The Philippine highway network is a network of national roads owned and maintained by the Department of Public Works and Highways (DPWH) and organized into three classifications according to their function or purpose: national primary, secondary, and tertiary roads. The national roads connecting major cities are numbered from N1 to N83. They are mostly single and dual carriageways linking two or more cities.
As of October 16, 2023, it has a total length of of concrete roads, of asphalt roads, of gravel roads, and of earth roads, with a grand total of . According to a 2011 report from the Asian Development Bank, the extent of the road network in the Philippines is comparable with or better than many neighboring developing countries in Southeast Asia. However, in terms of the quality of the road system, i.e., the percentage of paved roads and the percentage of those in good or fair condition, the country lagged behind its neighbors .
Classification
Under Executive Order No. 483 in 1951, roads were classified as national, provincial, or municipal and city roads; construction, maintenance and improvement of national roads were assigned to district and city engineers under the supervision of the Director of Public Works.
The national roads in the Philippines are classified into three types by the Department of Public Works and Highways under the Philippine Highway Act of 1953 (Republic Act No. 917) and the series of memorandums issued by the department between 2009 and 2014.
National primary The national primary roads are roads that form parts of the main trunkline system and directly connect three or more major cities and metropolitan areas with a population of at least 100,000. They are further classified into the north–south backbone, east–west lateral, and other roads of strategic importance. The north–south backbone refers to the main trunkline, the Pan-Philippine Highway (N1, also designated as Asian Highway 26), which runs from Laoag in the northernmost parts of Luzon to Zamboanga City in western Mindanao, interconnecting the country's major islands. The east–west lateral roads are roads that traverse this backbone and runs east–west across the different islands. Other roads of strategic importance provide access to other areas vital for regional development and infrastructure.
National secondary The national secondary roads are roads that complement the primary roads and provide access to other major population centers. They directly link smaller cities and provincial capitals, airports, seaports, military bases and tourist centers to the primary roads.
National tertiary The third classification was introduced in 2014 known as national tertiary roads. They include other existing roads administered by the DPWH which perform a local function.
Numbering system The national roads in the Philippines are labelled with pentagonal black-on-white highway shields. Under the route numbering system of the Department of Public Works and Highways, highways numbered from N1 to N11 are the main routes or priority corridors, such as the national primary roads that connect three or more cities. The other primary roads that link two cities and municipalities with 100,000 people or less are numbered N51 to N83.
The national secondary roads are assigned with three-digit numbers where the first digit usually corresponds to the number of the primary road it links to. In the case where the secondary road connects to more than one primary road, its first digit is the lower numbered primary route.
In Metro Manila, an older route numbering system is also being implemented alongside the National Route Numbering System of the Department of Public Works and Highways. Created in 1945, Manila's arterial road network consists of 10 radial roads which serve the purpose of conveying traffic in and out of the city of Manila and are numbered in a counter-clockwise pattern, and 6 circumferential roads that serve as the beltways of the city.
Numbered routes The Philippine highway network consists of the following routes, as of 2021:
Primary roads
Number Length (km) Length (mi) Northern/eastern terminus Southern/western terminus Local names Formed Removed Notes 3517 2185 in Laoag, Ilocos Norte in Zamboanga City Maharlika Highway 1960s current Also co-signed with AH26, except between Guiguinto and Quezon City and Muntinlupa and Calamba. Route has gap in Metro Manila. 473 294 in Laoag, Ilocos Norte in Guiguinto, Bulacan MacArthur Highway / Manila North Road 1928 current Quezon Avenue in San Fernando, La Union. 118 73 in Gapan, Nueva Ecija in Olongapo Jose Abad Santos Avenue Pre-colonial period current Rizal Avenue in Olongapo proper 49 30 in Santo Tomas, Batangas in Batangas City President Jose P. Laurel Highway (Manila–Batangas Road) General Malvar Avenue (Santo Tomas) 2014 current Also known as Ayala Highway between General Luna Street and B. Morada Avenue (Route 431), in Lipa. Distance excludes spur ending at Santo Tomas city proper. 125 78 in Roxas, Capiz in Iloilo City Iloilo-Capiz Road Senator Benigno S. Aquino Jr. Avenue 2014 current New routing in Iloilo City via Jaro-Mandurriao (via El 98 Street) and Benigno Aquino Sr. Avenue 155 96 in Bacolod in Bais, Negros Oriental Bacolod South Road Bais–Kabankalan Road 2014 current 398 247 in Bacolod in Bayawan, Negros Oriental Bacolod South Road Bacolod North Road Dumaguete North Road Dumaguete South Road 2014 current Passes through Cadiz and San Carlos 174 108 in Danao, Cebu in Santander, Cebu Cebu North Road (north of Cebu City) Natalio Bacalso Avenue (south of Cebu City) 2014 current Portions in Cebu City locally named Osmena Boulevard, General Maxilom Avenue and M.J. Cuenco Avenue. M.C. Briones Street in Mandaue in Butuan in Aurora, Zamboanga del Sur Butuan–Cagayan de Oro–Iligan Road 2014 current 278 173 in Davao City in Cagayan de Oro Bukidnon–Davao RoadSayre Highway (Maramag–Cagayan de Oro) 2014 current Spur of AH26 18 11 in Quezon City East Service Road in Taguig C-5 Road 1986 current 130 81 in Tuguegarao, Cagayan in Santiago, Isabela Santiago–Tuguegarao Road 2014 current 40 25 in Enrile, Cagayan in Tabuk, Kalinga Kalinga–Cagayan Road 2014 current 11 7 in Cauayan, Isabela in Cabatuan, Isabela Cauayan–Cabatuan Road 2014 current 84 42 in Bauang, La Union in Rosario, La Union Naguilian Road Kennon Road American Colonial Period current Passes through Baguio 129 80 in Santo Tomas, La Union in Tarlac City Pangasinan–La Union Road (Santo Tomas-Dagupan) Pangasinan–Zambales Road (Dagupan-Lingayen) Romulo Highway (Lingayen–Tarlac City) 2014 current Passes through Dagupan 52 32 in San Jose, Nueva Ecija in Santo Tomas, Pangasinan San Jose–Lupao Road Lupao–Umingan Road
Umingan–Rosales Road
Carmen–Rosales Road 2014 current 28 17 in Urdaneta, Pangasinan in Dagupan Urdaneta–Dagupan Road 2014 current 39 24 in Santa Rosa, Nueva Ecija in Tarlac City Santa Rosa–Tarlac Road 2014 current Tarlac–Santa Rosa Road within Tarlac. 19 12 in Antipolo, Rizal in Quezon City Sumulong Highway Marikina–Infanta Highway
Aurora Boulevard 1900 current 28 17 in Antipolo, Rizal in Quezon City Ortigas AvenueCorazon C. Aquino Avenue (Taytay to Antipolo) 2014 current 2.49 1.55 in Taytay, Rizal in Taytay, Rizal Taytay Diversion Road current 1.83 1.14 in Angono, Rizal in Binangonan, Rizal Angono Diversion Road current 1.94 1.20 in Binangonan, Rizal in Binangonan, Rizal Binangonan Diversion Road current 10.93 6.79 in Morong, Rizal in Pililla, Rizal Sagbat–Pililla Diversion Road current 2.2 1.4 in Pasay in Parañaque Roxas Boulevard (EDSA to MIA Road) 1910s current 26 16 in Parañaque Cavite City Quirino Avenue Diego Cera Avenue Aguinaldo Highway (Bacoor to Tirona Highway)Tirona Highway
Magdiwang Highway Manila–Cavite Road Spanish colonial period current 7 4 in Parañaque Muntinlupa Dr. Santos Avenue 1921 current 25 16 in Kawit, Cavite in Trece Martires Antero Soriano Highway (Kawit–Tanza) Tanza–Trece Martires Road 2014 current 27 17 in Biñan, Laguna in Trece Martires Governor's Drive (Trece Martires–Carmona)General Malvar Street (Biñan) 1970s current 60.2 37.4 in Calamba, Laguna in Famy, Laguna Calamba-Pagsanjan RoadManila East Road (Pagsanjan to Famy) American colonial period current 18 11 in Victoria, Laguna in San Pablo, Laguna Calauan–Victoria Road Calauan–San Pablo Road 2014 current Distance excludes spurs to Bay and Maharlika Highway at San Rafael, San Pablo 93 58 in Santa Elena, Camarines Norte in Sipocot, Camarines Sur Andaya Highway 1950s current Passes through Santa Elena, Camarines Norte to Tagkawayan, Quezon as Quirino Highway and through Del Gallego, Camarines Sur to Sipocot, Camarines Sur as Rolando Andaya Highway. 81 50 in Bacolod in San Carlos, Negros Occidental Negros Occidental Eco-Tourism Highway 2014 current 167 104 in Palo, Leyte in Mahaplag, Leyte Palo–Carigara–Ormoc Road (Palo-Ormoc) Ormoc–Baybay–Southern Leyte Boundary Road (Ormoc–Baybay) Tacloban–Baybay Road (Baybay–Mahaplag) 2014 current AH26 between Palo and Ormoc. Passes through Ormoc. 46 29 in Bislig, Surigao del Sur in Trento, Agusan del Sur Cuevas–Bislig Road 2014 current 116 72 in Tagum, Davao del Norte in Mati, Davao Oriental Surigao–Davao Coastal Road 2014 current 165 103 in Digos,, Davao del Sur in Sultan Kudarat, Maguindanao del Norte Davao–Cotabato Road American colonial period current 72 45 in Makilala, Cotabato in Isulan, Sultan Kudarat Makilala–Allah Valley Road 2014 current 99 61 in Iligan in Malabang, Lanao del Sur Iligan–Marawi Road Narciso Ramos Highway (Marawi–Malabang segment) 2014 current 70 43 in Ozamiz, Misamis Occidental in Aurora, Zamboanga del Sur Ozamiz-Pagadian Road 2014 current 302 188 in Ozamiz, Misamis Occidental in Ipil, Zamboanga Sibugay Ozamiz–Oroquieta Road Oroquieta–Dipolog Road Dipolog–Sindangan–Liloy Road Liloy–Ipil Road 2014 current Passes through Oroquieta and Dipolog 82 51 in Dipolog, Zamboanga del Norte in Molave, Zamboanga del Sur Molave-Dipolog Road 2014 current 71 44 in Naga, Cebu in Barili, Cebu Toledo–Pinamungahan–Aloguinsan–Mantalongon Road Cebu–Toledo Wharf Road Naga–Uling Road 2014 current 5 3 in Mandaue Dead End A.C. Cortes Avenue (Mandaue) Mandaue–Mactan Road Pajo–Basak–Marigondon Road (Lapu-Lapu) 2014 current Route continues into Lapu-Lapu City as an unnumbered road part of Maximo V. Patalinjug Jr. Avenue 9 5 in Barili in Carcar Carcar–Barili Road 2022 current N83 section was formerly part of N830. Notes
Secondary roads Route From To Length Component roads Areas served Notes Laoag Laoag Airport Road Ilocos Norte Connects to Laoag International Airport Lal-lo Aparri Cagayan Valley Road Cagayan Camalaniugan Santa Ana Dugo–San Vicente Road