5/27/2019 Cities of the Philippines – PhilAtlas

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PhilAtlas

Cities

Cities in the Philippines are classified into highly urbanized cities, or component cities. All totaling
thirty-three (33), the highly urbanized cities (HUCs) have a minimum population of 200,000 and an
annual income of at least fifty million Philippine pesos (₱50 M). Those cities that do not meet the above
requirements are the component cities. The component cities are considered part of the province

where they are located. However, there are also cities that are further classified as independent
component cities. Their charters prohibit their voters from voting for elective provincial officials and
they are independent of the provinces where they are located. There are 107 component cities and only
five (5) independent component cities in the Philippines. The latter category are Dagupan in Pangasinan,
Naga in Camarines Sur, Ormoc in Leyte, Santiago in Isabela, and Cotabato City.

A component city is created by an Act of Congress and duly ratified by the affected voting population in
a plebiscite. The requisites for its creation are an average annual income of at least twenty million
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Philippine pesos (₱20 M) for the last two (2) consecutive years, and either of the following:

a contiguous territory of at least 100 square kilometers, or

a minimum population of 150,000

As regards a highly urbanized city, only the President can declare its creation subject to the approval of
the majority of the affected electorate in a plebiscite.

The elected officials of the city government are the Mayor who is the chief executive, the Vice-Mayor, and
the Sangguniang Panlungsod members. There are also appointive officials in charge of the various
offices in the city government.

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List of cities

Highly urbanized cities (33)

Angeles Mandaue
Bacolod Manila
Baguio Marikina
Butuan Muntinlupa
Cagayan de Oro Navotas
Caloocan Olongapo
Cebu City Parañaque
Davao City Pasay
General Santos Pasig
Iligan Puerto Princesa
Iloilo City Quezon City
Lapu-Lapu San Juan
Las Piñas Tacloban
Lucena Taguig
Makati Valenzuela
Malabon Zamboanga City
Mandaluyong

Independent component cities (5)

Cotabato City Ormoc (Leyte)

Dagupan (Pangasinan) Santiago (Isabela)
Naga (Camarines Sur)

Component cities (107)

Alaminos (Pangasinan) Bayawan (Negros Oriental)

Antipolo (Rizal) Baybay (Leyte)
Bacoor (Cavite) Bayugan (Agusan del Sur)
Bago (Negros Occidental) Bislig (Surigao del Sur)
Bais (Negros Oriental) Biñan (Laguna)
Balanga (Bataan) Bogo (Cebu)
Batac (Ilocos Norte) Borongan (Eastern Samar)
Batangas City (Batangas) Cabadbaran (Agusan del Norte)
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Cabanatuan (Nueva Ecija) Lipa (Batangas)

Cabuyao (Laguna) Maasin (Southern Leyte)
Cadiz (Negros Occidental) Mabalacat (Pampanga)
Calamba (Laguna) Malaybalay (Bukidnon)
Calapan (Oriental Mindoro) Malolos (Bulacan)
Calbayog (Samar) Marawi (Lanao del Sur)
Candon (Ilocos Sur) Masbate City (Masbate)
Canlaon (Negros Oriental) Mati (Davao Oriental)
Carcar (Cebu) Meycauayan (Bulacan)
Catbalogan (Samar) Muñoz (Nueva Ecija)
Cauayan (Isabela) Naga (Cebu)
Cavite City (Cavite) Oroquieta (Misamis Occidental)
Danao (Cebu) Ozamiz (Misamis Occidental)
Dapitan (Zamboanga del Norte) Pagadian (Zamboanga del Sur)
Dasmariñas (Cavite) Palayan (Nueva Ecija)
Digos (Davao del Sur) Panabo (Davao del Norte)
Dipolog (Zamboanga del Norte) Passi (Iloilo)
Dumaguete (Negros Oriental) Roxas City (Capiz)
El Salvador (Misamis Oriental) Sagay (Negros Occidental)
Escalante (Negros Occidental) Samal (Davao del Norte)
Gapan (Nueva Ecija) San Carlos (Pangasinan)
General Trias (Cavite) San Carlos (Negros Occidental)
Gingoog (Misamis Oriental) San Fernando (La Union)
Guihulngan (Negros Oriental) San Fernando (Pampanga)
Himamaylan (Negros Occidental) San Jose (Nueva Ecija)
Ilagan (Isabela) San Jose del Monte (Bulacan)
Imus (Cavite) San Pablo (Laguna)
Iriga (Camarines Sur) San Pedro (Laguna)
Isabela City (Basilan) Santa Rosa (Laguna)
Kabankalan (Negros Occidental) Silay (Negros Occidental)
Kidapawan (Cotabato) Sipalay (Negros Occidental)
Koronadal (South Cotabato) Sorsogon City (Sorsogon)
La Carlota (Negros Occidental) Surigao City (Surigao del Norte)
Lamitan (Basilan) Tabaco (Albay)
Laoag (Ilocos Norte) Tabuk (Kalinga)
Legazpi (Albay) Tacurong (Sultan Kudarat)
Ligao (Albay) Tagaytay (Cavite)

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Tagbilaran (Bohol) Tayabas (Quezon)

Tagum (Davao del Norte) Toledo (Cebu)
Talisay (Negros Occidental) Trece Martires (Cavite)
Talisay (Cebu) Tuguegarao (Cagayan)
Tanauan (Batangas) Urdaneta (Pangasinan)
Tandag (Surigao del Sur) Valencia (Bukidnon)
Tangub (Misamis Occidental) Victorias (Negros Occidental)
Tanjay (Negros Oriental) Vigan (Ilocos Sur)
Tarlac City (Tarlac)

Statistics

Based on the 2015 census, the cities with the highest population are Quezon City (2,936,116),
Manila (1,780,148), and Davao City (1,632,991). For component cities, the most populated are

Antipolo (776,386), Dasmariñas (659,019), and Bacoor (600,609). Those with the lowest population are

Palayan (41,041), El Salvador (50,204), and Vigan (53,879).

By land area, the largest are Davao City (2,443.61 km2 or 943.48 sq mi), Puerto Princesa (2,381.02 km2

or 919.32 sq mi), and Zamboanga City (1,414.70 km2 or 546.22 sq mi), while the smallest are San

Juan (5.95 km2 or 2.30 sq mi), Navotas (10.77 km2 or 4.16 sq mi), and Cavite City (10.89 km2 or

4.20 sq mi).

Sources
▸ The Local Government Code of the Philippines

▸ Data on popula on and land area are from the Philippine Sta s cs Authority

▸ Maps u lize OpenStreetMap < h p://www.openstreetmap.org/ > data available under the Open Data Commons Open
Database License < h p://www.openstreetmap.org/copyright >.

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