Philippines regions checklist: how many of the 18 have you visited?

The Philippines has 18 regions spread across more than 7,000 islands, and most first trips cover two or three of them: Metro Manila for the capital, Central Visayas for Cebu and Bohol, maybe Mimaropa for Palawan. That leaves a lot of the country still blank, from the rice terraces of the north to the surf and diving of the deep south.

Here's an easy way to see where you stand. Go through the 18 below, tick the ones you've been to, and see your number. Whatever you tick saves on this device, so you can come back and finish later.

Prefer to see it than list it? The free Philippines regions visited map colors in every region you pick and shows your percentage, the same count in map form.

The checklist

All 18 are here. Tick the ones you've been to and your progress saves in your browser.

Want it on a map instead? Open the free Philippines regions visited map and the regions you ticked come with you, already filled in, ready to save or share.

Heads up: the Negros Island Region is the newest of the 18, recently brought back. It's in the checklist and collection, but it's not on the interactive regions map yet, we're looking for an updated map and geo data we can use to add it there.

Luzon: the north and the capital

Ilocos, the Cordillera Administrative Region, Cagayan Valley, Central Luzon, Metro Manila, Calabarzon, Mimaropa and Bicol. Manila hands people Metro Manila on arrival, and Calabarzon right next door usually comes with it. North of there, the Cordillera has Banaue's rice terraces and cool Baguio, Ilocos has Vigan's Spanish streets, and Cagayan Valley runs up to the top of the island. South, Bicol has Mayon Volcano and the whale sharks of Donsol, and Mimaropa reaches out to Palawan, El Nido and Coron, the postcard the whole country is known for.

The Visayas: the islands in the middle

Western Visayas, Central Visayas, Eastern Visayas and the Negros Island Region. Central Visayas is the big tourist one, Cebu, Bohol's Chocolate Hills and the tarsiers. Western Visayas has Boracay and the old churches of Iloilo, the Negros Island Region is the sugar island with its diving and mountains, and Eastern Visayas is the quieter side, with the surf of the Pacific coast and the islands off Leyte and Samar.

Mindanao: the south

Zamboanga Peninsula, Northern Mindanao, the Davao Region, Soccsksargen, Caraga and Bangsamoro. Davao is the gateway, with Mount Apo, the country's highest peak, right behind the city. Northern Mindanao has the whitewater of Cagayan de Oro and the waterfalls of Iligan, Caraga has the surfing island of Siargao, Soccsksargen has Lake Sebu, Zamboanga keeps its own Spanish creole, and Bangsamoro is the autonomous region around Lake Lanao and the Sulu Sea. The south is the part most visitors never reach, so every tick here is a rare one.

See the whole collection

Every region has its own stamp in Stampie's Philippine Regions collection, ready to add to your journal the day you visit.

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Philippine RegionsPRO

18 stamps

Quick note: Stampie is a small indie project made by people who love travel and collecting stamps. The region designs are our own, not official symbols or coats of arms. They're just a fun way to mark where you've been. 🗺️

The checklist and the map are a nice start, but they only live on this one device. To keep your regions for good, sync them across your phone and the web and line them up next to every country and city you've been to, that's what Stampie is for. Each region becomes a stamp in your journal, with your own photos and the dates you went, there whenever you want to look back.

So, how many of the 18 have you got?

FAQ

How many regions does the Philippines have? The Philippines has 18 regions, grouped across the three main island areas of Luzon, the Visayas and Mindanao. The checklist above covers all 18, including the autonomous Bangsamoro region and the Negros Island Region. Negros is the newest, recently re-established, so it's in the checklist and collection now. It's not on the interactive regions map yet, we're looking for an updated map we can use to add it there.

What's the difference between a region and a province in the Philippines? Regions are the top level, 18 of them, and they group the 80-plus provinces that sit underneath. Most Filipinos identify with their province, but the region is the tier used for administration and, here, for your map. This checklist works at the region level.

Is there a free Philippines regions checklist? Yes. The checklist above lets you tick off every region you've been to, saves your progress on your device, and needs no account. You can also download it as a printable PDF, or color your regions in on the free Philippines regions visited map.

Can I download or print the Philippines regions checklist as a PDF? Yes. Tick off your regions above and hit Download as PDF for a clean, printable page with a checkbox next to all 18 and your progress at the top.

Does a layover in Manila count? That's up to you. Some people only count a region where they left the airport and did something, others count anywhere they set foot. Pick a rule and stick to it so your number always means the same thing.

Which Philippine regions do most people miss? Almost all of Mindanao, Zamboanga Peninsula, Soccsksargen, Bangsamoro, plus Cagayan Valley and Eastern Visayas up and across the country. They're off the Palawan to Cebu to Boracay trail, so many trips to the Philippines finish with those still blank.

What's the best way to track the Philippine regions you've visited? Something you can update in the moment beats a list you keep up from memory. Stampie turns each region into a stamp and fills in a Philippines map as you go, synced across your phone and the web.