Catanduanes (/ˌkɑːtɑːnˈdwɑːnɛs/; Tagalog pronunciation: [kxɐtɐnˈdwɐnes]) is an island province located in the Bicol Region of Luzon in the Philippines. It is the 12th-largest island in the Philippines, and lies to the east of Camarines Sur, across Maqueda Channel. Its capital is Virac. It had a population of 271,879 people as of the 2020 census.  On April 15, 2022, President Rodrigo Duterte has signed the Republic Act No. 11700 declaring Catanduanes province as the Philippines Abaca Capital.