Provinces of the Philippines

The provinces of the Philippines are the primary administrative divisions of the Philippines. There are 81 provinces, further subdivided into cities and municipalities. The National Capital Region is autonomous of provincial government. Each province is administered by an elected provincial governor who oversees various local government entities.

The provinces are grouped into seventeen regions based on geographical, cultural, and ethnological characteristics. Fourteen of the regions are designated with numbers corresponding to their geographic location from north to south. The National Capital Region, Cordillera Administrative Region, and Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao do not have number designations.

Each province is member to the League of Provinces of the Philippines, an organization which aims to address issues affecting provincial and metropolitan government administrations. []
**The province of Oriental Leyte would have covered the present-day territories of the entire province of Biliran, the municipalities of Abuyog, Alangalang, Babatngon, Barugo, Burauen, Calubian, Capoocan, Carigara, Dagami, Dulag, Jaro, Javier, Julita, La Paz, Leyte, MacArthur, Mahaplag, Mayorga, Palo, Pastrana, San Isidro, San Miguel, Santa Fe, Tabango, Tabontabon, Tanauan, Tolosa, Tunga and Tacloban City (which was designated as the province capital).
**The province of Occidental Leyte would have covered the present-day territories of the entire province of Southern Leyte, the municipalities of Albuera, Bato, Hilongos, Hindang, Inopacan, Isabel, Kananga, Matag-ob, Matalom, Merida, Palompon, Villaba and the cities of Baybay and Ormoc. The province capital of Occidental Leyte "SEC. 2." ... shall be designated by the Governor-General, until determined by a plurality vote of the electors of the new province at the next general election."
*Samal (1969)ndash The sub-province of Samal was created by Republic Act No. 5999 and covered the area of the present-day Island Garden City of Samal (or in other words, the whole island of Samal). However, the sub-province was never inaugurated.
*Maranaw (1971)ndash [http://www.chanrobles.com/republicacts/republicactno6406.html Republic Act 6406] , which sought to create a new province out of eastern Lanao del Sur (now corresponding to the province's first congressional district), was approved on October 4, 1971. The province was to consist of Marawi City (the capital) and the municipalities of Bubong, Ditsaan-Ramain (including what is now Buadiposo-Buntong), Kapai, Lumba-Bayabao (including what is now Maguing), Marantao, Masiu, Mulondo, Saguiaran, Piagapo, Poona Bayabao, Tamparan, Taraka and Wao (including what is now Bumbaran). Lanao del Sur was to retain the remaining municipalities, with Malabang serving as its new capital. Without the political will or the resources to implement it, the division never took place. A legacy of this unimplemented division is the existence of two ZIP code series for Lanao del Sur: the 93 series was retained by what were to be the remaining towns of the province (with Malabang, the new capital, being assigned the code 9300), while a new series (97) was assigned to what was supposed to be the province of Maranaw (with Marawi City getting the code 9700).
*Negros del Norte (1985-1986)ndash [http://www.chanrobles.com/bataspambansa/bataspambansablg885.html Batas Pambansa Blg. 885] , which sought to create a new province out of the northern portion of Negros Occidental, took effect on December 23, 1985, with a plebiscite to ratify the law held on January 3, 1986. The province was to be composed of the cities of Cadiz (which was to serve as the capital), San Carlos and Silay, as well as the municipalities of Calatrava, E. B. Magalona, Escalante, Manapla, Salvador Benedicto, Sagay, Toboso and Victorias. Although the creation of the new province was ratified by voters in the proposed new province, the Supreme Court declared Batas Pambansa Blg. 885, as well as the proclamation of the province of Negros del Norte, null and void on July 11, 1986 after ruling that the enabling law was unconstitutional.
*Isabela del Norte and Isabela del Sur (1995)ndash On February 20, 1995 [http://www.chanrobles.com/republicacts/republicactno7891.html Republic Act 7891] , which sought to divide the province of Isabela, was approved. Isabela del Norte was to comprise municipalities belonging to the province's first and second congressional districts with Ilagan serving as capital. Isabela del Sur was to consist of the third and fourth congressional districts (excluding the independent component city of Santiago), with Cauayan as the capital. The proposed division was rejected in a plebiscite held on June 20, 1995.
*Quezon del Norte and Quezon del Sur (2007)ndash The act dividing the province of Quezon into two, [http://www.ops.gov.ph/records/issuances-ra/RA9495.pdf Republic Act 9495] , lapsed into law without the president's signature on September 7, 2007. Quezon del Norte is to be composed of the first and second congressional districts of the province, with Lucena City as its capital. Quezon del Sur, with its capital at Gumaca, will comprise the third and fourth congressional districts. The implementation of the division is still pending the ratification of the enabling law through a plebiscite, expected to be held in 2010 along with the presidential elections.

References

* [http://www.nscb.gov.ph/activestats/psgc/default.asp Philippine Standard Geographic Code Interactive] , National Statistical Coordination Board
* [http://www.census.gov.ph/census2000/index.html Total Population, Number of Households, Average Household Size, Population Growth Rate and Population Density by Region, Province and Highly Urbanized City: as of May 1, 2000] , Census 2000 Final Counts, National Statistics Office, Republic of the Philippines
* [http://www.dilg.gov.ph/LocalGovernmentCode.aspx The Local Government Code of the Philippines] , Department of Interior and Local Government, Republic of the Philippines
* [http://www.citymayors.com/government/philippines_government.html Government system based on US and Spanish models under review] , Andrew Stevens, Local government in The Philippines, City Mayors
* [http://www.statoids.com/uph.html Provinces of the Philippines] , Gwillim Law, Statoids.com

External links

* [http://www.crwflags.com/fotw/flags/ph_prov.html Flags of the Worldndash Philippines Provincial Flags]