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Mimaropa

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Mimaropa is an administrative region in the Philippines. It is officially known as the Southwestern Tagalog Region. The name Mimaropa is an acronym. It combines the names of its constituent provinces: Mindoro, Marinduque, Romblon, and Palawan.

Ph MIMAROPA
Ph MIMAROPA

This region is unique in the Philippines. It is the only region outside the Visayas with no land borders. It does not touch any other region by land. Instead, it is surrounded by water.

The region consists of five provinces and one highly urbanized city. The provinces are Marinduque, Occidental Mindoro, Oriental Mindoro, Palawan, and Romblon. Puerto Princesa is a highly urbanized city in Palawan. It is the most populous city in the region. Calapan is the regional center.

JP-Rizal-Avenue-Calapan City
JP-Rizal-Avenue-Calapan City

Most regional government offices are located in Quezon City. This is because Quezon City was once the regional capital of the Southern Tagalog region. The region contains 71 municipalities and 1,460 barangays. A barangay is a small local community unit.

Mimaropa was officially created on May 17, 2002. President Gloria Macapagal Arroyo issued Executive Order No. 103 to create it. This order split the former Southern Tagalog region into two parts. One part became Mimaropa, and the other became Calabarzon. The goal was to increase government efficiency. The government also wanted to accelerate social and economic development. This change helped improve public services for the provinces.

Ph seal Oriental Mindoro
Ph seal Oriental Mindoro

The history of these provinces involves many changes. Marinduque used to be a sub-province of Quezon. It became an independent province in 1920. Romblon was once a sub-province of Capiz in Western Visayas. Later, President Ferdinand Marcos moved Romblon to Southern Tagalog. In 2005, a brief change was attempted for Palawan. Executive Order No. 429 tried to move Palawan to Western Visayas. Residents in Puerto Princesa and other areas protested this move. They wanted to stay in Mimaropa. Consequently, the transfer was put in abeyance.

Province of Occidental Mindoro seal
Province of Occidental Mindoro seal

The economy of Mimaropa has seen significant shifts. In 2007, the economy grew by 9.4 percent. This made it the fastest-growing region in the country that year. This growth was driven by the industrial sector. In 2006, the region saw a slowdown with 2.3 percent growth. This happened because the industry sector shrank by 5.4 percent. The decline was due to less natural gas production in Palawan.

PGP New Official Seal
PGP New Official Seal

Agriculture, forestry, and fishing are vital sectors. They contribute 42.1 percent to the total regional economy. This sector grew by 9.1 percent in 2006. Higher production of rice, maize, and livestock helped this growth.

The industry sector is the second largest part of the economy. It contributes 38.3 percent to the total regional economy. Mining and quarrying are parts of this sector. They contribute 16.6 percent to the economy. However, mining saw a 15.4 percent decrease in 2006. This was caused by the reduced production of natural gas in Palawan. The service sector also plays a role. It grew by 5.1 percent due to increases in finance and trade. These sectors helped support the regional economy.

Mimaropa is known for its many scenic spots. Visitors can explore the Puerto Princesa Subterranean River National Park in Palawan. The El Nido Marine Reserve Park is also located in Palawan. Marinduque offers the Bathala Cave and Balanacan Bay. Romblon features Mount Guiting-Guiting and Bonbon Beach. Mindoro is home to White Island.

Ph seal romblon
Ph seal romblon

The region is also diverse in its languages. Tagalog is the regional lingua franca. Many other native languages are spoken. These include Cuyonon, Hanunoo, and Molbog. Each language reflects the unique culture of the different islands.

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🖼️ Images & Media (8)
File:JP-Rizal-Avenue-Calapan City.jpg
JP-Rizal-Avenue-Calapan City.jpg
File:Ph MIMAROPA.png
Ph MIMAROPA.png
File:Province of Occidental Mindoro seal.svg
Province of Occidental Mindoro seal.svg
File:Gov Gadiano.png
Gov Gadiano.png
File:Ph seal Oriental Mindoro.png
Ph seal Oriental Mindoro.png
File:Gov Dolor.png
Gov Dolor.png
File:PGP New Official Seal.png
PGP New Official Seal.png
File:Ph seal romblon.png
Ph seal romblon.png
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