Northern Mindanao
Administrative region of the Philippines
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Through Island, Colonialism and Forest
Etymology and history
The current name of the region was derived from its position on Mindanao island. The term was officially coined by the Americans after the establishment of American colonial rule in the Philippines due to the defeat of Filipino revolutionaries. There have been proposals to rename the current Northern Mindanao region, which is dominated by the Cebuano ethnic group, into the Amihanan region. Amihanan literally translates to 'northern area' from the Cebuano language, which is the lingua franca of the region.
Lanao del Norte was transferred to Northern Mindanao from Region XII (then called Central Mindanao) by virtue of Executive Order No. 36 in September 2001.
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Geography
Northern Mindanao has a total land area of 2,049,602 hectares (5,064,680 acres). More than 60% of Northern Mindanao's total land area are classified as forest land. Its seas abound with fish and other marine products. The abundant vegetation, natural springs and high elevation contribute to the region's cool, mild and invigorating climate.
Administrative divisions
Northern Mindanao consists of five provinces, two highly urbanized cities, seven component cities, 84 municipalities, and 2,022 barangays.
Provinces
- † Regional center
Governors and vice governors
Cities
- † Regional center
Demographics
Northern Mindanao is the 9th most populous region in the Philippines and 3rd in Mindanao (after Bangsamoro and Davao Region) according to the 2024 Philippine Statistics Authority Census. The major urban area of Region X is Metro Cagayan de Oro which includes Cagayan de Oro and some municipalities and cities of Misamis Oriental and Bukidnon.
The vast majority of the region's inhabitants descended from migrants from Cebu, Bohol, Siquijor and Negros Oriental. Some other inhabitants are of Bicolano, Hiligaynon, Ilocano, Ivatan, Kapampangan, Pangasinan, Waray, Zamboangueño, and Tausug descent, while the autochthonous Bukidnons and Manobos populate the inner highlands.
The largest religion is Christianity, with Roman Catholicism forming 71.88% of the population and Protestants forming a significant minority of 6.03%. The second largest religion is Islam, forming 8.45% of the population.
The main language spoken in the region is Cebuano which is spoken with Northern Mindanao variant that is slightly different from standard Cebuano. The region is also home to sizeable speakers of Bohol dialect of Cebuano. Higaonon, Manobo and Binukid are among the languages native in the region, as are Also spoken varyingly in the region are Hiligaynon, Ilocano, Ivatan, Kapampangan and Waray.
Economy
Poverty incidence of Northern Mindanao (%)
Source: Philippine Statistics Authority
The economy of Northern Mindanao is the second largest regional economy in the island of Mindanao. While still a mainly agricultural region, there is also a booming growth of industries particularly in Cagayan de Oro and in Iligan. Del Monte Philippines is located in the province of Bukidnon and its processing plant is located in Cagayan de Oro, where it ships its products to the rest of the Philippines and Asia-Pacific region. The Agus-IV to VII Hydroelectric Plants in Iligan and Balo-i supply most of its electrical power in Mindanao.