Legazpi ( or the City of Legazpi (; ), is a component city and capital of the province of Albay, Philippines. It occupies 161.6 km<sup>2</sup> on the western shore of Albay Gulf, approximately 560 km by road southeast of Manila, serving as the principal gateway to the Bicol Region. According to the , it has a population of people.
Legazpi is the administrative, economic, and transport hub of the Bicol Region (Region V). Located south of Mayon Volcano, an active stratovolcano known for its nearly symmetrical conical shape that is visible across the city, Legazpi serves as the base for regional volcano monitoring and hazard management operations. The city is served by air, land, and sea transport infrastructure, including Bicol International Airport in neighboring Daraga, the national highway network, Philippine National Railways, and ports along Albay Gulf. It also functions as the region's center for tourism, education, health care, and commerce.
Originally a pre-Hispanic coastal village called Sawangan, the settlement became a Spanish mission town in 1587 and was renamed in 1856 to honor conquistador Miguel López de Legazpi, a Basque. Legazpi has a diversified service-based economy focused on trade, agro‑processing, and adventure tourism, promoted under the city's "City of Fun and Adventure" branding.
Legazpi topped the National Competitiveness Council's Cities & Municipalities Competitive Index in 2018 and ranked in the index's top tier since, earning citations as a "most business-friendly" Philippine component city. Having met the statutory requirements for Highly Urbanized City (HUC) classification, the city is now being considered for reclassification, with officials expressing intent to pursue the process.
Etymology
thumb|upright|left|[[Miguel López de Legazpi]]
The city of Legazpi was named after Miguel López de Legazpi, a Basque Spanish conquistador who led the first Spanish colonial expedition to the Philippine Islands in 1565 and established Manila as the Spanish colonial capital. His surname derives from the town of Legazpi in Legazpi in Gipuzkoa, Spain.
History
Early history
Human occupation around present-day Legazpi City and the wider Albay Gulf is documented by archaeological finds that extend back at least 4,000 years. The earliest securely dated artifact is the Mataas Shell Scoop—a bailer fashioned from the green-turban shell (Turbo marmoratus). Excavated from a midden on Cagraray Island, its deposit is radiocarbon-dated to between c. 2000 BCE and 300 CE. The object was designated a National Cultural Treasure by the National Museum of the Philippines in 2010.
Stratified deposits in Hoyop-Hoyopan Cave, Camalig (≈ 15 km inland), have yielded primary and secondary jar burials with anthropomorphic lids. Associated Song- to Ming-period ceramic shards indicate continuous use of the cave between 900 BCE and 900 CE suggest participation in regional maritime exchange networks.
Comparable jar-burial complexes along the Albay–Sorsogon littoral—recorded by H. Otley Beyer and later National Museum teams—contain plain and red-slipped vessels, stone adzes, and shell and glass beads attributed to the Philippine Early Metal Age (c. 100–500 BCE).
Sixteenth-century chronicler Miguel de Loarca described the same coast as "thickly peopled," rich in irrigated rice, gold ornaments and imported silk. These details align with archaeological evidence and reflect the area's prosperity prior to Spanish contact.
Spanish contact and early colonial settlement
The area now occupied by present-day Legazpi originated as a coastal settlement known as Sawangan, located in what is now the port district. It consisted of a cluster of fishing and farming hamlets situated along the mangrove flats on the western shore of Albay Gulf.
Guzmán–Jiménez Expedition (1569)
The first Europeans to reach the gulf were Captain Luis Enríquez de Guzmán and Augustinian friar Alonso Jiménez, members of an expedition dispatched from Panay by Adelantado Miguel López de Legazpi. After calling at Masbate, Ticao and Burias, the party landed at the village of Gibalon (Ibalon)—now San Isidro, Magallanes, Sorsogon—where Fray Jiménez celebrated what local tradition recognises as the first Catholic Mass in Luzon and baptised several inhabitants. The group reconnoitered inland as far as Camalig (then a thriving balangay), recording the fertile valley at the foot of Mayon Volcano.
Salcedo's northern expedition (1573)
In July 1573, a second force under Juan de Salcedo, grandson of Governor-General Legazpi, entered the peninsula from the north. Salcedo established the fortified Villa de Santiago de Libón on the shores of Lake Bato (present-day Libon, Albay), then pushed eastwards to a village called Albaybay, a name later shortened to Albay.
Ecclesiastical organization and rise of Albay (1578–1616)
Franciscan missionaries replaced the initial Augustinian presence in 1578, administering Sawangan from the Doctrina de Cagsawa, currently Daraga. Sawangan was elevated to a visita regular in 1605 and was constituted in 1616 as the independent Pueblo de Albay—capital of the newly created Partido de Ibalon district. That district then encompassed present-day Albay, Sorsogon, Masbate, large parts of Camarines Sur, and the islands of Catanduanes, Ticao and Burias.
As the village grew more populous, it was elevated to a visita regular (full mission station) by 1605 and eventually to an independent pueblo (town) with its own parish in 1616. The new town – often referred to at the time as Pueblo de Albay – became the capital of the Partido de Ibalón (the colonial province encompassing present-day Albay, Sorsogon, Masbate, and nearby islands).
Fray Francisco de Santa Ana served as Sawangan's first parish priest, and the mission continued to flourish into the 17th century. In 1636, during the tenure of Fray Martín del Espíritu, OFM, a larger and more permanent church structure replaced the original chapel to serve the growing Christian community.
Sawangan's growth was periodically disrupted by external threats. Spanish colonial records describe incursions by raiding parties from Mindanao and the Sulu Archipelago—referred to in those accounts as "Moro raiders"—as well as by Dutch privateers operating in Philippine waters during the 1600s. A major setback occurred in 1754, when the town's church was destroyed by fire amid renewed pirate attacks.
Despite these challenges, the community continued to rebuild and endure. It survived a devastating typhoon in 1742 and a strong earthquake in 1811, along with other natural calamities. The 1814 eruption buried or obliterated several neighboring settlements (including the church of Cagsawa, and the villages of Budiao and Camalig) under volcanic ash and lahar flows. 1,200 people were killed in the disaster, making it Mayon's deadliest known eruption. Sawangan itself was partly destroyed – the entire town was effectively leveled and a large portion of its inhabitants perished or fled.
After the 1814 eruption, the parish priest of Sawangan, Fray Pedro Licup, OFM, led the survivors in relocating to safer ground at Makalaya on the slopes of Mount Bariw (present-day Barangay Taysan).
Those who returned to the old coastal site founded a new village they called Binanuahan (meaning "old town," also known as Banuang Gurang in Bikol) on the ruins of Sawangan. Albay Nuevo – also called Bagumbayan ("new town") – essentially replaced the original town of Albay/Sawangan as the provincial capital in the 1820s–1830s. In practice, though, many residents of Binanuahan resented being subordinated to the new town's administration.
Twin-town era and ecclesiastical reconstruction (1834–1855)
In 1834, efforts were made to reestablish substantial churches in both the new and old settlements. In Albay Nuevo (Taytay), a grand stone church was planned to replace the makeshift structures that had served the relocated populace. Construction began a few years later, in 1839, under the design of Don José Ma. de Peñaranda, a Filipino-Spanish gobernadorcillo (town head and architect), with consultation from Fray José Yagres, OFM.
Ayuntamiento and first city charter (1892–1894)
Parallel with its commercial rise, Legazpi saw political developments in the late Spanish period. In 1892, the town was elevated to city status (ciudad) for the first time under Spain's new Becerra Law on municipal government.
Civic reorganization and municipal boundaries (1900–1922)
thumb|Aerial view of Legazpi, October 18, 1935
thumb|Aerial view of Legazpi City, February 27, 1931
The U.S. military government dissolved the short-lived Spanish-era ayuntamiento and, in 1908, reorganised the settlement into two separate municipalities: Legazpi Port (the coastal commercial quarter) and Albay (the inland district that became the provincial capital).
With peace restored, Legazpi resumed its role as the principal abacá and copra outlet of south-eastern Luzon. Maritime historians note that the port handled a sizable share of Bicol's fiber and coconut cargoes during the 1920s and 1930s, helped by its connection to the Manila Railroad Company's Bicol Line.
Economic and educational growth during American colonial rule (1922–1936)
Education expanded rapidly under American civil rule. Albay High School opened in a Gabaldon-type school building in 1906, and the Albay Normal School was established in 1921. Both institutions were later integrated into Bicol University, which was formally established in 1969.
American colonial economic policies encouraged local enterprise. Act No. 2475 (February 5, 1915) granted entrepreneur Julian M. Locsin a 50-year franchise to install and operate an electric-light and power system in the municipality—one of the earliest such concessions outside Manila. Commercial agriculture likewise prospered: abaca (Manila hemp) exports from the Philippines reached an all-time peak in 1928–29, a boom that particularly benefited Bicol ports such as Legazpi which handled much of the fibre trade.
thumb|Aerial view of Sanborn Field (present-day Old Legazpi Airport), October 20, 1939
Transport links were dramatically improved in the 1930s. The final gap of the Manila Railroad Company's South Main Line was closed on May 8, 1938, when President Manuel L. Quezon hammered a ceremonial golden spike at Del Gallego, Camarines Sur, formally inaugurating through passenger and freight service between Tutuban and Legazpi (the famed "Bicol Express").
Air transport arrived even earlier: Sanborn Field—laid out before 1936 just outside the poblacion—served pre-war civilian flights and, after December 1941, became a strategic Japanese and later Allied air base (it is the site of today's Legazpi Airport).
World War II (1941–1945)
thumb|Japanese bombers from the aircraft carrier Ryujo attack Legazpi, December 12, 1941
Japanese occupation (1941–1945)
At dawn on December 12, 1941, a vanguard force of 2,500 men of the IJA 16th Division under Major-General Naoki Kimura, backed by 575 naval infantry of the Kure 1st Special Naval Landing Force and covered at sea by the light cruiser Nagara and the carrier Ryūjō, came ashore at Legazpi without opposition.
Within hours they seized the Sanborn/Legazpi airfield and the south-coast section of the Manila–Bicol railway, giving Tokyo a forward fighter base to screen operations toward central Luzon and command of the strategic San Bernardino Strait. Two Far East Air Force P-40s and three B-17s struck the newly occupied strip that afternoon, destroying nine Japanese aircraft and killing several troops, but could not dislodge the garrison.
Allied bombardment
From October 1944 the Fifth Air Force and carrier groups neutralising southern Luzon subjected Legazpi to almost-daily raids; contemporary local accounts note up to two strikes per day that month, part of a broader effort to pin Japanese air units and interdict road traffic on the Bicol Peninsula. These attacks, followed by preparatory naval gun-fire in March 1945, flattened much of the port district.
Liberation and aftermath
At 08:15 on April 1, 1945, Task Group 78.4 put the 158th Regimental Combat Team ("Bushmasters") of the U.S. 6th Army ashore at Rawis Beach. Meeting only scattered artillery fire, the regiment secured the town, port and airfield by the evening of April 2, then fanned north toward Daraga and Camalig. Their advance was expedited by Camua's guerrillas, who had already isolated Japanese outposts and guided Americans through mined approaches.
The landing reopened the San Bernardino Strait to Allied shipping and marked the final amphibious assault in Luzon. Yet the price for Legazpi was high: U.S. pre-invasion air strikes and naval bombardment obliterated many 19th-century structures, notably the original St Raphael the Archangel Church (1834) and the Academia de Santa Ines complex; both were extensively rebuilt in the late 1940s.
Post-war reconstruction and cityhood (1945–1959)
After the war, Legazpi's port and infrastructure were gradually rebuilt, and the advent of commercial air travel soon followed. The Sanborn airfield (a former U.S. airstrip) was secured from Japanese forces in 1945, and by 1946 Philippine Airlines had begun regular commercial flights linking Legazpi to Manila. This made Legazpi more accessible and marked its emergence as the gateway of southern Luzon.
A city for the second time (1948)
Legazpi's political status also changed significantly in the post-war era. On July 18, 1948, Legazpi became a chartered city for the second time when the municipalities of Legazpi and Daraga were merged under Republic Act No. 306. President Elpidio Quirino appointed Jose R. Arboleda as the first mayor of the new city. However, this cityhood was short-lived – on June 8, 1954, Republic Act No. 993 dissolved the city, reverting Legazpi and Daraga to separate towns. Legazpi spent the mid-1950s as a municipality once more.
During this period the city faced calamitous events, most notably Typhoon Trix in October 1952. Typhoon Trix smashed into southern Luzon with winds over 220 km/h, virtually destroying Legazpi City and ravaging nearby towns. The storm caused catastrophic floods and damage in Albay, with hundreds of residents killed in the region. Despite these setbacks, Legazpi rebuilt in the aftermath and continued to grow as a provincial capital.
A city for the third time (1959)
By the end of the 1950s, cityhood was restored. Republic Act No. 2234 – the current city charter of Legazpi – was approved on June 12, 1959, re-establishing Legazpi as a city for the third time. This 1959 charter remains the foundation of Legazpi's status up to the present. Upon its re-incorporation, Mayor Ramon A. Arnaldo – who had been serving as town mayor since 1954 – became the first city mayor under the new charter. Mayor Arnaldo's administration in 1959 marked the start of modern Legazpi City under RA 2234. Subsequent amendments, such as RA 5525, fine-tuned the city's charter in the 1960s.
Urban growth, education, and natural hazards (1960–1972)
During the 1960s, Legazpi City solidified its role as the Bicol region's urban center while also weathering natural disasters. Regular Philippine National Railways service and improved roads strengthened Legazpi's connectivity, and in the late 1960s the city's airport saw the "jet age" arrive as PAL introduced BAC One-Eleven jet flights on the Manila–Legazpi route. At least six people were killed by this eruption and thousands were forced to evacuate.
Sening caused devastation across Albay province, and in Legazpi power lines and communications were knocked out for weeks. The disaster claimed many lives across the region (over 700 deaths were reported) and caused extensive property losses, making it one of the worst typhoons in Bicol's history.
Establishment of Aquinas University of Legazpi and Bicol University (1968–1969)
The 1960s marked Legazpi's emergence as a regional hub for higher education. Legazpi Junior Colleges, founded on June 8, 1948, was transferred to the administration of the Dominican Order on July 1, 1965. Under their leadership, the institution was elevated to university status through the approval of Secretary of Education Carlos P. Romulo. The University Charter, signed by Acting Secretary Onofre Corpuz on August 30, 1968, formally established the institution as Aquinas University of Legazpi.
The following year, Republic Act No. 5521, enacted on June 21, 1969, established Bicol University by integrating six existing government-run educational institutions located in Legazpi, Daraga, and neighboring towns in Albay.
Martial-law era and consolidation as regional capital (1970–1985)
When President Ferdinand E. Marcos proclaimed Martial Law in September 1972 he simultaneously issued Presidential Decree No. 1, adopting the Integrated Reorganization Plan (IRP). Part IV of the IRP grouped the six Bicol provinces into Region V and formally designated Legazpi City as its administrative centre and regional capital. To give the new bureaucracy a physical seat, Proclamation No. 1676 (October 8, 1977) reserved a tract of land in Brgy. Rawis as the Bicol Regional Government Center, triggering the transfer or construction of regional offices of the Department of Education, Bureau of Customs, National Economic and Development Authority and dozens of other agencies over the next decade.
Papal visit (1981)
Legazpi received national and international attention when Pope John Paul II included the city in his first pastoral visit to the Philippines. On February 21, 1981, Pope John Paul II celebrated a Eucharistic Mass in downtown Legazpi outside St. Gregory the Great Cathedral, part of his first papal visit to the Philippines. The pontiff delivered a homily on the dignity and contributions of rural workers, addressing Legazpi's predominantly agricultural constituency. The complete text of the homily is preserved in the official archives of the Holy See.
1984 disasters
In September 1984, Legazpi was struck by two major natural disasters. On September 1, Typhoon Nitang (Ike) battered the Albay Gulf coast with winds over 150 km/h. Days later, from September 9 to October 6, Mayon Volcano erupted in a Strombolian–Vulcanian event, sending pyroclastic flows down its southeastern flank toward the city.
Post-EDSA and the 1990s era (1986-1990s)
After the 1986 EDSA Revolution, President Corazon C. Aquino issued Executive Order No. 17 (May 28, 1986), installing interim officers until elections in 1988 when Benjamin S. Imperial was elected as mayor. A year earlier Super Typhoon Sisang (Nina) had sent floods crashing through barangays killing 77 in the entire province of Albay.
First female mayor and launch of Ibalong Festival
Imelda Crisol Roces became mayor of Legazpi City in December 1991 following the death of Mayor Benjamin S. Imperial becoming the city's first female chief executive. She launched the inaugural Ibalong Festival in October 1992, based on the pre-Hispanic Ibalong epic, aimed at promoting cultural heritage and tourism. The festival was also conceived as a symbol of the resilience of Albayanos in the face of frequent natural calamities.
The festival's concept was proposed by Merito B. Espinas (1928–2002), a Bicolano scholar and professor at Aquinas University (now University of Sto. Tomas-Legazpi). Espinas authored the first English translation of the Ibalong and was instrumental in framing it as the basis for a civic festival. His academic work on Bicol literature helped shape the cultural identity the festival continues to celebrate.
1993 Mayon eruption and APSEMO founding
Barely four months later, Mayon Volcano erupted on February 2, 1993, killing 75 people and driving more than 45,000 residents into 43 evacuation centres. Roces coordinated city relief, permanent resettlement and hazard-zoning, and worked with the provincial government as it institutionalised the Albay Public Safety and Emergency Management Office (APSEMO) in 1995—widely cited as the country's first permanent disaster-risk-reduction office.
Notable developments in the 1990s
During Roces' administration, the city implemented urban renewal and Clean-and-Green programs. In 1997, Plaza Rizal, a 1920s-era park near the city port, was rehabilitated with new water features, resurfaced walkways, and a garden wall fronting St. Raphael Church, restoring its role as a civic landmark.
On the infrastructure front, the city secured funding from the Department of Public Works and Highways (DPWH) to widen and extend Tahao Road, creating a north–south corridor identified in the 1999–2008 Comprehensive Land Use Plan as an emerging "Alternative Business District." In 2013, the road was renamed Imelda C. Roces Avenue under City Ordinance 0007–2013, in recognition of its contribution to commercial development in the area. The alternate road bisecting Roces Avenue was named Benjamin Imperial St. in recognition of her predecessor.
To support economic recovery, the city also initiated the Legazpi City Investment Incentive Code of 1996 (S.P. Ordinance 96-016), which offered real property tax holidays, fee waivers, and skills-training grants to investors in designated growth areas. In 1998, the city secured the issuance of Proclamation No. 1249 (June 9, 1998), declaring a 33-hectare site in Sitio Caridad, Banquerohan as the Legazpi City Special Economic Zone, a PEZA-registered area offering both local and national investment incentives.
Early 2000s: Modernization and urban renewal
In the early 2000s, Legazpi City initiated a program of economic modernization and infrastructure development. The 2001 local elections marked the end of Mayor Imelda C. Roces' decade-long administration and the beginning of Mayor Noel Ebriega Rosal's tenure. Rosal prioritized investment in urban infrastructure, tourism promotion, and disaster-resilient planning, in response to the city's exposure to typhoons and volcanic activity. In 2001, the Landco Business Park, with the Pacific Mall Legazpi as its main locator, was inaugurated as the first master-planned commercial district in the Bicol Region, intended to attract business investments. During this period, Legazpi also experienced a rise in private sector growth, with the opening of its first full-sized shopping malls, upgrades to its road network, and redevelopment of public markets.
Natural disasters and emergency response (2006)
Typhoons Milenyo and Reming
Legazpi's disaster management systems were significantly challenged in late 2006 when the city was struck by two successive super typhoons: Typhoon Milenyo (Xangsane) in September and Typhoon Reming (Durian) in November. Typhoon Reming caused extensive damage across Albay province. In Legazpi, heavy rainfall triggered the remobilization of volcanic debris from Mayon Volcano, resulting in deadly lahars that buried several villages, including Barangay Padang. 600 people died across the province due to the disaster, with Legazpi among the most severely affected areas.
Rehabilitation and climate adaptation strategy
Following the 2006 disaster, city and provincial authorities implemented a range of rehabilitation and risk mitigation measures. A multi-phase coastal infrastructure project known as Legazpi Boulevard was constructed to function both as a scenic thoroughfare and a protective seawall against storm surges and coastal flooding. Additional flood control structures, including dikes and improved drainage systems, were developed along the lahar and flood-prone rivers and coastal areas. By 2007, Albay Province and Legazpi City had adopted a comprehensive Climate Change Adaptation and Disaster Risk Reduction (CCA-DRR) strategy. The initiative was cited by the National Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Council (NDRRMC) as a model for effective local disaster governance.
Economic expansion and infrastructure growth (2009–2015)
alt=Coconut-tree lined seaside boulevard with view of the sea and Mayon Volcano|thumb|Legazpi Boulevard
By the late 2000s, Legazpi experienced notable economic growth, which led to a surge in construction activity. In 2009, the city inaugurated the Embarcadero de Legazpi, a waterfront commercial and entertainment complex built on reclaimed land near the port area. The development included an information technology park, designated in July 2009 as the first IT ecozone in the Bicol Region. The complex featured retail establishments, restaurants, and a marina, and also accommodated business process outsourcing (BPO) firms such as Sutherland Global Services. This initiative contributed to Legazpi's recognition as an emerging hub for outsourcing services in the Philippines.
thumb|Sawangan Park
In addition to commercial developments, Legazpi City pursued major infrastructure projects aimed at improving transportation and mitigating natural hazards. Legazpi Boulevard, a coastal highway and promenade, was constructed to serve as both a transport corridor and a seawall protecting against storm surges. The initial 4-kilometer segment, stretching from the port area through Barangays Dap-dap and Puro, was completed through a public–private partnership in the early 2010s.
In 2009, the city inaugurated the Legazpi Grand Central Terminal, a modern integrated transport facility developed through a public–private partnership. Constructed under a Build–operate–transfer (BOT) arrangement without direct expenditure from the city government, the terminal became a recognized model for successful local PPP implementation. The project earned Legazpi a Galing Pook Award in 2014, recognizing it as one of the ten most outstanding local governance programs in the Philippines.
In Barangay Dap-dap, a public park and promenade known as Sawangan Park was later developed along the boulevard. Inaugurated in the late 2010s, the park features landscaped areas, recreational facilities, and views of Mayon Volcano and Albay Gulf.
The boulevard was extended northward beginning in 2017, with a 2.7-kilometer expansion traversing the coastal barangays of Sabang, Pigcale, Baybay, and San Roque. The ₱2.1-billion project, implemented in partnership with the Department of Public Works and Highways (DPWH), included the construction of a seawall, a four-lane road with bike lanes, and a 380-meter bridge. These were designed to reduce flood risk and improve access to northern Albay.
In southern Legazpi, an 18-kilometer concrete highway was constructed to connect the upland barangays of Buenavista, Cagbacong, and nearby communities with the city center. The project was also intended to facilitate access to the new airport in Daraga.
Private sector boom and city awards (2016–2019)
thumb|Ayala Malls Legazpi
thumb|SM City Legazpi
Private sector investment in Legazpi increased significantly in the 2010s. In 2016, Ayala Land partnered with the local LCC Group to open Ayala Malls Legazpi – Liberty City Center, a four-story shopping complex on the site of the former public market. This marked Ayala's first mall in the Bicol Region. In the same year, SM Prime Holdings began construction of SM City Legazpi, an 87,000-square-meter shopping mall located beside the city's bus terminal. The mall opened on September 14, 2018, becoming the largest retail complex in Bicol. That same year, a ₱100-million engineered sanitary landfill was completed in Barangay Banquerohan, noted as one of the first modern waste management facilities in the region. That same year, the city ranked first in the National Competitiveness Council (NCC)'s competitiveness index for component cities. It had previously placed third in 2016 and fifth in 2017.
According to media reports and NCC assessments, Legazpi's performance was attributed in part to infrastructure investments following major disasters, particularly in flood control and urban planning.
Developments in the 2020s
By 2020, the number of registered business establishments in Legazpi had increased to over 6,000, with annual local government revenue exceeding ₱1 billion, indicating sustained economic growth. City officials subsequently expressed interest in pursuing the reclassification of Legazpi into a Highly Urbanized City (HUC), noting that the city had met the population and income criteria for HUC status based on the 2020 census. In the 2025 Philippine general election, Hisham Ismail, former barangay captain of Cabangan‑West and president of the city's Liga ng mga Barangay, was elected mayor of Legazpi, becoming the youngest chief executive in the city's history.
Despite the political transitions, infrastructure development continued. The newly opened Bicol International Airport improved regional air connectivity, and plans were initiated to redevelop the site of the former domestic airport for government and commercial use. As of 2023, the construction of an international cruise terminal was in full swing, intended to accommodate large cruise vessels and support the city's tourism sector. In 2024, the MS Hanseatic Spirit of Hapag-Lloyd cruises carrying international tourists was the latest cruise ship to dock in Legazpi.
Ongoing urban development projects include the expansion of flood control infrastructure and drainage systems, and the construction of a 1,000-room permanent evacuation center in Barangay Homapon, originally announced in 2018 to serve residents in high-risk areas near Mayon Volcano. Discussions on the reclassification of Legazpi into an HUC have remained active, with local leaders citing the potential for greater administrative autonomy and increased fiscal allocations.
Geography
thumb|View to the north from Barangay Lamba located in the hilly southern areas of Legazpi
Legazpi is on the eastern portion of the province of Albay bounded on the north by the municipality of Santo Domingo, on the east by Albay Gulf, on the west by the municipality of Daraga, and on the south by the municipalities of Manito, Albay and Pilar and Castilla, Sorsogon. The city is located south of Manila.
From north to south, the city spans 29 kilometers; from east to west, the narrowest portion is 3 kilometers (urban district) while the widest is 15 kilometers (southeast area). Legazpi has a total land area of 20,437 hectares, 90 percent of which is classified as rural (18,431.66 hectares) while 10 percent is classified as urban (2,005.39 hectares).
Legazpi's topography is generally plain on the northeastern areas, with slopes ranging from five to fifteen degrees. The southern areas have mostly rolling to hilly terrain. In the city's coastal areas, the terrain varies from plain (north) to hilly (south). Legazpi is criss-crossed by several rivers including the Tibu, Macabalo and Yawa rivers with a number of swampy areas, particularly in the urban district. To mitigate flooding in these low-lying areas, the local government has built an urban drainage and flood control system consisting of dikes, canals, sea walls and three pumping stations located in Barangays San Roque, Bay-Bay and Victory Village.
Barangays
Legazpi is politically subdivided into 70 barangays. Each barangay consists of puroks and some have sitios.
Currently, there are 45 urban barangays and 25 rural barangays.
thumb|upright=1.1|
{| class="wikitable sortable collapsible collapsed" style="margin:auto; font-size:95%; line-height:130%;"
|-
! data-sort-type="number"|Barangay<br />number
! Barangay<br />name
! Class
! Population<br />
! Barangay<br />head
|-
|1
|Em's Barrio
|Urban
|style="text-align:right;"|3,725
|Irma Trinanes
|-
|2
|Em's Barrio (South)
|Urban
|style="text-align:right;"|1,820
|Mila Bal
|-
|3
|Em's Barrio (East)
|Urban
|style="text-align:right;"|900
|Jose P. Pispis
|-
|4
|Sagpon
|Urban
|style="text-align:right;"|953
|Gibsen Salvador E. De Leoz
|-
|5
|Sagmin
|Urban
|style="text-align:right;"|1,375
|Jude A. Rico
|-
|6
|Bañadero
|Urban
|style="text-align:right;"|1,390
|Arthur R. Marco
|-
|7
|Baño
|Urban
|style="text-align:right;"|645
|Domingo Alberto D. Pasano Jr.
|-
|8
|Bagumbayan
|Urban
|style="text-align:right;"|3,400
|Amore Rex B. Rañeses
|-
|9
|Pinaric
|Urban
|style="text-align:right;"|1,493
|Roy A. Nanoz
|-
|10
|Cabugao
|Urban
|style="text-align:right;"|547
|Victor R. Lapasaran
|-
|11
|Maoyod
|Urban
|style="text-align:right;"|1,110
|Romeo A. Madraso
|-
|12
|Tula-Tula
|Urban
|style="text-align:right;"|2,586
|Arnold Bahillo
|-
|13
|Ilawod West Pob. (Ilawod 1)
|Urban
|style="text-align:right;"|721
|Maria Lourdes F. Baltazar
|-
|14
|Ilawod Pob. (Ilawod 2)
|Urban
|style="text-align:right;"|854
|Gerald A. Ayque
|-
|15
|Ilawod East Pob. (Ilawod 3)
|Urban
|style="text-align:right;"|2,879
|Erlim A. Azotea
|-
|16
|Kawit-East Washington Drive
|Urban
|style="text-align:right;"|5,372
|Jonathan G. Rodenas
|-
|17
|Rizal St. – Ilawod
|Urban
|style="text-align:right;"|2,048
|Lina A. Chan
|-
|18
|Cabañgan (West)
|Urban
|style="text-align:right;"|3,856
|Rowena Olimpo
|-
|19
|Cabañgan
|Urban
|style="text-align:right;"|1,427
|John B. Macalampad
|-
|20
|Cabañgan (East)
|Urban
|style="text-align:right;"|641
|Ma. Nimfa B. Bolanos
|-
|21
|Binanuahan (West)
|Urban
|style="text-align:right;"|917
|Jose T. Abiera
|-
|22
|Binanuahan (East)
|Urban
|style="text-align:right;"|1,619
|Carmen V. Sarona
|-
|23
|Imperial Court
|Urban
|style="text-align:right;"|746
|Gina M. Samaupan
|-
|24
|Rizal
|Urban
|style="text-align:right;"|2,695
|Ricardo V. Abunda
|-
|25
|Lapu-Lapu
|Urban
|style="text-align:right;"|1,398
|Karren Canon - Valdez
|-
|26
|Dinagaan
|Urban
|style="text-align:right;"|798
|Ma. Jocelyn L. Astor
|-
|27
|Victory Village (South)
|Urban
|style="text-align:right;"|1,418
|Joie M. Bahoy
|-
|28
|Victory Village (North)
|Urban
|style="text-align:right;"|2,399
|Antonio L. Loveriza
|-
|29
|Sabang
|Urban
|style="text-align:right;"|1,656
|Ismael G. Santillan
|-
|30
|Pigcale
|Urban
|style="text-align:right;"|1,688
|Fernando Lopez
|-
|31
|Centro Baybay
|Urban
|style="text-align:right;"|1,879
|Teresita L. Empig
|-
|32
|San Roque
|Urban
|style="text-align:right;"|5,632
|Joselito G. Martinez
|-
|33
|PNR – Peñaranda St. – Iraya
|Urban
|style="text-align:right;"|2,773
|Marife D. Velasco
|-
|34
|Oro Site – Magallanes St.
|Urban
|style="text-align:right;"|1,633
|Oriel Madella
|-
|35
|Tinago
|Urban
|style="text-align:right;"|375
|Syri R. Sayco
|-
|36
|Capantawan
|Urban
|style="text-align:right;"|644
|Eric Sim B. Brizuela
|-
|37
|Bitano
|Urban
|style="text-align:right;"|8,559
|Bernard Y. Pacardo
|-
|38
|Gogon
|Urban
|style="text-align:right;"|5,752
|Maria Theresa Sambajon-Naz
|-
|39
|Bonot
|Urban
|style="text-align:right;"|3,521
|Reynaldo Bendicio
|-
|40
|Cruzada
|Urban
|style="text-align:right;"|5,853
|Edsil N. Llaguno
|-
|41
|Bogtong
|Urban
|style="text-align:right;"|4,753
|Armando M. Toledo
|-
|42
|Rawis
|Urban
|style="text-align:right;"|8,868
|Joel A. Orosco
|-
|43
|Tamaoyan
|Rural
|style="text-align:right;"|1,642
|Sylvia M. Del Agua
|-
|44
|Pawa
|Rural
|style="text-align:right;"|3,469
|Ma. Yulina A. Que
|-
|45
|Dita
|Rural
|style="text-align:right;"|1,791
|Romeo A. Almayda Jr.
|-
|46
|San Joaquin
|Rural
|style="text-align:right;"|2,260
|Richard S. Ibarra
|-
|47
|Arimbay
|Urban
|style="text-align:right;"|3,753
|Janita B. Bea
|-
|48
|Bagong Abre
|Rural
|style="text-align:right;"|1,627
|Ester B. Cargullo
|-
|49
|Bigaa
|Rural
|style="text-align:right;"|6,730
|Ricardo A. Arienda
|-
|50
|Padang
|Rural
|style="text-align:right;"|1,653
|Harold L. Bembenuto
|-
|51
|Buyuan
|Rural
|style="text-align:right;"|3,895
|Ernesto B. Perez
|-
|52
|Matanag
|Rural
|style="text-align:right;"|1,895
|Reynaldo D. Poguilla
|-
|53
|Bonga
|Rural
|style="text-align:right;"|3,503
|Michael A. Mina
|-
|54
|Mabinit
|Rural
|style="text-align:right;"|1,640
|Levy Lourdes P. Nunez
|-
|55
|Estanza
|Rural
|style="text-align:right;"|4,237
|Josephine A. Baloso
|-
|56
|Taysan
|Rural
|style="text-align:right;"|12,330
| Benjamin Rosin
|-
|57
|Dap-dap
|Urban
|style="text-align:right;"|2,287
|Glenn J. Barcelon
|-
|58
|Buraguis
|Urban
|style="text-align:right;"|4,549
|Amelita T. Bariso
|-
|59
|Puro
|Rural
|style="text-align:right;"|4,756
|Nicasio G. Barrios Jr.
|-
|60
|Lamba
|Rural
|style="text-align:right;"|1,352
|Norberto M. Abion
|-
|61
|Maslog
|Rural
|style="text-align:right;"|4,796
|Felicidad A. Olimpo
|-
|62
|Homapon
|Rural
|style="text-align:right;"|4,832
|Benhur B. Ariola Jr.
|-
|63
|Mariawa
|Rural
|style="text-align:right;"|1,664
|Cristina L. Arana
|-
|64
|Bagacay
|Rural
|style="text-align:right;"|1,616
|Julian A. Ariola
|-
|65
|Imalnod
|Rural
|style="text-align:right;"|2,146
|Valentino M. Llaneta
|-
|66
|Banquerohan
|Rural
|style="text-align:right;"|6,976
|Crispin A. Botin
|-
|67
|Bariis
|Rural
|style="text-align:right;"|1,812
|Geremias B. Leron Jr.
|-
|68
|San Francisco
|Rural
|style="text-align:right;"|2,479
|Rosemarie A. Barrameda
|-
|69
|Buenavista
|Rural
|style="text-align:right;"|1,319
|Ester P. Ardales
|-
|70
|Cagbacong
|Rural
|style="text-align:right;"|2,776
|Genaro M. Asilo
|}
Climate
Legazpi City features a tropical rainforest climate with copious amount of rainfall throughout the year. Legazpi has noticeably wetter and drier periods of the year. However, the city's driest month, April, still sees on average of over of precipitation per month. Similar to many other cities with this climate, temperatures are relatively constant throughout the course of the year, with a mean annual average of . The coolest month is January with a daily mean of and the hottest months are jointly May and June with a daily mean of . The all-time record high temperature was on May 27, 1968, and the all-time record low temperature was on February 28, 1971. The City Government of Legazpi was recognized by the National Disaster Risk Reduction Management Council (NDRRMC) as a model locality in implementing risk reduction management practices in the Philippines.
On the provincial level, Albay has institutionalized disaster preparedness and disaster response by creating the Albay Public Safety and Emergency Management Office (APSEMO) in 1995. The APSEMO is tasked to design and implement a disaster risk management and reduction program. Its main objective is to develop more pro-active and disaster resilient communities. Specific disaster preparedness strategies in Albay and Legazpi include preemptive evacuation, 'zero casualty' policy, re-planning of the city's land use, mangrove reforestation, and the establishment of the Climate Change Academy as a training center for disaster risk management, evaluation of climate risk hazards and adaptive capabilities, planning, and programming. On March 12, 2018, Mayor Noel Rosal announced his administration's proposed plan to construct a permanent 1000-room evacuation center in Barangay Homapon for citizens living within the "eight-kilometer extended danger zone" near the volcano Mayon.
Demographics
According to the 2024 census, the population of Legazpi is 210,616 people, with a density of .
Legazpi had an average annual population growth of 1.86% between 2000 and 2007 according to the 2010 census. 58 percent of the city's population or 105,853 live in areas classified as urban while 42 percent or 76,348 live in rural areas. The city has a population density of 9 people per hectare (54 people per hectare in urban areas and 4 people per hectare in rural areas). Daytime population in Legazpi is estimated to reach 350,000 due to the daily influx of students, workers, entrepreneurs, and tourists.
Legazpi is the most populous city in the province of Albay and in the Bicol Region. It comprises 14.8% of the total population of Albay. The main language spoken is Central Bikol. In addition, English and Filipino/Tagalog are also widely used and spoken.
The city's economy is diversified across various sectors, including agriculture, wholesale and retail trade, services, manufacturing, and small-scale mining. This broad economic base reinforces Legazpi's strategic role as an important regional center for service delivery and logistics.
According to the 2024 Statement of Receipts and Expenditures data from the Bureau of Local Government Finance, Legazpi generated ₱824.02 million in locally sourced revenue for fiscal year 2024, the highest among Bicol's component cities, reflecting sustained business growth and fiscal management.
Tourism remains a leading driver of economic activity. The sector welcomed 1.27 million visitors in 2019 and has resumed growth following the COVID-19 pandemic. In 2024, Albay province—of which Legazpi is the capital—was the most visited destination in the Bicol Region, with 1,391,170 domestic and 16,023 foreign tourist arrivals.
In 2023, the city's Business Permits and Licensing Office recorded 6,330 registered business establishments with total investments valued at ₱571.35 million, indicating continued expansion of the local enterprise base. Supporting visitor arrivals and MICE (Meetings, Incentives, Conferences, and Exhibitions) traffic are more than 50 Department of Tourism–accredited hotels, inns, and resorts.
Legazpi is also among the 25 priority "Digital Cities 2025" designated by the Department of Information and Communications Technology (DICT) and the IT & Business Process Association of the Philippines (IBPAP). The program identifies urban centers with strong potential for accelerated growth in the information technology and business process management (ICT-BPM) sector.
Agriculture and natural resources
thumb|Coconut is a major agricultural product of Legazpi
Agriculture remains a foundation of Legazpi's economy. The city and surrounding areas produce coconut, pili nuts, abaca fiber, rice, corn, and various root crops.
Bicol is also the Philippines' leading source of pili nuts, accounting for 90% of national production. Legazpi has a long heritage in pili processing: in 1936 a Spanish entrepreneur, Don Antonio Regidor, pioneered the pili confectionery industry by founding the Central Pili Nut Candy factory in the city. This family-run enterprise (now known as Albay Pili Nut Candy) has operated in Legazpi for over 85 years and was handed down to Regidor's granddaughter in 2023, exemplifying the city's role in developing pili nut products.
thumb|Pili nut
Other important crops include abaca (Manila hemp), for which Albay is a major producer, as well as banana, jackfruit, and vegetables.
Legazpi's coastal communities along Albay Gulf are engaged primarily in commercial fishing, which constitutes a significant component of the local fisheries sector. The city's natural resources also provide the basis for mining and quarrying activities. Notably, deposits of perlite, a volcanic glass utilized in construction and horticulture, are extracted and processed in the Legazpi area for export.
Sand, gravel, and other aggregates quarried from the slopes of Mt. Mayon supply the construction industry. Overall, Legazpi's primary industries of agriculture, fisheries, and mining provide raw materials for domestic use and industrial inputs, while also feeding into the city's manufacturing and export activities.
Trade and industry
thumb|Landco Business Park
Legazpi is a major trading center for Albay province and the broader Bicol Region. The primary commercial area is the Legazpi Port District, where economic activity is concentrated. As of 2023, a total of 6,330 business establishments were registered in the city, representing a 21.73% increase from 2021. The majority are micro, small, and medium enterprises (MSMEs) engaged primarily in retail and services, underscoring Legazpi's position as a regional hub for shopping and service-based industries.
The city government has implemented an electronic Business One-Stop Shop (e-BOSS) system to streamline business registration and renewal processes, supporting the continued expansion of the local enterprise base.
Shopping centers
thumb|Yashano Mall
thumb|LCC Mall Legazpi
Shopping centers and public markets are prominent features of Legazpi's commercial landscape. Liberty Commercial Center, Inc. (LCC), a homegrown Albayano company established in nearby Tabaco in 1945, operates a major mall (LCC Mall Legazpi), three supermarkets and five Expressmarts (grocery stores) in the city. Adjacent to the port district, the Landco Business Park opened in 2001 as the first master-planned commercial district in the Bicol Region. The 7-hectare complex includes offices, banks, restaurants, and Pacific Mall Legazpi—the region's earliest full-scale shopping mall.
Other retail centers include Yashano Mall, Embarcadero de Legazpi—a mixed-use waterfront development with an IT park—Gregorian Mall, A. Bichara Silverscreens and Entertainment Center, and 101 Shopping Center. Traditional public markets such as the Legazpi City Public Market and the Old Albay Public Market continue to serve as key venues for the trade of agricultural produce, seafood, and handicrafts.
thumb|Pacific Mall Legazpi
To support local enterprises and tourism, the city operates the Ibalong Pasalubong Center, which features handicrafts and regional products such as abaca textiles, pili-based confections, and woodcrafts.
External trade
External trade through the Port of Legazpi and particularly the handling of bulk commodities were historically significant in the local economy. The port facilitates inter-island and limited international shipping, with exports including coconut oil, copra cake, perlite ore, and abaca fiber products.
In 2023, the Bureau of Customs' Legazpi district reported a record revenue of ₱1.01 billion from January to August. This increase was attributed to the port's initial handling of bulk petroleum imports—authorized for the first time in 2023—as well as ongoing imports of grains, coal, and cement.
Investment zones
To support industrial development, the government has established designated economic zones and industrial parks in Legazpi. These include the Bicol Regional Agro-Industrial Center (BRAIC) and the First Legazpi Industrial Estate in Barangay Homapon, which are intended for agribusiness and light manufacturing enterprises.
The Legazpi City Special Economic Zone in Banquerohan and the City Light Industrial Park (CLIP) in Barangay Bogtong have been designated for industrial use. The Embarcadero de Legazpi IT Park in Barangay Victory Village is a PEZA accredited IT and tourism facility.
Tourism
thumb|Colorful hot air balloons during the 2024 Bicol Loco Festival in Legazpi City.
thumb|ATV ride to [[Mayon Volcano|Mayon, one of the adventure tourism activities in Legazpi]]
Tourism is a major contributor to the economy of Legazpi City, supported by its location at the foot of Mayon Volcano and its promotion as the "City of Fun and Adventure."
Legazpi also serves as a gateway to eco-cultural attractions nearby such as the Cagsawa Ruins, Ligñon Hill Nature Park, Peñaranda Park, and heritage landmarks including Daraga Church and St. Gregory the Great Cathedral. Its proximity to surrounding destinations—including Sumlang Lake in Camalig, the caves of Jovellar, the beaches of Bacacay, and the whale shark interaction sites in Donsol—further positions it as a central hub for regional tourism.
Tourist arrivals and tourism revenue
thumb|The Oriental Legazpi
In 2024, the province of Albay recorded 1.39 million domestic and 16,000 foreign tourist arrivals, according to the Philippine Information Agency, the highest in the Bicol Region. Regional tourism receipts reached ₱3.5 billion from domestic travelers, with Albay accounting for the largest share.
Legazpi's hospitality sector supports this growth, with 37 Department of Tourism–accredited hotels and 13 accredited resorts as of 2023.
MICE tourism
thumb|Albay Astrodome
Aside from promoting adventure tourism, the city is also positioning itself as a destination for MICE (Meetings, Incentives, Conventions, and Exhibitions) tourism. Facilities such as the Legazpi City Convention Center and the adjacent Exposition Building can accommodate a combined total of nearly 9,000 delegates. These are complemented by other large venues including the Ibalong Centrum for Recreation and the Albay Astrodome, enabling the city to host regional and national events.
Festival-driven tourism
Cultural festivals form an integral part of Legazpi's tourism calendar. The Ibalong Festival, held annually in August, features parades and performances inspired by the Bicolano Ibalong Epic. The Magayon Festival, celebrated every May, highlights the province's folklore and local arts through a month-long program of events.
In 2024, the city launched the Bicol Loco Festival, a three-day hot-air balloon and extreme sports event held at the former airport grounds. In its second year, the festival drew 500,000 spectators and was recognized by the Department of Tourism as a key addition to the region's tourism offerings.
Cruise destination
Legazpi has been a frequent port of call for international cruise ships, underscoring its emerging importance in maritime tourism. Since October 2018, several vessels—such as Hapag‑Lloyd Cruises' MS Bremen, MS Hanseatic Spirit, and MS Hanseatic Nature as well as Heritage Expedition's Heritage Adventurer —have docked at Legazpi's port, bringing international passengers to enjoy the city's volcano vistas and cultural attractions.
Recognizing this opportunity, the city and national government have initiated plans for a dedicated cruise ship terminal featuring a rock causeway, passenger building, and updated port facilities in a ₱920 million project started in 2021.
Sports tourism
The city hosts several prominent sports events centered on Mount Mayon and adventure racing. Prominent among these are the annual Mt. Mayon Triathlon, the Mayon 360° Ultramarathon—a solo 80 km or 50-mile endurance run circumnavigating Mayon—and various XTERRA off-road triathlon competitions . These events attract both local and international athletes, integrating sports tourism into the city's broader tourism strategy.
International exposure through travel media
Legazpi has featured prominently in international travel media. Notably, Leg 5 and 6 of The Amazing Race Asia Season 4 (2010) and Leg 7 and 8 The Amazing Race Philippines Season 1 (2012) were filmed in and around Legazpi . These broadcasts amplified global awareness of Legazpi's adventure tourism offerings and reinforced its "Fun and Adventure" branding.
Banking and finance
Legazpi City serves as the financial center of Albay and one of the primary banking hubs in the Bicol Region. As of 2024, it hosts over 50 bank branches
Beyond commercial banking, Legazpi supports a broad spectrum of financial services, including microfinance providers (e.g., SEDP), 57 lending firms, 16 financing companies, 31 pawnshops, and 63 insurance offices as of 2024. This diversified financial ecosystem enhances access to credit, insurance, and remittance services for individuals and small businesses across the region. Regulatory and supervisory presence—including the BSP and SEC offices—further solidifies Legazpi's status as a regional financial hub, supporting economic growth and inclusion.
Business process outsourcing
thumb|Sutherland Global Services Legazpi
Legazpi City has grown as an IT‑BPO hub in the Bicol region. In national programs (formerly "Next Wave Cities," now Digital Cities 2025), Legazpi is identified alongside 25 priority cities for ICT‑BPM investment. The city government reports that ₱30 billion in investments including BPO firms have flowed into Legazpi over the past decade.
Beyond socialized housing, Legazpi's private real estate sector has grown. Numerous subdivisions and condominium projects have been built by both national and local developers. For example, Vista Land's brands (Camella and Lumina Homes) have launched new residential subdivisions near the city proper, offering affordable house‑and‑lot lots. Local developer Deca Homes has marketed housing estates around Legazpi. In addition, Sunwestville Realty has developed the Ecohomes Bayshores condominium complex in Brgy. Puro – a low-rise, resort‑style condo project (10 buildings, over 1,300 units) on a 2.5‑ha site by the gulf.
Legazpi Park Terraces, now in design development, is a proposed 17‑storey mixed‑use complex on a 5,857 m<sup>2</sup> site in downtown Legazpi. The twin towers would add 44,000 m<sup>2</sup> of residential and retail space arranged around multi‑level "park terraces" that frame views of Mayon Volcano and Albay Gulf.
Poverty incidence
According to successive Philippine Statistics Authority data, Legazpi's poverty incidence decreased by more than half in two decades, from 33.87% in 2000 to 17.62% in 2021; the rate reached a low of 13.78% in 2018 before edging up slightly amid the COVID-19.
Government
thumb|Legazpi City Hall
Legazpi is governed by a mayor, vice mayor, and ten councilors. Each city official is elected to serve for a three-year term. The representative of the Liga ng mga Barangay and the Sangguniang Kabataan also participates in the city council. The current city mayor of Legazpi is Hisham B. Ismail.
Mayors of Legazpi city
{| class="wikitable collapsible autocollapse" style="font-size:95%"
! scope="col" | Inclusive years
! scope="col" | Mayor
|-
! scope="row" |1898-1900
| Agripino Imperial
|-
! scope="row" | 1901–1903
| Balbino Belarmino
|-
! scope="row" | 1901–1903
| Florencio Magdaraog
|-
! scope="row" | 1904–1905
| Severo M. Isidro
|-
! scope="row" | 1904–1908
| Ramon Serrano
|-
! scope="row" | 1906–1907
| Silvestre S. Siping
|-
! scope="row" | 1908–1909
| Agripino Segovia
|-
! scope="row" | 1910–1921
| Ramon Serrano
|-
! scope="row" | 1921–1925
| Ramon Serrano
|-
! scope="row" | 1921–1925
| Crispin de la Torre
|-
! scope="row" | 1925–1928
| Ramon Serrano
|-
! scope="row" | 1928–1931
| Catalino Elizondo
|-
! scope="row" | 1931–1934
| Juan R. Serrano
|-
! scope="row" | 1935–1937
| Feliciano F. Imperial
|-
! scope="row" | 1938–1941
| Dr. Prudencio Papa
|-
! scope="row" | 1941–1944
| Vicente Nieves
|-
! scope="row" | August 26, 1941 – September 24, 1941
| Alfredo Rebueno
|-
! scope="row" | 1944–1945
| Pedro Abaleta
|-
! scope="row" | 1945-June 13, 1946
| Antonio A. Azaña
|-
! scope="row" | June 14, 1946 – March 25, 1947
| Feliciano F. Imperial
|-
! scope="row" | March 26, 1947 – 1947
| Francisco de Leoz
|-
! scope="row" | 1947–1948
| Herculano E. Pareja
|-
! scope="row" | 1948–1952
| Jose A. Arboleda
|-
! scope="row" | 1952–1953
| Marcial O. Rañola
|-
! scope="row" | 1953
| Abelardo M. Imperial
|-
! scope="row" | 1953
| Domingo S. Bailon
|-
! scope="row" | 1954–1959
| Ramon A. Arnaldo
|-
! scope="row" | 1960–1957
| Luis S. Los Baños
|-
! scope="row" | January 1, 1968 – April 7, 1986
| Gregorio S. Imperial
|-
! scope="row" | April 8, 1986 – December 1, 1987
| Cezar A. Burdeos
|-
! scope="row" | December 2, 1987 – March 7, 1988
| Juan D. Victoria
|-
! scope="row" | March 8, 1988 – December 1, 1991
| Benjamin S. Imperial
|-
! scope="row" | December 2, 1991 – June 30, 2001
| Imelda C. Roces
|-
! scope="row" | June 30, 2001 – June 30, 2010
| Noel E. Rosal
|-
! scope="row" | June 30, 2010 – June 30, 2013
| Carmen Geraldine B. Rosal
|-
! scope="row" | June 30, 2013 – June 30, 2022
| Noel E. Rosal
|-
! scope="row" | June 30, 2022 – September 16, 2024
| Carmen Geraldine B. Rosal
|-
! scope="row" | September 16, 2024 – November 11, 2024
| Oscar Robert H. Cristobal
|-
! scope="row" | November 11, 2024 – June 30, 2025
| Alfredo A. Garbin Jr.
|-
! scope="row" | Term Starts on June 30, 2025
| Hisham B. Ismael
|}
Culture
Festivals
thumb|Magayon Festival
Legazpi City hosts several annual festivals. The Ibalong Festival is a non-religious cultural celebration held every August. It commemorates the ancient epic-fragment of Ibalong and its legendary heroes (Baltog, Handyong, and Bantong) The nine-day festival features street dance presentations, trade fairs and markets, the Mutya ng Ibalong beauty pageant, and various sporting competitions such as the Mt. Mayon Triathlon.
Each May the province observes the Magayon Festival, a month-long cultural event celebrating the legend of Daragang Magayon (from the Bikol word magayon, "beautiful") and the iconic Mt. Mayon, with many of the events held in Legazpi City particularly in the Penaranda Park. The festival's activities typically include agricultural fairs and exhibits, cultural performances, parades, and the Daragang Magayon beauty pageant (portraying the legendary maiden Magayon).
A newly established festival is the Bicol Loco Hot Air Balloon Festival. First staged in 2024 at Legazpi's old airport, this is an annual mid-year event featuring dozens of colorful hot-air balloons against Mayon's backdrop. The multi-day festival includes aerial activities (such as skydiving jumps, paramotor and aerobatic displays) and nightly concerts and entertainment.
Legazpi's two city districts also observe annual patronal fiestas. In the Port District, the feast of St. Raphael the Archangel is celebrated every October 24. The city government has declared October 24 a special non-working holiday each year for this district fiesta. (The old Albay District similarly holds its own feast day on September 3 in honor of St. Gregory the Great.
There are also several local festivals held in the city's barangays including Santo Cristo Festival in Barangay Dap-Dap, Bankero Festival in Barangay San Roque, Biga Festival in Barangay Bigaa, Banua Festival in Barangay Binanuahan, Peñafrancia Festival in Barangay Sabang and Hikot Festival in Barangay Victory Village.
Cuisine
thumb|Laing
thumb|Bicol Express
Legazpi's cuisine reflects the bold, coconut-rich, and chili-infused flavors of Bicolano cooking. Common staples include laing (dried taro leaves in coconut milk), Bicol Express (pork stewed in spicy coconut cream), and pinangat (ground shrimp wrapped in taro leaves). These dishes rely on coconut milk (gata) and siling labuyo (bird's eye chili), giving Bicolano food its distinct richness and heat. Another local specialty is tinutungang manok, a spicy chicken stew made with "scalded" or charred coconut cream.
Street food and local eateries in Legazpi also serve dishes such as kinunot (shredded stingray or shark in coconut milk with malunggay), inolokan (a variety of pinangat, crab or shrimp stuffed in taro leaves and stewed in creamy coconut sauce), and kandingga, a spicy Bicolano version of bopis using pork offal.
For dessert, the city is known for sili ice cream, made with red chilies and popularized by 1st Colonial Grill. It is available in varying levels of spiciness. Other native sweets include pilinut candies and pili pastillas, highlighting the region's prized pili nut.
The city's food culture has evolved with new food parks and hawker-style street food hubs. Sawangan Park, along the Albay Gulf, has open-air food kiosks and stalls offering grilled dishes, rice meals, and snacks. Legazpi Boulevard also becomes a food destination at night, with pop-up stalls serving skewers, seafood, and local street snacks.
The Legazpi City Food Park, located in the city proper, features a variety of vendors offering local specialties and modern Filipino snacks in a communal setting. Highlands Park Legazpi, located in Barangay Estanza, includes restaurants and kiosks offering grilled meats, snacks, and casual dining options with a view of Mayon Volcano.
Museums
thumb|Museo de Legazpi
There are a few museums in Legazpi that showcase and preserve the city's historical and cultural identity. The Legazpi City Museum and Library, located in a wing of City Hall along Rizal Street, contains displays of archaeological sherds, ethnographic items, 19th-century photographs, and dioramas, serving as the city's main repository of tangible heritage. Though modest in size, it is noted for its object-based storytelling on everyday life in the Mayon region.
Nearby, beside St. Gregory the Great Cathedral, is the Museo de Legazpi, opened in March 2019 on the second floor of Gregorian Mall. Operated by the City Tourism Office, it follows a three-gallery format: a chronological history exhibit, a heritage-object room, and a rotating gallery that has hosted themes such as a Catriona Gray national costume and Pope John Paul II memorabilia exhibit.
For contemporary art, the Albay Capital Atrium Art Gallery in the atrium of the Albay Provincial Capitol regularly features juried exhibits by Bicolano artists and serves as a key venue during the Magayon Festival.
Just outside the city, in Busay, Daraga, the National Museum of the Philippines – Bicol has permanent exhibitions that cover the geology of Mayon Volcano, regional biodiversity, and archaeological finds from sites such as Cagsawa. The complex also includes a rock garden.
Parks
thumb|Plaza Rizal
Legazpi City has several public parks that serve as recreational spaces, cultural sites, and components of the city's urban landscape. These parks vary in function and historical background, with some integrated into civic centers and others designed to support ecological awareness and leisure activities.
Peñaranda Park, also known as Freedom Park, is situated in the Old Albay District adjacent to the Albay Cathedral and the Legazpi City Hall. Named after Spanish colonial official José María Peñaranda, the park, newly renovated in 2025, retains the traditional layout of a town plaza and historically hosted public assemblies and civic events. Its proximity to government institutions and heritage buildings supported its role as a focal point for administrative and ceremonial functions.
thumb|Albay Park and Wildlife Lagoon
Plaza Rizal, located in the Port District near St. Raphael the Archangel Church, is another central open space named in honor of national hero José Rizal. The plaza includes a monument and landscaped areas and hosted educational, religious, and civic gatherings.
In Barangay Gogon, Kalayaan Park—formerly known as Imelda Park—was redeveloped in 2022 as part of a city-led revitalization project. The site includes a central fountain, children's play areas, and landscaped walkways. The park serves as a recreational space for nearby residential neighborhoods and is occasionally used for barangay-level events and gatherings.
Ibalong Park (initially named People's Park), located along Legazpi Boulevard in Barangay Puro, was inaugurated in May 2025. Designed as a linear coastal park. The park contributes to the city's waterfront development and provides additional open space along the boulevard.
Within Camp General Simeon Ola, which houses the Philippine National Police regional headquarters, is the Bicol Heritage Park. The park includes a monument to General Simeon Ola, a revolutionary figure from Albay during the Philippine–American War. It functions primarily as a commemorative site and is accessible to the public.
The Albay Park and Wildlife, located near the Daraga–Legazpi boundary, is a zoological and botanical facility administered by the provincial government. It contains a variety of native and non-native animal species and features picnic areas and landscaped grounds. The park is primarily used for educational trips, family outings, and provincial environmental programs.
Lignon Hill Nature Park is located on a cinder cone rising 156 meters above sea level. The site includes a paved trail to the summit, from which visitors can view Legazpi, Mayon Volcano, and surrounding areas. In addition to its recreational use, the hill hosts a volcano monitoring station operated by the Philippine Institute of Volcanology and Seismology (PHIVOLCS), underscoring its relevance to the region's disaster risk management efforts.
Monuments
thumb|Battle of Legazpi Pylon
Legazpi is home to several monuments that reflect its layered history and cultural identity. At the intersection of Rizal Street and Quezon Avenue stands the Battle of Legazpi Monument, a postwar concrete pylon commemorating the January 23, 1900, clash between Filipino defenders under Commander Antonio Reyes and U.S. forces during the Philippine–American War. In Peñaranda Park, the Liberty Bell, installed by American troops in 1945, symbolizes liberation from Japanese occupation. Its inscription invites people to ring it "whenever oppression knocks," embodying themes of freedom and postwar renewal.
At Plaza Rizal, a bronze statue of José Rizal, originally erected in 1924 and rebuilt after World War II, serves as a civic centerpiece and enduring tribute to the national hero.
Along Legazpi Boulevard, statues of Baltog, Handyong, and Bantong, the legendary heroes of the Ibalong Epic, stand sentinel at the entrances to bridges named after them. Created between 2021 and 2023 by sculptor Juanito Napay, these figures are central to Legazpi's promotion of its indigenous folklore. A more somber reminder of the past, the Headless WWII Memorial in front of the post office commemorates unidentified Filipino guerrillas killed during the war, inspired by the discovery of a decapitated body on Sabang beach in 1945.
The Padang Memorial Shrine in Barangay Padang marks the devastation wrought by Typhoon Reming in 2006, when lahar flows buried much of the village. The site contains a tribute to the victims and is visited yearly for remembrance. In Barangay Bañadero, a statue of General José Ignacio Paua, the only full-blooded Chinese general in the Philippine revolution, honors his contributions to the anti-colonial struggle in the Bicol region.
Air
thumb|Bicol International Airport Terminal
Legazpi City is served by the Bicol International Airport (BIA) in Barangay Alobo, Daraga, which opened in October 2021 to replace the old Legazpi Airport. With a single runway 2,500 meters (8,200 ft) long and 45 meters (148 ft) wide and modern facilities, BIA is designed to handle wide-body jets and is envisioned as an international gateway to the Bicol region. In 2024, it handled over 2 million passengers annually, making it a major regional hub. It currently offers multiple daily flights connecting Daraga to Manila, Cebu and Iloilo through carriers like Cebu Pacific (including its Cebgo subsidiary) and Philippine Airlines.
The Department of Tourism is working with airlines to add new direct routes (e.g. to Davao, Palawan, Siargao) and is upgrading the airport (installing passport scanners, relocating immigration and customs offices) to facilitate future international flights. Transportation Secretary Vince Dizon has announced plans for BIA to begin international service to destinations such as Hong Kong, Thailand and Singapore by the end of 2025.
Land
thumb|Legazpi Grand Central Terminal
Legazpi lies on the Philippine highway network (the Maharlika Highway, part of the Pan-Philippine Corridor), which connects the city by road to Manila to the north and Sorsogon to the south. The national government has approved major highway projects to improve connectivity. In particular, SLEX Toll Road 5 is a planned 420‑km, four‑lane expressway from Lucena City (Quezon Province) through the Bicol Region to Matnog (Sorsogon). This highway will significantly cut travel time along the eastern seaboard of Luzon: San Miguel Corporation has committed to build Toll Road 5, which will pass through Quezon, Camarines Sur, Albay and Sorsogon.
Public land transport in Legazpi includes buses, jeepneys, tricycles, taxis and pedicabs. Legazpi Grand Central Terminal (opened 2014) is the main intercity bus and van terminal for the city. This award-winning terminal was built under a 25‑year public-private partnership: a private developer constructed and now operates the 3.45-hectare "state-of-the-art" terminal complex at no cost to the city. It handles routes to Naga, Manila and other major cities, and has modern facilities for passengers. Local trips within the metro area are mainly by jeepney and tricycle, with taxi cabs and ride hailing services serving the central business district.
As of 2023, Legazpi City had a total road length of 590.09 kilometers. Of this, the majority—520.90 kilometers—were concrete roads, reflecting extensive urban infrastructure development. The remaining network includes 54.16 kilometers of asphalt roads, 10.24 kilometers of gravel roads, and 4.79 kilometers of unpaved roads. This composition highlights the city's emphasis on durable road surfacing to support both urban mobility and regional connectivity.
In addition to these developments, the Department of Transportation (DOTr) has announced plans for long-term rail modernization in the region. This includes efforts to secure funding for the revival of the long-distance Bicol Express and the proposed South Long Haul railway project, which envisions a standard-gauge connection between Manila and Legazpi.
Waste management
The city government operates a sanitary landfill in barangay Banquerohan. Opened in 2011 through a grant from the Spanish government's Agencia Espanola Cooperacion Internacional para el Desarollo (AECID), the landfill has two cells that will contain the city's non-recyclable waste. In 2010, Legazpi implemented a solid waste management program with emphasis on reduction of waste in the household and business establishment level; resource recovery, recycling, and reusing at the barangay level; collection, transfer, transport and management of residual waste at the city level. The city also aims to reduce plastic waste by implementing the 'plastic for rice program' wherein citizens can exchange five kilos of residual plastic waste for a kilo of rice. The city government recognizes barangays that practice outstanding solid waste management.
As a result of its waste management programs, the city was able to successfully reduce solid waste generated per capita per day from in 2009 to in 2015. A Japanese firm has also proposed an organic fertilizer manufacturing project.
Flood control
To prevent flooding in the city's main business center, the city government is building a flood control project that is envisioned to turn Legazpi into an 'all weather city'. Components of the project include three pumping stations located in barangays San Roque, Baybay and Victory Village, dikes and drainage systems along the Tibu and Macabalo Rivers, and a 2.7 kilometer coastal road in barangays Pigcale, Sabang, Baybay, San Roque and Rawis that will serve as protection from storm surges.
Education
Legazpi City serves as the educational center of the Bicol Region, hosting a broad network of institutions that provide early childhood, basic, technical, tertiary, and graduate education. The city is home to both public and private universities, colleges, and specialized institutions in fields such as medicine, maritime education, and teacher training.
As of School Year (SY) 2022–2023, Legazpi recorded 4,398 graduates and 34,444 enrollees in higher educational institutions (HEIs) recognized by the Commission on Higher Education (CHED). In addition, there were 2,650 senior high school graduates under the Department of Education (DepEd), and 18,705 graduates from technical-vocational programs under TESDA. The city's top disciplines in HEIs include Education Science & Teacher Training (13,617), Accountancy and Business Administration (8,113), Engineering & Mathematics (4,319), IT-related fields (2,852), and Medical and Allied Fields (1,736).
thumb|UST-Legazpi
University of Santo Tomas–Legazpi (UST–Legazpi), a private Catholic university administered by the Dominican Order, was established in 1948 and attained university status in 1968. It offers basic education, undergraduate, and graduate programs across five colleges: Arts, Sciences and Education; Health Sciences; Engineering, Architecture and Fine Arts; Business Management and Accountancy; and Law. Its College of Law produced the topnotcher of the 2019 Bar Examination. The Graduate School offers programs in education, nursing, psychology, business, and public administration. Its MBA program hold Level III accreditation from the Philippine Association of Colleges and Universities Commission on Accreditation (PACUCOA).
thumb|Divine Word College of Legazpi
Divine Word College of Legazpi (DWCL) is a private Catholic institution operated by the Society of the Divine Word (SVD). Founded in 1947, it offers both basic and higher education. Academic programs include teacher education, business, engineering, and nursing. Several of its programs are accredited by the Philippine Accrediting Association of Schools, Colleges and Universities (PAASCU). DWCL integrates religious instruction and values-based education in its academic offerings.
Ago Medical and Educational Center – Bicol Christian College of Medicine (AMEC–BCCM) is a private medical school established in 1975. It offers a Doctor of Medicine program and other allied health courses. The institution is affiliated with national medical education bodies and listed in the World Directory of Medical Schools. In 2022, it reported a high passing rate in the Midwifery Licensure Examination, including top ten placements.
Mariners' Polytechnic Colleges Foundation (MPCF–Legazpi) specializes in maritime education and training. It offers programs in marine transportation, marine engineering, and related technical courses. In 2025, the institution completed its ISO 9001:2015 recertification audit. MPCF maintains partnerships with international shipping companies and reports regular student placement in the maritime industry. It also fields licensure examination passers in mechanical and marine engineering disciplines.
thumb|St. Agnes' Academy, Legazpi
St. Agnes' Academy (SAA), founded in 1912 by the Missionary Benedictine Sisters, is the oldest Catholic school in Albay. It is a private, coeducational K–12 institution whose basic education program was granted PAASCU reaccreditation through February 2025.
Legazpi City Science High School (LEGASCI) is a public science high school established in 2004 and designated as a science high school in 2016. It offers a Special Program in Science, Technology, and Engineering (SPSTE) at the junior high level, and STEM, ABM, and ICT strands in senior high school. LEGASCI is government-funded, and its students—known locally as "Citinistas"—regularly participate in regional academic and press competitions, supported by the city government.
Notable personalities
<!--NOTE: Only add people with Wikipedia article as per WP notability.-->
- Caloy Loria businessman, politician
- Ramon Obusan – National Artist of the Philippines for Dance.
- Susan Enriquez journalistic, host
- Salvacion Lim Higgins – National Artist of the Philippines for Fashion Design.
- Mariano Goyena del Prado – historian, ethnologist, and poet <!-- born 1888 -->
- Everardo Napay – Iloilo-born zarzuela playwright, architect, sculptor, composer, and choreographer; worked in Legazpi for more than three decades
- Teotimo C. Pacis – Bishop, Biblical translator, and poet
- Bogs Adornado – three-time PBA Most Valuable Player (1975, 1976, and 1981), one of the PBA's 25 Greatest Players of All-Time
- Merlinda Bobis – contemporary Philippine-Australian writer and academic
- Irene Cortes – former Associate Justice of the Supreme Court of the Philippines; first female Dean of the UP College of Law
- Janelle Quintana – actress; 19th Aliw Awards Best New Female Artist nominee
- Valerie Weigmann – TV host, actress; Miss World Philippines 2014
- Athena Imperial - news field reporter, communication researcher and Miss Philippines Earth 2011.
- Petite - actor, comedian, singer and TV show host.
- Miguel White – track and field athlete; bronze medalist in the 400-metre hurdles at the 1936 Summer Olympics
Sister cities
Local
- Mandaluyong, Metro Manila
- Bacolod, Negros Occidental
- Bacoor, Cavite
- Masbate City, Masbate
- Sorsogon City, Sorsogon
- Castilla, Sorsogon
- Davao City
International
- Chōshi, Japan
- Hengyang, China
- Beaumont, Texas, USA
Gallery
<gallery widths="150" heights="120">
The bluish mayon volcano and its city.jpg|Quezon Avenue
Plaza Rizal and Bichara Silverscreens.jpg|Plaza Rizal
Old Albay District, Rizal Street (Legazpi, Albay; 04-10-2024).jpg|Old Albay District
Legazpi Port District, Labanan sa Legazpi Rotonda (Legazpi, Albay; 04-17-2023).jpg|Legazpi Port District
</gallery>
See also
- Bicolano People
- List of Bicol Region Cities and Municipalities
References
External links
- Legazpi City Tourism Information Guide
- [ Philippine Standard Geographic Code]