Provinces of the Philippines http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/en/9/96/Ph_regions_and_provinces_small.png Map of the Philippines showing all the regions and their provinces. See the full-size version A province (lalawigan or probinsya in Filipino) is the primary local government unit in the Philippines. As of 2002, there are a total of 79 provinces. The provinces are grouped into 17 regions (rehiyon) and are subdivided into cities (lungsod) and municipalities (bayan). For purposes of legislative representation, the province is divided into one or more districts (distrito). Each city or municipality belongs to one of these districts. One congressman (kinatawan) represents each district in the House of Representatives. Every district also has board members in the Provincial Board (see the succeeding section on the Provincial Government). Provincial Government The provincial government has an executive and a legislative branch. The judicial powers in the province is under the supervision of the Supreme Court of the Philippines. The provincial government is an autonomous unit, given direct supervision of the affairs of the province. The president of the Philippines coordinates with the provinces through the Department of Interior and Local Government (DILG). Executive Branch The provincial government is headed by a governor (gobernador) who is the chief executive and head of the province. Under the governor are the various provincial departments such as the Administration, Legal Office, Information Office, Engineering Office, and Treasury Office. The governor is elected a term of three years and may be elected for a maximum of three terms. The provincial department heads are appointed by the governor. Legislative Branch Heading the legislature of the province is the vice-governor (bise-gobernador) who presides over the Provincial Board (Sangguniang Panlalawigan), which is composed of board members from each district in the province. Depending on the income class of the province, it may either have eight or ten board members. First and second class provinces have ten board members while third and fourth class provinces have eight. Negros Occidental and Cebu are exceptions, having 12 board members each. The board also has, as ex-officio members, the provincial president of the Association of Barangay Captains (ABC) (Liga ng mga Barangay), the provincial president of the Philippine Councilors League (PCL), and the provincial president of Sanggunian Kabataan (SK) Federation (the youth council). All of the board members are elected by the citizens of the province along with the governor. The ex-officio members are elected within their organizations. List of Provinces Province Capital Region Population Area (km²) Pop. Density (per km²) Abra Bangued CAR 209,491 3,975.6 52.7 Agusan del Norte Butuan City XIII 552,849 2,590.0 213.5 Agusan del Sur Prosperidad XIII 559,294 8,966.0 62.4 Aklan Kalibo VI 451,314 1,817.9 248.3 Albay Legazpi City V 1,090,907 2,552.6 427.4 Antique San Jose VI 471,088 2,522.0 186.8 Apayao Kabugao CAR 97,129 3,927.9 24.7 Aurora Baler III 173,797 3,239.5 53.6 Basilan Isabela City ARMM 259,796 1,234.2 210.5 Bataan Balanga City III 557,659 1,373.0 406.2 Batanes Basco II 16,467 209.3 78.7 Batangas Batangas City IV-A 1,905,348 3,165.8 601.9 Benguet La Trinidad CAR 582,515 2,655.4 219.4 Biliran Naval VIII 140,274 555.5 252.5 Bohol Tagbilaran City VII 1,137,268 4,117.3 276.2 Bukidnon Malaybalay City X 1,060,265 8,293.8 127.8 Bulacan Malolos III 2,234,088 2,625.0 851.1 Cagayan Tuguegarao City II 993,580 9,002.7 110.4 Camarines Norte Daet V 458,840 2,112.5 217.2 Camarines Sur Pili V 1,551,549 5,266.8 294.6 Camiguin Mambajao X 74,232 229.8 323.0 Capiz Roxas City VI 654,156 2,633.2 248.4 Catanduanes Virac V 215,356 1,511.5 142.5 Cavite Imus IV-A 2,063,161 1,287.6 1,602.3 Cebu Cebu City VII 3,356,137 5,088.4 659.6 Compostela Valley Nabunturan XI 580,244 4,667.0 124.3 Cotabato Kidapawan City XII 958,643 6,569.9 145.9 Davao Tagum City XI 743,811 3,463.0 214.8 Davao del Sur Digos City XI 1,905,917 6,377.6 298.8 Davao Oriental Mati XI 446,191 5,164.5 86.4 Eastern Samar Borongan VIII 375,822 4,339.6 86.6 Guimaras Jordan VI 141,450 604.7 233.9 Ifugao Lagawe CAR 161,623 2,517.8 64.2 Ilocos Norte Laoag City I 514,241 3,399.3 151.3 Ilocos Sur Vigan City I 594,206 2,579.6 230.3 Iloilo Iloilo City VI 1,925,002 4,719.4 407.9 Isabela * Ilagan II 1,287,575 10,664.6 120.7 Kalinga Tabuk CAR 174,023 3,119.7 55.8 La Union San Fernando City I 657,945 1,493.1 440.7 Laguna Santa Cruz IV-A 1,965,872 1,759.7 1,117.2 Lanao del Norte Tubod X 758,123 3,092.0 245.2 Lanao del Sur Marawi City ARMM 800,162 3,872.9 206.6 Leyte Tacloban City VIII 1,592,336 5,712.8 278.7 Maguindanao Shariff Aguak ARMM 801,102 4,900.1 163.5 Marinduque Boac IV-B 217,392 959.3 226.6 Masbate Masbate City V 707,668 4,047.7 174.8 Misamis Occidental Oroquieta City X 486,723 1,939.3 251.0 Misamis Oriental Cagayan de Oro City X 1,126,215 3,570.0 315.5 Mountain Province Bontoc CAR 140,439 2,097.3 67.0 Negros Occidental * * Bacolod City VI 2,565,723 7,926.1 323.7 Negros Oriental Dumaguete City VII 1,126,061 5,402.3 208.4 Northern Samar Catarman VIII 500,639 3,498.0 143.1 Nueva Ecija Palayan City III 1,659,883 5,284.3 314.1 Nueva Vizcaya Bayombong II 366,962 3,903.9 94.0 Occidental Mindoro Mamburao IV-B 380,250 5,879.9 64.7 Oriental Mindoro Calapan City IV-B 681,818 4,364.7 156.2 Palawan Puerto Princesa City IV-B 755,412 14,896.3 50.7 Pampanga San Fernando City III 1,882,730 2,180.7 863.4 Pangasinan Lingayen I 2,434,086 5,368.2 453.4 Quezon Lucena City IV-A 1,679,030 8,706.6 192.8 Quirino Cabarroguis II 148,575 3,057.2 48.6 Rizal Antipolo City IV-A 1,707,218 1,308.9 1,304.3 Romblon Romblon IV-B 264,357 1,355.9 195.0 Samar Catbalogan VIII 641,124 5,591.0 114.7 Sarangani Alabel XII 410,622 2,980.0 137.8 Siquijor Siquijor VII 81,598 343.5 237.5 Sorsogon Sorsogon City V 650,535 2,141.4 303.8 South Cotabato Koronadal City XII 1,102,550 4,489.0 245.6 Southern Leyte Maasin City VIII 360,160 1,734.8 207.6 Sultan Kudarat Isulan XII 586,505 4,714.8 124.4 Sulu Jolo ARMM 619,668 1,600.4 387.2 Surigao del Norte Surigao City XIII 481,416 2,739.0 175.8 Surigao del Sur Tandag XIII 501,808 4,552.2 110.2 Tarlac Tarlac City III 1,068,783 3,053.4 350.0 Tawi-Tawi Panglima Sugala ARMM 322,317 1,087.4 296.4 Zambales Iba III 627,802 3,714.4 169.0 Zamboanga del Norte Dipolog City IX 823,130 6,618.0 124.4 Zamboanga del Sur Pagadian City IX 1,437,941 4,964.1 289.7 Zamboanga Sibugay Ipil IX 497,239 3,087.9 161.0 * On February 20, 1995, legislation was approved for the division Isabela into Isabela del Norte and Isabela del Sur. The division never took place. * * Negros del Norte was created from Negros Occidental on January 3, 1986. Its creation was declared unconstitutional on July 11, 1986, and was abolished on August 18, 1986. 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