MAJOR ISLANDS AND REGIONS OF THE PHILIPPINES

LUZON

2005 NASA satellite image of Luzon

Luzon is the largest and most populous island in the Philippines. Covering approximately 109,965 square kilometers (42,458 square miles), it is the 15th largest island in the world and accounts for about one-third of the country’s total land area. Luzon has a generally rectangular shape with several southern peninsulas extending into surrounding seas. The island measures roughly 650 kilometers (400 miles) from north to south and about 340 kilometers (210 miles) across at its widest point. Located in the northern Philippines, it is bordered by the Philippine Sea to the east, the South China Sea to the west, and the Luzon Strait to the north.

Luzon’s landscape is rugged and mountainous, with a predominantly north-south pattern of relief. The Cordillera Central dominates the northern interior, while the Sierra Madre runs along the eastern coast as the country’s longest mountain range. The Zambales Mountains extend down the central-western side of the island. Between these highlands lies the Great Central Plain, a vast agricultural basin stretching approximately 220 kilometers (137 miles) from Manila Bay northward to the Lingayen Gulf. This fertile plain is the chief rice-producing region of the Philippines.

Luzon is roughly the size of Kentucky. Much of mountainous areas were left relatively untouched by the Spanish because they feared the headhunting tribes that lived there. The missionaries feared them to and as a result Christianity came late and mixed with local animist religions more than it displaced them. A number of rebellions were launched here against the Spanish. The New People’s Army has been active here in recent decades.

The island’s highest mountain is Mount Pulag, which rises to 2,928 meters (9,606 feet) above sea level. Luzon is also famous for its many active volcanoes. Among the best known are Mayon Volcano in the Bicol Peninsula, celebrated for its nearly perfect cone shape, and Mount Pinatubo, whose massive 1991 eruption was one of the largest volcanic events of the 20th century.

Luzon contains several important rivers and lakes. The Cagayan River, the longest river in the Philippines, drains much of the northern part of the island. Laguna de Bay, southeast of Manila, is the country’s largest lake, while Taal Lake is a massive volcanic crater lake containing its own island volcano. Northern Luzon is also renowned for the ancient Ifugao Rice Terraces, spectacular mountain terraces carved into the hillsides more than 2,000 years ago.

As the political and economic heart of the Philippines, Luzon contains the nation’s capital, Manila, as well as Quezon City, the country’s most populous city. The island serves as the center of government, finance, education, and industry, making it the most influential region in the archipelago.

Northern Luzon and the Cordillera Central

Bauko Peaks in Benguet in the Cordillera Central of Luzon

Northern Luzon is noted for its colonial Spanish cities, tropical rain forest, faith healers, former-head-hunting Indian tribes, stunning rice terraces, and towering mountains. The Spanish influence in the Philippines is most noticeable in the mountainous northwestern Luzon provinces of Ilocos Norte and Ilocos Sur.

The Cordillera Central is the name of the rugged highlands in northern Luzon. It extends for about 320 kilometers and averages 65 kilometers in width. It is home to the highest mountains in the Philippines, some of which are over 2,470 meters high. It is also home to famous former headhunting tribes such as the Ifugao, Bontoc, Ilongot, Sagada Igorot, Kalingas, and Apayaos.

The southern Cordillera Central was explored by the Spanish because there were rumors of gold being found there but the northern reaches of the mountains were little explored by outsiders until the Americans arrived and even then there was not much contact until the 1970s when the Marcos regime proposed building four major dams in area on the Chico River. The local people were quite upset about the dams and the government had to send in troops to “pacify” the people. Many were killed and the dam projects were “permanently postponed.”

In 1912, Cornélis De Witt Willcox wrote in “The Head Hunters of Northern Luzon”: “West of this Valley [the Cagayán] and separating it from the China Sea, stands a broad and complex system of mountains, known as the Caraballos Occidentales. Its length is nearly 200 miles, and its breadth, including the great spurs and subordinate ranges and ridges on either side, is fully one-third its length. The central range of the system forms the divide between the waters flowing to Cagayán River on the east and those flowing to the China Sea on the west. Its northern part bears the name Cordillera Norte. [Source:“The Head Hunters of Northern Luzon” by Cornélis De Witt Willcox, Lieutenant-Colonel U.S. Army, Professor United States Military Academy, 1912 ]

Farther south it is called Cordillera Central, while the southern portion is called Cordillera Sur.” “At its south end the Cordillera Sur swings to the east, and, under the name of Caraballos Sur, joins the Sierra Madre, or East Coast Range.” This description, it must be understood, gives no adequate idea of the local intricacy of the system, while at the same time it is precisely this intricacy, both vertical and horizontal, that increases the cost and difficulty of making roads, and that has served in the past to keep the inhabitants of these regions apart.

Central Luzon

Central Luzon is characterized by a flat terrain, known as the Central Luzon plain, the largest flat area in Luzon, or for that matter the Philippines. The plain, which covers an area of 11,000 square kilometers (4,200 square miles) is the country's largest producer of rice, and is irrigated by two major rivers; the Cagayan to the north, and the Pampanga to the south. In the middle of the plain rises the solitary Mount Arayat, a dormant volcano sheltering a variety of wild animals. Right at its foot is a picnic site surrounded by waterfalls and numerous species of plant life.

The western coasts of Central Luzon are typically flat extending east from the coastline to the Zambales Mountains, the site of Mount Pinatubo, which in 1991 produced greatest eruption in the world for the last 100 years or so. These mountains extend to the sea in the north, forming the Lingayen Gulf, and to the south, forming the Bataan Peninsula. The peninsula encloses the Manila Bay, The Sierra Madre mountain range continues to stretch across the western section of Central Luzon, snaking southwards into the Bicol Peninsula.

Seven major Philippine ethnolinguistic groups predominate Luzon. Kapampangans and Pangasinenses, as well as Tagalogs and Sambals are the predominate groups in Central Luzon. Tagalogs dominate in Manila. Other ethnic groups lesser in population include the Aetas of Zambales and Bataan, the Ibanags of Cagayan and Isabela and the Igorot/Cordillerans of the Cordilleras.

South Luzon

The southeastern portion of Luzon is dominated by the Bicol Peninsula, a mountainous and narrow region extending approximately 150 kilometers (93 miles) southeast from the Tayabas Isthmus in Quezon province to the San Bernardino Strait along the coasts of Sorsogon. The area is home to several volcanoes, the most famous of which is the 2,460-meter (8,070 ft) high symmetrically shaped Mayon Volcano in Albay province.

The Sierra Madre range has its southern limits at Quezon province. Prominent mountains dot the landscape, which include Mount Isarog and Mount Iriga in Camarines Sur, and Mount Bulusan in Sorsogon. The peninsula's coastline features several smaller peninsulas, gulfs and bays, which include Lamon Bay, San Miguel Bay, Lagonoy Gulf, Ragay Gulf, and Sorsogon Bay.

Seven major Philippine ethnolinguistic groups predominate Luzon. Tagalogs dominate the Manila area, while Bicolanos populate the southern Bicol peninsula. Due to recent migrations, populations of Chinese and Moros have also been present in urban areas. Agricultural products from regions include rice, bananas, mangoes, coconuts, pineapple, and coffee. Other economic sectors include livestock raising, tourism, mining, and fishing.

Visayas

map of Visayas Researchgate

The Visayas are a group of about 6,000 islands in the middle of the country. They include the main islands of Cebu, Panay, Bohol Leyte, Negros and Samar. The Visayan people are known for their carefree and easy-going attitude. The Visayas are one of the three principal geographical divisions of the Philippines, along with Luzon and Mindanao. Located in the central part of the Philippines archipelago, the islands are primarily surrounding the Visayan Sea but are considered the northeast part of Sulu Sea. Sometimes the region may also include the provinces of Palawan, Romblon, and Masbate whose populations identify as Visayan and whose languages are more closely related to other Visayan languages than to the major languages of Luzon.

There are three administrative regions in the Visayas: Western Visayas (pop. 7.1 million), Central Visayas (6.8 million) and Eastern Visayas (4.1 million). The etymology of Visayas is unknown. The word "Bisaya" was first documented in Spanish sources in reference only to the non-Ati inhabitants of the island of Panay and possibly parts of Negros. They were described by the Spanish as being "white people" with no tattoos. In contrast, the Spaniards called the inhabitants of other Visayan islands as the Pintados ("the painted ones") in reference to their practice of tattooing their entire bodies. It is unlikely that "Bisaya" was used as a collective endonym by the closely related native Visayans prior to the Spanish arrival.

The Spanish arrived in the Visayas (Cebu) first; later the established in the Manila area of Luzon. After the Magellan expedition, King Philip II of Spain sent Miguel López de Legazpi in 1543 and 1565 and claimed the islands for Spain. Subsequently, the Visayas region and many kingdoms began converting to Christianity and adopting western culture. By the 18th and 19th centuries, the effects of colonization on various ethnic groups turned sour and revolutions such as those of Francisco Dagohoy began to emerge.

Visayans usually refer to themselves by their ethnic groups, like Sugbuanon, Hiligaynon, Karay-a, Waray, Bol-anon, and so on. It was the Spanish who applied the term to the people of the entire Visayas within a few decades after encountering the natives of Panay, apparently based on the erroneous conclusion that the other languages were mere "dialects" of Panay Visayan and that they all belong to the same ethnic group. Languages spoken at home are primarily Visayan languages despite the usual misconception that these are dialects of a single macrolanguage.

map the major islands and regions and districts of the philippines

Major languages include Hiligaynon or Ilonggo in much of Western Visayas, Cebuano in Central Visayas, and Waray in Eastern Visayas. Other dominant languages are Aklanon, Kinaray-a, and Capiznon. Filipino, the 'national language' based on Tagalog, is widely understood but seldom used. English, another official language, is more widely known and is preferred as the second language most especially among urbanized Visayans. For instance, English rather than Tagalog is frequently used in schools, public signs and mass media.

Cebu (560 kilometers, an hour by plane and 24 hours by ferry south of Manila) is located in the middle of the Visayas and is regarded as a gateway to the region, with plane connections to Hawaii, Hong Kong and other Asian cities as well as destinations in the Visayas and the Philippines. Cebu embraces the main island of Cebu, which is 230 kilometers (140 miles) long and 40 kilometers (25 miles) at its widest point, and 166 smaller islands. Cebu Island is densely populated, with most people around Cebu City, with a central spine of craggy hills.

Cebu

Cebu has a few remnants from the Spanish colonial period but is known mainly for its diving sites and beach resorts, and its fortunes seem to rise and fall with its resorts. Tourism dropped as the government owned Argao Resort deteriorated and closed in early 2000s and was revived when the fancy 359-room Shangri-la Macatan Island resort opened. Macatan Island has the highest concentration of resorts in the Cebu area. Most of the coastline resorts have facilities, equipment and instruction for scuba diving, windsurfing, jet-skiing and sailing. On the north side of Cebu island there is an excellent diving cliff at Sogod. Many people get around in rented cars or motorscooters.

Cebu province covers 4,943.72 square kilometers and is home to about three million people and has a population density of 590 people per square kilometer. About 750,000 people live in Cebu City, the capital of Cebu and the second largest city in the Philippines. The topography of Cebu is characterized by narrow coastlines, limestone plateaus, and coastal plains but with predominant rolling hills and rugged mountain ranges traversing the northern and southern lengths of the island. Although Cebu's steep mountains reach over 1,000 meters, the island lacks substantial forest cover. In the towns of Bogo, San Remigio, Medellin and Daan Bantayan at the northern tip of the province, considerable flat tracts of land are found. Of the three biggest islands, Mactan and Bantayan are relatively flat while Camotes is hilly. Some of the Camotes Islands are covered completely with coconut plantations.

Cebu is about 10 degrees north of the equator is hot and humid during the entire year, with rainfall less evenly distributed by season than it is in Manila. The hottest weather is generally from March through June. Nights are usually pleasant from August through February, with the daytime high temperature ranging between 29 degrees and 34 degrees C (85 degrees and 94 degrees F) . Cebu is south of the typhoon belt, but it is occasionally hit by strong storms

Cebuano is the dialect in the province, which is also widely spoken in the Visayas and Mindanao. Tagalog and English are also spoken and understood. Many of the migrants to An increasing number of people are migrating into the city from elsewhere in Cebu province. Many of the migrants come from the neighboring islands of Bohol and Leyte, in search of work. Large numbers of Chinese have traditionally been involved in trade and running small shops, There is a small Indian community. The Cebuano version of the Visayan (or Bisayan) language is generally used; Visayan is also spoken in the rest of the central Visayas and in most of Mindanao. Almost everyone in Cebu City proper understands a certain amount of English; the better-educated and business people speak it well. Spanish and Chinese are still spoken by the mestizo (mixed blood) groups.

Palawan

Palawan (586 kilometers southwest of Manila) is an archipelago within the Philippine archipelago with 1,768 islands grouped around a large finger-shaped island (also known as Palawan), wedged between the Sulu Sea and the South China Sea on the southwestern side of the Philippine archipelago . Dubbed in tourist brochures as the "Last Frontier" of the Philippines, it is an unspoiled and beautiful region with vegetation-covered limestone formations, caves, rain forests, rare animal species, dense mangroves, African animals, picturesque islands, underwater caves, white sand beaches, and undisturbed coral reefs. Most of the diving and beach resorts are located in northern Palawan as much of the south is infested with malaria-carrying mosquitoes.

Palawan island is fifth largest and the least populated of the Philippines’s major islands. Palawan island is about 410 kilometers (260 miles) long and less than 40 kilometers (25 miles) wide. It is closer to Borneo than the rest of the Philippines. The entire province contains less than half of one percent of the Philippines’ population. The western coast of Palawan features the calm clear waters of the Sulu Sea and hundreds of small islands and reefs. Most of the islands are uninhabited but some like Miniloc Island have resorts. Most of Palawan's towns are also on the western side of the main island. The eastern side of Palawan island has rougher surf and fewer people.

Much of Palawan is still wilderness and holds the most promise for escaping the environmental damage that plagues much of the Philippines. For a long time the only large human settlements were a leper community and penal colony. Logging and destructive fishing methods arrived later here and have largely been limited. Most of the roads are dirt and it often takes a long time to get from place to place, with traveling by water easier then traveling on land. The climate of the area is somewhat drier than the rest of the Philippines.

Mindanao

Mindanao is the second largest island in the Philippines after Luzon and southernmost major island of archipelago. Ravaged for years by violence from Muslim insurgencies, it has opened more to tourism in recent years as peace treaties with rebel groups have been negotiated and signed. Still largely undisturbed and unspoiled, it features wild tropical rain forests, stone-age tribes, high mountains and beaches and towns still used by pirates. Some terrorist and insurgency groups such as Abu Sayyaf are still active on Mindanao and islands to the south of Mindanao

Mindanao has traditionally been the "frontier" of the Philippines, and it retains that the spirit today. The Philippines cultured pearl industry is centered in Mindanao. Tuna fishing is big in the General Santos area. Mindanao has rich volcanic soil, dense forests that are the home of monkey-eating eagles and other rare animals and rich deposits of gold, copper, nickel and other precious metals. Many people are peasant farmers or employees on large pineapple and coconut plantations. Rodrigo Duterte, President of the Philippines, first made a name for himself when he was Mayor of Mindanao’s Davao City from 2013–2016, and started killing drug dealers there.

About 25 million people live in Mindanao. Even though Muslim Moros have traditionally controlled the island, Muslims make up about a forth of the population. Under Ferdinand Marcos and other leaders, Catholics, which now make up 60 percent of the population, were encouraged to migrate to Mindanao to reduce population pressures in other parts of the Philippines. Mindanao is few degrees north of the equator and is hot and humid the year round, except in highlands where it is little cooler. The average annual rainfall in Davao is about 203 centimeters (80 inches) a year. The mean daily maximum temperature is 32 degrees F (89 degrees F), and the mean daily minimum, (22 degrees C (73 degrees F). Mindanao is outside the typhoon belt.

Mindanao covers 97,530 square kilometers. It is the eighth-most populous island in the world, and larger than 125 countries, including South Korea, Austria, Portugal, Czech Republic, Hungary, and Ireland. The island is mountainous and surrounded by four seas: the Sulu Sea to the west, the Philippine Sea to the east, and the Celebes Sea to the south, and the Mindanao Sea to the north. Of all the islands of the Philippines, Mindanao shows the greatest variety of geographical features: High, rugged, faulted mountains; almost isolated volcanic peaks; high rolling plateaus; and broad, level, swampy plains are found there.

The highest mountain in the Philippines, Mt. Apo, a dormant volcano, is found in Mindanao. It is 2,954 meters (9,689 feet) high . Principal rivers on Mindanao include the Mindanao River (known as the Pulangi River in its upper reaches), and the Agusan River. The Mindanao island group is an arbitrary grouping of islands in southern Philippines which comprises the Mindanao mainland, the Sulu Archipelago (consisting of the islands of Basilan, Sulu, and Tawi-tawi), and the outlying islands of Camiguin, Dinagat, Siargao, and Samal. Platycerium grande, the giant staghorn fern, is endemic to the island.

Image Sources: Wikimedia Commons

Text Sources: “Encyclopedia of World Cultures Volume 5: East/Southeast Asia:” edited by Paul Hockings, 1993; “Culture Shock!: Philippines” by Alfredo Roces and Grace Roces, Marshall Cavendish International, 2010; National Geographic, Live Science, Philippines Department of Tourism, New York Times, Washington Post, Los Angeles Times, Smithsonian magazine, Encyclopedia.com, Library of Congress, The Conversation, The New Yorker, Time, BBC, CNN, Reuters, Associated Press, AFP, Lonely Planet Guides, Google AI, Wikipedia, The Guardian and various websites, books and other publications.

Last updated May 2026