Profile
The Western Visayas Region is composed of six (6) provinces namely: Aklan, Antique, Capiz, Iloilo, Guimaras and Negros Occidental.
It is subdivided into 18 congressional districts. The provinces of Aklan, Antique and Guimaras each has one district; Capiz is composed of two districts; Iloilo Province has five districts; Negros Occidental has six districts; and the highly urbanized cities of Iloilo and Bacolod are distinct congressional districts.
Region 6 has sixteen (16) cities, one hundred seventeen (117) municipalities and four thousand fifty (4,050) barangays.
Land Area:
The region has a total land area of 2,022,311 hectares or approximately 35.7 percent of the total land area of the Visayas and 6.7 percent of the Philippines. The Province of Negros Occidental is the biggest in terms of land area with 792,607 hectares which is almost 40% of the total area of the region. Iloilo comes second with 471,940 hectares or 23%: Capiz with 263,317 hectares or 13%: Antique with 252,201 hectares or 12%: Aklan with 181,789 hectares or 9% and Guimaras with 60,457 hectares or 3%.
Land Classification:
The total land area of 2,022,311 hectares is classified into Forestland covering an area of 656,539.22 hectares equivalent to 32% and Alienable and Disposable lands covering 1,365,771.78 hectares or around 68%.
The Province of Aklan has a total area of 181,789 hectares of which 59% or 106,795 hectares are classified as A & D while 41% or 74,994 hectares are classified as Forestland.
For the Province of Antique, 133,566 hectares or 53% of its total land area of 252,201 hectares are classified as A & D while 118,635 hectares or 47% are classified as Forestland.
The total land area of the Province of Capiz is 263,317 hectares, of which, 64% or 169,547.27 hectares are classified as A & D and 36% or 93,769.73 hectares classified as Forestland.
The Province of Iloilo has a total land area of 471,940 hectares. Of this, 76% or 357,857 hectares are classified as A & D while 24% or 57,620.89 hectares are classified as Forestland.
The Province of Negros Occidental has a total land area of 792,607 hectares of which 68% or 540,385.62 hectares are classified as A & D, while 32% or 252,221.38 hectares are classified as Forestland.
Natural Resources:
Western Visayas is one f the richest regions in the country in terms of natural resources. Its forests however have been denuded due to indiscriminate logging. Its waters abound with numerous species of fish and other marine prodcuts. Mineral resources include copper, gold, silver, clay, limestone, san and gravel and other non-metallic.
Typically, Western Visayas is found on the west part of the major island of the Philippines. It is sorrounded by water that is why one major livelihod found in this certain island is fishing. It is a key fisheries development area, with its 84 coastal municipalities, eight major fishing grounds, inland bodies of water and 43,050 hectares of fishponds.
Agriculture:
Western Visayas is one f the richest regions in the country in terms of natural resources. Its forests however have been denuded due to indiscriminate logging. Its waters abound with numerous species of fish and other marine prodcuts. Mineral resources include copper, gold, silver, clay, limestone, san and gravel and other non-metallic.
Typically, Western Visayas is found on the west part of the major island of the Philippines. It is sorrounded by water that is why one major livelihod found in this certain island is fishing. It is a key fisheries development area, with its 84 coastal municipalities, eight major fishing grounds, inland bodies of water and 43,050 hectares of fishponds.