Central Visayas (; ; ), designated as Region VII, is an administrative region in the Philippines. With only two provinces: Cebu and Bohol, as well as three highly urbanized cities: Cebu City, Lapu-Lapu, and Mandaue, it has the fewest provinces of any region in the country. Despite this, it is the most populous region in the Visayas, with a population of 6,545,603.

The regional center, as well as its largest city, is Cebu City. The Cebuano language is the region's lingua franca. The region is also dominated by native speakers of three Visayan languages: Bantayanon, Boholano, and Porohanon.

In 2015, Central Visayas was redefined when the province of Negros Oriental was transferred to the newly formed Negros Island Region. However, the Negros Island Region was dissolved in 2017, returning Negros Oriental to Central Visayas. After seven years, Negros Oriental was transferred again, along with the island province of Siquijor, when the Negros Island Region was re-established in 2024.

Etymology The name of the region, Central Visayas, was mostly chosen by American colonists to denote the centrality of the islands within the bigger Visayas area.

There have been proposals to rename the current Central Visayas region, which is dominated by the Cebuano (Sugbuanon) ethnic group, to Sugbu, the former name of the region prior to Spanish colonization in the 16th century. The name refers to the former kingdom of the region, the Rajahnate of Cebu, or Sugbu in Cebuano.

History Regions first came into existence on September 24, 1972, when the provinces of the Philippines were organized into 11 regions by Presidential Decree No. 1 as part of the Integrated Reorganization Plan by President Ferdinand Marcos Sr. The provinces of Cebu, Bohol, and Negros Oriental (including its then-subprovince of Siquijor) were grouped together to form the Central Visayas region.

By virtue of Executive Order No. 183, s. 2015, issued on May 29, 2015, by President Benigno Aquino III, moved Negros Oriental to the newly formed Negros Island Region.

On August 9, 2017, President Rodrigo Duterte dissolved the Negros Island Region, revoking Executive Order No. 183, s. 2015 through the signing of Executive Order No. 38. This returned Negros Oriental to Central Visayas.

In 2024, Negros Oriental was again moved to the re-established Negros Island Region. Siquijor was also moved to the NIR through Republic Act No. 12000 signed by President Bongbong Marcos.

Geography

Central Visayas consists of the island provinces of Cebu and Bohol, as well as the three independent cities of Cebu City, Lapu-Lapu City, and Mandaue City. The region also includes the straits of Cebu and parts of the Tañon Strait. Its land area is , 3.3% of the country's total land area.

Central Visayas is bounded on the north by the Visayan Sea, west by the provinces of Negros Occidental and Negros Oriental in Negros island, south by the Bohol Sea and the province of Siquijor, and east by the Camotes Sea and the island of Leyte in Eastern Visayas.

Administrative divisions

Provinces Central Visayas consists of 2 provinces, 3 highly urbanized cities, 7 component cities, 91 municipalities, and 2,312 barangays.

Province Capital Population Area Density Cities km2 sq mi /km2 /sq mi Bohol Tagbilaran 1 47 1,109 Cebu Cebu City 6 44 1,066 Cebu City † — — — 80 Lapu-Lapu † — — — 30 Mandaue † — — — 27 Total 6,545,603 10,114.52 10 91 2,312 Cebu City, Mandaue, and Lapu-Lapu are highly urbanized cities; figures are excluded from Cebu.

Governors and vice governors ProvinceImageGovernorPolitical PartyVice GovernorErico Aristotle Aumentado Nicanor S. BesasPamela S. Baricuatro Glenn Anthony O. Soco

Cities

City Population Area Density City class Income class Province km2 sq mi /km2 /sq mi Bogo 88,867 Component 6th Cebu Carcar 136,453 Component 5th Cebu† Cebu City 964,169 Highly urbanized 1st Cebu Danao 156,321 Component 3rd Cebu Lapu-Lapu 497,604 Highly urbanized 1st Cebu Mandaue 364,116 Highly urbanized 1st Cebu Naga 133,184 Component 3rd Cebu Tagbilaran 104,976 Component 3rd Bohol Talisay 263,048 Component 3rd Cebu Toledo 207,314 Component 3rd Cebu

Demographics

According to the 2024 census, it has a population of 6,640,875. Before Negros Oriental and Siquijor separated from the region in 2024, it was 8,081,988.

The population density was . The 2015 census showed an average annual population growth rate of 1.76% from 2010 to 2015, slightly higher than the national average of 1.72%.

Languages The native languages of Central Visayas are: Bantayanon, spoken in Bantayan Island of Cebu. Boholano, a Cebuano dialect spoken in Bohol. Cebuano, spoken in Cebu and Bohol. It is the regional lingua franca. Porohanon, spoken in Camotes Islands of Cebu.

Economy

Central Visayas has the fourth-largest economy in the Philippines. Cebu City serves as the region's economic hub.

Transportation Ports

The Port of Cebu is the region's main gateway by sea. Other seaports in the region include the Liloan Port in Santander, Cebu and the Port of Tagbilaran in Bohol. Inter-island shipping is served by numerous shipping lines, including ro-ro companies Montenegro Lines and Lite Ferries and fastcraft companies OceanJet and Supercat.

Airports

Mactan–Cebu International Airport, located on Mactan Island in Metro Cebu, is the country's second-busiest airport and a gateway to the region by air. It is the secondary hub of Cebu Pacific and Philippine Airlines (and their subsidiaries), with flights to locations throughout the country. It also serves international flights to other Asian and intercontinental destinations.

Bohol–Panglao International Airport serves Bohol and is the region's newest airport.

Mass media Cebu City is the main media hub for the region. Large media networks – ABS-CBN, GMA Network, TV5, People's Television Network, CNN Philippines, and IBC 13 – maintain their respective local stations and branches for viewership, commercial and news coverage purposes. Most of these stations broadcast local news and public affairs as well as entertainment and dramas to cater to the local viewers.

Aside from the 24 national daily newspapers available, Cebu City also has 20 local newspapers. Among the widely read are SunStar Cebu, Cebu Daily News, and The Freeman.

Notable people

References

External links