Regions of the Philippines facts for kids
The regions of the Philippines are like big groups that help organize the country's provinces. Think of them as large administrative areas that make it easier for the government to manage different parts of the country. Most government offices, like those for health or education, are set up by region instead of having separate offices in every single province. This usually means they have a main office in a big city called the regional center.
Most regions don't have their own separate local government. However, there's one special region called the Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao (ARMM). This region is unique because it has its own elected regional assembly and a governor, giving it more control over its own affairs.
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Understanding the Regions of the Philippines
The Philippines has 17 main administrative regions. To make things easier to understand, 14 of these regions are given numbers based on their location, starting from the north and going south. But three regions don't have numbers: the National Capital Region (NCR), the Cordillera Administrative Region (CAR), and the Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao (ARMM).
These regions are also grouped into the three main island groups of the Philippines: Luzon, Visayas, and Mindanao. This helps people understand where each region is located geographically.
What Do Region Names Mean?
Some regions have names that are written in all capital letters, like CALABARZON, MIMAROPA, and SOCCSKSARGEN. This is because these names are acronyms. An acronym is a word formed from the first letters of other words.
- CALABARZON stands for the provinces of CAvite, LAguna, BAtangas, Rizal, and QueZON.
- MIMAROPA stands for Occidental and Oriental MIndoro, MArinduque, ROmblon, and PAlawan.
- SOCCSKSARGEN stands for SOuth Cotabato, Cotabato, Sultan Kudarat, SARangani, and GENeral Santos.
List of Regions by Island Group
Here's a list of the regions, grouped by the main islands they are part of:
| Island group: Luzon | |||
| Map | Region Name | Regional Center | Provinces and Key Cities |
|---|---|---|---|
 |
National Capital Region (NCR) |
Manila | - (This region is made of cities, not provinces) |
 |
Cordillera Administrative Region (CAR) |
Baguio | |
 |
Ilocos Region (Region I) |
San Fernando, La Union |
|
 |
Cagayan Valley (Region II) |
Tuguegarao | |
 |
Central Luzon (Region III) |
San Fernando, Pampanga | |
 |
CALABARZON (Region IV-A) |
Calamba, Laguna | |
 |
MIMAROPA (Region IV-B) |
Calapan |
|
 |
Bicol Region (Region V) |
Legazpi |
|
| Island group: Visayas | |||
 |
Western Visayas (Region VI) |
Iloilo City |
|
 |
Central Visayas (Region VII) |
Cebu City | |
 |
Eastern Visayas (Region VIII) |
Tacloban |
|
| Island group: Mindanao | |||
 |
Zamboanga Peninsula (Region IX) |
Pagadian |
|
 |
Northern Mindanao (Region X) |
Cagayan de Oro |
|
 |
Davao Region (Region XI) |
Davao City |
|
 |
SOCCSKSARGEN (Region XII) |
Koronadal |
|
 |
Caraga (Region XIII) |
Butuan |
|
 |
Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao (ARMM) |
Cotabato City | |
Related pages
See also
In Spanish: Anexo:Regiones de Filipinas para niños
