Provinces of the Philippines

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The provinces of the Philippines are the primary administrative divisions of the Philippines. There are 81 provinces, further subdivided into cities and municipalities. The National Capital Region is autonomous of provincial government. Each province is administered by an elected provincial governor who oversees various local government entities.

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

Government

Provincial government is autonomous of other provinces and the Republic. Each province is governed by two main elected branches of government: executive and legislative. Judicial affairs are separated from provincial governance, administered by the Supreme Court of the Philippines.

National

National intrusion into the affairs of each provincial government is limited by the constitution. The President of the Philippines however coordinates with provincial administrators through the Department of the Interior and Local Government. For purposes of national representation, each province is divided into one or more congressional districts. Each city or municipality belongs to one of these districts. One congressional representative represents each district in the House of Representatives. Senate representation is elected at an at-large basis and not apportioned by provincial districts.

Executive

The provincial governor is chief executive and head of each province. Elected to a term of three years and limited to three terms, he or she appoints the directors of each provincial department which include the office of administration, engineering office, information office, legal office and treasury office.

Legislative

The vice-governor acts as the president of each Provincial Board, the body that acts as legislature. The board is composed of members from provincial districts. Such districts, of which there may be eight or ten, are apportioned by income class. First and second class provinces have ten board members while third and fourth class provinces have eight. Cebu, Negros Occidental and Pangasinan have twelve board members each.

Each Provincial Board have designated seats for ex-officio members. Such seats are given to the local president of the Association of Barangay Captains, the local president of the Philippine Councilors League, and the local president of the youth council, Sanggunian Kabataan.

The vice-governor and members of the Provincial Board are elected by the citizens of the province. Ex-officio members are elected by members of their respective organizations.

Map

List of provinces

Island (blue) and landlocked (red) provinces. The grey areas have both land and sea boundaries.

Provinces classified by income classification.

Provinces classified by population.

Provinces classified by area.

Metro Manila is included by basis of comparison although it is not a province but a region.

Etymologies

Main article: List of Philippine provincial name etymologies

History

When the United States acquired the Philippines from Spain in 1898, the islands were divided into four gobiernos, which were further subdivided into provinces and districts. The American administration initially inherited the Spanish divisions and placed them under military government. As insurgencies were pacified, civil government was gradually restored.

• 11 June 1901: Morong district merged with part of Manila province to form Rizal province.

• 1902: Mindoro province merged with Marinduque; Amburayan province split from La Union; Later, Marinduque province merged with Tayabas.

• 1903: Moro province formed, consisting of the districts of Cotabato, Davao, Lanao, Sulu, and Zamboanga. Its capital was Zamboanga.

• 1905: Name of Paragua province changed to Palawan. Masbate province merged with Sorsogon.

• 1907: Romblon province merged with Capiz; split from it again in 1917.

• 20 August 1907: Agusan province split from Surigao.

• 1908: Abra province merged with Ilocos Sur; split from it again on 1917-03-09.

• 13 August 1908: Mountain province formed by merging Amburayan, Apayao, Benguet, Bontoc, Ifugao, Kalinga, and Lepanto province, which became its sub-provinces.

• 1909: Batanes province split from Cagayan.

• 29 August 1916: Name and status of Moro province changed to the Department of Mindanao and Sulu. Status of its districts (Bukidnon, Cotabato, Davao, Lanao, Sulu, and Zamboanga) changed to provinces.

• 10 March 1917: Ambos Camarines province divided into Camarines Norte and Camarines Sur provinces.

• 21 February 1920: Marinduque province split from Tayabas.

• 15 December 1920: Masbate province split from Sorsogon.

• 20 February 1921: Mindoro province split from Marinduque.

• 1923-03-27: Leyte divided into Occidental Leyte and Oriental Leyte by law, but never proclaimed by the governor-general.

• 1929-11-02: Misamis province divided into Misamis Occidental and Misamis Oriental provinces (implemented 1939-11-28).

• 1945-09-26: Catanduanes province split from Albay.

• 1946: Romblon province merged with Capiz; split from it again on 1947-01-01.

• 1946-09-07: Name of Tayabas province changed to Quezon.

• 1950-06-13: Mindoro province split into Mindoro Occidental and Mindoro Oriental.

• 1952-06-06: Zamboanga province split into Zamboanga del Norte and Zamboanga del Sur.

• 1956-04-25: Aklan province split from Capiz (implemented 1956-11-08).

• 1959-05-22: Lanao province divided into Lanao del Norte and Lanao del Sur; Southern Leyte province split from Leyte.

• 1960-06-19: Surigao province divided into Surigao del Norte and Surigao del Sur provinces.

• 1965-06-19: Samar province divided into Eastern Samar, Northern Samar, and Western Samar.

• 1966-06-18: South Cotabato province split from Cotabato; Benguet, Ifugao, and Kalinga-Apayao provinces split from Mountain; Camiguin province split from Misamis Oriental.

• 1967-05-08: Davao province divided into Davao del Norte, Davao del Sur, and Davao Oriental provinces (implemented 1967-07-01).

• 1967-06-17: Agusan province divided into Agusan del Norte and Agusan del Sur provinces (implemented 1970-01-01).

• 1969-06-21: Name of Western Samar province changed to Samar.

• 1969-08-04: Samal subprovince created from Davao del Norte but was never inaugurated.

• 1971-09-10: Quirino province split from Nueva Vizcaya.

• 1971-10-04: Maranaw province created from Lanao del Norte but never inaugurated.

• 1972-01-08: Siquijor province split from Negros Oriental.

• 1972-06-17: Name of Davao del Norte province changed to Davao.

• 1973-09-11: Tawi-Tawi province split from Sulu.

• 1973-11-22: Cotabato province divided into Maguindanao, North Cotabato, and Sultan Kudarat provinces.

• 1973-12-27: Status of Basilan (formerly within Zamboanga del Sur province) changed from chartered city to province.

• 1975-11-08: Metro Manila split from Rizal province.

• 1979-08-13: Aurora province split from Quezon, following a referendum.

• 1983-12-19: Name of North Cotabato province changed to Cotabato.

• 1986-01-03: Negros del Norte province split from Negros Occidental. This action was found

unconstitutional by the Supreme Court, and Negros Occidental reverted to its original status on 1986-08-18.

• 1992-03-16: Sarangani province split from South Cotabato.

• 1992-05-11: Biliran province split from Leyte; Guimaras province split from Iloilo.

• 1995-02-14: Kalinga-Apayao province split into Kalinga and Apayao provinces.

• 1998-03-07: Compostela Valley province split from Davao province. Name of Davao province changed back to Davao del Norte.

• 2001-02-23: Zamboanga Sibugay province split from Zamboanga del Sur.

• 2006-08-30: Shariff Kabunsuan province split from Maguindanao.

• 2006-10-02: Dinagat Islands province split from Surigao del Norte.

Formally proposed provinces

Note: This section lists only those proposals that reached the stage where legislation was enacted for the purpose of establishing a province.

• Occidental Leyte and Oriental Leyte (March 27, 1923) – Leyte was divided into two new provinces by Act No. 3117 on March 27, 1923. The division never took place however as no proclamation was issued by the governor-general. ^[5]
  • The province of Oriental Leyte would have covered the present-day territories of the entire province of Biliran, the municipalities of Abuyog, Alangalang, Babatngon, Barugo, Burauen, Calubian, Capoocan, Carigara, Dagami, Dulag, Jaro, Javier, Julita, La Paz, Leyte, MacArthur, Mahaplag, Mayorga, Palo, Pastrana, San Isidro, San Miguel, Santa Fe, Tabango, Tabontabon, Tanauan, Tolosa, Tunga and Tacloban City (which was designated as the province capital).
  • The province of Occidental Leyte would have covered the present-day territories of the entire province of Southern Leyte, the municipalities of Albuera, Bato, Hilongos, Hindang, Inopacan, Isabel, Kananga, Matag-ob, Matalom, Merida, Palompon, Villaba and the cities of Baybay and Ormoc. The province capital of Occidental Leyte "SEC. 2. ... shall be designated by the Governor-General, until determined by a plurality vote of the electors of the new province at the next general election."
• Samal (1969) – The sub-province of Samal was created by Republic Act No. 5999 and covered the area of the present-day Island Garden City of Samal (or in other words, the whole island of Samal). However, the sub-province was never inaugurated.
• Maranaw (1971) – Republic Act 6406, which sought to create a new province out of eastern Lanao del Sur (now corresponding to the province's first congressional district), was approved on October 4, 1971. The province was to consist of Marawi City (the capital) and the municipalities of Bubong, Ditsaan-Ramain (including what is now Buadiposo-Buntong), Kapai, Lumba-Bayabao (including what is now Maguing), Marantao, Masiu, Mulondo, Saguiaran, Piagapo, Poona Bayabao, Tamparan, Taraka and Wao (including what is now Bumbaran). Lanao del Sur was to retain the remaining municipalities, with Malabang serving as its new capital. Without the political will or the resources to implement it, the division never took place. A legacy of this unimplemented division is the existence of two ZIP code series for Lanao del Sur: the 93 series was retained by what were to be the remaining towns of the province (with Malabang, the new capital, being assigned the code 9300), while a new series (97) was assigned to what was supposed to be the province of Maranaw (with Marawi City getting the code 9700).
• Negros del Norte (1985-1986) – Batas Pambansa Blg. 885, which sought to create a new province out of the northern portion of Negros Occidental, took effect on December 23, 1985, with a plebiscite to ratify the law held on January 3, 1986. The province was to be composed of the cities of Cadiz (which was to serve as the capital), San Carlos and Silay, as well as the municipalities of Calatrava, E. B. Magalona, Escalante, Manapla, Salvador Benedicto, Sagay, Toboso and Victorias. Although the creation of the new province was ratified by voters in the proposed new province, the Supreme Court declared Batas Pambansa Blg. 885, as well as the proclamation of the province of Negros del Norte, null and void on July 11, 1986 after ruling that the enabling law was unconstitutional.
• Isabela del Norte and Isabela del Sur (1995) – On February 20, 1995 Republic Act 7891, which sought to divide the province of Isabela, was approved. Isabela del Norte was to comprise municipalities belonging to the province's first and second congressional districts with Ilagan serving as capital. Isabela del Sur was to consist of the third and fourth congressional districts (excluding the independent component city of Santiago), with Cauayan as the capital. The proposed division was rejected in a plebiscite held on June 20, 1995.
• Quezon del Norte and Quezon del Sur (2007) – The act dividing the province of Quezon into two, Republic Act 9495, lapsed into law without the president's signature on September 7, 2007. Quezon del Norte is to be composed of the first and second congressional districts of the province, with Lucena City as its capital. Quezon del Sur, with its capital at Gumaca, will comprise the third and fourth congressional districts. The implementation of the division is still pending the ratification of the enabling law through a plebiscite, expected to be held in 2010 along with the presidential elections.

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
• Provinces of the Philippines, Gwillim Law, Statoids.com

External links

• Flags of the World – Philippines Provincial Flags

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