Central Visayas is an administrative region in the Philippines, numerically designated as Region VII. It consists of four provinces and three highly urbanized cities. Major islands are the eponymous Cebu, Bohol, and Siquijor, together with the eastern part of Negros. The regional center and largest city is Cebu City. The region is dominated by the native speakers of four Visayan languages: Cebuano, Bantayanon, Boholano, and Porohanon. The land area of the region is, and with a population of inhabitants, it is the second most populous region in the Visayas. On May 29, 2015, the region was redefined, when Central Visayas lost the province of Negros Oriental to the newly formed Negros Island Region. However, the region was dissolved, with Negros Oriental returned to Central Visayas on August 9, 2017.
Etymology
The name of the region was derived to denote the centrality of the islands within the bigger Visayas area. The name was mostly chosen by American colonialists. There have been proposals to rename the current Central Visayas region, which is dominated by the Sebwano ethnic group, into Sugbu region, the former name of the region prior to Spanish colonization in the 16th century. The term is in reference to the former kingdom of the region, the Rajahnate of Cebu, which is simply called as Sugbu in native Sebwano.
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. The provinces of Cebu, Bohol, and Negros Oriental were grouped together to form the Central Visayas region. By virtue of Executive Order No. 183 issued on May 29, 2015, by President Benigno Aquino III, the province of Negros Oriental was removed from Central Visayas to form the Negros Island Region along with Negros Occidental and its provincial capital, Bacolod. But later regained Negros Oriental and its capital, Dumaguete City back into Central Visayas on August 9, 2017 when President Rodrigo Duterte dissolved the Negros Island Region, revoking Executive Order No. 183, s. 2015 through the signage of Executive Order No. 38, citing the reason of the lack of funds to fully establish the NIR according to Benjamin Diokno, the Secretary of Budget and Management.
Geography
Central Visayas consists of the two major island provinces of Cebu and Bohol, as well as the smaller island of Siquijor and several outlying islands. It also includes the eastern half of the larger island of Negros. The straits of Cebu and Tañon are also part of the region as well. The region is bordered to the north by the Visayan Sea, west by the province of Negros Occidental in Western Visayas, south by the Bohol Sea, and east by the Camotes Sea and the island of Leyte in Eastern Visayas.
Administrative divisions
The Central Visayas region consists of 4 provinces and 3 independent cities:
Demographics
According to the, it had a population of. 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%.
Cebu City is the main media hub for both the region. Large media networks – ABS-CBN, GMA Network, 5, People's Television Network, and CNN Philippines – 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 the local viewers. Aside from the 24 national daily newspapers available, Cebu City also has 20 local newspapers. Among the widely read are Sun.Star Cebu, Cebu Daily News, and The Freeman. The country's main Islamic news journal, The Voice of Islam, was founded in 1961 and published in this city.
Transportation
Ports
The Port of Cebu is the region's main gateway. There are also ports in Tagbilaran in Bohol, Larena in Siquijor, and Sibulan and Dumaguete both in Negros Oriental. Inter-island shipping is served by numerous shipping lines, two of them fastcraft companies which serve all the provinces in the region.
