Legazpi, Albay

Legazpi (Tagalog: [lɛˈɡaspɪ], Latin American Spanish: [leˈɣaspi] ^ⓘ, European Spanish: [leˈɣaθpi] ^ⓘ), officially the City of Legazpi (Central Bikol: Syudad nin Legazpi; Tagalog: Lungsod ng Legazpi), is a 1st class component city and capital of the province of Albay, Philippines. It occupies 161.6 km² on the western shore of Albay Gulf, about 560 km south-east of Manila, and had a population of 210,616, according to the 2024 census.^[10]

Legazpi is the administrative, economic, and transport hub of the Bicol Region (Region V). Located just south of Mayon Volcano, whose symmetrical conical form dominates the northern skyline, 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.^[11][12][13]

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.^[14] 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.^[15][16][17]

Legazpi topped the National Competitiveness Council's Cities & Municipalities Competitive Index in 2018 and has remained in the index's top tier since, earning citations as a "most business-friendly" Philippine component city.^[18][19][20] 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.^[21][22]