Ranking as the 5th largest island country in the world, the Philippines comprises approximately 7,600 islands. This beautiful string of islands lies in the southeast part of Asia, between the Pacific Ocean and the South China Sea. 

Only around one-third of the country is permanently inhabited by around 113 million people in 2023. Its geographic location is an ideal refuge for over 200 species of orchids, mammals, and birds.    

Find exciting travel facts about the Philippines,and discover how this beautiful country faces political, economic, environmental, and social challenges from its unique geographical location.

What are the Three Major Island Groups in the Philippines?

What are the Administrative Divisions in the Philippines?

In the Philippines, the 4 levels of administrative divisions are commonly known as the Local Government Units (LGUs). It consists of provinces, cities and municipalities, and barangays. 

A barangay is a Filipino term for district, village, or ward, and is the smallest administrative unit. Now, if you’re wondering how these highest to the lowest divisions work, pay close attention to the detailed elaboration below.

What are the Regions and Provinces in the Philippines?

The 82 provinces in the Philippines have been grouped together into 17 regions. A region is an administrative unit that directly coordinates with the national government as to mandates and regulations. These directives are then passed on to the local government units or LGUs (regions, provinces, cities and municipalities, and barangays) for compliance. 

Did you know that each region is identified and designated with a name? It got a number written in Roman numerals too. Regions are much easier to identify by their assigned numbers. Interestingly, some names were taken from the first 2 or 3 letters of the provinces making up the region, just like MiMaRoPa (which stands for Mindoro, Marinduque, Romblon, and Palawan). 

Check out their names below.

List of Regions and Provinces in the Philippines

What is the Role of Regions in the Philippines?

The main administrative purpose of grouping provinces into regions is the effective implementation of policies and programs of the government. You’ll see the offices of the regional directors of different National government agencies in the region’s capital.  

Each province, belonging to a certain region, is governed by an  elected local authority referred to as “governor” and the provincial council or Sangguniang Panlalawigan. The 82 provinces in the Philippines are subdivided into component cities and municipalities.

What are the Territorial Disputes in the West Philippine Sea?

The Philippines is the only Southeast Asian country that shares no land borders with its neighbors. Still, it is not free from territorial disputes on the hotly-contested West Philippine Sea.

The 3 disputed islands are the Scarborough Shoal, Spratly Islands, and Paracel Islands. These are located off the coast of western Philippines in the middle of the South China Sea (known by Filipinos as the West Philippine Sea).
Named after Richard Spratly, a British whaling captain who discovered the islands in the 19th century, the Spratly Islands are believed to be a natural gas field. It is abundant in aquatic and fishery resources too. This is the reason why President BongBong Marcos (BBM) plans to push through the Philippine government's joint gas and oil exploration with China in the West Philippine Sea or South China Sea.

Through this government-to-government (G2G) agreement with China, the local pricing of gas and oil in the Philippines can be reduced. If you are keen to know more about the Philippines’ territorial disputes against China, click on the link.

What are Some Interesting Geographical Features of the Philippines?

Summary: Geography of the Philippines

If you plan to book a trip to the Philippines, it is recommended to know the best time to travel. Our best accommodations in the Philippines will give you an idea of the different types of lodging to choose from.

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