are appointed by the governor.

Legislative branch

Heading the legislature of the province is the vice-governor (bise-gobernador) who presides over the Provincial Board (Sangguniang Panlalawigan), which is composed of board members from each district in the province. Depending on the income class of the province, it may either have eight or ten board members. First and second class provinces have ten board members while third and fourth class provinces have eight. Negros Occidental and Cebu are exceptions, having 12 board members each.

The board also has, as ex-officio members, the provincial president of the Association of Barangay Captains (ABC) (Liga ng mga Barangay), the provincial president of the Philippine Councilors League (PCL), and the provincial president of Sanggunian Kabataan (SK) Federation (the youth council).

All of the board members are elected by the citizens of the province along with the governor. The ex-officio members are elected within their organizations.

List of provinces

|| Abra || Bangued || CAR || 209,491 || 3,975.6 || 52.7 || Agusan del Norte || Cabadbaran || Region XIII || 552,849 || 2,590.0 || 213.5 || Agusan del Sur || Prosperidad || Region XIII || 559,294 || 8,966.0 || 62.4 || Aklan || Kalibo || Region VI || 451,314 || 1,817.9 || 248.3 || Albay || Legazpi City || Region V || 1,090,907 || 2,552.6 || 427.4 || Antique || San Jose || Region VI || 471,088 || 2,522.0 || 186.8 || Apayao || Kabugao || CAR || 97,129 || 3,927.9 || 24.7 || Aurora || Baler || Region III || 173,797 || 3,239.5 || 53.6 || Basilan || Isabela City || ARMM || 259,796 || 1,234.2 || 210.5 || Bataan || Balanga City || Region III || 557,659 || 1,373.0 || 406.2 || Batanes || Basco || Region II || 16,467 || 209.3 || 78.7 || Batangas || Batangas City || Region IV-A || 1,905,348 || 3,165.8 || 601.9 || Benguet || La Trinidad || CAR || 582,515 || 2,655.4 || 219.4 || Biliran || Naval || Region VIII || 140,274 || 555.5 || 252.5 || Bohol || Tagbilaran City || Region VII || 1,137,268 || 4,117.3 || 276.2 || Bukidnon || Malaybalay City || Region X || 1,060,265 || 8,293.8 || 127.8 || Bulacan || Malolos || Region III || 2,234,088 || 2,625.0 || 851.1 || Cagayan || Tuguegarao City || Region II || 993,580 || 9,002.7 || 110.4 || Camarines Norte || Daet || Region V || 458,840 || 2,112.5 || 217.2 || Camarines Sur || Pili || Region V || 1,551,549 || 5,266.8 || 294.6 || Camiguin || Mambajao || Region X || 74,232 || 229.8 || 323.0 || Capiz || Roxas City || Region VI || 654,156 || 2,633.2 || 248.4 || Catanduanes || Virac || Region V || 215,356 || 1,511.5 || 142.5 || Cavite || Trece Martires City || Region IV-A || 2,063,161 || 1,287.6 || 1,602.3 || Cebu || Cebu City || Region VII || 3,356,137 || 5,088.4 || 659.6 || Compostela Valley || Nabunturan || Region XI || 580,244 || 4,667.0 || 124.3 || Cotabato || Kidapawan City || Region XII || 958,643 || 6,569.9 || 145.9 || Davao del Norte || Tagum City || Region XI || 743,811 || 3,463.0 || 214.8 || Davao del Sur || Digos City || Region XI || 1,905,917 || 6,377.6 || 298.8 || Davao Oriental || Mati || Region XI || 446,191 || 5,164.5 || 86.4 || Eastern Samar || Borongan || Region VIII || 375,822 || 4,339.6 || 86.6 || Guimaras || Jordan || Region VI || 141,450 || 604.7 || 233.9 || Ifugao || Lagawe || CAR || 161,623 || 2,517.8 || 64.2 || Ilocos Norte || Laoag City || Region I || 514,241 || 3,399.3 || 151.3 || Ilocos Sur || Vigan City || Region I || 594,206 || 2,579.6 || 230.3 || Iloilo || Iloilo City || Region VI || 1,925,002 || 4,719.4 || 407.9 || Isabela || Ilagan || Region II || 1,287,575 || 10,664.6 || 120.7 || Kalinga || Tabuk || CAR || 174,023 || 3,119.7 || 55.8 || La Union || San Fernando City || Region I || 657,945 || 1,493.1 || 440.7 || Laguna || Santa Cruz || Region IV-A || 1,965,872 || 1,759.7 || 1,117.2 || Lanao del Norte || Tubod || Region X || 758,123 || 3,092.0 || 245.2 || Lanao del Sur || Marawi City || ARMM || 800,162 || 3,872.9 || 206.6 || Leyte || Tacloban City || Region VIII || 1,592,336 || 5,712.8 || 278.7 || Maguindanao || Shariff Aguak || ARMM || 801,102 || 4,900.1 || 163.5 || Marinduque || Boac || Region IV-B || 217,392 || 959.3 || 226.6 || Masbate || Masbate City || Region V || 707,668 || 4,047.7 || 174.8 || Misamis Occidental || Oroquieta City || Region X || 486,723 || 1,939.3 || 251.0 || Misamis Oriental || Cagayan de Oro City || Region X || 1,126,215 || 3,570.0 || 315.5 || Mountain Province || Bontoc || CAR || 140,439 || 2,097.3 || 67.0 || Negros Occidental || Bacolod City || Region VI || 2,565,723 || 7,926.1 || 323.7 || Negros Oriental || Dumaguete City || Region VII || 1,126,061 || 5,402.3 || 208.4 || Northern Samar || Catarman || Region VIII || 500,639 || 3,498.0 || 143.1 || Nueva Ecija || Palayan City || Region III || 1,659,883 || 5,284.3 || 314.1 || Nueva Vizcaya || Bayombong || Region II || 366,962 || 3,903.9 || 94.0 || Occidental Mindoro || Mamburao || Region IV-B || 380,250 || 5,879.9 || 64.7 || Oriental Mindoro || Calapan City || Region IV-B || 681,818 || 4,364.7 || 156.2 || Palawan || Puerto Princesa City || Region VI || 755,412 || 14,896.3 || 50.7 || Pampanga || San Fernando City || Region III || 1,882,730 || 2,180.7 || 863.4 || Pangasinan || Lingayen || Region I || 2,434,086 || 5,368.2 || 453.4 || Quezon || Lucena City || Region IV-A || 1,679,030 || 8,706.6 || 192.8 || Quirino || Cabarroguis || Region II || 148,575 || 3,057.2 || 48.6 || Rizal || Antipolo City || Region IV-A || 1,707,218 || 1,308.9 || 1,304.3 || Romblon || Romblon || Region IV-B || 264,357 || 1,355.9 || 195.0 || Samar || Catbalogan || Region VIII || 641,124 || 5,591.0 || 114.7 || Sarangani || Alabel || Region XII || 410,622 || 2,980.0 || 137.8 || Siquijor || Siquijor || Region VII || 81,598 || 343.5 || 237.5 || Sorsogon || Sorsogon City || Region V || 650,535 || 2,141.4 || 303.8 || South Cotabato || Koronadal City || Region XII || 1,102,550 || 4,489.0 || 245.6 || Southern Leyte || Maasin City || Region VIII || 360,160 || 1,734.8 || 207.6 || Sultan Kudarat || Isulan || Region XII || 586,505 || 4,714.8 || 124.4 || Sulu || Jolo || ARMM || 619,668 || 1,600.4 || 387.2 || Surigao del Norte || Surigao City || Region XIII || 481,416 || 2,739.0 || 175.8 || Surigao del Sur || Tandag || Region XIII || 501,808 || 4,552.2 || 110.2 || Tarlac || Tarlac City || Region III || 1,068,783 || 3,053.4 || 350.0 || Tawi-Tawi || Panglima Sugala || ARMM || 322,317 || 1,087.4 || 296.4 || Zambales || Iba || Region III || 627,802 || 3,714.4 || 169.0 || Zamboanga del Norte || Dipolog City || Region IX || 823,130 || 6,618.0 || 124.4 || Zamboanga del Sur || Pagadian City || Region IX || 1,437,941 || 4,964.1 || 289.7 || Zamboanga Sibugay || Ipil || Region IX || 497,239 || 3,087.9 || 161.0

Province		Capital	Region	Population	Area (km²)	Pop. density (per km²)

On February 20, 1995, legislation was approved for the division of Isabela into Isabela del Norte and Isabela del Sur. The division never took place.

Negros del Norte was created from Negros Occidental on January 3, 1986. Its creation was declared unconstitutional on July 11, 1986, and it was abolished on August 18, 1986.

Name origins

The provinces are mainly named after geographic features like rivers and islands, after people or individuals, or they bear a name of older local origin.

Provinces named after:

Ethnic groups: Apayao, Ifugao, Kalinga, Maguindanao, Negros, Zambales
Presidents: Quirino, Quezon
Heroes: Rizal, Sultan Kudarat
Other Known People: Aurora, Isabela
rivers of the Philippines: Agusan, Aklan, Iloilo, Pampanga, Tarlac
lakes of the Philippines: Laguna, Lanao
Other bodies of water: Albay, Ilocos
islands of the Philippines: Basilan, Batanes Islands (plural) , Biliran, Bohol, Catanduanes, Cebu, Guimaras Leyte, Masbate, Negros, Romblon, Samar, Siquijor
peninsulas of the Philippines: Bataan, Cavite, Zamboanga
Other landforms: Mountain Province
Prominent cities and towns in the province: Batangas, Cavite, Cotabato, Zamboanga
Spanish regions: Nueva Ecija, Nueva Vizcaya
Nature, flora and fauna: Antique (from the red ants known locally as lantik-lantik), Batangas (root word: 'batang' log), Bulacan (root word: bulaklak - flower), Pangasinan (root word: asin - salt)

In addition, many Philippines provinces have Spanish and English directions in their names, such as Zamboanga del Norte (English: Northern Zamboanga).

References

Philippine Standard Geographic Code Interactive, National Statistical Coordination Board
Total Population, Number of Households, Average Household Size, Population Growth Rate and Population Density by Region, Province and Highly Urbanized City: as of May 1, 2000, Census 2000 Final Counts, National Statistics Office, Republic of the Philippines
The Local Government Code of the Philippines, Department of Interior and Local Government, Republic of the Philippines
Government system based on US and Spanish models under review, Andrew Stevens, Local government in The Philippines, City Mayors

External links

Lists of subnational entities | Subdivisions of the Philippines | Provinces of the Philippines | Provinces

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