ThePhilippines is divided into three majorisland groups:Luzon, theVisayas, andMindanao. Luzon and Mindanao archipelagoes are both named after the largest island in their respective groups, while the Visayas (also referred to as the Visayan Islands) is an archipelago of roughly similar-sized islands.

The islands of the Philippines are organized into three distinct island groups according toregions:^{[clarification needed]}

• Luzon comprises 8 regions:I toIII,IV-A,V,NCR,CAR, andMimaropa.
• The Visayas comprises 4 regions:VI toVIII andNIR
• Mindanao comprises 6 regions:IX toXIII, andBARMM.

If aprovince is reassigned into a new region, it may also be reassigned to a new island group, as is the case withPalawan, when it was temporarily assigned fromMimaropa toWestern Visayas and thus temporarily was considered part of the Visayas.

The island groups themselves do not have governments of their own, but are instead divided into provinces,cities,municipalities andbarangays, which do have their own local governments. The island groups are used for statistical convenience and in some cases, there are national government agencies that have created positions that cover the island groups such as the Assistant Secretary for Regional Operations in Mindanao in theDepartment of Public Works and Highways (DPWH) or the Assistant Secretary for Luzon Affairs in theDepartment of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD).

Although the island groups do not have local governments, hencecapitals, certain cities have become the political, economic and cultural centers of the island groups.Manila is the nationalcapital and is thede facto capital of Luzon, though neighboringQuezon City, a former capital, has more inhabitants than Manila.Cebu, on the province and island of the same name, is the chief city of the Visayas. Mindanao's main city isDavao, towards its southeast.

Luzon	Visayas	Mindanao
Luzon Palawan Island Mindoro Masbate Island Catanduanes Marinduque Romblon Island Polillo Islands Burias Island Ticao Island Tablas Island Sibuyan Island Busuanga Island Culion Island Coron Island Balabac Island Babuyan Group of Islands Batanes Calamian Group of Islands Cuyo Islands Lubang Islands Kalayaan Group of Islands	Cebu Panay Negros Island Bohol Samar Leyte Guimaras Siquijor Biliran Bantayan Island Camotes Islands Boracay Semirara Group of Islands Islas de Gigantes Panaon Island Limasawa	Mindanao Camiguin Dinagat Island Bucas Grande Samal Sarangani Islands Siargao Sulu Archipelago(includesBasilan,Jolo,Tawi-Tawi,Pata,Sanga-Sanga,Mapun, andTurtle Islands)

• Geography of the Philippines
• List of Islands of the Philippines
• Luzviminda

• Media related toIsland regions of the Philippines at Wikimedia Commons

• Island groups of the Philippines
• Islands of the Philippines
• Regions of the Philippines
• Subdivisions of the Philippines

• Pages with non-numeric formatnum arguments
• Articles with short description
• Short description is different from Wikidata
• Wikipedia articles needing clarification from May 2023
• Commons category link is on Wikidata