1. GENERAL BACKGROUND OF THE REGION 7
1
Region 7 Central Visayas is composed of the following provinces:
1. Cebu
2. Bohol
3. Negros Oriental
4. Siquijor
Location1
Central Visayas is strategically located at the geographical center of the
Philippine archipelago between the major islands of Luzon and Mindanao.
It is bounded in the north by the Visayan Sea; in the east by the Camotes Sea
and Camiguin Channel; in the south by the Mindanao Sea; and in the west by
Negros Occidental Province.
The region is composed of four island provinces: Bohol, Cebu, Negros
Oriental, and Siquijor.
The region's premier urban and major business, industrial and services center
is Metro Cebu (Cebu City) located in the island province of Cebu. Other major
urban centers are Tagbilaran City in Bohol, Dumaguete City in Negros
Oriental and Siquijor in Siquijor Province.
Figure 1: Map of Central Visayas1
Land Area1
Central Visayas is the sixth smallest region in the country with a total land
area of 1.49 million hectares (14,951 square kilometers).

2. GENERAL BACKGROUND OF THE REGION 7
2
Among the provinces, Negros Oriental accounts for the largest share of the
regional land (36 percent), followed by Cebu (34 percent), Bohol (27.5
percent) and Siquijor (2 percent).
The Land Area of Region VII is 15, 875kms2. The Central Visayas ranks at
number 5 among the most populous regions in the Philippines with 6.4 million
or 7.2% of the country’s total population basing on the 2007 census.
Of the region's total land area of 1.49 million hectares, 959,223 hectares (64
percent) are alienable and disposable (A & D) lands, and 535,919 hectares
(36 percent) are forestlands. Of the total forestland, 87 percent is classified
forest and only 13 percent is still unclassified. More than half or 54 percent of
the region's forestlands are found in Oriental Negros, 27 percent in Cebu, 19
percent in Bohol and less than 1 percent in Siquijor.
Central Visayas is endowed with abundant mineral resources. These mineral
resources may be classified into metallic and non-metallic.
*map taken from Google Maps
Table 1: Central Visayas: Land Area by Province
Land Area
(sq. km)
Percent to Total
Central Visayas 14,951.0 100.00
Bohol 4,117.3 27.54
Cebu 5,088.4 34.03
Negros Oriental 5,402.3 36.13
Siquijor 343.0 2.30
Source: DENR 7
Topography1
With the exception of Bohol, the topography of Central Visayas is rugged and
is characterized by highlands dominating the interior of the provinces, with
narrow strips of arable land lining the coast. Of the region's total land area,

3. GENERAL BACKGROUND OF THE REGION 7
3
the hilly to mountainous areas (those with slopes above 18%) constitute
about 62 percent and the level to rolling lands account for the remaining 38
percent.
Bohol is generally flat. Forty-seven (47) percent of the area has a slope of
between 0-18 percent. It is not surprising thus, that Bohol should have vast
tracts of agricultural lands which are found mostly in the interior of the
province. Bohol is ringed on its eastern, western and southern coastlines by
steep mountains. In the interior region are found numerous haycock hills
popularly known as the “Chocolate Hills, which have become tourism
attractions. Each hill, formed by limestone shale and sandstone rises by some
30 meters above the flat terrain.
Cebu stretches by some 250 kilometers from north to south. Its widest point,
which is in the center of the province (Asturias-Danao), is approximately 41
kilometers. The province's terrain is rugged and mountainous with low peaks
forming a mountain range that stretches in the center of the island from the
southern tip of Santander to Medellin in the north. The surface is
characterized by sharp ridges. Osmeña Peak at 1,034 meters is the highest
point of the island.
The area along the province's coastline is mostly made up of plains and
valleys. Towards the interior are found volcanic peaks, hills, and occasional
plateaus. In the south of the province is a group of volcanic mountains, the
highest of which is Cuernos de Negros with an elevation of 1,903 meters. In
the north is Mount Kanlaon, the province's highest peak which towers some
2,450 meters above sea level. Mt. Kanlaon, an active volcano, also marks the
northern boundary of Oriental Negros with Negros Occidental. A much larger
section of Mount Kanlaon is under the jurisdiction of Negros Occidental. The
presence of small crater lakes (Lake Danao and Lake Balinsasayao) confirms
the volcanic character of the province. The province is therefore one vast
space for agricultural production.
Siquijor is mostly made up of limestone rock material. The island is fringed
with coral reefs. The interior is either hilly or mountainous, the highest point of
which is Mount Bandilaan with an elevation of 557 meters. On its northern
and southern coasts are found level lands consisting of narrow flood plains
and deltas.
Slope

4. GENERAL BACKGROUND OF THE REGION 7
4
Many of the areas of the city are extremely flat. About 77.37% is within the 0-
8% slope category.2
The greater portion of the city, comprising about 70%, is dominated by the
Mandaue Clay Loam soil series. This is found in the 0-2% and 2-5% slope
ranges.2
Faraon clay loam characterizes the rest of the land with slope range from 5-
8% and up to 25-40%.2
The land is generally level with less than 18% slope composing of 78.7% of
the total land area. Areas with slopes ranging from 18 to 50% cover 19.3% of
the total land area and those over 50% slope comprise approximately 1.9%.3
Bohol is generally flat. Forty-seven (47) percent of the area has a slope of
between 0-18 percent.1
The hilly to mountainous areas (slope of 18 percent and above) account for
68 percent of the province's total land area. These upland areas are almost
entirely denuded except for a few hectares of established protected areas and
forest plantations. Except for a wider expanse of flat lands in the north, the
plains along the coastline are narrow, thus making reclamation projects
attractive as a land expansion option. The three major islands in the province,
Mactan, Bantayan and Camotes.1
Elevations
The Island of Bohol is oval-shaped and surrounded by 73 smaller islands.
The main island has a gently rolling terrain. Bohol's mountainous interior is
home to rare and endangered flora and fauna; at certain points, hills drop
steeply to the coast from a maximum elevation of 870 meters above sea
level. The interior uplands are fit for agro-forestry and high value agricultural
production, while the central and northern lowlands also have fertile grounds
and an abundant water supply. Over a hundred caves have been identified,
the biggest of which is found in the eastern part of the island.4

5. GENERAL BACKGROUND OF THE REGION 7
5
Figure 2: The Chocolate Hill of Bohol4
Valencia occupies an area of 14,749 hectares (36,450 acres), 35% of which are classified as
plains. The town is 65% mountainous, with elevation averaging from 200 to 500 metres (660
to 1,640 ft) above sea level, with the top of Mount Talinis at an elevation of 1,903 metres
(6,243 ft) along the municipal southern boundary. The climate in the municipality is
relatively cool, especially at higher elevations.5
Figure 3: Map of Negros Oriental showing the location of Valencia5
Climate1
The climate of the region is tropical-monsoonal. The tropical condition can be
attributed to the location of Region VII which is about 10O to 11O north of the
equator. The monsoonal condition, on the other hand, refers to two seasonal
wind regimes, the northeasterly winds and the southwesterly winds.
From November to May the wind blows on a northeasterly direction with an
average wind velocity of eleven kilometers per hour. From June to October
the southwesterly winds prevail with an average wind velocity of seven

6. GENERAL BACKGROUND OF THE REGION 7
6
kilometers per hour. Central Visayas is relatively well protected from the
destructive effects of tropical cyclones.
The mean annual temperature in the region is 27 degrees Celsius. Average
temperature readings at various stations are as follows: 27.5 degrees Celsius
for Cebu: 27.9 degrees for Dumaguete (Negros Oriental ) and 27.8 degrees
for Tagbilaran (Bohol). The hottest months are February, March and April and
the coldest month is January. Due to high temperature and the surrounding
bodies of water, the region, as in the case of the Philippines as a whole, has a
high relative humidity. Relative humidity (RH) is at mean 82 percent. The RH
in Cebu is 77 percent, Bohol is 76.6 percent, and Oriental Negros and Siquijor
is 78 percent.
The region has the following three types of climate based on the seasonal
distribution of rainfall as categorized under the Corona Climate Classification
System:
Type I – This is characterized by two pronounced seasons, dry and wet,
with maximum rain period occurring from June to September due to
prevalence of southwest monsoon. The dry season lasts from three to six
to seven months. This type of climate is peculiar to the southern part of
Negros Oriental which is open to the southwest monsoon. Areas located
in Type I climate are typhoon and drought prone and are generally
vulnerable to El Nino.
Type III – This is characterized by the absence of a pronounced maximum
rain period, with short dry season lasting from one to three months. This
type closely resembles Type I with its short dry season. This type of
climate is prevalent in the northern half of Negros Oriental , the southern
half of Cebu and the whole of Siquijor.
Type IV – Under this type, rainfall is more or less evenly distributed
throughout the year. Bohol and the northern part of Cebu have this type of
climate.
Demography6
As of the 2010 census, Central Visayas had a population of 6,800,180
people, making it the 5th most populous of the country's 17 regions. At the
2007 census, the population was 6,398,628 with a population density of 403.1
people per square kilometer (6,129.4/mi²). The 2007 census showed an

7. GENERAL BACKGROUND OF THE REGION 7
7
average annual population growth rate of 1.59% from 2000 to 2007,
significantly less than the national average of 2.04%.
Cebuano is the dominant language of the region. Boholano is a dialectal
variant of Cebuano spoken in Bohol. In the Camotes Islands, which is part of
Cebu, Cebuano language is spoken in the towns of Tudela, Pilar and San
Francisco. Except the town of Poro, in which, Porohanon is spoken (a
variation or mixture of Cebuano, Hiligaynon (Ilonggo) and Masbateño
language, with 87% Cebuano vocabulary). Tagalog, English and Spanish are
also spoken in this region.
Table 2: Population Census of Central Visayas
Population census of Central Visayas
Year Pop. ±%
1990 4,594,124 —
2000 5,706,953 +24.2%
2010 6,800,180 +19.2%
Source: National Statistics Office
Labor Force7
Labor Force Data released by the National Statistics Office (NSO) revealed
that for January 2013, the unemployment rate of Zamboanga Peninsula is
stable at 3.4 percent, same as last year.
Across the regions, Cagayan Valley, Zamboanga Peninsula and the
MIMAROPA had the lowest unemployment rates at 3.3, 3.4 and 4.1 percent,
respectively. However, the National Capital Region had the highest
unemployment rate at 9.5 percent; this was a significant improvement from
January 2012 pegged at 12.2 percent.
Underemployment rate of the country increased to 20.9 percent from 18.8
percent in 2012. Among the regions, Bicol posted the highest rate at 35.0
percent, a 0.2% increase as compared to the same period last year.

8. GENERAL BACKGROUND OF THE REGION 7
8
Table 3: Rates of Unemployment and Underemployment, by Region: January 2013
Region Unemployment
Rate
Underemployment
Rate
Philippines 7.1 20.9
NCR–National Capital
Region
9.5 13.4
CAR-Cordillera
Administrative Region
5.4 18.4
I – Ilocos Region 7.6 19.4
II – Cagayan Valley 3.3 15.6
III – Central Luzon 9.1 17.2
IV-A - CALABARZON 8.9 18.7
IV-B – MIMAROPA 4.1 27.7
V – Bicol Region 5.8 35.0
VI – Western Visayas 6.0 21.8
VII – Central Visayas 7.4 19.4
VIII – Eastern Visayas 6.1 26.0
IX – Zamboanga Peninsula 3.4 27.2
X – Northern Mindanao 5.6 24.6
XI – Davao Region 6.3 21.1
XII – SOCCKSARGEN 4.8 27.5
XIII – Caraga 8.3 27.0
ARMM– Autonomous
Region in Muslim Mindanao
7.0 13.4
Source: National Statistics Office

9. GENERAL BACKGROUND OF THE REGION 7
9
Figure 4. Unemployment Rate: January 2013
Source: National Statistics Office
Poverty Incidence8
The Poverty Statistics and Human Development Index in Central Visayas was
presented.
During the first semester of 2012, the Filipino family of five in Central Visayas
needed Php 5,381 monthly income to buy their minimum basic needs (foods)
and Php 7,747 monthly income to include other minimum basic needs (non-
food).
On the average, 34 out of 100 Filipinos in Region 7 are living in poverty
between the first semester of 2006 and 1st semester of 2012.
Among the provinces in Central Visayas, only Negros Oriental figured in the
bottom cluster of provinces in the country.
The following were major challenges that the region faced during the period:
a) unsustained growth of agriculture in 2011;
b) high inflation rate;
c) high unemployment and underemployment rates.
7.1
9.5
5.4
7.6
3.3
9.1 8.9
4.1
5.8 6
7.4
6.1
3.4
5.6
6.3
4.8
8.3
7

10. GENERAL BACKGROUND OF THE REGION 7
10
The poorest towns in Central Visayas in 2006 and 2009 and their enrollment
in poverty alleviation programs of government (i.e., BuB and 4Ps) were also
presented.
In terms of HDI, between 1997 and 2009, only the Province of Bohol figured
as among the highest gainers in HDI in the country.
Gross Regional Domestic Product9
Central Visayas contributed 6.18 percent to the country’s Gross Domestic
Product.
In 2011, GRDP increased by 7.93 percent.
Agriculture, Fishery and Forestry Sector accounted for 7.81 percent of the
regional economy.
It recorded an increase of 5.0% in 2011.
Table 4: GRDP and GVA in Agriculture,Central Visayas, 2011
Item
At Current
Prices
At
Constant
2000
Prices
(in million pesos)
GRDP 601,880 366,380
GVA 51,890 28,628
GRDP = Gross Regional Domestic Product
GVA = Gross Value Added in Agriculture, Fishery, and Forestry
Imports and Exports10
The region achieved gains in some areas, it suffered losses in others such as
exports which weakened in the early part of 2013.
Carreon said the value of the region’s merchandise exports went down by
16.1 percent, from P2.35 billion in the first seven months of 2012 to P1.97
billion for the same period in 2013.
Since the manufacturing industry in Central Visayas is dependent on imported
raw materials, Carreon said there is a corresponding 10.9 percent drop in the
region’s imports.
REFERENCES
1
http://www.nnc.gov.ph/related-links/itemlist/category/65-region-vii-profile

11. GENERAL BACKGROUND OF THE REGION 7
11
2
http://webcache.googleusercontent.com/search?q=cache:Xi3X0CtEU3gJ:en.wikipedia.org/wiki/
Mandaue+slope+of+region+7+philippines&cd=2&hl=en&ct=clnk&gl=ph
3
http://webcache.googleusercontent.com/search?q=cache:Y7_4gSSmOmAJ:en.wikipedia.org/wi
ki/Carcar+slope+of+region+7+philippines&cd=3&hl=en&ct=clnk&gl=ph
4
http://webcache.googleusercontent.com/search?q=cache:Y-
Et_gdqV3sJ:en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bohol+elevation+of+region+7&cd=5&hl=en&ct=clnk&gl=ph
5
http://webcache.googleusercontent.com/search?q=cache:fgMgLWo6uy8J:en.wikipedia.org/wi
ki/Valencia,_Negros_Oriental+elevation+of+central+visayas&cd=2&hl=en&ct=clnk&gl=ph
6
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Central_Visayas#Demographics
7
http://www.nscb.gov.ph/ru9/2013/FactSheet/Employment.pdf
8
http://webcache.googleusercontent.com/search?q=cache:XU9jYTcMh4YJ:www.rdc7.net.ph/wo
rdpress/rkcg-2/+poverty+incidence+in+the+central+visayas&cd=2&hl=en&ct=clnk&gl=ph
9
http://webcache.googleusercontent.com/search?q=cache:OYF4I0whaRYJ:countrystat.bas.gov.p
h/%3Fcont%3D16%26r%3D7+gross+regional+domestic+product+in+central+visayas&cd=1&hl=e
n&ct=clnk&gl=ph
10
http://webcache.googleusercontent.com/search?q=cache:zoH_m1QfqpMJ:cebu.businessguid
e.ph/central-visayas-growth-earthquake-
typhoon/+imports+and+exports+in+central+visayas&cd=24&hl=en&ct=clnk&gl=ph