Western Visayas (; ; ) is an administrative region in the Philippines, numerically designated as Region VI. The region comprises the islands of Panay and Guimaras Island. It consists of five provinces: Aklan, Antique, Capiz, and Iloilo on Panay, and the island province of Guimaras. The region also includes one highly urbanized city, Iloilo City, which is the largest city and serves as the regional center.
The Hiligaynon language, native to Iloilo City, is the region's lingua franca. The region is also dominated by the native speakers of three Visayan languages: Kinaray-a, Aklanon language and Capiznon. The land area of the region is , and with a population of 4,730,771 inhabitants.
Etymology
The region's current name is in reference to its geographic position in the greater
Visayas area.
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
Aklan, Antique,
Capiz,
Iloilo (including its then-subprovince of
Guimaras), and Negros Occidental were grouped together to form the Western Visayas region.
The province of Palawan was transferred to Region VI (Western Visayas) on May 23, 2005, by Executive Order 429.
By virtue of Executive Order No. 183 issued on May 29, 2015, by President Benigno Aquino III, the province of Negros Occidental and its capital, Bacolod, were both removed from Western Visayas in order to form the Negros Island Region along with Negros Oriental.
On June 13, 2024, the region again lost Negros Occidental and Bacolod when the Negros Island Region was reestablished under Republic Act No. 12000 signed by President Bongbong Marcos
Geography
Western Visayas consists of the major island of
Panay and the smaller
Guimaras, as well as several outlying islands. Its land area is , 4.25% of the country's total land area.
The region is bordered to the north by the Sibuyan Sea, northeast by the Visayan Sea, southeast by the island of Negros, south by the Iloilo Strait and Panay Gulf, and west by the Sulu Sea.
Administrative divisions
Provinces
Western Visayas consists of 5 provinces, 1 highly urbanized city, 2 component cities, 98 municipalities and 3,209
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Iloilo City is a highly urbanized city; figures are excluded from Iloilo province.
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Governors and vice governors
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| | | Jose Enrique Miraflores | | Reynaldo Quimpo |
| | | Rhodora Cadiao | | Edgar Denosta |
| | | Fredenil Castro | | James Magbanua |
| | | Joaquin Carlos Rahman Nava | | John Edward Gando |
| | | Arthur Defensor Jr. | | Christine Garin |
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Cities
Demographics
According to the 2020 census, it has a population of 4,730,771. Before Negros Occidental and Bacolod separated from the region in 2024, it was 7,954,723.
Languages
The native languages of Western Visayas are:
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Aklanon language, spoken in Aklan, northwestern Capiz, and northern Antique.
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Capiznon, spoken in Capiz, northeastern Iloilo, and eastern Aklan.
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Hiligaynon, spoken in Iloilo, Guimaras, Capiz, Antique, and Aklan. It is the regional lingua franca.
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Kinaray-a, spoken in Antique, western half of Iloilo, Guimaras, western Capiz, and southwestern Aklan.
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Inati, spoken by the indigenous Ati people in Antique, Iloilo, Guimaras, Aklan, and Capiz.
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Malaynon, spoken in northwestern Aklan including Boracay Island.
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Caluyanon, spoken in the Semirara Islands (Semirara, Caluya, and Sibay Islands).
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Sulod language, spoken by the Suludnon in the highlands of Tapaz, Capiz and Calinog, Iloilo.
Economy
Western Visayas is the sixth largest economy in the Philippines, comprising three major sectors: agriculture, forestry, and fishery; services; and industry.
Iloilo City serves as the region's economic hub. Other major trading and commercial centers in the region include
Roxas City for Capiz and the entire northern Panay. Provincial capitals such as
Kalibo in Aklan, San Jose in Antique, and Jordan in Guimaras serve as the commercial centers for their respective provinces. Metro Iloilo, composed of Iloilo City and the municipalities of
Oton, San Miguel, Pavia, Leganes, Santa Barbara, and Cabatuan, is the center for trading, commercial, financial, and industrial activities in the region.
Tourism
The region is known for its rich cultural heritage and natural beauty, featuring several key tourism highlights.
Boracay Island, located in Malay, Aklan, is world-famous for its pristine white sand beaches, crystal-clear waters, and vibrant nightlife.
in Miag-ao, Iloilo, a
UNESCO World Heritage Site, showcases unique
Baroque-Romanesque architecture and detailed designs.
Iloilo City, a
UNESCO Creative City of Gastronomy, is also known for its colonial-era heritage houses, churches, and buildings. The
Gigantes Islands in Carles, Iloilo, are known for their white sand beaches, sandbars, limestone cliffs, and clear blue waters.
Panay Church in Panay, Capiz hosts the biggest church bell in Asia.
Mount Madja-as in Antique is the highest mountain in the region. Guimaras mangoes from Guimaras are known as some of the sweetest in the world.
The region is also home to popular festivals such as the
Dinagyang of Iloilo City and the Ati-Atihan of Kalibo, Aklan.
Transportation
Roads
Western Visayas is interconnected by major inter-provincial roads that facilitate travel across its provinces. Iloilo City, the region's primary urban center, relies heavily on various public transportation options, including passenger
, modern Public Utility Jeepneys (modern PUJs), white metered taxis, and
auto rickshaws within city limits. In other cities and municipalities, such as Roxas City, Kalibo, and San Jose de Buenavista, tricycles are the primary mode of transport for short distances. Travel between cities and municipalities across Panay Island is typically facilitated by jeepneys, vans, and buses operated by companies like
Ceres Transport.
In March 2019, the Land Transportation Franchising and Regulatory Board (LTFRB) launched a Premium Point-to-Point Bus Service in Iloilo City, providing express bus services to airports in Cabatuan, Kalibo, and Caticlan (Boracay).
Ports
The Port of Iloilo is the primary seaport serving the region. Other seaports include Dumangas Port in Dumangas, Iloilo, serves
ro-ro and fastcraft to
Negros Island and vice versa; Jordan Port in Guimaras, serves ferries from Iloilo City and vice versa; Culasi Port in Roxas, Capiz, serves ferry routes to
Batangas and
Caticlan and vice versa; Caticlan Port in Malay, Aklan, serves ferries to Boracay Island and vice versa; and the Port of San Jose de Buenavista in Antique, which serves ferries to Palawan and Iloilo City and vice versa.
Airports
Western Visayas is served by two international airports and three domestic airports. Iloilo International Airport, located in Cabatuan, Iloilo, serves the general area of Metro Iloilo–Guimaras as well as the entire province of Iloilo, and a gateway into the region. Kalibo International Airport serves the general area of Aklan and is one of the two airports serving Boracay, the other being the domestic Godofredo P. Ramos Airport in
Caticlan. The other domestic airports are
Roxas Airport, serving the general area of Roxas City and the province of Capiz, and Evelio B. Javier Airport, serving the general area of the province of Antique.
The other airports and airstrips in the region include Semirara Airport on Semirara Island in Caluya, Antique; Sicogon Airport on Sicogon Island in Carles, Iloilo; and Guimaras Airstrip.
Rail
Proposals to re-connect again Iloilo-Roxas, Iloilo-Kalibo, Iloilo-Malay (Aklan) and Iloilo-San Jose (Antique) from Iloilo City via rail was included in the revival of the currently defunct
Panay Railways network which has a station in Santa Barbara town proper.
Notable people
External links
