Provinces of the Philippines

The Provinces of the Philippines are the main political and administrative divisions of the Philippines. There are 82 provinces at present. The provinces are divided into cities and municipalities. The National Capital Region, as well as independent cities, are separate from any provincial government. Each province has a governor.

The provinces are grouped into seventeen regions based on geographical, cultural, and ethnological characteristics. Fourteen of these regions are designated with numbers corresponding to their geographic location in order from north to south. The National Capital Region, Cordillera Administrative Region, and Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao do not have numerical designations.

Each province is member to the League of Provinces of the Philippines, an organization which aims to address issues affecting provincial and metropolitan government administrations.[1]

List of provinces

Province Capital Largest settlement Region Population
(2020) 		Population
rank 		Area
(km²) 		Area
rank 		Pop. density
(per km²) 		Pop. density
rank
Abra Bangued CAR 250,985 69 4,198.20 33 55.01 76
Agusan del Norte[2] Cabadbaran[3] Butuan City[4] Region XIII 760,413 45 3,546.86 40 172.66 49
Agusan del Sur Prosperidad Bayugan City Region XIII 739,367 46 9,989.52 5 61.01 73
Aklan Kalibo Region VI 615,475 54 1,821.42 66 271.83 24
Albay Legazpi Region V 1,374,768 24 2,565.77 57 464.12 11
Antique San Jose de Buenavista Region VI 612,974 55 2,729.17 53 188.8 44
Apayao Kabugao[5] Conner CAR 124,366 79 4,351.23 31 23.82 79
Aurora Baler Maria Aurora Region III 235,750 71 3,147.32 47 59.67 74
Basilan Lamitan Isabela BARMM[6] 556,586 59 2,217.13 59 223.94 37
Bataan Balanga Mariveles Region III 853,373 38 1,372.98 72 482.27 9
Batanes Basco Region II 18,831 82 219.01 80 72.94 69
Batangas Batangas City Lipa City Region IV-A 2,908,494 8 3,119.72 48 719.89 7
Benguet[7] La Trinidad Baguio[4] CAR 827,041 40 2,826.59 50 238.61 35
Biliran Naval Region VIII 179,312 76 536.01 77 279.9 23
Bohol Tagbilaran Region VII 1,394,329 23 4,820.95 26 255.16 30
Bukidnon Malaybalay Valencia City Region X 1,541,308 20 10,498.59 4 113.38 62
Bulacan Malolos San Jose Del Monte Region III 3,708,890 3 2,774.85 51 1018.77 5
Cagayan Tuguegarao Region II 1,268,603 26 9,295.75 6 115.38 60
Camarines Norte Daet Region V 629,699 52 2,320.07 58 221.45 38
Camarines Sur[8] Pili Naga Region V 2,068,244 14 5,465.26 19 309.93 20
Camiguin Mambajao Region X 92,808 81 237.95 79 341.64 16
Capiz Roxas Region VI 804,952 42 2,594.64 56 270.43 25
Catanduanes Virac Region V 271,879 68 1,492.16 71 155.99 51
Cavite Imus[9] Dasmariñas Region IV-A 4,344,829 2 1,512.41 69 1888.88 2
Cebu[10] Cebu City[4] Region VII 5,151,274 1 5,331.07 22 724.66 6
Cotabato Kidapawan Region XII 1,275,185 25 9,008.90 7 124.54 58
Davao de Oro Nabunturan Monkayo Region XI 767,547 44 4,479.77 28 142.28 54
Davao del Norte Tagum Region XI 1,125,057 29 3,426.97 44 247.29 32
Davao del Sur[11] Digos Davao City[4] Region XI 2,457,430 11 6,667.06 12 327.84 18
Davao Occidental Malita Region XI 317,159 66 ? ? ? ?
Davao Oriental[12] Mati Region XI 576,343 57 5,670.07 18 85.73 68
Dinagat Islands San Jose Basilisa Region XIII 128,117 78 1,036.34 74 116.58 59
Eastern Samar Borongan Region VIII 477,168 63 4,640.73 27 87.3 67
Guimaras Jordan Buenavista Region VI 187,842 75 604.57 76 250.16 31
Ifugao Lagawe Alfonso Lista CAR 207,498 73 2,628.21 54 68.76 72
Ilocos Norte Laoag Region I 609,588 56 3,504.30 42 156.17 50
Ilocos Sur Vigan Candon Region I 706,009 48 2,595.96 55 243.55 33
Iloilo[13] Iloilo City[4] Region VI 2,509,525 10 4,899.35 25 267.19 26
Isabela[14] Ilagan Region II 1,697,050 17 13,778.76 2 101.71 64
Kalinga Tabuk CAR 229,570 72 3,231.25 46 56.43 75
La Union Santol Ilocos Region 822,352 41 1,503.75 70 479.45 10
Laguna Santa Cruz Calamba Region IV-A 3,382,193 4 1,823.55 65 1356.44 3
Lanao del Norte[15] Tubod Iligan[4] Region X 1,086,017 30 3,824.79 35 221.3 39
Lanao del Sur Marawi BARMM 1,195,518 28 12,051.85 3 94.47 65
Leyte[16] Tacloban[4] Region VIII 2,028,728 15 6,515.05 13 264.32 27
Maguindanao del Norte Datu Odin Sinsuat Cotabato City BARMM 943,500 33 ? ? ? ?
Maguindanao del Sur Buluan BARMM 723,758 47 ? ? ? ?
Marinduque Boac Region IV-B 239,207 70 952.58 75 241.07 34
Masbate Masbate City Region V 908,920 35 4,151.78 34 185.21 45
Misamis Occidental Oroquieta Ozamiz Region X 617,333 53 2,055.22 63 258.7 29
Misamis Oriental[17] Cagayan de Oro[4] Region X 1,685,302 18 3,515.70 41 370.58 14
Mountain Province Bontoc Bauko CAR 158,200 77 2,157.38 60 68.91 71
Negros Occidental[18] Bacolod[4] Region VI 3,223,955 6 7,965.21 9 360.29 15
Negros Oriental Dumaguete Region VII 1,432,990 22 5,385.53 21 228.74 36
Northern Samar Catarman Region VIII 639,186 51 3,692.93 37 148.87 53
Nueva Ecija Palayan[19] Cabanatuan Region III 2,310,134 12 5,751.33 17 322.33 19
Nueva Vizcaya Bayombong Region II 497,432 62 4,378.80 30 90.86 66
Occidental Mindoro Mamburao San Jose Region IV-B 525,354 61 5,865.71 16 71.87 70
Oriental Mindoro Calapan Region IV-B 908,339 36 4,238.38 32 173.6 48
Palawan[20] Puerto Princesa[4] Region IV-B 1,246,673 27 17,030.75 1 52.41 77
Pampanga[21] San Fernando Angeles City Region III 2,900,637 9 2,044.99 64 1088.73 4
Pangasinan[22] Lingayen San Carlos Region I 3,163,190 7 5,451.08 20 485.3 8
Quezon[23] Lucena[4] Region IV-A 2,229,383 13 8,926.01 8 210.95 41
Quirino Cabarroguis Diffun Region II 203,828 74 3,486.16 43 46.93 78
Rizal[24] Antipolo[25] Region IV-A 3,330,143 5 1,175.76 73 1942.61 1
Romblon Romblon Odiongan Region IV-B 308,985 67 1,533.45 68 182.45 46
Samar Catbalogan Calbayog Region VIII 793,183 43 6,048.03 14 114.94 61
Sarangani Alabel Glan Region XII 558,946 58 3,601.25 39 132.04 55
Siquijor Siquijor Region VII 103,395 80 337.49 78 259.84 28
Sorsogon Sorsogon City Region V 828,655 39 2,119.01 62 334.91 17
South Cotabato[26] Koronadal General Santos[4] Region XII 1,672,791 19 4,428.81 1 292.81 1
Southern Leyte Maasin Region VIII 429,573 65 1,797.22 67 217.47 40
Sultan Kudarat Isulan Tacurong City Region XII 854,052 37 5,251.34 23 128.66 57
Sulu Jolo BARMM 1,000,108 32 2,135.25 61 397.93 13
Surigao del Norte Surigao City Region XIII 534,636 60 1,972.9 64 207.55 37
Surigao del Sur[12] Tandag Bislig Region XIII 642,255 50 4,925.18 24 109.91 63
Tarlac Tarlac City Region III 1,503,456 21 2,736.64 52 454.37 12
Tawi-Tawi Bongao[27] BARMM 440,276 64 3,426.55 45 131.43 56
Zambales[28] Iba Olongapo[4] Region III 909,932 34 3,714.40 36 193.94 43
Zamboanga del Norte Dipolog Region IX 1,047,455 31 7,301.00 11 124.26 59
Zamboanga del Sur[29] Pagadian Zamboanga City[4] Region IX 2,027,902 16 5,914.16 15 285.53 22
Zamboanga Sibugay Ipil Region IX 669,840 49 3,607.75 38 151.39 52
Metro Manila[24] Manila (Regional center) Quezon City NCR 13,484,462 -- 636 -- 18747.04 --

NOTES:

  • All population and land area figures include cities independent from provinces. In this table, they are counted as part of the province to which they are often grouped for statistical purposes, but in actuality they are first-level entities on their own right.
  • Metro Manila is included for comparison although it is not a province but an administrative region.
  • Land area figures taken from 2009 IRA computation factors Archived 2011-04-02 at the Wayback Machine.
  • Population figures taken from "2020 Census of Population and Housing (2020 CPH) Population Counts Declared Official by the President". 2020 Census of Population. Philippine Statistics Authority. Retrieved July 18, 2022.

References

  1. ↑ About the League of Provinces, League of Provinces of the Philippines, archived from the original on 2009-03-05, retrieved 2008-01-12
  2. ↑ Figures include the independent city of Butuan.
  3. ↑ Cabadbaran has been made the official capital of the province, as per Republic Act No. 8811 Archived 2016-03-03 at the Wayback Machine. However, the seat of the provincial government is still in the process of being transferred from Butuan, where the provincial government still holds office.
  4. ↑ 4.00 4.01 4.02 4.03 4.04 4.05 4.06 4.07 4.08 4.09 4.10 4.11 4.12 4.13 Because the provincial government holds office within an independent city, in effect the province maintains the seat of its government outside its jurisdiction.
  5. ↑ The province maintains another government center in Luna, where many national and provincial agencies now hold office. Philippine Information Agency - Apayao gov't center established in Luna[permanent dead link]
  6. ↑ The city of Isabela is served by the offices of Region IX.
  7. ↑ Figures include the independent city of Baguio.
  8. ↑ Figures include the independent city of Naga.
  9. ↑ The provincial government of Cavite makes it clear that Imus is the provincial capital, while the seat of the provincial government is Trece Martires City. Official Website of the Province of Cavite - Quick Facts Archived 2011-10-07 at the Wayback Machine Imus is capital of Cavite — Maliksi Archived 2012-09-04 at Archive.today
  10. ↑ Figures include the independent cities of Cebu, Lapu-Lapu and Mandaue.
  11. ↑ Figures include the independent city of Davao.
  12. ↑ 12.0 12.1 Population figures for both Davao Oriental and Surigao del Sur exclude the 4,555 persons residing in areas disputed between these provinces.
  13. ↑ Figures include the independent city of Iloilo.
  14. ↑ Figures include the independent city of Santiago.
  15. ↑ Figures include the independent city of Iligan.
  16. ↑ Figures include the independent cities of Ormoc and Tacloban.
  17. ↑ Figures include the independent city of Cagayan de Oro.
  18. ↑ Figures include the independent city of Bacolod.
  19. ↑ The provincial government still uses and maintains facilities in the former capital, Cabanatuan.
  20. ↑ Figures include the independent city of Puerto Princesa.
  21. ↑ Figures include the independent city of Angeles.
  22. ↑ Figures include the independent city of Dagupan.
  23. ↑ Figures include the independent city of Lucena.
  24. ↑ 24.0 24.1 Population figures for both Metro Manila and Rizal Province exclude the 24,789 persons residing in areas disputed between the municipality of Cainta, Rizal and the city of Pasig in Metro Manila.
  25. ↑ The provincial government has already transferred its operations to Antipolo from Pasig, although no legislation on the national level has been enacted yet recognizing the new capital. Yehey! News - Board wants Antipolo officially named capital of Rizal[permanent dead link]
  26. ↑ Figures include the independent city of General Santos.
  27. ↑ The National Statistical Coordination Board Archived 2008-11-18 at the Wayback Machine recognizes both Bongao and Panglima Sugala as capitals of the province. However, the provincial capitol is located in Bongao, the de facto seat of government.
  28. ↑ Figures include the independent city of Olongapo.
  29. ↑ Figures include the independent city of Zamboanga.