Places and General Information (B)

^**Regions, Provinces and Places of Interests

Region I - Ilocos

Provinces - Ilocos Norte, Ilocos Sur, La Union, Pangasinan

Places of Interest - Located in Vigan, Ilocos Sur is the Vigan Heritage Village, an old town built during the Spanish colonial period, and it is a world heritage site. Another popular tourist spot and a natural wonder is the Hundred Islands in Pangasinan province.

Region II - Cagayan Valley

Provinces - Batanes, Cagayan, Isabela, Nueva Vizcaya, Quirino

Places of Interest - Batanes is a group of islands found in the northern most part of the Philippines. It is an unspoiled land and it is a province rarely visited by local and foreign tourists.

Region III - Central Luzon

Provinces - Aurora, Bataan, Bulacan, Nueva Ecija, Pampanga, Tarlac, Zambales

Places of Interest - Baler, Clark Special Economic Zone, Corregidor, Subic Freeport Zone, Sierra Mountain Range: These are just a few of the places of interest found in this region.

Region IV-A - CALABARZON

Provinces - Cavite, Laguna, Batangas, Rizal, Quezon

Places of Interest - The city of Tagaytay, which is a favorite vacation destination among Filipinos, is located in Batangas while the Pagsanjan falls, which is a tourist attraction, is located in Laguna. The house where Jose Rizal lived during the 20th century is located in Calamba, Laguna. The world-famous Taal volcano and Taal lake can be found in this region.

Region IV-B - MIMAROPA

Provinces - Occidental Mindoro, Oriental Mindoro, Marinduque, Romblon, Palawan

Places of Interest - Mindoro is the only province (and the only place in the world) where the rare and endangered Philippine tamaraw can be found while Palawan represents the country's last frontier and it is the province with two world heritage sites: the Tubbataha Reef National Park and the Saint Paul (Puerto Princesa) Subterranean River National Park.

Region V - Bicol

Provinces - Albay, Camarines Norte, Camarines Sur, Catanduanes, Masbate, Sorsogon

Place of Interest - Mount Mayon, an active volcano with an almost perfect cone shape, is located in this region.

Region VI - Western Visayas

Provinces - Aklan, Antique, Capiz, Guimaras, Iloilo, Negros Occidental

Places of Interest - The world-famous Boracay Island, which is the site of one of the best beaches --- if not the best beach --- in the world, is located in the province of Aklan.

Region VII - Central Visayas

Provinces - Bohol, Cebu, Negros Oriental, Siquijor

Places of Interest - The province of Bohol is home to the geological wonder known as the Chocolate Hills, the white-sand beaches of Panglao and a very small primate with extremely large eyes called the tarsier.

Region VIII - Eastern Visayas

Provinces - Biliran, Eastern Samar, Leyte, Northern Samar, Southern Leyte, Western Samar (Samar)

Places of Interest - Leyte and Samar are two of the extremely few places in the Philippines where the rare and endangered Philippine eagle can be found.

Region IX - Zamboanga Peninsula

Provinces - Zamboanga del Norte, Zamboanga del Sur, Zamboanga Sibugay

Places of Interest - Zamboanga City is located in this region and it is the second largest city in terms of land area. It is also home to beautiful beaches, the most famous of which are the pink and white sand beaches in Sta. Cruz Islands.

Region X – Northern Mindanao

Provinces – Bukidnon, Camiguin, Lanao del Norte, Misamis Occidental, Misamis Oriental

Places of Interest – Located in this region are the cities of Malaybalay and Iligan.

Region XI - Davao

Provinces - Compostela Valley, Davao del Norte, Davao del Sur, Davao Oriental

Places of Interest - Davao City is the premier city of Mindanao and it is an eco-tourism destination. It is known for its exotic animals like the Philippine eagle, pearl farms and lush mountains, and it is the place where Mount Apo, the highest peak in the country, is located.

Region XII - SOCCSKSARGEN

Provinces - Cotobato (North Cotobato), Sarangani, South Cotobato, Sultan Kudarat

Places of Interest - Cotobato City is the socio-economic and political center of Region XII.

Region XIII - Caraga

Provinces - Agusan del Norte, Agusan del Sur, Dinagat Islands, Surigao del Norte, Surigao del Sur

Places of Interest - Agusan marsh is located in this region.

ARMM Region - Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao

Provinces - Basilan, Lanao del Sur, Maguindanao, Shariff Kabunsuan, Sulu, Tawi-Tawi

Places of Interest - The Turtle Islands in the province of Tawi-Tawi are a sanctuary for endangered marine turtles and it is now called as the Turtle Islands Wildlife Sanctuary.

CAR Region - Cordillera Administrative Region

Provinces - Abra, Apayao, Benguet, Kalinga, Mt. Province

Places of Interest - Baguio is the "summer capital" of the Philippines and it is located in the province of Benguet. Located in the Cordillera Administrative region is the Banaue Rice Terraces, which is a world heritage site.

NCR Region - National Capital Region

Cities: Kalookan, Las Pinas, Makati, Malabon, Mandaluyong, Manila, Marikina, Muntinlupa,

Navotas, Paranaque, Pasay, Pasig, Quezon City, San Juan, Taguig, Valenzuela

Municipality: Pateros

Places of Interest - Manila and Quezon City are two of the most progressive cities in the Philippines.

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Region Highlight - Central Luzon

Rice Fields in Bulacan, Mt. Arayat in Pampanga

Central Luzon or Region III is a sprawling land mass that serves as a bridge between the northern regions of Luzon and the southern Luzon regions, including Metro Manila. The land spans the entire length of the central portion of Luzon, extending from the Philippine Sea in the east to the South China Sea in the west. The region is known as the "central plains of Luzon" because of its vast, open plains, although the region is home to two mountain ranges: the Zambales mountain range and portions of the Sierra Madre mountain range, which is the longest mountain range in the Philippines. The Sierra Madre is located in the eastern part of Luzon, and it stretches from Region II all the way down to Region IV-A.

Region III consists of seven provinces: Aurora, Bataan, Bulacan, Pampanga, Nueva Ejica, Tarlac and Zambales. These provinces are known for its agricultural products. In fact, the region is known as the "rice granary of the Philippines" because it is the country's top producer of rice. Vast rice fields are found in Bulacan, Pampanga, Tarlac and Nueva Ejica, although rice fields are quite a common sight in Aurora, Bataan and Zambales. Besides rice, sugarcane and coconut are two other well-known agricultural products of the region. Coconut is the main agricultural product of the province of Aurora, and different types of food and household things are made from the coconut tree. In addition, the region is known for its food and delicacies. In particular, the Bulacan sweets and pastries and the Pampango cuisine are quite popular.

Central Luzon is one of the most economically dynamic regions in the Philippines. That the region was the third highest contributor to the country's gross national product in 2007 and 2008 is proof of its vibrant economy. The region has thirteen cities, two of which are classified as highly urbanized cities. The cities and the provinces where these cities are located are the following: Balanga in Bataan; Malolos, Meycauayan and San Jose del Monte in Bulacan; Cabanatuan, Gapan, Munoz, Palayan and San Jose in Nueva Ejica; San Fernando in Pampanga and Tarlac in Tarlac. The two highly urbanized cities are Angeles city in Pampanga and Olongapo city in Zambales. The capitals of Aurora and Zambales --- Baler and Iba --- are classified as partially urbanized areas as of year 2006. Baler is the seat of the local government of Aurora and it is known as the home town of Manuel L. Quezon, former president of the Philippine Commonwealth. Furthermore, Central Luzon is host to two economic zones: the Subic Bay Freeport Zone and the Clark Special Economic Zone, both of which are former U.S. military bases.

Many well-known companies and important manufacturing industries --- both local and foreign --- have established themselves in this part of the country because of the strategic location of Central Luzon: it is at the heart of Luzon island. Major roads and highways connect the provinces of Central Luzon as well as link the northern regions of Luzon to the National Capital Region (Metro Manila), and it can be said that the region's infrastructure is quite good. This makes for good travel and there are quite a number of places to visit in this region. Baler is the place for surfing while Bataan is the province where beautiful beaches are located. Subic provides good accommodation and clean city-living in the mountains while Bulacan provides the sites for historical places. The Sierra Madre mountain range offers its imposing yet enchanting natural beauty to the traveler while the Candaba Swamp is for bird-watchers. One major tourist destination is accessible only by boat, and this is Corregidor Island, which is the site where Filipinos and American soldiers made their final stand to defend the Philippines against the invading Japanese forces during World War II. Today, Corregidor is like an island-museum.

**Info - Central Luzon: Provinces, Capital, Population and Land Area

AURORA

Capital: Baler

Population: 187,802

Land Area in Hectares: 314,732

BATAAN

Capital: City of Balanga

Population: 662,153

Land Area in Hectares:137,298

BULACAN

Capital: City of Malolos

Population: 2,826,926

Land Area in Hectares: 279,610

PAMPANGA

Capital: San Fernando City

Population: 1,911,951

Land Area in Hectares: 206,247

NUEVA ECIJA

Capital: Palayan City

Population: 1,853,853

Land Area in Hectares: 575,133

TARLAC

Capital: Tarlac City

Population: 1,243,449

Land Area in Hectares: 305,360

ZAMBALES

Capital: Iba

Population: 493,085

Land Area in Hectares: 383,083

Note: Population and Land Area Data for Year 2007

General Information - Philippines

Population: 88, 524,614 (2007 Census)

Capital of the Country: Manila

Currency: Philippine Peso (Php)

Time Zone: GMT/UTC + 8 Hours

Flag Carrier: Philippine Air Lines

Other Airlines: Cebu Pacific, Sea-Air

Number of Airports: 92

Some Airports: Diosdado Macapagal (Clark) International Airport (Angeles City), Francisco Bangoy (Davao) International Airport (Davao City), Laoag International Airport (Laoag City), Mactan-Cebu International Airport (Cebu), Ninoy Aquino (Manila) International Airport (Metro Manila), Puerto Princesa International Airport (Puerto Princesa City), Zamboanga International Airport (Zamboanga City)

Bus Transportation: Genesis Bus Corporation, Jam Bus Corporation, Victory Liner (There many more bus corporations.)

Railway Transportation: Philippine National Railways, Light Railway Transit (LRT), Metro-Star Railway Transit (MRT)

Water Transportation: Negros Navigation, Superferry (There are many more water transportations.)

Hotels: Baguio Country Club, Bayview Park Hotel, Holiday Inn Resort, Hotel Inter-continental Manila, Hyatt Regency Hotel, Hyatt Hotel, Makati Shangri-La Hotel, Manila Hotel, Subic Bay Yacht Club, The Peninsula Hotel, The Westin Philippine Plaza Hotel (There are many more hotels, resorts and inns.)

Internet Country Code: .ph

Telephone Country Code: + 63

Banking Hours: 9:00 AM - 3:00 PM or 9:00 AM - 5:00 PM

Total Visitor Arrivals as of Year 2008: **3,139,422 / **Top 5 Visitors by Subcontinent: East Asia - 1,370,059; North America - 681,922; ASEAN - 254,077; Oceania - 174,583; Northern Europe - 136,260

Major Islands or Island Groups: Luzon, Visayas and Mindanao

Tourist Spots: Baguio, Baler, Banaue Rice Terraces, Bohol, Boracay, Calamba, Chocolate Hills, Cebu, Corregidor, Davao City, Hundred Islands, Mount Makiling, Manila, Makati, Mount Mayon, Mount Samat, Pagsanjan Falls, Palawan, Quezon City, Subic Free Port, Taal, Tagaytay City, Zamboanga City, Vigan

Natural Wonders: Chocolate Hills, Hundred Islands, Mt. Mayon, Pagsanjan Falls, El Nido in Palawan, Palawan Province, Panglao in Bohol, Sierra Madre Mountain Range, Taal Lake and Taal Volcano, Tubbataha Reef National Marine Park in Palawan (There are many more natural wonders.)

Festivals: Ati-atihan (Third week of January in Kalibo, Aklan province), Baguio Flower Festival (Fourth week of February in Baguio), Moriones Festival (Easter weekend - usually in April during lent season - in Marinduque province), Carabao Festival (May 14 in Pulilan, Bulacan province), Pahiyas (May 15 in San Isidro, Lucban, Quezon province), Flores de Mayo (Throughout May and nationwide), Kadayawan (Third week of August in Davao city), Lanzones Festival (Third or fourth week of October in Mambajao, Camiguin), Giant Lantern Festival (Third Week of December in San Fernando, Pampanga)

National Celebrations and Commemorations: New Year (December 31-January 1), Lent Season (March or April for four days at least), Flores de Mayo (Throughout May), Independence Day (June 12), All Saints Day and All Souls Day (November 1 and 2), Bonifacio Day (November 30), Christmas (December 24 -25), Rizal Day (December 30)

Business and Industry: Aristocrat (food and restaurant), Asia Brewery (beverage), Araneta Center (real estate, retail and general merchandiser), Ayala Corporation (real estate), Banco de Oro (banking), Bank of the Philippine Islands (banking), EEI Corporation (construction and engineering), Manila Bulletin (print media), Max Restaurant (food and restaurant), Meralco (electricity), Mercury Drug (pharmaceutical), National Book Store (school and office supplies, retail and general merchandiser), Ortigas & Company Limited Partnership (real estate, retail and general merchandiser), Pampanga's Best (food), Philippine Long Distance Telephone Company (communications), Robinsons Malls (retail and general merchandiser), San Miguel Corporation (food and beverage), SM Malls (retail and general merchandiser), Solar Entertainment Corporation (broadcasting), Triple V Group (food and restaurant), Universal Robina Corporation (food and beverage) / (There are many more companies of Filipino origin.)

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Important Note:

^Note: The regions and provinces represent the administrative divisions of the country.

Source:

**Source: National Statistical Coordination Board of the Philippines Website (1997-2010), 2008-2010

Photo Credit:

Subterranean River National Park - Creative Commons Photo, Courtesy of Aissa Richards on Flickr

Philippines: 1st Edition / Table of Contents

philippines-atbp.jimdofree.com/philippines-1st-edition

Introduction

philippines-atbp.jimdofree.com/philippines-i-and-ii

Geography and Natural Resources