Region VII: Central Visayas Region Philippines

Region 7 also called Central Visayas Region is composed of the islands of Cebu, Bohol, Negros Oriental and Siquijor. Look for these provinces on the map of the Philippines. Central Visayas region is at the center of our country. It is bordered by the Visayan Sea and the province of Masbate in the north, Mindanao Sea in the south, Negros Occidental in the west and the island of Leyte in the east.

Location. As a whole, the region is hilly and mountainous. The famous Chocolate Hills looks like mounds of chocolate in the summer. Mt. Bolinsasayao and Kanlaon Volcano are but two of the mountains and volcanoes in the region. The flatlands of the region serve as the land for farming and other cottage industries. The region experiences little or no rainfall at all because of the mountains that serve as protection against the strong typhoons that other parts of the country get. But there are times that the region gets affected by strong typhoons.

Products and Livelihood. The land used for farming in the region is not as big as the other regions. Aside from palay, the farmers also plant corn, sugarcane, abaca, coconut, tobacco and root crops. They also subsist on fishing because most islands are surrounded by water. There are also a number of home industries in the region. The people manufacture bags, fans, placemats and other household things. The food industry is alive and well in the region; an assortment of biscuits and bread, chicharon and other food items that only the region can produce.

Do you know of food products that you can buy in the region?

The mangoes of Cebu are also famous for its sweetness and size. Mangoes are harvested all year round These fruits are exported to other countries.

The center of commerce in the southern part of the Philippines is Cebu. Many foreigners establish their businesses there. This is one reason why the Mactan International Airport was constructed. Tourism plays a big part in the economic development of the region. The tourists flock to see the Shrine of Magellan's Cross in Cebu. Bohol's pride is the Chocolate Hills.

Oil is also being tapped in the region. It is believed that in the years to follow, the progress in the region would be greater if oil is properly drawn out and it will help in the needs of the country.

There are other natural resources waiting to be nurtured and used properly. Businessmen, both local and foreign, would be more than willing to put up their trade. The local and national economies would be a lot better if these plans would push through.

Quick Facts

Geography

Central Visayas, or Region 7 is located at the center of Philippines, between the two main islands, Luzon and Mindanao. It comprises the islands of Bohol, Cebu, Negros Oriental and Siquijor and the smaller Camotes group of islands, Bantayan and Panglao. Its borders are the Visayan Sea on the north, Bohol sea on the south, Leyte on the east and Negros Occidental on the west.

Topography

The terrain is characterized by highlands with narrow coastal strips of arable land. Bohol, however, has a level plateau upon which its agricultural areas are concentrated. The region's total land is 14,951.5 sq. kms.

Population/Language

The region had a total population of 5,404,000 in the 2000 census. Urbanization is highest in Cebu and lowest in Siquijor. The males numbered 2,291,637; the females 2,290,892. The region is predominantly rural with 2,730,972 residing in rural areas and 1,851,557 living in urban centers.

Cebuano is widely spoken in all of the provinces in the region but almost all understand Tagalog and English.

Climate

The region has no pronounced climate. It has a short dry season from March to May. The rest of the year is relatively wet.

Philippine Time

Philippine standard time is eight hours ahead of Greenwich Meantime.

Dress/What to Bring

It is advisable to wear natural-fibre, lightweight clothing when one is in Central Visayas. Shorts, hat, sunglasses, bathing suit, insect repellant, flashlight, sun block, comfortable shoes for walking and rubber slippers for the beach are a must when visiting tourist attractions.

The Barong Tagalog is the acceptable for men. Short sleeveless shirts should never be worn when visiting churches, mosques, or temples.

Money

The Philippine Currency is peso, divided into 100 centavos. Next to the peso, the US Dollar enjoys wide acceptance. Most foreign currencies can easily be changed at banks, hotels, and authorized dealers. Major foreign credit cards may be accepted only at major hotels, resorts, shops and restaurants. Visitors are advised to bring sufficient amount of change in small bills or coins especially when touring different spots in the rural areas.

Business Hours

Banks: Monday to Friday from 9am to 3pm

Government Offices: Monday to Friday from 8am to 5pm

Private Firms: Monday to Saturday from 8am to 5pm

Shops: Monday to Saturday from 9am to 8pm (Most department stores stay open on Sundays and Holidays)

Public Transport

Colorful jeepneys and buses are the major forms of the public transport in all the provinces in the region. Tricycles (motorcycles with sidecars), motorcycles for hire or habal-habals and multicabs are popular in outlaying areas and in the suburbs. Metered taxi-cabs are only available in the urban centers.

Getting Around the Central Visayas Region Philippines

The island provinces of Central Visayas are accessible by land, sea or air transport. Once there, different modes of transportation take one to different tourist and commercial attractions. Here are the different ways to get around:

Travelling by air

The main airport is the Mactan-Cebu International Airport, which is in Metro Cebu. There are also airports in Dumaguete (in Sibulan town), and in Tagbilaran. The Tagbilaran airport is serviced by Cebu Pacific and Philippine Airlines which flies only to Manila. Dumaguete is served by Air Philippines and Cebu Pacific, both of them flying only to Manila.

Travelling By Sea

Ship and Fastcraft

The port of Cebu is the region's main gateway. There are also ports in Dumaguete in Oriental Negros, Tagbilaran in Bohol and LArena in Siquijor. The inter-island shipping is served by numerous shipping lines, two of them fastcraft companies which serve all the provinces in the region.

Banca

Motorized outrigger canoes, locally known as banca, are popularity used for inter-island travel adventures or "island-hoppings". These boats can be rented from various resorts offering island tour packages or from boat operators around the region. Most diving operators usually have their bancas for diving tours to some of the best dive sites like Mactan, Moalboal and Malapascua in Cebu, Panglao, Balicasag and Cabilao in Bohol, Apo Island in Oriental Negros and around Siquijor as well. Locals also ride the banca for a fee as a mean of transportation to reach neighboring islands from the mainland. Cruises in the different rivers around the region are also being serviced by bancas.

Travelling by Land

It is very convenient to travel by land when one is in the Central Visayas region because there are varied modes of land transport in the province. These range from colorful jeepneys and buses to taxis, tricycles, multicabs, trisikads and habal-habals.

The most popular modes of transport when one is in the city area are taxis and jeepneys. Metered taxis can be found in major shopping malls, hotels and generally all areas within the metro. In fact, the telephone numbers of taxi companies are listed in the local telephone directory so that one can just call if ever taxi services are needed. Jeepneys too, are very accessible and can be found almost anywhere within metro area. At present, the minimum jeepney fare is PhP 7 for the first five kilometers.

To reach the municipalities outside the city, there are buses and vehicles-for-hire available round the clock at the different terminals in the towns. Travelers can choose between air-conditioned and non-air-conditioned buses while vehicles-for-hire are usually air-conditioned vans.

Once in the suburbs and in the different barangays, tricycles, multicabs, trisikads and habal-habals are the most popular modes of transport. Tricycles (motorcycles with sidecars) can accommodateat least 3 people. Trisikads (bicycles with sidecars) can accommodate at leat 2 people while habal-habals (motorcycles with extended back seats) are popular in the mountain barangays which can accommodate up to 8 people. The fares for these modes of transport vary in different areas.

Destinations in Central Visayas

Take a journey throughout Central Visayas region and discover secluded beaches, centuries old churches, ancestral homes, hidden waterfalls, the exotic beauty of the countryside and the hospitality of the Visayans.

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