Ever since I was a child, my love for traveling was evident as I was always giddy whenever I saw an airplane or a bus, true enough up until this writing, my love for traveling and seeing the 82 provinces of the Philippines is now a realized dream. It was not an easy journey as many things and events happened along the way. My personal quest for Project 82 PH was not intentional until I got to see my fellow travel bloggers visit interesting places in and around the Philippines.
I traced my Project 82 PH journey back to my first-ever airplane flight, my college field trip to Cebu and Bohol(Province 1 and 2) on 25 to 27 March 2011, a day shy from my 19th birthday. It was my “Field Trip 2” subject during my college years and I was quite a bit nervous riding an airplane.
It was “Project 80” back then until Davao Occidental (Province 63) was established as the Philippines’ 81st province in 2013. Then it became “Project 82 PH” when Maguindanao was split into two, Maguindanao Del Sur and Maguindanao Del Norte (Province 55 and 56), following a plebiscite in 2023.
A journey to all the 82 provinces of the Philippines is no small feat. It requires dedication, passion for travel, LOTS of research and connections, and of course, time and money! My journey then continued when I visited my mother mountain – Mount Pulag, in March 2015 and a trip to the birthplace of Philippine surfing – Baler, Aurora (Province 11) in June 2015.
Slowly from “bucket list,” my Project 82 PH journey became a “bakit list” (list of ‘whys’) because eventually, during the course of my travel, I found purpose – exploring the Philippines is more than completing the 82 provinces – it is about learning the diversity of culture, traditions, and ways of life of Filipinos in every corner of the country. I let myself be immersed into each province – letting me know the very fabric of being Filipino – from each province’s local food, culture, and things unique to each place. Honestly, I have yet to document and publish all my travel guides and itineraries as life happened during my 15-year Project 82 PH journey..
While juggling my time between my full-time work, working on my Master’s degree back then, and blogging with the Baguio local scene, traveling in and out of Baguio City was really challenging since the main airport (NAIA, IATA: MNL) is located 4 to 5 hours away.
I promised myself that after graduating from my Master’s degree in 2024, I would go full scale in completing my personal Project 82 PH journey. Right after my overseas trip to Brunei Darussalam and Malaysia as part of my South East Asian travel series, I whisked myself away to attend my Master’s graduation and immediately planned for a trip to Zamboanga Peninsula (Zamboanga Del Norte – Province 61, Zamboanga Del Sur – Province 16, and Zamboanga Sibugay – Province 62).
After all the ups and downs of traveling around and after the pandemic hit, I have completed visiting all the provinces of Mindanao by June 2025, being Davao de Oro as the last province I visited on June 22 to 23, 2025. I then completed the Visayas island group with Southern Leyte as my last province, which I visited on January 6 to 9, 2026, and ultimately finishing Luzon Islands (and the Philippines) with a birthday trip to Batanes on March 27 to April 1, 2026, completing my 15-year Project 82 PH journey.
As I have completed visiting all the 82 provinces of the Philippines through my personal Project 82 PH for 15 years (2011 to 2026), let this be a reminder for everyone who aspires to travel to the ends of the Philippines that it is not impossible to start now. Just know where you are going and know your purpose – but it is also an adventurous idea to get lost in the way sometimes. And always know that no matter how many detours you encounter, how many heartaches you experience, even how many flights you need to catch, just remember, you were born to travel!
Thank you, turistas! The Round 2 of my personal Project 82 PH journey has also officially started! See you around the Philippines (and the world!) Let’s plan to visit all 193 UN countries! G? Let’s stay connected on my socials – @turistaboy (all social media platforms).
Photos of all the 82 provinces of the Philippines!
Mactan Shrine Lapu-Lapu City Cebu Project 82 PH | Turista Boy
Chocolate Hills Carmen Bohol Project 82 PH | Turista Boy
Kamay ni Hesus Lucban Quezon Project 82 PH | Turista Boy
Poro Boulevard Legazpi City Albay Project 82 PH | Turista Boy
Ma-Cho Temple San Fernando City La Union Project 82 PH | Turista Boy
Kapurpurawan Rock Formation Burgos Ilocos Norte Project 82 PH | Turista Boy
Mount Pulag Kabayan Benguet Project 82 PH | Turista Boy
Taal View Deck Tagaytay City Cavite Project 82 PH | Turista Boy
Blue Soil Hills Sagada Mountain Province Project 82 PH | Turista Boy
Boracay White Beach Malay Aklan Project 82 PH | Turista Boy
