Abra Province

Wednesday, 26 December 2012

GMA News Investigates: Minors join private armies in Abra

It's more fun in Abra Province! TM09208 Ralph Villano

bangued, abra - CRime rates soar in abra

A landscape view of Abra, Province, Philippines

Kapusong Totoo TULUNGAN natin mga BATA magkaroon ng GAMIT eskwela! (Abra Province)

2nd BISQUERA Clan Reunion / Pidigan Abra Philippines / Part 2 of 2

lon&pat-On municipal Tour II- Province of Abra

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Abra River
Abra River is the 6th largest river system in the Philippines in terms of watershed size. It has an estimated drainage area of 5,125 square kilometers and a length of 178 kilometers from its source in the vicinity of Mount Data in the Benguet province.
The Abra river originates from the southern section of Mount Data. It descends westward to Cervantes, Ilocos Sur and flows to the province of Abra. At a point near the municipality of Dolores, it is joined by the Tineg river, which originates from the uplands of Abra.
Coordinates: 17°31′N 120°24′E / 17.517°N 120.4°E / 17.517; 120.4

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Agusan del Norte
Agusan del Norte (Filipino:Hilagang Agusan) is a province of the Philippines located in the Caraga, a region in Mindanao. Its capital is Cabadbaran City and it borders Surigao del Norte to the north, Surigao del Sur to the east, Agusan del Sur to the south, and Misamis Oriental to the west. It faces Butuan Bay, part of the Bohol Sea, to the northwest.
The population of Agusan del Norte (excluding Butuan City) was 314,027 at the 2007 census, making it the country's 64th most populous province. The population density is 115 per km².
The economy of Agusan del Norte is dominantly agricultural, and it is the nation's leading producer of rice.^{[citation needed]}
Agusan del Norte is divided into 11 municipalities. The highly-urbanized city of Butuan, being geographically located in Agusan del Norte, is traditionally grouped with the province, although it is governed independently from it. Cabadbaran City is the officially-designated capital of the province per Republic Act 8811, which has a total barangays of 31, area of 311.02 km², population of 55,006 and population density of 177 per km².

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Agusan del Sur
Agusan del Sur (Filipino:Timog Agusan) is a landlocked province of the Philippines located in the Caraga region in Mindanao. Its capital is Prosperidad and borders, from the north clockwise, Agusan del Norte, Surigao del Sur, Davao Oriental, Compostela Valley, Davao del Norte, Bukidnon, and Misamis Oriental.
In 2000 the province had a population of 559,294. This represented an increase of 44,558 persons or 7.96 % since 1995. The annual population growth rate was 1.79 %. There were 103,637 households with an average household size of 5.39 persons. The population density was 62 persons per square kilometer with a male to female ratio of 107:100.
The dominant religion is Roman Catholicism (79% of the population). Other major religions include the Seventh-day Adventist Church, Aglipay, Iglesia ni Cristo, United Pentecostal Church, Born Again and the United Church of Christ in the Philippines.
Five tribal groups are found in the province: Aeta, Mamanwa, Bagobo, Higaonon, and Manobo. The Manobos live along the national highway and river towns towards the boundary with the Compostela Valley. The Higaonons live mostly on the western side of Agusan River, generally in Esperanza towards the boundary with Bukidnon.

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Aklan
Aklan is a province of the Philippines in the Western Visayas. Its capital is Kalibo. It is in the northwest portion of Panay Island, bordering Antique Province to the southwest, and Capiz Province to the east. Aklan faces the Sibuyan Sea and Romblon Province to the north.
Aklan is considered to be the oldest province in the country and is believed to have been established in the 12th century by settlers from Borneo ruled by the chieftain Datu Dinagandan which traded with its neighbouring islands.
Towards the end of the 14th century, Datu Dinagandan moved the capital from what is now Batan. In 1433, Datu Kalantiaw's grandson and successor, Datu Kalantiaw III, was said to have formulated a set of laws known today as the Code of Kalantiaw. Well respected scholarly long-term Philippine resident historian William Henry Scott, proved these "laws" to be a total fabrication. In 1437, the short-lived dynasty of Datu Kalantiaw ended when Datu Kalantiaw III was killed in battle with the tribes of Datu Manduyog, the legitimate successor of Datu Dinagandan. When Datu Manduyog became the new chieftain, he moved the capital to Bakan (now known as Banga).

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Albay
Albay is a province of the Philippines located in the Bicol Region in southeastern Luzon island. The capital of the province is Legazpi City, which is located in the southern foothill of Mayon Volcano, the symbol most associated with the province. This near perfectly-shaped active volcano forms a scenic backdrop to the city of Legazpi and is visible throughout the municipalities and cities of Albay including the surrounding provinces.
Albay has a total land area of 2,552.6 square kilometres (985.6 sq mi), which makes it the 26th smallest province. The province is bordered by the provinces of Camarines Sur to the north and Sorsogon to the south. To the northeast, the province lies along Lagonoy Gulf, which separates it from the province of Catanduanes. To the southwest of the province, is Burias Pass with the island of Burias, Masbate located about 14 kilometres (8.7 mi) offshore.
The province is generally mountainous with scattered fertile plains and valleys. On the eastern part of the province is a line of volcanic mountains starting with the northernmost Malinao in Tiwi, followed by Masaraga and Mayon Volcano. Separated by Poliqui Bay is the Pocdol Mountains in the town of Manito.

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Apayao
Apayao is a landlocked province of the Philippines in the Cordillera Administrative Region in Luzon. Its capital town is Kabugao. Even during pre-Hispanic time when the provice was still the old Mountain Province, Kabugao was already the recognized as the capital of the then sub-province of Apayao. It borders Cagayan to the north and east, Abra and Ilocos Norte to the west, and Kalinga to the south. Prior to 1995, Kalinga and Apayao comprised a single province named Kalinga-Apayao, until they were split into two to better service the needs of individual native tribes in the provinces.
Apayao is devoted to agricultural production, particularly food and industrial crops such as palay, corn, coffee, root crops and vegetables. Main fruits produce are lanzones, citrus, bananas and pineapples. Rice production totals 42,602 metric tons annually, as food crops totals 96,542 metric tons.
Economic activity is also based on livestock and poultry breeding such as swine, carabao, cattle, goat and sheep. Other additional investment includes manufacturing, food processing, furniture, crafts and house wares making.

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Basilan
The Province of Basilan (Lalawigan ng Basilan in Filipino/Tagalog; Provincia de Basilan in Spanish/Chabacano) is an island province of the Philippines within the Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao (ARMM). Basilan is the largest and northernmost of the major islands of the Sulu Archipelago and is located just off the southern coast of Zamboanga Peninsula. Its capital, Isabela City, is administered as part of the Zamboanga Peninsula Region.
Basilan is home to three main ethnic groups, the indigenous Yakans, and the later-arriving Tausugs and Chabacano. The Yakans and Tausugs are predominantly Muslim, while the Chabacano are mainly Christian. There are also a number of smaller groups. Although the official language is Filipino and English, the major language is Yakan, but other languages are well represented, including Tausug, Samal, and Chabacano.
Basilan, although classified as a 4th-Class Province in terms of gross provincial income, has one of the lowest incidence of poverty in the Philippines (26.19% of the general population), ranked 20 among the Philippines' 80 Provinces (in comparison, Maguindanao which is ranked last at no. 80 has a poverty incidence of 44.24%). More importantly, the gap between Basilan's rich and poor residents are among the narrowest in the country (ranked 3rd nationwide), pointing to one of the most equitable distributions of wealth anywhere in the country (GINI Coefficient 0.2826, which is slightly better than the Provinces of Pampanga, Bulacan, Nueva Ecija, Tarlac, Cavite, Batanes and Batangas).

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Bataan
Bataan is a province of the Philippines occupying the whole of the Bataan Peninsula on Luzon. The province is part of the Central Luzon region. The capital of Bataan is Balanga City and it is bordered by the provinces of Zambales and Pampanga to the north. The peninsula faces the South China Sea to the west and Subic Bay to the north-west, and encloses Manila Bay to the east.
The Battle of Bataan is famous in history as one of the last stands of American and Filipino soldiers before they were overwhelmed by the Japanese forces in World War II. The Bataan Death March was named for this province, where the infamous march started. This is also a location of the Bataan Nuclear Power Plant located in the Municipality of Morong.
Bataan is politically subdivided into 11 municipalities and 1 component city.
The Bataan Peninsula is a rocky extension of the Zambales Mountains, on Luzon in the Philippines. It separates the Manila Bay from the South China Sea. The peninsula features Mount Natib 1,253 m in the north and the Mariveles Mountains in the south, which includes Mount Samat, the location of the historical marker for the Bataan Death March.

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Batanes
The Province of Batanes^{[pronunciation?]} (Filipino: Lalawigan ng Batanes), also called the Batanes Islands, is a Philippine province comprising ten islands that are located in the Luzon Strait between the islands of Luzon and Taiwan. It is the northernmost part of the Philippines and is also the smallest province, both in terms of population and land area.
The island group is located about 162 km north of Luzon and about 190 kilometers south of Taiwan, separated from the Babuyan Islands of Cagayan Province, Luzon, by the Balintang Channel and from Taiwan by the Bashi Channel.
The provincial capital is Basco on Batan Island and the only other inhabited islands are Itbayat and Sabtang. The northernmost island of the province, making it the northernmost island in the Philippines, is Mavudis (Yami) Island. Other islands in the chain are Misanga, Siayan, Ivuhos, and Dequey.
The province is officially in the region of Cagayan Valley.
The islands are part of the Luzon Volcanic Arc.
The ancestors of today's Ivatans are descended from Austronesians who migrated to the Batanes Islands 4000 years ago during the Neolithic period. They lived in fortified mountain areas called idjangs and drank sugar-cane wine, or palek. They also used gold as currency and produced a thriving agriculture-based industry. They were also seafarers and boat-builders.

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Batangas
Batangas is a first class province of the Philippines located on the southwestern part of Luzon in the CALABARZON region. Its capital is Batangas City and it is bordered by the provinces of Cavite and Laguna to the north and Quezon to the east. Across the Verde Island Passages to the south is the island of Mindoro and to the west lies the South China Sea. Poetically, Batangas is often referred to by its ancient name Kumintang.
Batangas is one of the most popular tourist destinations near Metro Manila. The province has many beaches and is famous for excellent diving spots including Anilao in Mabini, Sombrero Island in Tingloy, Ligpo Island in Bauan, these areas more popularly known as Anilao. Matabungkay in Lian, Punta Fuego in Nasugbu, Calatagan and Laiya in San Juan.
Batangas is also where Taal Volcano, one of the Decade Volcanoes is located. It is also where the Taal Heritage town lies, a small picturesque town that has ancestral houses and structures dating back to the 1800s.
The first recorded name of the Province was Kumintang, after the Datu who inherited the dominion from Datu Balensusa. Its centre, the present day Balayan, was the most progressive town of the Province and the traditional centre of governance. Later, as the eruption of the Taal Volcano destroyed a significant portion of the town, the provincial centre was transferred to Taal, which was then called Bonbon and the name of the province was changed after that of the town.

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Benguet
Benguet [beŋˈɡet] is a landlocked province of the Philippines in the Cordillera Administrative Region in Luzon. Its capital is La Trinidad and borders, clockwise from the south, Pangasinan, La Union, Ilocos Sur, Mountain Province, Ifugao, and Nueva Vizcaya.
Baguio, a popular tourist destination in the country, is located in the interior of the province, however, the city is independent of the province.
Cordilleran, is an unofficial and relatively recent term for the people of the hill tribes of Luzon, Philippines, who are residing in the Cordillera region. This term is an attempt at political correctness, since a current term, Igorot, has caused controversy due to its perceived negative stigma.
Based on the May 2000 census, Benguet has a total population of 330,129, which makes it the most populous province in the region. This figure is up by 16,296 from 313,833 persons recorded in the 1995 census, giving an annual growth rate of 1.09% during the 5-year period—much, much lower than the national average of 2.43%. If this growth rate were maintained, Benguet would double its population in approximately 64 years.

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Biliran
Biliran is a province in the Philippines located in the Eastern Visayas region. An island province, Biliran lies just a few kilometers north of Leyte Island. Its capital is Naval. Biliran is one of the country's smallest and newest provinces, being formerly a part (sub-province) of Leyte until achieving full-fledged provincehood in 1992.
During the early Spanish era, what is now called Biliran Island was known as Isla de Panamao. The term refers to an ethnic fishing net. The present name, believed to be adopted sometime between the late 17th century and the early 18th century, was, according to many publications, derived from a native grass called borobiliran which once grew abundantly on the island's plains. A contending theory states that the name came from the word bilir, which was defined in an old Visayan dictionary to be the “corner or edge of a boat, vase or anything protruding, like veins, or the furrow made by the plow.” The dictionary also gives biliran as an alternate spelling for bilir. This theory is supported by the fact that Biliran was site of the first large-scale shipyard, built in the 17th century. Galleons were built to support the Galleon trade between Manila and Acapulco in Mexico.

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Bohol
Bohol is a first class island province of the Philippines located in the Central Visayas region, consisting of Bohol Island and 75 minor surrounding islands. Its capital is Tagbilaran City. With a land area of 4,117.26 square kilometres (1,589.68 sq mi) and a coastline 261 kilometres (162 mi) long, Bohol is the tenth largest island of the Philippines. To the west of Bohol is Cebu, to the northeast is the island of Leyte and to the south, across the Bohol Sea is Mindanao.
The province is a popular tourist destination with its beaches and resorts. The Chocolate Hills, numerous mounds of limestone formation, is the most popular attraction. Panglao Island, located just southwest of Tagbilaran City, is famous for its diving locations and routinely listed as one of the top ten diving locations in the world. Numerous tourist resorts dot the southern beaches and cater to divers from around the world. The Philippine Tarsier, considered the second-smallest primate in the world, is indigenous to the island.

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Bukidnon
Bukidnon (/buːˈkɪdnɒn/; Cebuano: Probinsiya sa Bukidnon; Filipino: Lalawigan ng Bukidnon) is a landlocked province of the Philippines located in the Northern Mindanao region. Its capital is Malaybalay City. The province borders, clockwise starting from the north, Misamis Oriental, Agusan del Sur, Davao del Norte, Cotabato, Lanao del Sur, and Lanao del Norte.
Bukidnon is considered by Filipinos to be the food basket of Mindanao. It is the major producer of rice and corn in the region. Plantations in the province also produce pineapples, bananas and sugarcane.
There are no seaports in the province, although there is an airport in Malaybalay City. The airport is currently closed. To get to Bukidnon, one must travel by land from Cagayan de Oro City in Misamis Oriental Province.
Bukidnon became a part of Misamis in the latter part of 1850. The whole area was then called Malaybalay (few houses) and the people were known as Bukidnons (mountain people). The Philippine Commission, then headed by Commissioner Dean C. Worcester, Secretary of Interior, proposed the separation of Bukidnon from Misamis Province. On August 20, 1907, the Philippine Commission Act No. 1693 was enacted the Province of Agusan and sub- province of Bukidnon. Bukidnon became a regular province on March 10, 1917 by virtue of the creation of the Department of Mindanao and Sulu under Act 2711.

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Bulacan
Bulacan (Filipino: Bulakan) (PSGC: 031400000; ISO: PH-BUL), officially called the Province of Bulacan (or Lalawigan ng Bulakan in Filipino) or simply Bulacan Province, is a first class province of the Republic of the Philippines located in the Central Luzon Region (Region 3) in the island of Luzon, north of Manila (the nation's capital), and part of the Metro Luzon Urban Beltway Super Region. Bulacan was established 15 August 1578.
It has 569 barangays from 21 municipalities and 3 component cities (Malolos, the capital city; Meycauayan; and San Jose del Monte). Bulacan is located immediately north of Metro Manila. Bordering Bulacan are the provinces of Pampanga to the west, Nueva Ecija to the north, Aurora and Quezon to the east, and Metro Manila and Rizal to the south. Bulacan also lies on the north-eastern shore of Manila Bay.
Bulacan prides itself for its rich historical heritage. The province figures prominently in Philippine History. Many national heroes and political figures were born in Bulacan. The province was also one of the first to revolt against Spain. The province is honored as one of the 8 rays of the sun in the national flag. It is the home of the "Three Republics." These are the Republic of Real de Kakarong de Sili (1896) in Pandi, the Republic of Biak-na-Bato (1897) and the very first Philippine Republicin Malolos(1899–1901). In recognition thereof, these three republics established in Bulacan have been incorporated in the official seal of the province of Bulacan.

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Cagayan
Cagayan (/kɑːɡəˈjɑːn/kah-gə-YAHN), the "Land of Smiling Beauty", is a province of the Philippines in the Cagayan Valley region in Luzon. Its capital is Tuguegarao City and is located at the northeastern corner of the island of Luzon. Cagayan also includes the Babuyan Islands to the north. The province borders Ilocos Norte and Apayao to the west, and Kalinga and Isabela to the south. Cagayan province is distinct from the city in Mindanao named Cagayan de Oro, and is far away from Cagayancillo of Palawan or Cagayan de Tawi-Tawi Island in the Sulu Sea.
Present day chroniclers say that the name was derived from the word “tagay,” a kind of plant that grows abundantly in the northern part of the province. Thus, “Catagayan” which means a place where the tagay grows abundantly was shortened to “Cagayan,” the present name of the province.
In 1581, Captain Juan Pablo Carreon came to Cagayan with one hundred fully equipped soldiers with their families by order of Gonzalo Ronquillo de Peñaloza, the fourth Spanish Governor-General of the Philippines, to explore the Cagayan Valley and to force the conversion of the natives to Catholicism as well as to establish ecclesiastical missions and towns throughout the valley. This was the first batch of Spanish settlers in the Cagayan Valley who introduced Spanish culture and Latin civilization, subverting native culture, customs, and tradition.

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Camarines Norte
Camarines Norte (Filipino:Hilagang Kamarines) is a province of the Philippines located in the Bicol Region in Luzon. Its capital is Daet and the province borders Quezon to the west and Camarines Sur to the south.
Camarines Norte has a population of 513,785 as of 2007, roughly 10% of the region's population of 5,109,798 and 0.62% of the country's population of 88,574,614. Bikol is the major language spoken, together with Tagalog and English as second or third languages.
The four major manufacturing and processing industries in the province are jewelry craft, gifts/toys/housewares, pineapple and coconut industry.
The province of Camarines Norte is found in the northwestern coast of the Bicol Peninsula, which form the southeastern section of Luzon, the largest island in the Philippine archipelago.
One of the six provinces that make up Region V (Bicol), it is bounded on the north by the Pacific Ocean, in the east by the Pacific Ocean and San Miguel Bay, in the west of Lamon Bay, and in the south by Quezon province and the adjoining province of Camarines Sur.

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Camarines Sur
Camarines Sur (Tagalog: Timog Camarines) is a province of the Philippines located in the Bicol Region in Luzon. Its capital is Pili and the province borders Camarines Norte and Quezon to the north, and Albay to the south. To the east lies the island province of Catanduanes across Maqueda Channel.
Camarines Sur is the largest among the six provinces in the Bicol Region both in terms of population and land area. Its territory encompasses two cities: Naga City, the lone chartered city, is the province's and the region's most progressive city, also commercial, financial, and cultural center, while Iriga City, a component city, is the center of the Rinconada area and Riŋkonāda Language. Lake Buhi is where the smallest commercially harvested fish can be found, the Sinarapan or tabyos (Mistichthys luzonensis).
Population. According to the May 2010 census, there is a total of 2,693,821 residents in Camarines Sur, making it the most populous in the region and the 7th most populous in the whole country. The same census also states that Camarines Sur has 288,172 households with an average household size of 5.37 persons, significantly higher than the national average of 4.99. The annual growth rate is 1.86%, much lower than the national growth rate of 2.36%. This rate of growth will double the population of Camarines Sur in 8 years.

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Camiguin
Camiguin is an island province of the Philippines located in the Bohol Sea, about 10 km (6.2 mi) off the northern coast of Mindanao. It is politically part of the Northern Mindanao Region of the country and formerly a part of Misamis Oriental province. Camiguin is the second-smallest in the country both in population and land area after Batanes.Mambajao is the capital of the province and its largest municipality both in area and population.
Camiguin is a pearl-shaped island with an area of approximately 238 km² (92 sq mi). The island measures about 23 kilometres (14 mi) at its longest and 14.5 kilometres (9.0 mi) at its widest breadth.. The island is mountainous with the highest elevation reaching over 5,000 ft (1,500 m). It is encircled by a national road with a total length of about 64 kilometres (40 mi). As of the August 1, 2007 census, the province has a 5th class income classification with a population of 81,293.
The province of Camiguin is divided into five municipalities, the largest of which is Mambajao. The towns are further subdivided into a total of 58 barangays. The five municipalities are:

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Capiz
Capiz (Filipino:Kapis) is a province of the Philippines located in the Western Visayas region. Its capital is Roxas City and is located at the northeastern portion of Panay Island, bordering Aklan and Antique to the west, and Iloilo to the south. Capiz faces the Sibuyan Sea to the north. Capiz is known for its mother-of-pearl shells that have the same name and are used for decoration, making lampshades, trays, window doors. Capiz is known as the Seafood Capital of the Philippines.
There are two main versions of how Capiz got its name: 1) Akean and Kapid (meaning "twins") which Balingangan, Datu Bangkaya's eldest son, names his territories in honor of his twin daughters. 2) When the Spaniards established a settlement, they found an abundance of a mollusk called pios or kapid, the old native name which has also come to known as Capiz.
Historians and ethnologists narrowed down to three types of people known to have inhabited Capiz: Aeta, popularly known as Negritos; Indonesians descendants of the Mundo tribe in central Panay; and the Malays.

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Catanduanes
Catanduanes (Filipino:Katandwanes) is an island province of the Philippines located in the Bicol Region in Luzon. Its capital is Virac and the province lies to the east of Camarines Sur across Maqueda Channel. As of 2007, the population of the province is 232,757 people.
"Isla de Cobos" was Catanduanes' first adopted name. It was earned as such during the early part of 1573 when Spanish conquistadores came upon several tribes living in the thatched huts called cobos.
Catanduanes, is a hispanized term derived from the word tandu, a native beetle and the samdong tree, which were both found in abundance throughout the island. Common reference to "katanduan" or "kasamdongan", meaning a place where the tandu or the samdong tree thrives in abundance, led to the coining of the word Catanduanes.
The scions of the then Bornean Datus who had moved on the island of Panay and then, spread out throughout the archipelago were the first settlers to have set foot in Catanduanes. The island was not spared from the adventurous raids of the Moros who came from the island of Mindanao. Because of these destructive raids, many records of the past were destroyed and lost.

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Cavite
Cavite (Filipino: Kabite) is a province of the Philippines located on the southern shores of Manila Bay in the CALABARZON region in Luzon, just 30 kilometers south of Manila. Cavite is surrounded by Laguna to the east, Metro Manila to the northeast, and Batangas to the south. To the west lies the South China Sea.
The name "Cavite" comes the Hispanicized form of kawit or it is a corruption of kalawit, Tagalog words for "hook," in reference to the small hook-shaped peninsula jutting into Manila Bay. The name originally only applied to the peninsula (Cavite La Punta, now Cavite City) and the adjacent lowland coastal area (Cavite Viejo, now Kawit). Cavite City used to serve as the capital of the province until 1954, and as with many other provinces organized during the Spanish colonial era, the name of the capital was applied to the whole province.
Another theory proposes that the name is a Hispanicized form of kabit, Tagalog for "joined," "connected," or "attached," referring to the peninsula's topographical relation to the mainland.

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Cebu
Cebu (Cebuano: Sugbo) is a province in the Philippines, consisting of Cebu Island and 167 surrounding islands. It is located to the east of Negros, to the west of Leyte and Bohol islands. Cebu is a long narrow island stretching 225 kilometers from north to south, surrounded by 167 neighbouring, smaller islands, which include Mactan, Bantayan, Malapascua, Olango and the Camotes Islands. Cebu has narrow coastlines, limestone plateaus and coastal plains. It also has rolling hills and rugged mountain ranges traversing the northern and southern lengths of the island. Cebu's highest mountains are over 1000 meters high. Flat tracts of land can be found in the city of Bogo and in the towns of San Remigio, Medellin and Daanbantayan at the northern region of the province. Its capital is Cebu City, the oldest city in the Philippines, which forms part of the Cebu Metropolitan Area together with four neighboring cities which include Danao City, Lapu-Lapu City, Mandaue City and Talisay City and eight other municipalities. Mactan-Cebu International Airport, located in Mactan island, is the second busiest airport in the Philippines.

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Compostela Valley
Compostela Valley is a province of the Philippines located in the Davao Region in Mindanao. The province, called Comval for short, used to be part of Davao del Norte until it was made independent in 1998. It is the third newest province of the Philippines, behind Dinagat Islands and Zamboanga Sibugay. Its capital is Nabunturan. The province borders Davao del Norte to the west, Agusan del Sur to the north, and Davao Oriental to the east. To the southwest lies the Davao Gulf. Its first elected governor was lawyer Jose Caballero who used to be a lawyer for the mining group in the province.
Majority of the inhabitants are migrants from Cebu, Samar, Bohol and other Visayan provinces. The cultural minorities in the province include the Mansaka, Mandaya, Dibabawons, Mangguangans and Aeta groups such as the Talaingod, Langilan, and Matigsalug.
Arnold Bajo, is the most successful defender of the poor minorities, especially the Mandaya. He died in the battle while defending the poor. According to the legend, 40 days after his death, somebody reported that his spirit come from his body and infused in the statue of Ara-araba, their god of harvest. From then on, people worship him as god in the Mandaya tribe, which he refused as he confessed as follower of Rizal, the original defender of poor.

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Cotabato
Cotabato (also North Cotabato; Filipino:Hilagang Kotabato), is a landlocked province of the Philippines located in the SOCCSKSARGEN region in Mindanao. Its capital is Kidapawan City and borders Lanao del Sur and Bukidnon to the north, Davao del Norte and Davao City to the east, Davao del Sur and Sultan Kudarat to the southeast, and Maguindanao to the south and west.
The Province of North Cotabato lies on the eastern part of Region XII and is strategically located in the central part of Mindanao. It is bounded on the north by the provinces of Lanao del Sur and Bukidnon, on the east by Davao City and Davao del Norte, on the west by Maguindanao and on the southeast by Sultan Kudarat and Davao del Sur.
North Cotabato is strategically linked to the major "Arterial Road System" that traverses and connects the province to Davao City - SOCCSKSARGEN - Cotabato Corridor. The Cotabato via Kabacan - Maramag - Kibawe, Bukidnon Sayre Highway meanwhile serves as its link to the Cagayan de Oro-Iligan City Corridor.

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Davao del Norte
Davao del Norte (Filipino:Hilagang Dabaw), and once known simply as Davao, is a province of the Philippines located in the Davao Region in Mindanao. Its capital is Tagum City. It borders the province of Agusan del Sur to the north, Bukidnon to the west, Compostela Valley to the east, and the city of Davao to the south. Davao also includes Samal Island to the south in the Davao Gulf. The province of Compostela Valley used to be part of Davao until it was made into an independent province in 1998. Before 1967, the four provinces—Davao, Davao Oriental, Davao del Sur, and Compostela Valley—were once a single province named Davao. The Davao Region covers this historic province.
Davao del Norte has a population of 910,784 as of 2010 LGPMS Census. The population density is 248 per km². Main languages spoken are Bisaya and Davaoeño.
Davao del Norte is a primarily agricultural, but also engages in mining, forestry, and commercial fishing.
The principal crops of the province include rice, maize, banana, coconut, abacá, ramie, coffee, and a variety of fruit and root crops. Davao del Norte is the country's leading producer of bananas, with many plantations run by multinationals Dole and Del Monte, and local producers such as Lapanday, TADECO, and Marsman. Davao del Norte is also one of Mindanao's leading producer of rice.

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Davao del Sur
Davao del Sur (Filipino:Timog Dabaw) is a province of the Philippines located in the Davao Region in Mindanao. Its capital is Digos City. The province is bordered by Davao City to the north, and Cotabato, Sultan Kudarat, South Cotabato, and Sarangani to the west. To the east lies the Davao Gulf. It also shares a water border with the Indonesian province of North Sulawesi to the south.
The beginnings of both Davao Region and Davao del Sur was associated with that of the foundation of Davao, which is the first town to be founded south of the island of Mindanao in 1848, following the conquest of the area by Don Jose Uyanguren of Guipuzcoa, Spain. In 1849, Nueva Guipuzcoa province is founded in the region conquered by Don Uyanguren in what is now Davao Region, with Davao, then called Nueva Vergara, as the provincial capital. Don Uyanguren, then the provincial governadorcillo, made some efforts to develop the areas he conquered, although he failed.
Just thirty-six years after the foundation of Davao, the town of Sta. Cruz was founded in the 5th day of October, 1884, the first town to be founded south of Davao; the town is now the oldest town in the province.

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Davao Oriental
Davao Oriental (Filipino: Silangang Dabaw) is a province of the Philippines located in the Davao Region in Mindanao. Its capital is Mati and borders Compostela Valley to the west, and Agusan del Sur and Surigao del Sur to the north. Davao Oriental is the easternmost province of the country with Pusan Point as the easternmost location. The Philippine Sea, part of the Pacific Ocean, faces Davao Oriental to the east. Part of the province lies on an unnamed peninsula that encloses the Davao Gulf to the west.
The native (and official) language spoken in this province are Kamayo(also knowna as Mandaya). Cebuano is also spoken here, and Chavacano de Davao being spoken by the people from Compostela Valley and Davao City.
Even some of the natives adhere to Christian faith (mostly Catholics), they are syncretic in some of their beliefs. Folklore beliefs include fairies (diwatas).
Homes are usually made out of wood, with bamboo figuring prominently in many rural abodes.
Davao Oriental is the copra (dried coconut meat) producer capital of the Philippines.

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Dinagat Islands
Dinagat Islands (Filipino: Mga Isla ng Dinagat) (PSGC: 168500000; ISO: PH-DIN) is a province in the Philippines, located on the south side of Leyte Gulf. Leyte Island is to its west, across Surigao Strait, and Mindanao is to its south. Its main island, Dinagat, is about 60 km from north to south.
Dinagat Islands had been a part of the First District of Surigao del Norte Province until becoming a province on its own on December 2, 2006 with the approval of Republic Act No. 9355, the Charter of the Province of Dinagat Islands, in a plebiscite.
On February 11, 2010 the Supreme Court of the Philippines declared the creation of Dinagat Islands Province null and void on grounds of failure to meet land area and population requirements for the creation of local government units. Dinagat Islands then reverted to Surigao del Norte Province. On March 30, 2011, however, the Supreme Court reversed its ruling from the previous year, and upheld the constitutionality of RA 9355 and the creation of Dinagat Islands as a province.

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Eastern Samar
Eastern Samar (Filipino:Silangang Samar) is a province of the Philippines located in the Eastern Visayas region. Its capital is the city of Borongan. Eastern Samar occupies the eastern portion of the island of Samar. Bordering the province to the north is the province of Northern Samar and to the west is Samar province and to the east is the vast Pacific Ocean. Off the coast of Leyte Gulf, the province faces the province of Leyte.
The province of Eastern Samar was created from Samar by virtue of Republic Act No. 4221 on June 19, 1965.
The province occupies a total land area of 4,470.75 km².
The province has a population of 461,300 as of the 2010 census. The common language is Waray.
Eastern Samar is subdivided into 22 municipalities and one city.
The province has two airports; Guiuan Airport and Borongan Airport. Currently, no airline operates out of Borongan Airport in Borongan City while upstart Mid-Sea Express started serving the Guiuan Airport in the town of Guiuan. Mid-Sea Express plies Cebu-Guiuan route to serve tourists going to Calicoan Island.

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Guimaras
Guimaras [ɡimaˈɾas] is an island province of the Philippines located in the Western Visayas region. Among the smallest provinces, its capital is Jordan. The island is located in the Panay Gulf, between the islands of Panay and Negros. To the northwest is the province of Iloilo and to the southeast is Negros Occidental.
The province includes the islands of Guimaras and Inampulugan and many smaller islands.
Guimaras was a sub-province of Iloilo until it was made an independent province on May 22, 1992.
About 1581, Gonzalo Ronquillo de Peñaloza, Spanish governor and captain-general of the Philippine Islands, established a settlement in Guimaras for the purpose of the Christianization of the natives of the island. He and his subordinates organized the pueblicitos or villages of Nayup, with San Pedro Apostol as the patron saint, and Igang, with Sta. Ana as the patroness.
Evangelization of Guimaras occurred around the same time the friars were making inroads in Panay. The Augustinians established the visitas of Nayup and Igang dependent on Oton, Iloilo. Gov. Gen. Gómez Pérez Dasmariñas 20 June 1591 report to the king noted that the friars of Oton made regular visits to the island.

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Ifugao
Ifugao is a landlocked province of the Philippines in the Cordillera Administrative Region in Luzon. Covering a total land area of 262,820 hectares, the province of Ifugao is located in a mountainous region characterized by rugged terrain, river valleys, and massive forests. Its capital is Lagawe and borders Benguet to the west, Mountain Province to the north, Isabela to the east, and Nueva Vizcaya to the south.
It is named after the term "i-pugo" which means "i" (from/people) and "pugo" (hill), thus people of the hill.
The Rice Terraces of the Philippine Cordilleras and Banaue Rice Terraces are the main tourist attractions in the province. These 2000-year-old terraces were carved into the mountains, without the aid of machinery, to provide level steps where the natives can plant rice. In 1995, they were declared a UNESCO World Heritage Site.
During Spanish occupation, government was established in Kiangan. The Spanish occupation ended with the outbreak of the Philippine Revolution. Ifugao used to be part of the former Mountain Province prior to its split into four separate and independent provinces. In 1905, Ifugao was made a sub-province of the old Mountain Province. Captain Pedro Bulan became the first native to become the first provincial governor.

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Ilocos Norte
Ilocos Norte (Ilokano:Amianan nga Ilocos; Filipino:Hilagang Ilokos) is a province of the Philippines located in the Ilocos Region in Luzon. Its capital is Laoag City and is located at the northwest corner of Luzon Island, bordering Cagayan and Apayao to the east, and Abra and Ilocos Sur to the south. Ilocos Norte faces the South China Sea to the west and the Luzon Strait to the north.
Ilocos Norte is noted for being the birthplace of former President Ferdinand E. Marcos, who led an authoritarian rule over the country during the latter half of his incumbency. The Marcoses enjoy a modicum of popularity in the province. Ilocos Norte is also known as a northern tourist destination, being the location of Fort Ilocandia, an upper class hotel and beach resort famous among expatriates, and Pagudpud.
In the 330-page The Ilocos Heritage (the 27th book written by Visitacion de la Torre), the Ilocano legacy and the life of the Ilocano – are described as - "the browbeaten, industrious, cheerful, simple soul who has shown a remarkable strain of bravery and a bit of wanderlust." The Ilocano history reveals his struggles and victories – in battles for colonial independence from Spain and America, to Philippine leadership. The new Ilocano searched for greener pastures towards new lands local and foreign - Palawan, Mindanao, Hawaii, the United States and Greece. The Ilocano material culture and spirituality can be seen in the past - images of Spanish santo (saints), antique but intricate wooden furniture and quality local fiber. The native Ilocano is a weaver, wood carver and pottery expert. The Ilocano cuisine – ranges from the exotic "abu-os" (ant eggs) to vegetable broth "dinengdeng," and "pinakbet" the sticky "tinubong" to the "poqui-poqui" (eggplant salad). Ilocandia is filled with colonial churches, the legacy of Spanish Catholicism.

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Ilocos Sur
Ilocos Sur (Ilokano: Abagatan nga Ilokos, Filipino:Timog Ilokos) is a province of the Philippines located in the Ilocos Region in Luzon. Vigan City, located on the mouth of the Mestizo River is the provincial capital. Ilocos Sur is bordered by Ilocos Norte and Abra to the north, Mountain Province to the east, La Union and Benguet to the south, and the South China Sea to the west.
The historic city of Vigan, which was inscribed in UNESCO’s World Heritage List in November 1999, is found in this province. Established in the 16th century, Vigan is the best preserved example of a planned Spanish colonial town in Asia. Its architecture combines cultural elements from elsewhere in the Philippines and from China with those from Europe to create a unique culture and townscape without parallel anywhere in East and Southeast Asia. Its Kamestizoan District has examples of typical houses with tiled roofs, hardwood floors, balustrades and azoteas in varying Spanish-Mexican-Chinese architectural styles.

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Iloilo
Iloilo is a province of the Philippines located in the Western Visayas region. Iloilo occupies the southeast portion of Panay Island and is bordered by Antique Province to the west and Capiz Province and the Jintotolo Channel to the north. Just off Iloilo's southeast coast is Guimaras Province, once part of Iloilo Province but now a province in its own right. Across the Panay Gulf and Guimaras Strait is Negros Occidental. Iloilo's capital is Iloilo City though the city itself is independent and not governed by the provincial government of Iloilo.
According to the 2007 national census, the population of province excluding Iloilo City is 1,691,878. If Iloilo City is included, the population is 2,110,588.
At the time of the Spanish conquest, writing was a new import and the use of organic medium such as leaf and bamboo, and no pre-Hispanic written accounts of Iloilo exist today. Oral history, in the form of recited epics, has survived to a small degree, with a few recordings made from the last known surviving binukots.

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Kalinga
Kalinga (Tagalog pronunciation: [kɐˈliŋɐ]) is a landlocked province of the Philippines in the Cordillera Administrative Region in Luzon. Its capital is Tabuk and borders Mountain Province to the south, Abra to the west, Isabela to the east, Cagayan to the northeast, and Apayao to the north. Prior to 1995, Kalinga and Apayao used to be a single province named Kalinga-Apayao, until they were split into two to better service the needs of individual native tribes in the provinces.
Kalinga is subdivided into 1 city and 7 municipalities. Tabuk was proclaimed a component city in 2007, but in November 2008 the Supreme Court of the Philippines ruled that its cityhood was unconstitutional. However, Tabuk had its city status reinstated by the Supreme Court on December 22, 2009.
The topography of Kalinga province is rugged and sloping with mountain peaks ranging from 1,500 to 2,500 metres (4,900 to 8,200 ft) in elevation. The province’s geographic feature on the western portion is characterized by sharp crested interlinking peaks of steep slopes, isolated flatlands, plateaus and valleys. The eastern portion is generally rolling and gradually sloping foothills.

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La Union
La Union is a province of the Philippines located in the Ilocos Region or Region 1 in Luzon, whose capital is San Fernando City and borders Ilocos Sur to the north, Benguet to the east, and Pangasinan to the south. To the west of La Union is the South China Sea.
Ninety-three percent of the population is Ilocano and is overwhelmingly Roman Catholic. There are communities of Pangasinense in the south, Igorots in the Cordillera foothills, and Chinese in the city.
La Union is highly literate, with San Fernando City as the administrative, educational, and financial center of the region.
The economy is diversified with service, manufacturing, and agricultural industries spread throughout the province. The Port of San Fernando operates as an increasingly active shipping point, and the former American airbase Wallace Air Station, having been converted into a business and industrial area, helps to facilitate such commercial activity.
Tourism to the province is driven by airlines and passenger coach bus lines like regionally owned Farinas Transit Company,Viron Transit,Dominion Bus Lines and Partas.

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Lanao del Norte
Lanao del Norte (Filipino: Hilagang Lanaw) is a province of the Philippines located in the Northern Mindanao region. Its capital is Tubod. The province borders Lanao del Sur to the southeast, Zamboanga del Sur to the west, Illana Bay to the southwest, Iligan Bay to the north, Iligan City to the northeast, and is separated from Misamis Occidental by Panguil Bay to the northwest. According to the 2007 census, the province has a total population of 538,283.
Republic Act No. 2228 divided Lanao in to two (2) provinces giving birth to Lanao del Norte and Lanao del Sur. The new province was inaugurated on July 4, 1959 making Iligan City as the capital. Salvador T. Lluch was the first Governor of Lanao del Norte. Second was Mohammad Ali Dimaporo, from January 1960 to September 1965 when Governor Dimaporo ran and won the congressional seat of the province. By operation of the law of succession, Vice Governor Arsenio A. Quibranza became the third Provincial Chief Executive of the province. By the mandate of the inhabitants, Governor Quibranza was elected Governor in 1967 and almost unanimously re-elected in 1971 and again in 1980.

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Lanao del Sur
Lanao del Sur (Filipino:Timog Lanaw) is a province of the Philippines located in the Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao (ARMM). Its capital is Marawi City and borders Lanao del Norte to the north, Bukidnon to the east, and Maguindanao and Cotabato to the south. To the southwest lies Illana Bay, an arm of the Moro Gulf. Found in the interior of Lanao del Sur is Lanao Lake, the largest lake in Mindanao.
Maranao is the most commonly spoken language in the province. Also spoken are Tagalog as well as English and Arabic.
Points of interest in the province include:
Lanao del Sur is subdivided into 39 municipalities and 1 city.
Lanao del Sur forms the western portion of Northern Mindanao. It is bounded on the north by Lanao del Norte, on the east by Bukidnon, on the west by Illana Bay, and on the south by Maguindanao and Cotabato. The landscape is dominated by rolling hills and valleys, placid lakes and rivers.
The climate in the province is characterized by even distribution of rainfall throughout the year, without a distinct summer season. The province is located outside the typhoon belt.

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Leyte
Leyte (also Northern Leyte; Filipino: Hilagang Leyte) is a province of the Philippines located in the Eastern Visayas region. Its capital is Tacloban City and occupies the northern three-quarters of the Leyte Island. Leyte is located west of Samar Island, north of Southern Leyte and south of Biliran. To the west of Leyte across the Camotes Sea is Cebu Province.
The explorer Ruy López de Villalobos, first came to the island in 1543 and named it Las Islas Felipinas.
During World War II under the Japanese Occupation, the 9th and 92nd Infantry Division of the Philippine Commonwealth Army was reestablished from 1942 to 1946 at the military general headquarters and military camps and garrisoned in Tacloban and Ormoc before the liberation of the Philippines was the military unit organization and started by the Anti-Japanese military operations in the province of Leyte from 1942 to 1945 to helping the local guerrilla groups under by Colonel Ruperto Kangleon and the American liberating forces and fought against the Japanese Imperial forces.

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Luzon
Luzon (/luːˈzɑːn/) is the largest island in the Philippines. It is located in the northernmost region of the archipelago, and is also the name of one of the three primary island groups in the country centred on the island (the other two being the Visayas and Mindanao). Luzon as an island group includes Luzon proper, the Batanes and Babuyan groups of islands to the north, and the outlying islands of Catanduanes, Marinduque, Masbate, Romblon, and Mindoro. Luzon is the economic and political center of the Philippines, being home to the country's capital city, Manila.
The island of Luzon contains 8 of the 17 administrative regions of the Philippines. These regions are not political entities, but merely serve as administrative groupings of provinces. They are:
Ilocos Region (Region I) is on the northweast side of the island and faces South China Sea. The region is well known for its white sand coastline and rich history. Its provinces are Ilocos Norte, Ilocos Sur, La Union, and Pangasinan. The region's administrative centers is San Fernando City, La Union.

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Maguindanao
Maguindanao (Filipino: Magindanaw) is a province of the Philippines located in the Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao (ARMM). Its capital is Shariff Aguak. It borders Lanao del Sur to the north, Cotabato to the east, and Sultan Kudarat to the south.
Maguindanao is composed of 36 municipalities, which are further subdivided into 506 barangays. Cotabato City is often grouped with Maguindanao, but it is actually independent from the province.
The province is divided into two congressional districts. In October 2006, the first congressional district was split off into a new province, Shariff Kabunsuan. However, the ARMM's Act creating the province was nullified by the Supreme Court in July 2008, on the basis that creation of a province is a function of the Philippine legislature. The area has since reverted to the province of Maguindanao.
Maguindanao is divided into two congressional districts, which elect members to the House of Representatives. For the brief period that the province of Shariff Kabunsuan existed, Maguindanao became a lone-district province. Since the appointment of a new set of provincial officials for the reunified province of Maguindanao by the ARMM Governor in January 2009, the provincial government has reverted to the Sangguniang Panlalawigan setup (coterminous with the restored 1st and 2nd Congressional districts of Maguindanao) from before Shariff Kabunsuan was created.

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Manila
Manila (English: /məˈnɪlə/; Tagalog: Maynila, [majˈnilaʔ]) is the capital of the Philippines. It is one of the sixteen cities (along with the smaller municipality of Pateros) that comprise Metro Manila.
Manila is located on the eastern shore of Manila Bay and is bordered by Navotas and Caloocan to the north; Quezon City to the northeast; San Juan and Mandaluyong to the east; Makati to the southeast, and Pasay to the south.
Manila has a total population of more than 1,652,171 according to the 2010 census. Manila is the second most populous city in the Philippines, behind its neighbor, Quezon City. The populace inhabit an area of only 38.55 square kilometers, making Manila the most densely populated city in the world.Metro Manila is the most populous metropolitan area in the Philippines and the 11th in the world with an estimated population of 16,300,000. The greater urban area is the fifth-most populous in the world and has an estimated metropolitan population of 20,654,307 people.
The city is divided into six legislative districts and consists of sixteen geographical districts: Binondo, Ermita, Intramuros, Malate, Paco, Pandacan, Port Area, Quiapo, Sampaloc, San Andres, San Miguel, San Nicolas, Santa Ana, Santa Cruz, Santa Mesa and Tondo. Bustling commerce and some of the most historically and culturally significant iconic landmarks in the country, as well as the seat of the executive and judicial branches of the government are to be found in the city; and it is also home to many scientific and educational institutions, numerous sport facilities, a variety of other culturally and historically significant venues. As a primary transportation hub and with the larger capital region bearing its name, there is very little of a general nature to be found in cities anywhere that Manila is lacking.

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Marinduque
Marinduque (Filipino: Marinduke pronounced [mɑrinˈduke]) is an island province of the Philippines located in the MIMAROPA region in Luzon. Its capital is Boac. Marinduque lies between Tayabas Bay to the north and Sibuyan Sea to the south. It is located south and west of Quezon, east of Mindoro, and north of Romblon.
Legend has it that the island of Marinduque was formed as a consequence of a tragic love affair between two people: Mariin and Gatduke. Mariin's father, a local chieftain, did not approve of this affair and ordered the beheading of Gatduke. Before this could be done, the couple sailed out to sea and drowned themselves, forming the island now called Marinduque.
During the Spanish and early American occupations, Marinduque was part of Balayan Province (now Batangas) in the 16th century, Mindoro in the 17th century, and had a brief period as an independent province in 1901, when the Americans arrived.
During the Philippine-American War, Marinduque was the first island to have American concentration camps. Marinduque is the site of the Battle of Pulang Lupa, where 250 Filipino soldiers under Colonel Maximo Abad, defeated a smaller force of 54 American Infantrymen.

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Masbate
Masbate (Tagalog pronunciation: [masˈbate]) is an island province of the Philippines located in the Bicol Region. Its capital is Masbate City and consists of three major islands: Masbate, Ticao and Burias.
When Captain Luis Enriquez de Guzman anchored on the shores of Masbate in 1569, he found tiny settlements spread along the coasts engaged in flourishing trade with China. Chinese traders visited Masbate and founded small settlements during the Shri-Vijayan and Madjapahit periods. Ruins of cave-like dwellings resembling "kiva" (possibly built by Indians who accompanied the Chinese traders), were found along the coasts of Aroroy, Palanas, and Masbate. Porcelain jars dating back to the 10th century were excavated at Kalanay (Aroroy) in the 1930s.
Historical accounts show that the Christianization of the Bicol Region actually began in Masbate in 1569:
Father Alonso Jimenez was the first missionary to the islands of Masbate, Burias, Leyte and Samar. Then he went to Ibalon (Bicol) in Camarines Province, where he resided many years, and made many religious incursions into Albay Province and Sorsogon Province. Fray Jimenez is considered the apostle of the island of Masbate

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Metro Manila
Metropolitan Manila (Filipino: Kalakhang Maynila, Kamaynilaan), the National Capital Region (NCR) (Filipino: Pambansang Punong Rehiyon), or simply Metro Manila, is the metropolitan region encompassing the City of Manila and its surrounding areas in the Philippines. It is composed of 16 cities, namely City of Manila, Caloocan, Las Piñas, Makati, Malabon, Mandaluyong, Marikina, Muntinlupa, Navotas, Pasay, Pasig, Parañaque, Quezon City, San Juan, Taguig, and Valenzuela, plus the smaller Municipality of Pateros.
The region is the political, economic, social, cultural, and educational center of the Philippines. As proclaimed by Presidential Decree No. 940, Metro Manila as a whole is the Philippines' seat of government but the City of Manila is the capital. The largest city in the metropolis is Quezon City, while the largest business district is the Makati Central Business District.
Metro Manila is the most populous of the twelve defined metropolitan areas in the Philippines and the 11th most populous in the world. As of the 2010 census, it had a population of 11,855,975, comprising 13% of the national population. The sum total population of provinces with a provincial density above 700 people per square kilometer (more than double the national average) in a contiguous zone with Metro Manila is 25.5 million people as of the 2007 census, one way to refer to the conurbation around Metro Manila is Greater Manila.

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Mindanao
Coordinates: 8°00′N 125°00′E / 8°N 125°E / 8; 125
Mindanao ( /mɪndəˈnaʊ/ min-də-NOW) is the second largest and easternmost island in the Philippines. It is also the name of one of the three island groups in the country, which consists of the island of Mindanao and smaller surrounding islands. The other two are Luzon and the Visayas. Mindanao is the only area of the Philippines with a significant Muslim presence. Davao City is the largest city in Mindanao.
Mindanao has been the site of a separatist movement by the Moro Islamic Liberation Front (MILF), caused by religious differences and widespread poverty. Fighting between MILF and Philippine forces has displaced over 100,000 people.
Mindanao is named after the Maguindanaons who constituted the largest Sultanate historically, and evidence from maps made during the 17th and 18th centuries suggests that the name was used to refer to the island by natives at the time. Evidence of human occupation dates back tens of thousands of years. In prehistoric times the Negrito people arrived. Sometime around 1500 BC Austronesian peoples spread throughout the Philippines and far beyond.

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Misamis Occidental
Misamis Occidental (Filipino:Kanlurang Misamis)(Subanen:Sindepan Mis'samis) is a province of the Philippines located in the Northern Mindanao region. Its capital is Oroquieta City. The province borders Zamboanga del Norte and Zamboanga del Sur to the west and is separated from Lanao del Norte by Panguil Bay to the south and from Misamis Oriental by Iligan Bay to the east. The province of Misamis was originally inhabited by Subanons whose an easy target by the sea pirates from Lanao. Misamis is taken from the early settlement of the Spaniards at the entrance to the Panguil Bay.
The name "Misamis" is believed to have been derived from the Subano word "Kuyamis" which is a variety of sweeto coconut - the staple food of the early settlers in this place. During the years the name persisted as an inference of the geographical location and upon the advent of the Spanish settlers, the word "kuyamis" easily gave way to the more convenient pronounceable but corrupted word "Misamis".
Misamis Occidental comprised the original nine towns of Baliangao, Lopez Jaena, Tudela, Clarin, Plaridel, Oroquieta, Aloran, Jimenez, and Misamis. The original nine municipalities of the province of Misamis Occidental grew into the present three cities of Ozamiz, Oroquieta, and Tangub and the 14 municipalities of Aloran, Baliangao, Bonifacio, Calamba, Clarin, Concepcion, Don Victoriano, Jimenez, Lopez Jaena, Panaon, Plaridel, Sapang Dalaga, Sinacaban, and Tudela

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Misamis Oriental
Misamis Oriental (Filipino:Silangang Misamis, abbreviated Mis. Or.) is a province of the Philippines located in the Northern Mindanao region. Its capital and provincial center is Cagayan de Oro City. The province borders Iligan City and Bukidnon to the south, the Agusan del Norte to the east, and to the north is Bohol Sea with the island-province of Camiguin just off its northern shore.
The earliest known settlers of the territory were the Negritos. Centuries later, Austronesian colonists fought the natives for the control of the rich coastal plains by the Cagayan River, and the Visayans won the struggle for possession over the Bukidnons.
In the 16th century, most of Mindanao was under the control of Muslims, and the inhabitants were converted into Islam. As part of Mindanao, the people of the territory were obliged to pay tribute to Muslim rulers.
Legislative Act. No. 3537 approved on 2 November 1929, divided the province of Misamis into two due to the lack of geographic contiguity. It was not until ten years later on 28 November 1939 that the division between Misamis Oriental and Misamis Occidental was implemented by Act. No. 3777. When Misamis Oriental separated, Don Gregorio Pelaez became its first governor.

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Mountain Province
Mountain Province (Filipino:Lalawigang Bulubundukin) is a landlocked province of the Philippines in the Cordillera Administrative Region in Luzon. Its capital is Bontoc.
Mountain Province is bounded in the east by Isabela, in the north by the provinces of Kalinga, Apayao, and Abra, in the south of Benguet and Ifugao, and in the west by the province of Ilocos Sur. It has an area of 229,231 hectares with 83% mountainous while 17% make up hills and levels. The province has plenty of rivers, waterfalls, mountains, and caves.
Mountain Province is sometimes incorrectly named Mountain in some foreign references. The name is also incorrectly shortened by locals to Mt. Province, which in turn is read by native Anglophones as "Mount Province". The province was named so for being in the Cordillera Central mountain range found in the upper realms of Luzon island.
Mountain Province was also the name of the historical province that included most of the current Cordillera provinces. This old province was established by the Americans in 1908 and was later split in 1966 into Mountain Province, Benguet, Kalinga, Apayao and Ifugao.

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Negros Occidental
Negros Occidental (Filipino: Kanlurang Negros) is a province of the Philippines located in the Western Visayas region. Its capital is Bacolod City and it occupies the northwestern half of Negros Island; Negros Oriental is at the southeastern half. Across the Panay Gulf and the Guimaras Strait to the northwest is the island-province of Guimaras and the province of Iloilo on Panay island. Known as the "Sugarbowl of the Philippines", Negros Occidental produces more than half the nation's sugar output.
Negros Island was originally known to the natives as "Buglas". When the Spaniards arrived in April 1565, they named it "Negros" because of the dark-skinned natives they found. Two of the earliest native settlements were Binalbagan and Ilog which later became towns in 1572 and 1584, respectively. Other settlements were Hinigaran, Negros Occidental, Bago, Marayo (now Pontevedra), Mamalan (now Himamaylan) and Candaguit (a sitio in San Enrique).
Ilog was made the first capital of the province in 1743. This was later transferred to Himamaylan. Bacolod became the capital in 1849.

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Negros Oriental
Negros Oriental (Cebuano: Sidlakang Negros) (also called Oriental Negros, "Eastern Negros") is a province of the Philippines located in the Central Visayas region. It occupies the south-eastern half of the island of Negros, with Negros Occidental comprising the north-western half. It also includes Apo Island — a popular dive site for both local and foreign tourists. Negros Oriental faces Cebu to the east across the Tañon Strait and Siquijor to the south east. The primary spoken language is Cebuano, and the predominant religious denomination is Roman Catholicism. Dumaguete City is the capital, seat of government, and most populous city.
From 2013 onwards, Negros Oriental will have a nickname called "The Bukuvu of the Philippines."
Negros Island, the third largest island in the Philippines, is believed to have once been part of the island of Mindanao, but was cut off—either by continental drift or the rising waters at the end of the ice age.
Among the early inhabitants of the island were black people, as well as Han Chinese and Malays. They called the island "Buglas", a native word which is believed to mean "cut off".

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North Borneo
North Borneo was a British protectorate under the sovereign North Borneo Chartered Company from 1882 to 1946. After the war it became a crown colony of Great Britain from 1946 to 1963, known in this time as British North Borneo. It is located on the northeastern end of the island of Borneo. It is now the state of Sabah, East Malaysia. The last Governor of North Borneo was William Allmond Codrington Goode who held office from 1959 to 1963.
In 1865, the United States Consul to Brunei, Charles Lee Moses, obtained a 10-year lease for the territory of North Borneo from the Sultan of Brunei. However, the post-Civil War United States wanted nothing to do with Asian colonies, so Moses sold his rights to the Hong Kong-based American Trading Company of Borneo owned by Joseph William Torrey, Thomas Bradley Harris, Tat Cheong and possibly other Chinese merchants. Torrey began a settlement at the Kimanis River mouth, which he named Ellena. Attempts to find financial backing for the settlement were futile, and disease, death and desertion by the immigrant labourers led to the abandonment of the settlement towards the end of 1866. Harris died in 1866 and Torrey returned to America in 1877, he died in Boston, Massachusetts, in March 1884.

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Northern Samar
Northern Samar (Filipino:Hilagang Samar) is a province of the Philippines located in the Eastern Visayas region. Its capital is Catarman and is located at the northern portion of the island of Samar. Bordering the province to the south are the provinces of Samar and Eastern Samar. To the northwest, across the San Bernardino Strait is Sorsogon; to the east is the Philippine Sea and to the west is Samar Sea.
The People
The people of Northern Samar were previously called the "Ibabaonons". Generally, they are members of the "Waray" or "Waray-waray" or "Waraynon", the people of Eastern Visayas or Samar-Leyte region. To distinguish themselves from the Westehanon (people from Samar) and Estehanon (from Eastern Samar) when Samar Island was split into three provinces in 1965, and the Leyteños (the people from the Leyte Island), they now call themselves as "Nortehanon".
Languages/Dialects Spoken
Majority of the people in the province of Northern Samar speak the Norte Samarnon, a variation of Waray-Waray. About 4.5 percent of the population, especially in the island towns, speak Cebuano, while a minority speaks Inabaknon, a unique dialect said to be one of the most preserved languages to date. This is the native tongue of the populace in the island town of Capul.

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Nueva Ecija
Nueva Ecija (PSGC: 034900000; ISO: PH-NUE) is a landlocked province of the Philippines located in the Central Luzon region. Its capital is Palayan City. Nueva Ecija borders, from the south clockwise, Bulacan, Pampanga, Tarlac, Pangasinan, Nueva Vizcaya, and Aurora.
The sprawling and varied geological features of the land we now know as Nueva Ecija, includes plains, mountains and rivers, all the requisites for the birthing and sustenance of life itself. This must have been obvious to the land's very first settlers, who found themselves nestled by three mountain ranges on the East, North and West and vast southern plains. All these were sustained by a great flowing river, one whose earliest name was spoken in a now lost tongue, and which was called the Rio Grande de Pampanga by the Spaniards later on. The Great Pampanga River nourished wild, fruit-bearing trees, served as home to an abundance of fish and made possible lush, teeming woodlands that sheltered animals. All these combined must have been paradise in whatever language for the land's earliest settlers, who were able to not only survive but thrive in the surrounding abundance, all within easy reach.

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Nueva Vizcaya
Nueva Vizcaya is a province of the Philippines located in the Cagayan Valley region in Luzon. Its capital is Bayombong. It is bordered by, clockwise from the north, Ifugao, Isabela, Quirino, Aurora, Nueva Ecija, Pangasinan, and Benguet.
The name was derived from the Spanish province Vizcaya in the Basque Country. The province of Nueva Vizcaya used to be a territory of the vast Cagayan Valley which was once an integral political unit with one governor. In 1839, then-Governor Luis Lardizabal issued an order transforming Nueva Vizcaya into a politico-military province upon the advice of the alcalde mayor of Cagayan. The order was approved by a Royal Decree on April 10, 1841. The province had its first taste of civil governance in 1902 when it was organized by the Philippine Commission.
The present territory of Nueva Vizcaya was the result of changes emanating from the formal creation of the province of Isabela in May 1865, wherein a great portion of its northern territory was ceded to the newly-born province. In 1908, the organization of the province of Ifugao further reduced the area of Nueva Vizcaya which was forced to give up its northwest territory. The survey executed by the Bureau of Lands in 1914 further caused the diminution of its area and reduced again upon the enactment of the Administrative Code of 1917.

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Occidental Mindoro
Occidental Mindoro (Filipino: Kanlurang Mindoro, "Western Mindoro"; Spanish: Mindoro Occidental) is a province of the Philippines located in the MIMAROPA region in Luzon. "Home of the Indigenous Mangyans". Its capital is Mamburao and occupies the western half of the island of Mindoro, on the west by Apo East Pass, and on the south by the Mindoro Strait; Oriental Mindoro is at the eastern half. The South China Sea is to the west of the province and Palawan is located to the southwest, across Mindoro Strait. Batangas is to the north, separated by the Verde Island Passage.
Occidental Mindoro has two distinct weather types: rainy season and dry season. Rains begin to fall in the province in late May, intensifying through June, July, August, September and October, then gradually subsides in November. The months of August and September are the wettest period, with storms directly passing through the area.
On the other hand, the dry season starts in November, with rainfall subsiding in intensity, and altogether ceasing in January, February, March and April. March and April are the driest period, with cloudless skies and parched earth characterizing the general area.

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Oriental Mindoro
Oriental Mindoro (Filipino: Silangang Mindoro, "Eastern Mindoro"; Spanish: Mindoro Oriental) is a province of the Philippines located in the island of Mindoro under MIMAROPA region in Luzon, about 140 km southwest of Manila. The province is bordered by the Verde Island Passage and the rest of Batangas to the north, by Marinduque, Maestro del Ocampo Island, Tablas Strait and the rest of Romblon to the east, by Semirara and the rest of Caluya Islands, Antique to the south, and by Occidental Mindoro to the west. Calapan City, the only city in the island, is the provincial capital.
Oriental Mindoro is touted as the country's emerging eco-tourism destination. In 2005, the Philippines was found to be the center of marine fish biodiversity and the home of the most diverse marine ecosystem in the world, by American biologists Kent Carpenter and Victor Springer. Most of the endemic species in the Philippines are found in the Verde Island Passage between Mindoro island and the main island of Luzon. The passage houses 2,983 individual species of algae, corals, crustaceans, mollusks, fishes, marine reptiles, and marine mammals, based on a study conducted by scientists Carpenter and Springer in 2005.

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Palawan
Palawan is an island province of the Philippines located in the MIMAROPA region or Region 4. Its capital is Puerto Princesa City, and it is the largest province in the country in terms of total area of jurisdiction. The islands of Palawan stretch from Mindoro in the northeast to Borneo in the southwest. It lies between the South China Sea and the Sulu Sea. The province is named after its largest island, Palawan Island (09°30′N 118°30′E / 9.5°N 118.5°E / 9.5; 118.5), measuring 450 kilometres (280 mi) long, and 50 kilometres (31 mi) wide.
Palawan is composed of the long and narrow Palawan Island, plus a number of other smaller islands surrounding the main island. The Calamianes Group of Islands, to the northeast consists of Busuanga Island, Culion Island, and Coron Island. Durangan Island almost touches the westernmost part of Palawan Island, while Balabac Island is located off the southern tip, separated from Borneo by the Balabac Strait. In addition, Palawan covers the Cuyo Islands in the Sulu Sea. The disputed Spratly Islands, located a few hundred kilometres to the west is considered part of Palawan by the Philippines, and is locally called the Kalayaan Group of Islands.

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Pampanga
Pampanga (PSGC: 035400000; ISO: PH-PAM; Kapampangan: Lalawigan ning Pampanga; Filipino: Lalawigan ng Pampanga) is a province of the Philippines located in the Central Luzon region. Its capital is the City of San Fernando, Pampanga. Pampanga is bordered by the provinces of Bataan and Zambales to the west, Tarlac and Nueva Ecija to the north, and Bulacan to the southeast. Pampanga also lies on the northern shore of Manila Bay. Angeles City, although within the geography of Pampanga, is classified as a first-class, highly urbanized city and has a government independent of Pampanga.
The name "La Pampanga" was given by the Spaniards who found the early natives living near the river banks. It also served as the capital of the archipelago for two years from 1762-1764 during the British invasion of Manila. However, history shows evidence of the province of Pampanga itself being a descendant of what was known back then as the Kingdom of Tondo, or the Luzon Empire. The word pampang, from which the province's name originates, means river bank. Its creation in 1571 makes it the first Spanish province in the Philippines. The Province of Pampanga is the culinary capital of the Philippines.

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Pangasinan
Pangasinan is a province of the Republic of the Philippines. The provincial capital is Lingayen. Pangasinan is located on the west central and peripheral area of the island of Luzon along the Lingayen Gulf, with the total land area being 5,368.82 square kilometers (3336.030 sq mi). According to the latest census, it has a population of 2,645,395 people in 477,819 households. The total population is projected to rise to 3,039,500 in 2010. According to the 2007 Philippine general elections, Pangasinan has a voting population of 1,360,807, which is the second highest in the Philippines.
Pangasinan is the name for the province, the people, and the primary language spoken in the province. Indigenous Pangasinan speakers are estimated to number at least 1.5 million. Pangasinan is spoken as a second-language by many of the ethnic minorities in Pangasinan. The most significant minority ethnic groups in Pangasinan are the Ilocano, Bolinao, and Tagalog.
The name Pangasinan means "land of salt" or "place of salt-making"; it is derived from the words Pang, meaning for and asin, meaning "salt”, or For Salt in the Pangasinan language and other related languages. The province is a major producer of salt in the Philippines. Dagupan City is known for its Bangus festival named after the fish they widely produce and made the city famous.

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Philippines
The Philippines ⁱ/ˈfɪlɨpiːnz/ FI-lə-peenz (Filipino: Pilipinas [ˌpɪlɪˈpinɐs]), officially known as the Republic of the Philippines (Filipino: Republika ng Pilipinas) is a sovereign country in Southeast Asia in the western Pacific Ocean. To its north across the Luzon Strait lies Taiwan. West across the South China Sea sits Vietnam. The Sulu Sea to the southwest lies between the country and the island of Borneo, and to the south the Celebes Sea separates it from other islands of Indonesia. It is bounded on the east by the Philippine Sea. Its location on the Pacific Ring of Fire and its tropical climate make the Philippines prone to earthquakes and typhoons but have also endowed the country with natural resources and made it one of the richest areas of biodiversity in the world. An archipelago comprising 7,107 islands, the Philippines is categorized broadly into three main geographical divisions: Luzon, Visayas, and Mindanao. Its capital city is Manila.
With an estimated population of about 98 million people, the Philippines is the 7th most populated Asian country and the 12th most populated country in the world. An additional 12.5 million Filipinos live overseas. Multiple ethnicities and cultures are found throughout the islands. In prehistoric times, Negritos were some of the archipelago's earliest inhabitants. They were followed by successive waves of Austronesian peoples who brought with them influences from Malay, Hindu, and Islamic societies. Trade introduced Chinese cultural influences which remain to this day.

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Quezon
Quezon (Tagalog pronunciation: [keˈzon]) is a province of the Philippines in the CALABARZON region of Luzon. The province was named after Manuel L. Quezon, the second President of the Philippines, and its capital is Lucena City.
Quezon is southeast of Metro Manila and is bordered by the provinces of Aurora to the north, Bulacan, Rizal, Laguna and Batangas to the west and the Camarines provinces to the east. Part of Quezon lies on an isthmus connecting the Bicol Peninsula to the main part of Luzon island. The province also includes the Polillo Islands in the Philippine Sea.
A major tourism draw to the province is Mt. Banahaw. The mountain is surrounded by spiritual mysticism with many cults and religious organizations staying on the mountain. Numerous pilgrims visit the mountain especially during Holy Week.
Originally, what now forms Quezon was divided among the provinces of Batangas, Laguna, and Nueva Ecija. The area was first explored by Juan de Salcedo in 1571-1572, during his expedition from Laguna to Camarines provinces.

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Quirino
Quirino is a land-locked province in the Philippines located in the Cagayan Valley region in Luzon. Its capital is Cabarroguis and was named after Elpidio Quirino, the sixth President of the Philippines. The province borders Aurora to the southeast, Nueva Vizcaya to the west, and Isabela to the north. Quirino used to be part of the province of Nueva Vizcaya, until it was separated in 1966.
The population of the province as of the year 2010 census of population was 176,786 with a density of roughly 51 persons per square kilometer of land. The major language is Ilocano, which is widely spoken in the lowlands by 71.46 percent of the total populace. Ifugao is predominant in the uplands. Other languages are Bungkalot, Pangasinan, Kankana-ey, Tagalog, and English.
Agriculture is the main industry in Cagayan Valley, together with rice and corn as major crops. These supply the demand of neighboring provinces and the metropolis. Banana as well as banana chips are major products sold in Metro Manila and Pampanga. Small scale industries like furniture making, basketry, rattan craft, and dried flower production are prevalent.

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Rizal
Rizal is a province located in the CALABARZON, just 16 kilometers east of Manila. The province was named after the country's national hero, José Rizal. Rizal Governor Dr. Casimiro Ynares III on June 17, 2008 announced the transfer of the Capitol from Pasig. Its P 270-million capitol building, constructed in Antipolo by Ortigas & Co., owner thereof, was completed by December of that year. Built on 5-hectare lot at the Ynares Center, it employs 2,008 employees. The New Capitol was successfully inaugurated on March 4, 2009, bringing back the Capitol Building inside the provincial territory, from which it was absent for 33 years (when Pasig was incorporated into Metro Manila).
Rizal is bordered by Metro Manila to the west, the province of Bulacan to the north, Quezon to the east and Laguna province to the south. The province also lies on the northern shores of Laguna de Bay, the largest lake in the country.
Rizal is a mountainous province perched on the western slopes of the southern portion of the Sierra Madre mountain range. Antipolo City boasts of a wonderful view of Metro Manila and it is where Hinulugang Taktak, a waterfall popular with tourists, can be found.

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Romblon
Romblon /rɒmˈbloʊn/rom-BLOHN is an island province of the Philippines located in the MIMAROPA region. It lies south of Marinduque and Quezon, east of Mindoro, north of Aklan and Capiz, and west of Masbate. Its capital is also named Romblon. According the August 2007 Philippine census, it has a total population of 279,774.
The province of Romblon got its name from the word Lomlom (an act of a hen warming her eggs in the nest). According to local folklore, when the Spaniards first set foot on the province, one of the Spanish soldiers rambled along the beach. Tired of strolling, he felt thirsty and went to a house to ask for a drink. Inside it was a hen's nest somewhere on of a post near the window. The soldier inquired if he could get the chicken for free. The house occupant, a young woman, did not comprehend what the visitor said so she answered in the dialect "Nagalomlom", meaning the chicken was brooding. Perplexed, the Spanish soldier left the house muttering in disgust the word "Nagalomlom". When he returned to the ship he was asked where he had been and he answered mockingly: "Nagalomlom". Thus, when the Spanish left, they named the island "Lomlom", until it was corrupted to "Domblon", and later on modified to Romblon.

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Sabah
Sabah is one of 13 member states of Malaysia, and is its easternmost state. It is located on the northern portion of the island of Borneo. It is the second largest state in the country after Sarawak, which it borders on its southwest. It also shares a border with the province of East Kalimantan of Indonesia in the south. In spite of its status as a Malaysian state, Sabah remains a disputed territory; the Philippines has a dormant claim over much of the eastern part of the territory. The capital of Sabah is Kota Kinabalu, formerly known as Jesselton. Sabah is often referred to as "Land Below The Wind", because of its location just south of the typhoon-prone region around the Philippines.
The origin of the name Sabah is uncertain, and there are many theories that have arisen. One theory is that during the time it was part of the Bruneian Sultanate, it was referred to as Saba because of the presence of pisang saba, a type of banana, found on the coasts of the region. Due to the location of Sabah in relation to Brunei, it has been suggested that Sabah was a Bruneian Malay word meaning upstream or the northern side of the river. Another theory suggests that it came from the Malay word sabak which means a place where palm sugar is extracted. Sabah is also an Arabic word which means sunrise. The presence of multiple theories makes it difficult to pinpoint the true origin of the name.

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Samar
Samar, formerly and also known as Western Samar, is a province in the Philippines located in the Eastern Visayas region. Its capital is Catbalogan City and covers the western portion of Samar Island as well as several islands in the Samar Sea located to the west of the mainland. Catbalogan City and Calbayog City, two of the three cities on Samar Island, are located in the province of Samar. The province is bordered by Northern Samar and Eastern Samar. Samar is connected to island and province of Leyte via the San Juanico Bridge, which spans the San Juanico Strait, the narrowest strait in the country. To the south is the Leyte Gulf.
Residents of Samar are mostly Waray, the sixth largest cultural-linguistic group in the country. 90.2% of the household population speaks the Waray language while 9.8 percent also speak Cebuano; 8.1% speak Boholano; 0.07% speak in Tagalog and 0.5% speak other languages. There are two types of Waray spoken in the province, Waray Lineyte-Samarnon which is spoken from the southernmost tip of the province up to the municipality of Gandara and Waray Calbayog which is an intermediate between the Waray of Northern Samar and the Waray of Samar and is spoken in Calbayog City, Santa Margarita, and in some parts of Tagapul-an, Santo Niño and Almagro. Cebuano on the other hand is spoken in some parts of the first district of Samar, mainly in Calbayog City, Almagro, Santo Niño and Tagapul-an English and Chinese languages are also spoken.

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Sarangani
Sarangani is a province of the Philippines located in the SOCCSKSARGEN region in Mindanao. Its capital is Alabel and borders South Cotabato to the north and Davao del Sur to the east.
Sarangani is part of the South Cotabato-Sultan Kudarat-Sarangani-Gen. Santos City (Soccsksargen) development cluster, and is linked by paved roads to the international airport and world-class fish port of Gen. Santos City. Good roads and regular flights through Gen. Santos City allow the province easy access to Manila, Cebu, Davao City, as well as the rest of the Soccsksargen areas. Gen. Santos City’s airport has one of the country’s longest runways.
The province is situated as the country’s major gateway to the Brunei-Indonesia-Malaysia-the Philippines - East Asean Growth Area. With its proximity to its regional counterparts, Sarangani is in a unique position to marshal its resources, entice tourists and investors, and compete in an international market under a borderless trade regime.
Strategically located at the southernmost tip of Mindanao, the province is protected by the resource-rich Sarangani Bay. Beyond this is the Celebes Sea, which is the province’s access to the rest of the world.

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Shariff Kabunsuan
Shariff Kabunsuan was a province of the Philippines within the Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao (ARMM) that existed from 2006 to 2008. The law establishing the province was nullified by the Philippine Supreme Court in 2008.
Shariff Kabunsuan was established under Muslim Mindanao Autonomy Act No. 201 which provided for the creation of the new province comprising the municipalities of Barira, Buldon, Datu Odin Sinsuat, Kabuntalan, Matanog, Parang, Sultan Kudarat, Sultan Mastura, and Upi, all of the first legislative district of the mother province of Maguindanao. On October 29, 2006, the creation of the new province of Shariff Kabunsuan was ratified by the affirmative majority (285,372) votes cast in a plebiscite. Only 8,802 voted for its rejection. A new municipality within the province, Northern Kabuntalan, was subsequently established after its creation was ratified by the affirmative majority votes cast in a plebiscite.
The law establishing Shariff Kabunsuan was enacted by the Regional Assembly for the Autonomous Region of Muslim Mindanao, the first such province established by that local body, which had been so empowered under Republic Act No. 9054 or the Expanded ARMM law. Shariff Kabunsuan was the first province since Philippine independence that was not established through an Act of Congress.

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Siquijor
Siquijor is an island province of the Philippines located in the Central Visayas region. Its capital is the municipality also named Siquijor. To the northwest of Siquijor are Cebu and Negros, to the northeast is Bohol and to the south, across the Bohol Sea, is Mindanao.
Siquijor is the third smallest province in the country, in terms of population as well as land area (after Camiguin and Batanes). For a time it was part of Negros Oriental.
Called Isla del Fuego or the "Island of Fire" during the Spanish colonial period, Siquijor is commonly associated with mystic traditions that the island's growing tourism industry capitalizes on.
According to the 2000 census, there are a total of 21,150 Siquijodnons, as the residents of Siquijor call themselves. The same census also states that Siquijor has 17,351 households with an average household size of 4.70 persons. The annual growth rate is 2.19%, lower than the national growth rate of 2.36%.
The main language spoken in Siquijor is Cebuano. English, Spanish and Tagalog languages are also spoken by Siquijodnons.

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Sorsogon
Sorsogon is a province of the Philippines located in the Bicol Region. It is the southernmost province in Luzon and is subdivided into fourteen municipalities (towns) and one city. Its capital is Sorsogon City (formerly the towns of Sorsogon and Bacon) and borders the province of Albay to the north. Sorsogon is at the tip of the Bicol Peninsula and faces the island of Samar to the southeast across the San Bernardino Strait and Ticao Island to the southwest. Sorsogueños is how the people of Sorsogon call themselves.
In 1570 two Augustinian friars, Alonzon Jiménez and Juan Orta, accompanied by a certain captain, Enrique de Guzmán, reached Hibalong, a small fishing village near the mouth of Ginangra River, and planted the cross and erected the first chapel in Luzon. It was from this village that Ibalong, referring to the whole region, came to be. Moving inland with a northwesterly direction they passed by the territory now known as Pilar, before they reached Camalig, Albay. The establishment of the Abucay-Catamlangan Mission later was ample proof of this route.

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South Cotabato
South Cotabato (Filipino:Timog Kotabato) is a province of the Philippines located in the SOCCSKSARGEN region in Mindanao. Its capital is Koronadal City, and it borders Sultan Kudarat to the north and west, Sarangani to the south and east, and Davao del Sur to the east. To the southeast lies Sarangani Bay.
General Santos City, on the shores of Sarangani Bay, is the largest and most important city in the region, and is a major seaport. The province of Sarangani used to be part of South Cotabato until it was made an independent province in 1992.
Centuries ago, the area that would be the South Cotabato was sparsely inhabited by Malay Pioneers which later evolved into various ethnic groupings that still exist in the Province today. Settlers, who would lay the foundation of what would become a progressive province, started trooping down 1914.
The significant thrust occurred during the term of President Quezon in late 1930s. Gen. Paulino Santos, a man whose undaunted pioneering spirit inspired thousand, led the first of wave of settlers that time. After World War II, the final exodus of settler from Luzon and Visayas poured into the virgin land of promise.

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Southern Leyte
Southern Leyte (Filipino:Timog Leyte) is a province of the Philippines located in the Eastern Visayas region. Maasin City is the capital of the province. Southern Leyte was once a sub-province of Leyte before it was divided from the latter. Limasawa, an island to the south is part of the province where the first Christian Mass was held and is said to be the birthplace of Christianity in the Philippines.
The province ranks as the second least populated area in the region. According to 2007 census, the province has a population of 390,847 a 1.13% growth compared to last 2000 census with a population record of 360,160.
Southern Leyte's geological features created several issues in the province after the flooding of Subangdaku River and the awful mudslide in Guinsaugon. Organizations warned the province as susceptible to natural occurrences like landslides and floodings.
Southern Leyte contributes to the economy of the country. It forms an important part of the inter-island transportation system of the country, with ferries transporting people and goods between Liloan and Surigao del Norte in Mindanao. The province is well known for its quality abaca products and the country's major producer of abaca fiber.

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Sultan Kudarat
Sultan Kudarat is a province of the Philippines located in the SOCCSKSARGEN region in Mindanao. Its capital is Isulan and borders Maguindanao and Cotabato to the north, South Cotabato and Sarangani to the south, and Davao del Sur to the east, and the Celebes Sea to the west.
Sultan Kudarat was once a part of the former empire province of Cotabato. It was created as a separate province along with Maguindanao and North Cotabato on November 22, l973 by virtue of Presidential Decree No. 341 signed by former Pres. Ferdinand E. Marcos.
The purpose of dividing Cotabato into three (3) smaller provinces is clearly stated in Presidential Decree No. 341, which pertinently provided, to wit: “Whereas, the province of Cotabato is one of the largest and richest provinces of the Philippines;
Whereas, the potentials of the province have not been fully developed due to the magnitude of the task of provincial development and troubles that have long plagued the area;
Whereas, the many conflicting political, social and economic interests that have limited the progress of the province must be resolved in order to promote the stability and accelerate the development of Cotabato; and

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Sulu
Sulu (Tausūg: سوگ, Sūg) is an autonomous island province of the Philippines located in the Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao (ARMM). Its capital is Jolo and occupies the middle group of islands of the Sulu Archipelago, between Basilan and Tawi-Tawi. It is home to the historical Sultanate of Sulu.
The peaceful advent of Islam around 1138 through merchants and traders had a distinct influence on Southeast Asia. The coming of Arabs, Persians and other Muslims paved the way for the arrival of religious missionaries, traders, scholars and travelers to Sulu and Mindanao in the 12th century.
A landmark born of the social process was the founding of the principality of Buansa Sumatra, who settled there and married the daughter. A decade earlier (1380), Karim-ul-Mahkdum, an Arab religious missionary and learned judge, reinforced the Islamic foundation of Rajah Baguinda’s polity (1390–1460) and that of the Sultanate of Sayid Abubakar, princely scholar from Arabia who married Paramisuli, the daughter of Rajah Baguinda. Sayid Abubakar eventually inherited the rule of Rajah Baguinda, established the Sultanate and became the first Sultan of Sulu. To consolidate his rule, Sayid Abubakar united the local political units under the umbrella of the Sultanate. He brought Sulu, Zamboanga Peninsula, Palawan and Basilan under its aegis.

wn.com/Sulu
Surigao del Norte
Surigao del Norte is a province of the Philippines located in the Caraga region in Mindanao. Its capital is Surigao City. The province consists of two major islands—Siargao Island and Bucas Grande Island—in the Philippine Sea, and a small region at the northernmost tip of the island of Mindanao. This mainland portion borders Agusan del Norte, and Surigao del Sur to the south.
Surigao del Norte is the second northernmost of the Mindanao provinces and is an important transportation hub between Visayas and Mindanao. Numerous ferries cross the Surigao Strait between Surigao and the island of Leyte carrying vehicles and passengers between Liloan in Southern Leyte and Surigao City.
On September 18, 1960, pursuant to the Republic Act 2736 dated June 19, 1960, the province of Surigao was divided into Surigao del Norte and Surigao del Sur. The town of Surigao became a city on August 30, 1970 pursuant to RA 6134. Atty. Pedro R. Espina became the first City Mayor.
Dinagat Islands had been a part of the First District of Surigao del Norte until becoming a province on its own on December 2, 2006, with the approval of Republic Act No. 9355, the Charter of the Province of Dinagat Islands, in a plebiscite. Between February 2010 and March 2011, the islands were part again of Surigao del Norte but were reinstated as a separate province.

wn.com/Surigao_del_Norte
Surigao del Sur
Surigao del Sur is a province of the Philippines located in the CARAGA region in Mindanao. Its capital is Tandag City and borders Surigao del Norte to the north, Agusan del Norte and Agusan del Sur to the west, and Davao Oriental to the south. Surigao del Sur is located at the eastern coast of Mindanao and faces the Philippine Sea.
Before the Spaniards came, the aborigines of the province were the Mamanua and Manobo. Later, our Austronesian brothers from the Visayas came to settle with the natives. It was with the arrival of the immigrants that the province acquired its name from one of the natives, Saliagao, who lived near the mouth of the river.The name Saliagao was later pronounced Surigao by the inhabitants.
It is also said that long time ago, some Visayan fishermen forced by the strong current of the Surigao Strait, sought refuge in one of the huts somewhere in the province. The Mamanua who thought that these fishermen wanted to occupy the hut by force said “Agaw”, the term which was later given a prefix “Suri” by an immigrant.

wn.com/Surigao_del_Sur
Tarlac
Tarlac is a landlocked province of the Philippines located in the Luzon Island. Its capital is Tarlac City. Tarlac borders Pampanga to the south, Nueva Ecija to the east, Pangasinan to the north, and Zambales to the west. It is a part of Central Luzon, which is also composed of Aurora, Bataan, Bulacan, Nueva Ecija, Pampanga and Zambales.
As of the 2000 census, Tarlac has a population of 1,068,783. Its population density is 350/km².^{[citation needed]}
In the southern half of the province Kapampangan is the spoken language whereas Ilocano and Pangasinan dominate the northern half. Tagalog, being the country's national language, is widely understood throughout the province.
The economy of Tarlac is dominantly agricultural. Principal crops are rice and sugarcane. Other major crops are corn and coconut; vegetables such as eggplant, garlic, and onion; and fruit trees like mango, banana, and calamansi. It is among the biggest producers of Rice and Sugarcane notably grown in Hacienda Luisita in Barangay San Miguel, Tarlac City which is owned by the Cojuangco Family.

wn.com/Tarlac
Visayas
The Visayas /vɪˈs[unsupported input]jəs/ və-SY-əz or Visayan Islands (Visayan languages: Kabisay-an, Tagalog: Kabisayaan), is one of the three principal geographical divisions of the Philippines, along with Mindanao and Luzon. It consists of several islands, primarily surrounding the Visayan Sea, although the Visayas are considered the northeast extremity of the entire Sulu Sea. Residents are known as the Visayans.
The major islands of the Visayas are Panay, Negros, Cebu, Bohol, Leyte, and Samar. The region may also include the islands of Romblon and Masbate, whose population identify as Visayan.
There are three administrative regions in the Visayas: Western Visayas, Central Visayas and Eastern Visayas.
The early people in the Visayas region were Austronesians and Negritos who migrated to the islands about 6,000 to 30,000 years ago. These early settlers were animist tribal groups. In the 12th century, settlers from the collapsing empires of Srivijaya, Majapahit and Brunei, led by the chieftain Datu Puti and his tribes, settled in the island of Panay and its surrounding islands. By the 14th century, Arab traders and their followers, venturing into the Malay Archipelago, converted some of these tribal groups into Muslims. These tribes practiced a mixture of Islam and Animism beliefs. There is also some evidence of trade among other Asian people. The Visayans were thought to have kept close diplomatic relations with Malaysia and Indonesian kingdoms since the tribal groups of Cebu were able to converse with Enrique of Malacca using the Malay language when the Portuguese explorer Ferdinand Magellan arrived in 1521.

wn.com/Visayas
Zambales
Zambales is a province of the Philippines located in the Central Luzon region. Its capital is Iba. Zambales borders Pangasinan to the north, Tarlac and Pampanga to the east, Bataan to the south and the South China Sea to the west. With a land area of 3,700 km², Zambales is the second largest among the seven provinces of Central Luzon. It has a population density of 150 people per square kilometer², one of the lowest in the country. The province is noted for its mangoes, which are abundant from January to April.
Zambales is served by the Subic Bay International Airport, which is located in Cubi Point in the Subic Bay Freeport Zone. The Freeport Zone is host to many tourist attractions which include casinos, beach resorts, parks, beachside huts and cottages and historical sites. The Scarborough Shoal is internationally recognized as a part of Zambales Province.
Zambales lies on the western shores of Luzon island along the South China Sea. Its shoreline is very ragged, and features many coves and inlets. The Zambales Mountains, the mountain range on the eastern part of the province occupies about 60% of its total land area. Subic Bay, in the southern end of the province, provides a natural harbor, and was chosen as the location of the U.S. Naval Base Subic Bay. The peak of Mount Pinatubo lies near the tripoint of Zambales, Pampanga, and Tarlac provinces. This volcano, once considered dormant, erupted violently in 1991 blowing off its summit, leaving a caldera (now filled with Lake Pinatubo), on the mountains of Botolan, Zambales. A vast portion of the province acquired desert-like features after being buried by more than 20 feet (6.1 m) deep of lahar.

wn.com/Zambales
Zamboanga del Norte
Zamboanga del Norte (Tagalog; Hilagang Samboanga, Standard Subanen:Utara Sembwangan) or simply known as ZANORTE is a province of the Philippines located in the Zamboanga Peninsula region in Mindanao. Its capital is Dipolog City and the province borders Zamboanga del Sur and Zamboanga Sibugay to the south and Misamis Occidental to the east. The Sulu Sea lies to the northwest of Zamboanga del Norte. Zamboanga del Norte is the Largest province of Zamboanga Peninsula in terms of land area.
Zamboanga del Norte has a population of 957,997 according to the 2010 census. Its population density is 130/km². It is ranked 26th among the provinces both in terms of population and population density.
The main language spoken is Cebuano.
About half of the province's land area is devoted to agriculture. Corn, coconut, and rice are the major crops. The province being rich in marine and mineral sources, its fish production has accelerated through the development of fishponds. Commercial fishing has likewise steadily increased through the years, with the yellow fin tuna as the primary species.

wn.com/Zamboanga_del_Norte
Zamboanga del Sur
Zamboanga del Sur (Cebuano:Lalawigan sa Habagatang Zamboanga, Spanish/Zamboangueño/Chavacano:Provincia del Zamboanga del Sur, Tagalog:Timog Zamboanga, Standard Subanen:S'helatan Sembwangan/Sembwangan dapit Shelatan) is a province of the Philippines located in the Zamboanga Peninsula region in Mindanao. Pagadian City is the capital. The province borders Zamboanga del Norte to the north, Zamboanga Sibugay to the west, Misamis Occidental to the northeast, and Lanao del Norte to the east. To the south is the Moro Gulf.
As of the 2000 census, Zamboanga del Sur had a population of 836,147, making it the 16th most populous province. The population density was 3,480/km², the 20th most densely populated province.
The most commonly spoken language is Cebuano. Also spoken, although in small percentage, are Zamboangueño/Chavacano, Tagalog, English, Hiligaynon, Maguindanao, Iranun, Subanun, and Ilocano.
The economy is predominantly agricultural. Products include coco oil, livestock feed milling, rice/corn milling, including the processing of fruits, gifts and housewares made from indigenous materials like handmade paper, roots, rattan, buri, and bamboo; wood-based manufacture of furniture and furniture components from wood, rattan, and bamboo; marine and aquaculture including support services; construction services and manufacture of marble, concrete, and wooden construction materials. There are also mining areas in the province, such as found in the Municipality of Bayog managed by TVI, a Canadian-based mining firm which concentrates on gold mining, and the Cebu Ore Mining which is handling the Ore-Copper-Steel mines. There are also small-scale mines in the Municipality of Dumingag.

wn.com/Zamboanga_del_Sur
Zamboanga Sibugay
Zamboanga Sibugay is a province of the Philippines located in the Zamboanga Peninsula region in Mindanao. Its capital is Ipil and it borders Zamboanga del Norte to the north, Zamboanga del Sur to the east and Zamboanga City to the southwest. To the south lies Sibuguey Bay in the Moro Gulf. Zamboanga Sibugay was created in 2001 when the third district of Zamboanga del Sur was carved out of that province. Zamboanga Sibugay is the 79th province created in the Philippines.
As of the 2000 census, Zamboanga Sibugay has a population of 497,239 people, and a population density of 161/km². It is ranked 29th among the provinces of the Philippines in terms of both population and population density. The annual population growth rate is 16.09%.
The vast majority of the people of Zamboanga Sibugay speak Cebuano. Other languages such as Hiligaynon, Subanen, Zamboangueño/Chavacano, Tagalog and other ethnic tongues are also spoken, so is English.
The leading industries are in the areas of bakery, rice and corn milling, food processing, and rattan and wood furniture production. New industries include concrete products, garments, wax and candle factory, and other cottage industries.

wn.com/Zamboanga_Sibugay

Diego Silang
Diego Silang y Andaya (December 16, 1730 – May 28, 1763) was a revolutionary leader who conspired with British forces to overthrow Spanish rule in the northern Philippines and establish an independent Ilocano nation. His revolt was fueled by grievances stemming from Spanish taxation and abuses, and by his belief in self-government, that the administration and leadership of the Roman Catholic Church and government in the Ilocos be invested in trained Ilocano officials.
Born in Aringay, Pangasinan (an area in present-day Caba or Aringay, La Union), Silang's mother was Ilocano; his father was Pangasinense. Young Diego worked as a messenger for a local Castilian priest in Vigan, Ilocos Sur. Bright, passionate, and fluent in Spanish, he ferried correspondence from the Ilocos to Manila; journeys that gave him his first glimpse of colonial injustice and that planted the seed of rebellion.
Spain allied with France during the Seven Years' War, in opposition to Great Britain. The British in response sought to diminish the Spanish Empire. The seizure of Manila by British naval forces in October, 1762, and the subsequent surrender of the Spanish Philippines to Britain during the British occupation of the Philippines, inspired uprisings in the farthest north of Ilocos Norte and Cagayan, where anti-Spanish sentiments festered. Though Silang initially wanted to replace Spanish functionaries in the Ilocos with native-born officials and volunteered to head Ilocano forces against the British, desperate Spanish administrators instead transferred their powers to the Catholic Bishop of Nueva Segovia (Vigan), who rejected Silang's offer. Silang's group attacked the city and imprisoned its priests. He then began an association with the British who appointed him governor of the Ilocos on their behalf and promised him military reinforcement. The British force never materialized.

wn.com/Diego_Silang
Gabriela Silang
María Josefa Gabriela Cariño Silang (March 19, 1731 – September 20, 1763) was the wife of the Ilocano insurgent leader, Diego Silang. Following Diego's assassination in 1763, she led the group for four months before she was captured and executed.
Born in Barangay Caniogan, Santa, Ilocos Sur, Silang was a mestiza, of Spanish and Ilocano descent. The people of Abra do claim she was born in what is now Pidigan, Abra (those two places are not far from each other, and Abra was not incorporated as a province until early in the 20th century). She was adopted by a very wealthy businessman Tomás Millan, who later married her at the age of 20, but died after three years. In 1757, she re-married, this time to 27-year-old Ilocano insurgent leader, Diego Silang. The groups’ goal was to ensure an independent Ilocos. She became one of his closest advisors, whenever the troops battle, Gabriela always went with them to give support and help with the battle, a major figure in her husband's collaboration with the British and the brief expulsion of Spanish officials from Vigan, Ilocos Sur during the British occupation of the Philippines.

wn.com/Gabriela_Silang
Ilocano people
The Ilocano or Ilokano people are the third largest Filipino ethnolinguistic group. Aside from being referred to as Ilocanos, from "i"-from, and "looc"-bay, they also refer to themselves as Samtoy, from the Ilocano phrase "sao mi ditoy", meaning 'our language here.' The word "Ilocano" came from the word "Iloco" or "Yloco."
The Ilocano people are indigenous to coastal areas of northern Luzon in the Philippines. Today, the Ilocanos are the dominant ethnic group in northern Luzon, and their language (Ilocano) has become the lingua franca of the region, as Ilocano traders provide highland peoples with their primary link to the commerce of the outside world.Ilocandia is the term given to the traditional homeland of the Ilocano people; present-day Ilocandia roughly encompasses regions 1 through 3 of the Philippines (the Ilocos Region, Cagayan Valley, and parts of Central Luzon), as well as the Cordillera Administrative Region.
Many Ilocanos have left their homeland to settle elsewhere. The Ilocanos are the majority in the provinces of Ilocos Norte, Ilocos Sur, Abra, La Union, Apayao, Cagayan, Isabela, Nueva Vizcaya, and Quirino. They form 10-49% of the populations of the province of Aurora, Zambales, Kalinga, Nueva Ecija, Ifugao, Benguet, Pangasinan, and Tarlac. Less than 10% in the Batanes, and Mountain Province. Further government-sponsored migrations have led to the resettlement of Ilocanos to Mindanao, particularly to the provinces of South Cotabato, North Cotabato, and Sultan Kudarat. Other important Ilocano communities exist in Metro Manila and the world over.

wn.com/Ilocano_people
Tagalog people
The Tagalog people are an ethnic group in the Philippines. The name Tagalog comes from either the native term tagá-ilog, meaning 'people living along the river', or another native term, tagá-alog, meaning 'people living along the ford', a ford being a shallow part of a river or stream where people, animals, or vehicles can cross it. The prefix taga- means "coming from" or "native of", while the word ilog means 'river'. Translated, tagá-ilog means 'coming from the river' or 'native of the river', and tagá-alog means 'coming from the ford' or 'native of the ford' with 'the' being implied in both cases. Either way, the original name has been contracted to become simply Tagalog. In more recent times, the people of this ethnolinguistic group rarely refer to themselves as "Tagalog", and instead, refer to themselves simply as "Filipino".
The Tagalogs are one of the most widespread groups of people in the Philippines. They form a majority in the provinces of Aurora, Bataan, Batangas, Cavite, Bulacan, Laguna, Marinduque, Metro Manila, Nueva Ecija, Occidental Mindoro, Oriental Mindoro, Quezon, and Rizal. Other provinces with some significant Tagalog populations include the provinces of Palawan, Tarlac, and in Zambales.

wn.com/Tagalog_people

GMA News Investigates: Minors join private armies in Abra

In its segment "GMA News Investigates," State of the Nation looks into the prevalence of p...

published: 07 Mar 2011

author: gmanews

It's more fun in Abra Province! TM09208 Ralph Villano

...

published: 10 Oct 2012

author: Tin Santos

Abra Performance

This is an excerpt from the culturel performance of the Abra delegates during the Lang-ay ...

published: 12 Jul 2012

author: igorotte

Entering Abra Tunnel.3gp

...

published: 08 Feb 2012

author: Marco Alloysius Arpilleda

bangued, abra - CRime rates soar in abra

14 year old dies secondary to political violence in abra province...

published: 18 Apr 2011

author: humanrights1011

Abra Province Hiking Trip Recap

Abra Province Hiking Trip Recap, Philippines...

published: 21 Jun 2008

author: thestrongpoet

ABRA: The River of Life

Reflections from Turkey, Canada, and the Philippines, Rev. Shaun Fryday explains society's...

published: 19 Jan 2012

author: Rio Gee

A landscape view of Abra, Province, Philippines

...

published: 31 Aug 2012

author: Dylan Justin Dalonos

Kapusong Totoo TULUNGAN natin mga BATA magkaroon ng GAMIT eskwela! (Abra Province)

Edited version of Kapusong Totoo GMA Kapuso Foundation reaching out to the Municipalities ...

published: 28 May 2009

author: c2rax

Day 1 Cloud Forest, Abra Province

Day 1 Cloud Forest, Abra Province...

published: 21 Jun 2008

author: thestrongpoet

2nd BISQUERA Clan Reunion / Pidigan Abra Philippines / Part 2 of 2

A reunion celebrated for the second time held in Pidigan Abra Philippines. Thanks to the o...

published: 19 Feb 2012

author: Pablo Bisquera

lon&pat-On; municipal Tour II- Province of Abra

friends on tour...

published: 21 Jun 2007

author: padasman

lon&pat-; on municipal tour I - Province of Abra

friends on tour...

published: 30 May 2007

author: padasman

2nd Bisquera Family Reunion / Pidigan Abra Philippines / Feb. 12, 2012 / Part 1 of 2

Uniting Bisquera families and friends around the world is a dream came true by the late Al...

published: 16 Feb 2012

author: Pablo Bisquera

Jillmar & Rhoda

A wedding coverage at Abra Province Your comments are welcome. Thank you and God bless! R...

published: 08 May 2012

author: RCRJ Digital Works

serve the people brigade video of disaster-stricken antamok, itogon, benguet

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE October 11, 2009 Cordillera Still in state of calamity Relief, Res...

published: 12 Oct 2009

author: serve the people brigade

Camino de la Sal l Salt Trail

El Albardon (equipo de rescate de conocimientos sobre plantas nativas) y Ala Plástica junt...

published: 17 Jul 2012

author: Ala Plastica

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photo: Creative Commons / Axou

Aviva is a 68 metres (223 ft) length motor yacht, currently the 80th longest motor yacht in the world.

Steve Jobs' Mega-Yacht Free To Sail After Temporary Reprieve

Newsfactor

24 Dec 2012

Steve Jobs was controversial in life, and now his high-tech mega-yacht is associated with a controversy long after his death. The former Apple CEO's ship was impounded in Amsterdam in the middle of a financial battle over a disputed bill. Phillippe Starck, a French product designer and architect, has alleged that Jobs' heirs owe him 3 million euros for his work on Venus, the 256-foot yacht Jobs commissioned before his death ...   ... ....(size: 2.6Kb)

photo: Creative Commons / Giorgione

Anbetung der Hirten (Adoration of the Shepherds) (c. 1500–10), by Italian painter Giorgio da Castelfranco. Christians celebrate the birth of Jesus to the Virgin Mary as a fulfillment of the Old Testament's Messianic prophecy.

Liberating Burdensome and Tortuous Beasts (An Animal Liberation Theology)

WorldNews.com

24 Dec 2012

Article by WN.com Correspondent Dallas Darling. A deadly silence immediately followed after a bullet penetrated the calf's skull. Against my wishes, Vic had decided against either amputating its leg or contacting a veterinarian-something he reasoned would have been too expensive. The unfortunate calf had slid down into a ravine where its hind leg, which was mangled and torn, became wrapped in barbed wire ... But it was more than a bellow ... 9....(size: 6.3Kb)

photo: AP / Musadeq Sadeq

A member of security escorts a U.S. convoy in to the Kabul police headquarters, where a an American advisor was killed in Kabul, Afghanistan, Monday, Dec. 24, 2012.

Afghan policewoman kills US adviser in Kabul

my SA

24 Dec 2012

The woman, identified as Afghan police Sgt ... The woman was taken into Afghan custody shortly after the attack ... Air Force Lt ... The attacker then stole his colleague's weapons and fled to join the Taliban, said deputy provincial governor in Jawzjan province, Faqir Mohammad Jawzjani ... Walter Reid Barrie, was killed by an Afghan army soldier during a football match between British and Afghan soldiers in the restive southern province of Helmand....(size: 4.6Kb)

photo: AP

Members of Myanmar Fire Brigade team gather near a damaged Air Bagan passenger plane in Heho, Shan State, Myanmar, Tuesday, Dec. 25, 2012.

Two killed and 11 injured in Burma emergency landing

BBC News

25 Dec 2012

Two people, including a young child, have been killed and another 11 injured during an emergency landing in Burma, officials say. The Air Bagan plane was carrying more than 60 passengers, many of whom were foreign nationals ... "The cause of the accident is not clear yet ... ....(size: 1.4Kb)

photo: AP / Hasan Jamali

From left to right, Bahraini Prime Minister Prince Khalifa bin Salman Al Khalifa, United Arab Emirates' Vice President Sheik Mohammed bin Rashid al-Maktoum, Oman's Vice President Fahad bin Mahmoud, Kuwait's Emir Sheik Sabah Al Ahmad Al Sabah, Bahrain's King Hamad bin Isa Al Khalifa, Saudi Crown Prince Salam bin Abdul Aziz Al Saud, Qatar's Crown Prince Sheik Tameem Al Thani, and Bahraini Crown Prince Salman bin Hamad Al Khalifa, pose for picture during the Gulf Cooperation Council GCC summit in Sekhir, Bahrain, Monday, Dec. 24, 2012.

GCC states slam Iran interference in region

Al Jazeera

26 Dec 2012

The six Gulf states have sharpened their tone against their neighbour Iran, demanding an immediate halt to its "interference" in their internal affairs while urging action to halt mass killings and violations of international law in Syria ... The council said they "reject and denounce" Iran's "continued interference" in their internal affairs that increase regional tension and threaten security and stability ... 419 Source .. Agencies. Share ... ....(size: 18.7Kb)

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More than 2,000 households now under cash transfer program

Sun Star

26 Dec 2012

THE Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD) is now focused on the urban poor with the recent addition of some 2,226 poor households in its Conditional Cash Transfer (CCT) program ... Baguio is among the pilot areas of the CCT in the region together with municipalities from the provinces of the Apayao and Abra ... (JM Agreda) ....(size: 2.0Kb)

Our province’s construction field achieved remarkable results in energy saving and emission reduction (People's Government of Jilin Province)

noodls

26 Dec 2012

People's Government of Jilin Province) ... At present, the province has built 55 sewage treatment plants, with treatment capacity of 260 tons / day and treatment rate of 80% ... The province's 51 cities above the county level (including Changbai Mountain CMC) produce domestic garbage of 15,060 tons / day on annual average ... This noodl was issued by People's Government of Jilin Province and was initially posted at www.jl.gov.cn....(size: 5.8Kb)

ISAF Joint Command operational update, Dec 25 (NATO - North Atlantic Treaty Organisation)

noodls

26 Dec 2012

25, 2012) - An Afghan and coalition security force killed the Taliban leader, Qadir, and three other insurgents, during an operation in Baghlan-e Jadid district, Baghlan province, yesterday. Qadir led a small group of insurgents who conducted improvised explosive device attacks in the district. He was also responsible for the movement of weapons, ammunition and bomb-making materials for insurgents in the province....(size: 3.7Kb)

Summit on VN, Laos, Thailand localities’ cooperation (Government of the Socialist Republic of Vietnam)

noodls

26 Dec 2012

VGP - The 16th conference of the nine provinces through which Highways 8 and 12 run in Viet Nam, Laos and Thailand got underway in central Nghe An Province on December 26 ... Delegates reported that their respective provinces over the past years have actively joined hands to carry out plans and programs signed in the previous conference in an effective manner....(size: 2.7Kb)

Rebel gains mount in north Syria

Pittsburgh Post-Gazette

26 Dec 2012

BEIRUT -- Syrian rebels fully captured a northern town near the Turkish border Tuesday after weeks of heavy fighting and attacked a regime air base in a neighboring province, activists said. The air base is in Aleppo province, where opposition fighters have already captured three other large military bases in recent months ... In Aleppo province, which ......(size: 5.2Kb)

Armm district hospitals get ambulances

Sun Star

26 Dec 2012

THE National Government, through the Department of Health (DOH), has provided a boost in terms of mobility to eight district hospitals in the two provinces of the Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao (Armm) ... province....(size: 1.1Kb)

LGUs get excellent Arta rating

Sun Star

26 Dec 2012

BONTOC, Mt Province - The local government unit (LGU) of this province registered a rating of 91.71 percent in the Anti Red Tape Act (Arta) rating of the Department of Interior Local Government (DILG). Governor Leonard Mayaen, during the flag ceremony last week, said the Tadian LGU led by Mayor Anthony Wooden got the highest Arta rating among the ten municipality LGUs of the province....(size: 2.2Kb)

Syrian rebels capture town near Turkey

San Francisco Chronicle

26 Dec 2012

Syrian rebels captured the northern town of Harem near the Turkish border on Tuesday after weeks of heavy fighting and attacked a regime air base in a neighboring province, activists said. The air base is in Aleppo province, where opposition fighters have already captured three other large military bases in recent months....(size: 1.6Kb)

Syrian rebels make more gains in north

San Francisco Chronicle

26 Dec 2012

BEIRUT (AP) — Syrian rebels fully captured a northern town near the Turkish border on Tuesday after weeks of heavy fighting and attacked a regime air base in a neighboring province, activists said. The air base is in Aleppo province, where opposition fighters have already captured three other large military bases in recent months ... In Aleppo province, ......(size: 6.6Kb)

Daykundi province a model for peace, reintegration program (NATO - North Atlantic Treaty Organisation)

noodls

26 Dec 2012

26, 2012) - Daykundi province continues to be a model province for the Afghan Peace and Reintegration Program ... Simon Stuart, the Combined Team Uruzgan commander, discussed the future of the program and culminated a week of coalition activities in Nili related to the recent reintegration of former insurgents within the province ... Dietrick said Daykundi province has shown great progress and promise for the future....(size: 5.2Kb)

Syrian rebels take town, attack air base, activists say

Tulsa World

26 Dec 2012

Syrian rebels captured a northern town near the Turkish border Tuesday after weeks of heavy fighting and attacked a regime air base in a neighboring province, activists said. The air base is in Aleppo province, where opposition fighters have already captured three other large military bases in recent months....(size: 2.9Kb)

Syrian rebels’ gains mount with capture of border town

The Columbus Dispatch

26 Dec 2012

BEIRUT — Syrian rebels captured a northern town near the Turkish border yesterday after weeks of heavy fighting and attacked a regime air base in a neighboring province, activists said. The air base is in Aleppo province, where opposition fighters recently captured three other large military bases ... The rebel takeover of Harem, a town of 20,000 in northern Idlib province, was the latest in a string of recent rebel successes....(size: 4.8Kb)

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Abra

— Province —

Flag

Official seal of Abra
Seal

Map of the Philippines with Abra highlighted

Coordinates: 17°35′N 120°45′E / 17.583°N 120.75°ECoordinates: 17°35′N 120°45′E / 17.583°N 120.75°E

Country

Philippines

Region

Cordillera Administrative Region (CAR)

Founded

March 9, 1917

Capital

Bangued

Government

• Type

Province of the Philippines

• Governor

Eustaquio Bersamin (Lakas-Kampi-CMD)

• Vice Governor

Rolando Somera (Lakas-Kampi-CMD)

Area

• Total

4,198.2 km² (1,620.9 sq mi)

Area rank

32nd out of 80

Population (2007)

• Total

230,953

• Rank

67th out of 80

• Density

55/km² (140/sq mi)

• Density rank

77th out of 80

Divisions

• Independent cities

• Component cities

• Municipalities

• Barangays

304

• Districts

Lone District of Abra

Time zone

PHT (UTC+8)

ZIP Code

Spoken languages

Ilocano, Tinguian, Isneg, Tagalog, English

Abra is a landlocked province of the Philippines in the Cordillera Administrative Region in Luzon. Its capital is Bangued, and it borders Ilocos Norte and Apayao on the north, Ilocos Sur and Mountain Province on the south, Ilocos Norte and Ilocos Sur on the west, and Kalinga, and Apayao on the east.

1 Demographics
2 History
- 2.1 Physical
3 Geography
- 3.1 Political
4 Economy
5 References
6 External links

Demographics [link]

Abra's inhabitants are mostly descendants of Ilocano settlers and members of the Tingguian tribe. As of 2007, the population of the province is 230,953.

The predominant languages are Ilocano^[1] and Itneg.^[2] Based on the 2000 census survey, the majority of the province population is Ilocano 71.9%. Other ethnic groups living in the province are the Tinguian 18.7%, Ibanag 4.5%, Isneg 3.2% and Tagalog 0.4%.^[3]

History [link]

The first inhabitants of Abra were the ancestors of the Bontocs and the Ifugaos. These inhabitants eventually left to settle in the old Mountain Province. Other early inhabitants were the Tingguians, or Itnegs, as they are also known. The Ilocos came to trade with the tinguians but eventually they saw the province to be very good so they invaded and the tinguians were forced to go to the mountains.

In 1598 a Spanish garrison was established in Bangued to protect the Ilocanos who converted to Christianity from Tingguian raids. During the British Occupation of the Philippines, Gabriela Silang and her army fled to Abra from Ilocos and continued the revolt begun by her slain husband, Diego Silang. She was captured and hung by the Spanish in 1763.

In 1818 the Ilocos region, including Abra, was divided into Ilocos Norte and Ilocos Sur. In 1846 Abra was created^[4] as a political-military province with Lepanto as a sub-province. It remained so until the arrival of the Americans in 1899.

In 1908 the Philippine Commission once again in annexed Abra to Ilocos Sur in an attempt to resolve Abra's financial difficulties. But on March 9, 1917, the Philippine Assembly re-established Abra as a province.

In 1942, the Japanese forces occupied the Philippines and entered Abra.

The built of the local military general headquarters of the Philippine Commonwealth Army was active on 1942 to 1946, the Philippine Constabulary was found active from 1944 to 1946 and the United States Armed Forces in the Philippines - Northern Luzon or USAFIP-NL was active again from 1942 to 1946 and military stationed in the province of Abra during the Japanese Occupation and the Allied Liberation.

In 1945, the liberation in Abra in Northern Luzon by the Philippine Commonwealth forces and the local Cordilleran guerrillas against the Japanese during the Battle of Abra at the end the Second World War.

The revolutionary Marxist priest, Conrado Balweg, who fought for the rights of the Cordillera tribes, began his crusade in Abra. After successfully negotiating a peace accord with Balweg's group in 1987, the Philippine government created the Cordillera Administrative Region, which includes Abra.

Physical [link]

Abra is hemmed in by the towering mountain ranges of the Ilocos in the west and the Cordillera Central in the east. It has an extremely rugged terrain, with mountains and hills rising along its perimeter and interior. The plains are drained by the Abra River, which flows northward from Mt. Data in the Mountain Province.

Geography [link]

Political [link]

Abra is subdivided into 27 municipalities.

Municipality	No. of Barangays	Area Coordinator	Population (2007)	Pop. density (per km²)
Bangued	31	105.70	46,179
Boliney	8	176.40	3,349
Bucay	21	97.60	16,266
Bucloc	4	48	2,227
Daguioman	4	61	1,916	28.7
Danglas	7	159.9	5,411
Dolores	15	48.53	10,787
La Paz	12	44	14,658
Lacub	6	235.3	3,050
Lagangilang	17	86.7	13,490
Lagayan	6	130.5	4,134
Langiden	6	106.3	3,242
Licuan-Baay	11	266.9	3,990
Luba	8	128.3	6,363
Malibcong	12	216.10	3,354
Manabo	11	91	10,538
Peñarrubia	9	37.50	6,443
Pidigan	15	49.2	11,280
Pilar	19	86.1	9,792
Sallapadan	9	99	6,370
San Isidro	9	38.10	4,647
San Juan	19	64.1	9,714
San Quintin	6	56.6	5,341
Tayum	11	42.7	13,360
Tineg	10	793.7	4,317	6.3
Tubo	10	423.9	5,588	11.9
Villaviciosa	8	87	5,147

Economy [link]

As of 1990, there were 743 cottage industries in Abra, of which 208 are registered with the Department of Trade and Industry. 59% are engaged in bamboo and rattan craft making, both leading industries in the area.

In 1992, the natural dye industry, together with loom weaving and embroidery, was revived by former Governor Ma. Zita Claustro-Valera, the first woman governor of Abra.

Abra's economy is agriculture-based. Its major crops are rice, corn, and root crops; and commercial produce are coffee, tobacco, and coconut. Extensive grassland and pasture areas are used for livestock production.^[5]^[6]^[7]^[8]

References [link]

External links [link]

Wikimedia Commons has media related to: Abra (province)

	Ilocos Norte	Apayao
Ilocos Sur		Kalinga
	Abra East

	Ilocos Sur	Mountain Province

v t e Component local government units of Abra

Municipalities	Bangued Boliney Bucay Bucloc Daguioman Danglas Dolores La Paz Lacub Lagangilang Lagayan Langiden Licuan-Baay Luba Malibcong Manabo Peñarrubia Pidigan Pilar Sallapadan San Isidro San Juan San Quintin Tayum Tineg Tubo Villaviciosa

v t e Political divisions of the Philippines

Capital	Manila National Capital Region

Autonomous region	Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao

Provinces	Abra Agusan del Norte Agusan del Sur Aklan Albay Antique Apayao Aurora Basilan Bataan Batanes Batangas Benguet Biliran Bohol Bukidnon Bulacan Cagayan Camarines Norte Camarines Sur Camiguin Capiz Catanduanes Cavite Cebu Compostela Valley Cotabato Davao del Norte Davao del Sur Davao Oriental Dinagat Islands Eastern Samar Guimaras Ifugao Ilocos Norte Ilocos Sur Iloilo Isabela Kalinga La Union Laguna Lanao del Norte Lanao del Sur Leyte Maguindanao Marinduque Masbate Misamis Occidental Misamis Oriental Mountain Province Negros Occidental Negros Oriental Northern Samar Nueva Ecija Nueva Vizcaya Occidental Mindoro Oriental Mindoro Palawan Pampanga Pangasinan Quezon Quirino Rizal Romblon Samar Sarangani Siquijor Sorsogon South Cotabato Southern Leyte Sultan Kudarat Sulu Surigao del Norte Surigao del Sur Tarlac Tawi-Tawi Zambales Zamboanga del Norte Zamboanga del Sur Zamboanga Sibugay

Former Provinces	Agusan Ambos Camarines Camarines Cotabato Davao Kalinga-Apayao Lanao Lepanto-Bontoc Manila Mindanao and Sulu Mindoro Misamis Moro Province Negros Negros del Norte Occidental Leyte Oriental Leyte Samar Shariff Kabunsuan Surigao Tayabas Zamboanga

Other subdivisions	Island groups (Luzon, Visayas, Mindanao) Regions Cities Municipalities Barangays Legislative districts

Territorial disputes	North Borneo (Sabah) Scarborough Shoal Spratly Islands

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Contents

Demographics [link]

History [link]

Physical [link]

Geography [link]

Political [link]

Economy [link]

References [link]

External links [link]

http://wn.com/Abra_(province)

Related pages:

http://it.wn.com/Provincia di Abra

http://id.wn.com/Abra (provinsi)

http://es.wn.com/Provincia de Abra

http://ru.wn.com/Абра (провинция)

http://nl.wn.com/Abra (provincie)

http://pt.wn.com/Abra (província)

http://pl.wn.com/Abra (prowincja)

http://fr.wn.com/Province d'Abra

http://de.wn.com/Abra (Provinz)