MIMAROPA Region
MIMAROPA lies at the southern part of Luzon. It is archipelagic, comprising the large group of island provinces of Mindoro (divided into Occidental Mindoro and Oriental Mindoro), Marinduque, Romblon, and Palawan. The name is an acronym that stands for its five constituent provinces. It has a total land area of 30,235.79 sq.km. The region had 5 provinces; 2 cities; 71 municipalities; and 1,459 barangays. The region was created on May 17, 2002, after dividing Region IV into Region IV-A and Region IV-B under
Executive Order No. 103. Region IV-B was renamed MIMAROPA Region under the Republic Act No. 1
0879 which established the Southern Tagalog Region to be known as the MIMAROPA Region on July 17, 2016.
The population count of MIMAROPA as of August 1, 2015 was 2,963,360 with an average annual population growth rate of 1.47 percent during the 2010-2015 period. The region’s population density reached 100 persons per square kilometer. In 2020, the region’s population is projected to reach 3.41 million.
The province of Occidental Mindoro occupies the western part the island of Mindoro and bordered on the east by the province of Oriental Mindoro. The province covers a total land area of 6,330.22 sq.km. It comprises 11 municipalities and 162 barangays. The province is an agricultural area devoted to the production of crops like rice, corn, onions, garlic and other fruits which contributed to its income.
Oriental Mindoro province occupies the eastern section of Mindoro Island and covers a total land area of 4,388.50 sq. km. It comprises 1 city, 14 municipalities, and 426 barangays. The province’s economy is largely based on agriculture, producing large quantities of rice, coconut, corn, and wide variety of fruits, such as calamansi, banana, lanzones, rambutan, marang, and durian, as well as fish, livestock and poultry. It is also known for its tourist attractions like the white sand beaches of Puerto Galera.
The province of Marinduque is located in the west of the Bondoc Peninsula of Quezon province, east of Mindoro Island and north of the island province of Romblon. It has a total land area of 952.58 sq. km. It comprises of 6 municipalities, and 218 barangays. The province is an agricultural area, primarily growing rice and coconuts. Fishing is also part of the economy. Handicrafts from Marinduque are exported to different part of the world. It is also home to the Moriones Festival, an old religious festival celebrated annually every Holy Week.
Romblon is an archipelagic province bounded by Mindoro in the west, Masbate in the east, Marinduque in the north and Panay in the south. It has a total land area of about 1,540.53 sq. km. The province comprises of 17 municipalities and 219 barangays. Its major industries are agriculture and fishing. Marble is the most well-known product of the province. Marble quarrying and processing are also major activities in the province.
Province of Palawan lies between Mindoro in the northeast and Borneo in the southwest; and between the South China Sea and Sulu Sea. It is the country’s largest province in terms of total area of jurisdiction. It has a total land area of 14,642.94 sq. km., excluding Puerto Princesa City with a total land area of 2,381.02 sq. km. It comprises of 1 Highly Urbanized City (Puerto Princesa), 23 municipalities, 367 barangays which excludes the 66 barangays of Puerto Princesa. The province’s economy is also basically agricultural, with the production of the three major crops such as palay, corn and coconut. In addition, it is also one of the best tourist destinations with the best beaches in Asia and home of the UNESCO World Heritage Sites such as the Puerto Princesa Subterranean River National Park and the Tubbataha Reef Marine Park.
