When the
United States acquired the Philippines from
Spain in 1898, the islands were divided into four gobiernos, which were further subdivided into provinces and districts. The American administration initially inherited the Spanish divisions and placed them under military government. As insurgencies were pacified, civil government was gradually restored.
1901-06-11: Morong district merged with part of Manila Province to form
Rizal Province.
1902:
Mindoro merged with
Marinduque; Amburayan province split from
La Union; later, Marinduque province merged with
Tayabas.
1903:
Moro Province formed, consisting of the districts of Cotabato, Davao, Lanao, Sulu, and Zamboanga. Its capital was the town of
Zamboanga.
1905: Name of Paragua province changed to
Palawan.
Masbate province merged with
Sorsogon.
1907:
Romblon merged with
Capiz; split from it again in 1917.
1907-08-20:
Agusan province split from
Surigao.
1908:
Abra province merged with
Ilocos Sur; split from it again on 1917.
1908-08-13:
Mountain Province formed by merging the provinces of Amburayan, Apayao, Benguet, Bontoc, Ifugao, Kalinga, and Lepanto, which became its sub-provinces.
1909:
Batanes province split from
Cagayan.
1916-08-29: Name and status of
Moro Province changed to the
Department of Mindanao and Sulu. Status of its districts (Bukidnon, Cotabato, Davao, Lanao, Sulu, and Zamboanga) changed to provinces.
1917-03-10: Most of the pre-war provinces formally established or re-established.
Ambos Camarines province divided into
Camarines Norte and
Camarines Sur provinces; Abra and Romblon re-established.
1920-02-21: Marinduque province split from Tayabas.
1920-12-15: Masbate province split from Sorsogon.
1921-02-20: Mindoro province split from Marinduque.
1923-03-27:
Leyte divided into Occidental Leyte and Oriental Leyte by law, but never proclaimed by the governor-general.
1929-11-02:
Misamis province divided into
Misamis Occidental and
Misamis Oriental provinces (implemented 1939-11-28).
1945-09-26:
Catanduanes province split from
Albay.
1946: Romblon province merged again with Capiz; split from it again on 1947-01-01.
1946-09-07: Name of Tayabas province changed to
Quezon.
1950-06-13: Mindoro province split into
Mindoro Occidental and
Mindoro Oriental.
1952-06-06:
Zamboanga province split into
Zamboanga del Norte and
Zamboanga del Sur.
1956-04-25:
Aklan province split from
Capiz (implemented 1956-11-08).
1959-05-22:
Lanao province divided into
Lanao del Norte and
Lanao del Sur;
Southern Leyte province split from
Leyte.
1960-06-19: Surigao province divided into
Surigao del Norte and
Surigao del Sur provinces.
1965-06-19: Samar province divided into
Eastern Samar,
Northern Samar, and
Western Samar.
1966-06-18:
South Cotabato province split from
Cotabato;
Benguet,
Ifugao, and
Kalinga-Apayao provinces split from Mountain Province;
Camiguin province split from Misamis Oriental.
1967-05-08:
Davao province divided into
Davao del Norte,
Davao del Sur, and
Davao Oriental provinces (implemented 1967-07-01).
1967-06-17:
Agusan province divided into
Agusan del Norte and
Agusan del Sur provinces (implemented 1970-01-01).
1969-06-21: Name of Western Samar province changed to Samar.
1969-08-04: Samal sub-province created from
Davao del Norte but never inaugurated.
1971-09-10:
Quirino province split from
Nueva Vizcaya.
1971-10-04: Maranaw province created from
Lanao del Sur but never inaugurated.
1972-01-08:
Siquijor province split from Negros Oriental.
1972-06-17: Name of Davao del Norte province changed to Davao.
1973-09-11:
Tawi-Tawi province split from
Sulu.
1973-11-22: Cotabato province divided into
Maguindanao,
North Cotabato, and
Sultan Kudarat provinces.
1973-12-27: Status of
Basilan changed from chartered city to province.
1975-11-08:
Metro Manila established from four chartered cities, and towns of
Rizal and
Bulacan.
1979-08-13:
Aurora province split from
Quezon, following a plebiscite.
1983-12-19: Name of North Cotabato province changed to Cotabato.
1986-01-03: Negros del Norte province split from
Negros Occidental.
1986-08-18: Negros del Norte creation found unconstitutional by the Supreme Court, reverts as part of Negros Occidental.
1992-03-16:
Sarangani province split from South Cotabato.
1992-05-11:
Biliran province split from Leyte;
Guimaras province split from
Iloilo.
1995-02-14: Kalinga-Apayao province split into
Kalinga and
Apayao provinces.
1998-03-07:
Compostela Valley province split from Davao province. Name of Davao province changed back to Davao del Norte.
2001-02-23:
Zamboanga Sibugay province split from
Zamboanga del Sur.
2006-08-30:
Shariff Kabunsuan province split from
Maguindanao.
2006-10-02:
Dinagat Islands province split from
Surigao del Norte.
2008-11-18: Shariff Kabunsuan creation found unconstitutional by Supreme Court, reverts as part of Maguindanao.
HISTORY: PART OF MY ADVENTURE
The provinces of the Philippines are the primary