Central Visayas Tunga-tungang Kabisay-an Gitnang Visayas | |
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| Nicknames: Center of Christianity Rehiyon sa mga Sugboanon (Region of the Cebuanos) | |
 Location in the Philippines | |
OpenStreetMap  | |
| Coordinates:10°0′N123°30′E / 10.000°N 123.500°E /10.000; 123.500 | |
| Country |  Philippines |
| Island group | Visayas |
| Regional center and largest city | Cebu City |
| Area | |
• Total | 10,114.52 km2 (3,905.24 sq mi) |
| Highest elevation (Osmeña Peak) | 1,072 m (3,517 ft) |
| Population (2024 census)[1] | |
• Total | 6,545,603 |
| • Density | 647.1491/km2 (1,676.109/sq mi) |
| GDP(Nominal, 2024) | |
| • Total | US$26.1 billion[2] |
| • Per capita | US$3,834[2] |
| Time zone | UTC+8 (PST) |
| ISO 3166 code | PH-07 |
| Provinces | |
| Independent cities | |
| Component cities | |
| Municipalities | 91 |
| Barangays | 2,312 |
| Cong. districts | 11 |
| Languages | |
| HDI |  0.704 (High) |
| HDI rank | 8th in the Philippines (2019) |
Central Visayas (Cebuano:Tunga-tungang Kabisay-an;Tagalog:Gitnang Kabisayaan;Filipino:Gitnang Visayas), designated asRegion VII, is anadministrative region in the Philippines. With only twoprovinces:Cebu andBohol, as well as threehighly urbanized cities:Cebu City,Lapu-Lapu, andMandaue, it has the fewest number of provinces out of any region in the country. Despite this, it is the most populous region in theVisayas, with apopulation of 6,545,603.
The regional center, as well as its largest city, isCebu City. TheCebuano language is the region'slingua franca. The region is also dominated by the native speakers of threeVisayan languages:Bantayanon,Boholano andPorohanon.
In 2015, Central Visayas was redefined when it lost the province ofNegros Oriental to the newly formedNegros Island Region. However, the Negros Island Region was dissolved in 2017, returning Negros Oriental to Central Visayas. After seven years, it lost Negros Oriental again, as well as the island province ofSiquijor, after theNegros Island Region was re-established in 2024.
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 theCebuano (Sugbuanon) ethnic group, toSugbu, the former name of the region prior toSpanish colonization in the 16th century. The name refers to the former kingdom of the region, theRajahnate of Cebu, orSugbu in Cebuano.[3][4]
Regions first came into existence on September 24, 1972, when the provinces of the Philippines were organized into 11 regions byPresidential Decree No. 1 as part of theIntegrated Reorganization Plan by PresidentFerdinand Marcos Sr. The provinces ofCebu,Bohol, andNegros Oriental (including its then-subprovince of Siquijor) were grouped together to form the Central Visayas region.
By virtue ofExecutive Order No. 183, s. 2015, issued on May 29, 2015, by PresidentBenigno Aquino III, moved Negros Oriental to the newly formedNegros Island Region.[5]
On August 9, 2017, PresidentRodrigo Duterte dissolved the Negros Island Region, revokingExecutive Order No. 183, s. 2015 through the signing ofExecutive Order No. 38.[6] 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 PresidentBongbong Marcos.[7]
Central Visayas consists of the island provinces of Cebu and Bohol, as well as the three independent cities ofCebu City,Lapu-Lapu City, andMandaue City. The region also includes the straits ofCebu and parts of theTañon Strait. Its land area is 10,144.52 km2 (3,916.82 sq mi), 3.3% of the country's total land area.
Central Visayas is bounded on the north by theVisayan Sea, west by the provinces ofNegros Occidental andNegros Oriental inNegros island, south by theBohol Sea and the province ofSiquijor, and east by theCamotes Sea and the island ofLeyte inEastern Visayas.
Central Visayas consists of 2provinces, 3highly urbanized cities, 7 component cities, 91municipalities, and 2,312barangays.
| ProvinceorHUC | Capital | Population(2020)[8] | Area[9] | Density | Cities | Muni. | Barangay | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| km2 | sq mi | /km2 | /sq mi | |||||||||
| Bohol | Tagbilaran | 21.3% | 1,394,329 | 4,772.52 | 1,842.68 | 290 | 750 | 1 | 47 | 1,109 | ||
| Cebu | Cebu City | 50.8% | 3,325,385 | 4,943.72 | 1,908.78 | 670 | 1,700 | 6 | 44 | 1,066 | ||
| Cebu City | † | — | 14.7% | 964,169 | 315.00 | 121.62 | 3,100 | 8,000 | — | — | 80 | |
| Lapu-Lapu | † | — | 7.6% | 497,604 | 58.10 | 22.43 | 8,600 | 22,000 | — | — | 30 | |
| Mandaue | † | — | 5.6% | 364,116 | 25.18 | 9.72 | 14,500 | 38,000 | — | — | 27 | |
| Total | 6,545,603 | 10,114.52 | 3,905.24 | 650 | 1,700 | 10 | 91 | 2,312 | ||||
† Cebu City,Mandaue, andLapu-Lapu are highly urbanized cities; figures are excluded fromCebu. | ||||||||||||
| Province | Image | Governor | Political Party | Vice Governor | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
 |  | Erico Aristotle Aumentado | PFP | Nicanor S. Besas | |
 | .jpg) | Pamela S. Baricuatro | PDP–Laban | Glenn Anthony O. Soco | |
| City | Population(2020)[8] | Area | Density | City class | Income class | Province | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| km2 | sq mi | /km2 | /sq mi | |||||
| Bogo | 88,867 | 103.52 | 39.97 | 860 | 2,200 | Component | 6th | Cebu |
| Carcar | 136,453 | 116.78 | 45.09 | 1,200 | 3,100 | Component | 5th | Cebu |
| †Cebu City | 964,169 | 315.00 | 121.62 | 3,100 | 8,000 | Highly urbanized | 1st | Cebu |
| Danao | 156,321 | 107.30 | 41.43 | 1,500 | 3,900 | Component | 3rd | Cebu |
| Lapu-Lapu | 497,604 | 58.10 | 22.43 | 8,600 | 22,000 | Highly urbanized | 1st | Cebu |
| Mandaue | 364,116 | 25.18 | 9.72 | 14,000 | 36,000 | Highly urbanized | 1st | Cebu |
| Naga | 133,184 | 101.97 | 39.37 | 1,300 | 3,400 | Component | 3rd | Cebu |
| Tagbilaran | 104,976 | 36.50 | 14.09 | 2,900 | 7,500 | Component | 3rd | Bohol |
| Talisay | 263,048 | 39.87 | 15.39 | 6,800 | 18,000 | Component | 3rd | Cebu |
| Toledo | 207,314 | 216.28 | 83.51 | 960 | 2,500 | Component | 3rd | Cebu |
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| Data in 2015 includes Negros Oriental. Data in 2020 includes Negros Oriental and Siquijor. Source:Philippine Statistics Authority[10][1][11][12][13] | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
According to the 2020 census, it has a population of 6,545,603. Before Negros Oriental and Siquijor separated from the region in 2024, it was 8,081,988.
Thepopulation density was 510/km2 (1,300/sq mi). 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%.[1]
The native languages of Central Visayas are:
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Poverty incidence of Central Visayas
10 20 30 40 50 60 2000 52.31 2003 28.30 2006 35.90 2009 31.01 2012 30.22 2015 29.36 2018 17.7 2021 22.10 Source:Philippine Statistics Authority[14][15][16][17][18][19][20][21] |
Central Visayas has the fourth-largest economy in the Philippines.[22]Cebu City serves as the region's economic hub.
ThePort of Cebu is the region's main gateway by sea. Other seaports in the region include the Liloan Port inSantander, Cebu and the Port ofTagbilaran in Bohol. Inter-island shipping is served by numerous shipping lines, includingro-ro companiesMontenegro Lines andLite Ferries andfastcraft companiesOceanJet andSupercat.
Mactan–Cebu International Airport, located onMactan Island inMetro Cebu, is the country's second-busiest airport and a gateway to the region by air. It is the secondary hub ofCebu Pacific andPhilippine Airlines (and their subsidiaries), with flights to locations throughout the country. It also serves international flights to other Asian and intercontinental destinations.[23]
Bohol–Panglao International Airport serves Bohol and is the region's newest airport.
Cebu City is the main media hub for the region. Large media networks –ABS-CBN,GMA Network,TV5,People's Television Network,CNN Philippines, andIBC 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 areSunStar Cebu,Cebu Daily News, andThe Freeman.
Media related toCentral Visayas at Wikimedia Commons
Central Visayas travel guide from Wikivoyage
Geographic data related toCentral Visayas atOpenStreetMap 
Regions adjacent to Central Visayas | |
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