PHILIPPINE POLITICAL

STRUCTURE AND
SUBDIVISION:
AN OVERVIEW
LEARNING OUTCOMES
• Identify the different regions in the
Philippines and its regional center.

2. Locate in the map the different regions of

the Philippines.
 The Philippines
• Officially known as The Republic of the
Philippines
• also called the Pearl of the Orient Seas
• is a country located in Southeast Asia
• It consists of approximately 7,641
islands
 SUMMARY DATA

Total administrative divisions (as of 2021)

Regions : 17
Provinces : 81
Cities : 146
Municipalities: 1,488
Barangays :42,046
 SUMMARY DATA

Area : 300,000 km2 (115,830.65 sq. mi)

Coastline length36,289 km (22,548.94 mi)

Population (2020) : 109,033,245

Density (2020):363 per km2 (941 per sq. mi)

 SUMMARY DATA

Currency : Peso (₱) (PHP)

Time zone : UTC+8 (Pacific Standard Time)

Calling code : +63

The Names of The Philippines

“Ma-yi”
means land of gold

“Maniolas”
by Claudius Ptolemy
The Names of The Philippines

“Archipelago of St. Lazarus”

by Magellan

“Felipinas”
by Ruy Lopez de Villalobos
Geography
The islands are grouped into Luzon, Visayas and Mindanao

List of Largest Islands in the Philippines

Four Marginal Seas

East - Philippine Sea

West - South China Sea

(also known as the West
Philippine Sea)

Southeast - the Sulu Sea

South - Celebes Sea

Manila Bay is the finest harbor in Asia and also the largest
Bay in the Philippines .

The narrowest strait in the world is the San Juanico Strait

between Samar and Leyte, now connected by the San
Juanico Bridge.

The lowest place in the country is the “Philippine Deep”

some 89 km. northeast of Mindanao. With depth of 37,732
ft. below sea level, it is said to be “the deepest place in the
world.”
Highest Mountains in the Philippines

Massive mountain ranges

characterize the northern areas of
Luzon, and the eastern and southern
portions of Mindanao.

The longest being the Sierra

Mountain range from Cagayan
Province in the north and to Laguna
in the south.
 Highest Mountains in the Philippines

The highest mountain is Mt. Apo

 Volcanoes

There are over 400 volcanoes that dot

MT. Mayon
the whole stretch of the Philippine map

• Active - 24
• Potentially active - 27
• Inactive - 360

Taal Volcano
Four major lowlands plains

Central Plain
“Rice Granary” of the Philippines
 Four major lowlands plains

Agusan Valley

Cotabato Valley
 Famous Plateau

Benguet Plateau

Bukidnon Plateau
RIVERS
Cagayan River or
Rio Grande de
Cagayan is both
the longest and
largest river
system
 RIVERS

Mindanao River or
Rio Grande de Mindanao
Agusan River
LAkes
Laguna de
Bay is the
largest lake
in the
Philippines
 Springs

Los Baños Hot spring Sibul spring

 waterfalls

Pagsanjan Falls Maria Cristina Falls

NATURAL RESOURCES
SOIL is the country’s more important natural resources

According to the Bureau of Soils, about 75% of the country’s

arable land of 11 million hectares has been badly eroded.
NATURAL RESOURCES

The Philippines ranks first in world

production of coconuts and hemp products;
second in sugar; and fifth in tobacco.
The World’s Greatest
Biodiversity
 Plant Life
8,120 species of plants

1000 varieties of orchids

1000 species of rice
3000 species of trees

“Queen of Philippine Flowers”

- Sampaguita
850 species of birds

Sarus Crane
-biggest bird

The Philippine or Monkey eating

eagle
animal life
-world’s largest eagle
850 species of birds

Katala
-can talk and
sing

Kalaw
“Clock of the Mountains”
animal life
850 species of birds

Palawan

animal life
peacock

Limba
s
850 species of birds

Philippine Eagle
- National symbol of the
Philippines

animal life
 Reticulated Python
(Python reticulatus)
- world’ longest snake

animal life
Tamaraw Tarsier
Dwarf carabao but reputed to be the world's smallest monkey
fierce

Four unique animals

 Mouse Deer Zebronkey
Smallest deer in the Bred first at Manila Zoo
world

Four unique animals

16, 633, 000 hectares
3,000 species of trees
1,000 of which are commercial timber

Narra
“Queen of the Philippine Wood”

Forest Resources
Pygmy goby and tabios fish
- 2 smallest fish

Whale shark “Patingbulik”

World’s largest

Fish and marine Resources

20,000 species of
shells

Pisidium Tridacna Gigas

-world’s smallest - world’s largest shell
shell

Fish and marine Resources

20,000 species of
shells

Pearl of Allah
350 years old,
14 pounds in
weight

Fish and marine Resources

 20,000 species of
shells Giant Pearl from a giant
clam

34 kilograms
1 ft. wide
2.2 ft. long

Fish and marine Resources

Copper, iron,
gold

Mankayan in Mountain
Province
Iron in Copper mine
Surigao

minerals
1.Oil
2.hydroelectric power
3.bagasse (sugar cane
wastes);
4.geothermal energy
5.coal and;
6. new sources of energy , like
solar power biogas, agro-
forestry wastes, natural gas,
alcogas and wood.

ENERGY SOURCES
The world’s second biggest geothermal producer after the United
States with 18% of the country’s electricity needs being met by
geothermal power.

ENERGY SOURCES
The Oil and Gas Discovery in Palawan

hidden treasures
Political
Structure and
Subdivision
national
Capital
region
• Officially designated as NCR

• It covers 16 highly urbanized cities and 1

municipality
NCR
• Officially
designated as NCR

• It covers 16 highly
urbanized cities and
1 municipality

Regional center is
the City of Manila
Cordillera
Administrative
Region
• Officially designated as CAR

• occupies the northern-central section of

Luzon.
Cordillera Administrative Region
It covers 6 provinces, and 1
highly urbanized city namely,
• Abra
• Mountain Province
• Apayao
• Kalinga
• Benguet
• Ifugao
• City of Baguio

Regional center is the

City of Baguio
 ILOCOS REGION
• Officially designated as Region I

• occupies the northwestern section of Luzon.

 ILOCOS REGION
• It covers 4 provinces, namely;
• Ilocos Norte
•Ilocos Sur
• La Union, and
• Pangasinan

Regional center is the

City of San Fernando, La Union
cagayan valley
• Officially designated as Region II

• occupies the northeastern section of Luzon.

cagayan valley
• It covers 5 provinces, namely;
• Batanes
• Cagayan
• Isabela
• Nueva Vizcaya
• Quirino

Regional center is the

Tuguegarao
central luzon
• Officially designated as Region III

• occupies the northeastern section of Luzon.

central luzon
• It covers 7 provinces,
namely;
• Aurora
• Bataan
• Bulacan
• Nueva Ecija
• Pampanga
• Tarlac
• Zambales
Regional center is the
City of San Fernando,
Pampanga
 calabarzon
• Officially designated as Region IV-A

• occupies the northeastern section of Luzon.

calabarzon
• It covers 5 provinces, namely,
• Cavite
• Laguna
• Batangas
• Rizal
• Quezon

Regional center is the

City of Calamba, Laguna
 mimaropa
• formerly known as Southwestern Tagalog Region .

• foremerly designated as Region IV-B

 mimaropa
• It covers 5 provinces,
and 1 highly urbanized
city namely,
• Occiedental Mindoro
•Oriental Mindoro
• Marinduque
• Romblon
- Palawan
- Puerto Princesa

Regional center is the

Calapan City
 bicol
•Officially designated as Region V
bicol
• It covers 6 provinces
namely,
• Albay
•Camarines Sur
• Camarines Norte
• Catanduanes
- Masbate
-Sorsogon

Regional center is the

City of Legazpi
western visayas
•Officially designated as Region VI
western visayas
• It covers 6 provinces, and 2
highly urbanized cities namely,
• Aklan
• Capiz
• Guimaras
• Iloilo
• Negros Occidental
• Antique
• City of Iloilo
• Bacolod City

Regional center is the

City of Iloilo
Central visayas
•Officially designated as Region VII
Central visayas
• It covers 4 provinces,
and 3 highly urbanized
cities namely,
• Bohol
• Cebu
• Negros Oriental
• Siquijor
• Cebu City
• Lapu-lapu
• Mandaue
Regional center is the
City of Cebu
Eastern visayas
•Officially designated as Region VIII
Eastern visayas
• It covers 6 provinces,
and 1 highly urbanized
city,namely:
• Eastern Samar
• Northern Samar
• Samar
• Leyte
• Southern Leyte
• Biliran
• City of Tacloban
Regional center is the
City of Tacloban
Zamboanga
Peninsula
• Officially designated as Region IX

• Occupies the western section of

Mindanao
Zamboanga Peninsula
• It covers 3 provinces, and
1 highly urbanized city and
1 component city namely,
• Zamboanga del Norte
• Zamboanga del Sur
• Zamboanga Sibugay
• Zamboanga City
• City of Isabela

Regional center is the

City of Pagadian
northern mindanao
• Officially designated as Region X

• Occupies the northern central section of

Mindanao
northern mindanao
• It covers 5 provinces,
and 2 highly urbanized
cities namely,
• Bukidnon
• Camiguin
• Lanao del Norte
• Misamis Occidental
• Misamis Oriental
• Iligan City
• Cagayan de Oro

Regional center is the

City of Cagayan de Oro
davao region
• Officially designated as Region XI

• Occupies the southeastern section of

Mindanao
davao region
• It covers 5 provinces, and 1
highly urbanized cities namely,
• Davao de Oro(Compostela Valley)
• Davao del Norte
• Davao del Sur
• Davao Occidental
• Davao Oriental
• Davao city

Regional center is the

City of Davao
SOCCSKSARGEN
• Officially designated as Region XII

• Occupies the southern- central section

of Mindanao
SOCCSKSARGEN
• It covers 4 provinces,
and 1 highly urbanized
city and 1 component city
namely,
• South Cotabato
• Cotabato
• Sultan Kudarat
• Sarangani
• General Santos City
• Cotabato city

Regional center is the

City of Koronadal
 Caraga
• Officially designated as Region XIII

• Occupies the northeastern section of

Mindanao
Caraga
• It covers 5 provinces,
and 1 highly urbanized
city namely,
• Agusan del Norte
• Agusan del Sur
• Dinagat Islands
• Surigao del Norte
• Surigao del Sur
• Butuan City

Regional center is the

City of Butuan
Bangsamoro Autonomous
Region in Muslim Mindanao

• Officially designated as BARMM

• Occupies the northeastern section of

Mindanao
BARMM
• It covers 5
provinces namely;
• Basilan
• Lanao del Sur
• Maguindanao
• Sulu
• Tawi-tawi

Regional center is
the City of Cotabato
Let us explore each Region...
KITAKITS
EACH REGION IS WAITING FOR YOU