List of the 18 Regions in the Philippines
National – Capital Region ● I – Ilocos ● II – Cagayan Valley ● III – C. Luzon ● IV‑A – Calabarzon ● IV‑B – Mimaropa ● V – Bicol ● VI – W. Visayas ● VII – C. Visayas ● VIII – E. Visayas ● IX – Zamboanga Peninsula ● X – N. Mindanao ● XI – Davao ● XII – Soccsksargen ● XIII – Caraga ● XIV – CAR ● XV – BARMM ● XVI – Negros Island Region (NIR)
Educational Note: Only 17 of the 18 administrative regions of the Philippines are under the jurisdiction and general supervision of the Department of the Interior and Local Government (DILG). The Bangsamoro Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao (BARMM) is the sole exception — it operates under its own organic law and answers directly to the President of the Philippines.. (This distinction is often misunderstood, as many Filipinos assume BARMM is under the DILG — it is not.)
The Origin and Purpose of Regional Divisions
The concept of administrative regions in the Philippines was formally established on September 24, 1972, with the issuance of Presidential Decree No. 1 by President Ferdinand Marcos. This decree, part of the Integrated Reorganization Plan, organized the provinces into eleven regions. The primary purpose was to decentralize the national government and improve administrative efficiency. By grouping geographically adjacent provinces, the government could better coordinate economic development policies and ensure the provision of national services more effectively. The regional divisions are not local government units (LGUs) themselves, but rather groupings of LGUs for these administrative and policy-making purposes.
Other Agencies and Their Regional Presence
While the Department of the Interior and Local Government (DILG) plays a central role in coordinating with local government units, many other national government agencies also operate on a regional level to ensure their mandates are carried out across the country. One of the most important is the National Economic and Development Authority (NEDA), which is responsible for regional development planning through the Regional Development Council (RDC) in each region.
Beyond NEDA, virtually all major government departments and agencies maintain a network of regional and field offices. This is a standard practice to bring government services closer to the people. Examples of agencies with a strong regional presence include:
- Department of Education (DepEd): Manages and oversees the basic education system.
- Department of Health (DOH): Responsible for public health programs and services.
- Department of Public Works and Highways (DPWH): Manages infrastructure projects.
- Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD): Implements social welfare and poverty alleviation programs.
- Department of Trade and Industry (DTI): Promotes trade, industry, and investments.
These agencies, and many others, are organized into regional offices that cover the same geographic areas as the administrative regions, ensuring a cohesive and coordinated government presence throughout the Philippines.
Ranked List of Regional Economies in the Philippines, 2024
This table ranks the regions of the Philippines based on their total Gross Regional Domestic Product (GRDP) for the year 2024. The data provides a clear picture of which regions are the primary drivers of the national economy and highlights disparities in economic output. All values are in millions of Philippine Pesos (PHP).
Rank | Region | Total GRDP (in million PHP) |
|---|---|---|
1 | National Capital Region (NCR) | |
2 | CALABARZON (Region IV-A) | |
3 | Central Luzon (Region III) | |
4 | Central Visayas (Region VII) | |
5 | Davao Region (Region XI) | |
6 | Northern Mindanao (Region X) | |
7 | Ilocos Region (Region I) | |
8 | Negros Island Region (NIR) | |
9 | Western Visayas (Region VI) | |
10 | Bicol Region (Region V) | |
11 | SOCCSKSARGEN (Region XII) | |
12 | Eastern Visayas (Region VIII) | |
13 | Zamboanga Peninsula (Region IX) | |
14 | Cagayan Valley (Region II) | |
15 | MIMAROPA (Region IV-B) | |
16 | Cordillera Administrative Region (CAR) | |
17 | Caraga (Region XIII) | |
18 | Bangsamoro Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao (BARMM) |