The Pan-Philippine Highway, also known as the Maharlika Highway (Tagalog: Daang Maharlika; Cebuano: Dalang Halangdon), is a network of roads, expressways, bridges, and ferry services that connect the islands of Luzon, Samar, Leyte, and Mindanao in the Philippines, serving as the country's principal transport backbone. Measuring 3,379.73 kilometers (2,100.07 mi) long excluding sea routes not counted by highway milestones, it is the longest road in the Philippines that forms the country's north–south backbone component of National Route 1 (N1) of the Philippine highway network. The entire highway is designated as Asian Highway 26 (AH26) of the Asian Highway Network.

The northern terminus of the highway is in front of the Ilocos Norte Provincial Capitol in Laoag and the southern terminus is near the Zamboanga City Hall in Zamboanga City.

History

The Pan-Philippine Highway System was an infrastructure program of President Ferdinand Marcos as a first priority project for the improvement and expansion of Philippine highway and land transport networks. The project requires the concreting of 3,003 kilometers (1,866 mi) from 1965 to 1969. This included the construction of 11,333 bridges, comprising the entire system. It is a mixture of old existing roads and new roads that would be eventually added to become part of the highway. Government planners believed that the motorway and other connected roads would stimulate agricultural production by reducing transport costs, encourage social and economic development outside existing major urban centers such as Manila, and expand industrial production for domestic and overseas markets. Construction, which continued in the following decades, was supported by loans and grants from foreign aid institutions, including the World Bank. In 1979, the highway was renamed to Maharlika Highway.

The highway was rehabilitated and improved in 1997, during the administration of President Fidel V. Ramos, with assistance from the Japanese government, and dubbed the "Philippine-Japan Friendship Highway". Japan's assistance is applied only up to Carmen, Davao del Norte at the south, thus covering only about 2,100 kilometers (1,300 mi) or about 62% of the highway's entire length. In 1998, the Department of Tourism designated 35 sections of the highway as "Scenic Highways", with developed amenities for travelers and tourists.

J.P. Laurel Avenue in Davao City, featuring an N1/AH26 reassurance marker in 2021. This segment was reclassified to N916-5 in the mid-2020s, though it remains part of the Pan-Philippine Highway (AH26).

The Pan-Philippine Highway originally encompassed untolled sections between Guiguinto, Bulacan, and Calamba, Laguna, but its alignment was later shifted to utilize the North and South Luzon Expressways. In the mid-2020s, alongside N1, the highway was realigned from the Simuay–Landasan–Parang Road (now N937) to a bypass road also traversing between Parang and Sultan Mastura in Maguindanao del Norte.

Proposed rehabilitation

In 2026, the Department of Public Works and Highways (DPWH) announced a massive, full-scale rehabilitation of the Pan-Philippine Highway that is slated to start with a bidding around April. This initiative marks the first comprehensive overhaul of the highway since its completion in the late 1970s. According to Secretary Vince Dizon, the project would prioritize the highway's segments in Quezon, Bicol Region, Samar, and parts of Mindanao.

Asian Highway Network

The Pan-Philippine Highway is designated as AH26 in the Asian Highway Network, a cooperative project which seeks to improve highway systems and standards across the continent. Ratified by the Philippines in 2007, it is currently the only highway in the system that is isolated from every other highway; island-based sections of the Asian Highway Network in Japan (AH1), Sri Lanka (AH43) and Indonesia (AH2) are all linked to the mainland sections by ferries to South Korea (AH1), India (Dhanushkodi), and Singapore, respectively. Despite its isolation, it can be linked internationally via ferry like the Zamboanga–Malaysia route.

Route description

N1/AH26 reassurance marker in Burgos, Ilocos Norte
E2/AH26 reassurance marker along South Luzon Expressway (Skyway At-Grade) in Muntinlupa

AH26 officially runs along the following thoroughfares:

Auxiliary Routes

Roxas Boulevard passing through the capital city of Manila
Sayre Highway in Manolo Fortich, Bukidnon

Alternatively, AH26 runs along the following thoroughfares:

Luzon (West Metro Manila)

Luzon (South Skyway)

Visayas

Mindanao

Intersections

Ilocos Norte

Cagayan

Isabela

Nueva Vizcaya

Nueva Ecija

Bulacan

The intersection of Doña Remedios Trinidad Highway (AH26) and Pulilan Regional Road (N115) in Pulilan.
The intersection of Pan-Philippine Highway (AH26), Governor Padilla Street (N116) and General Alejo Santos Highway in Plaridel.
Harbor Link Interchange in Valenzuela
Magallanes Interchange in Makati

Metro Manila

Cavite

Laguna (Biñan–Calamba)

Pan-Philippine Highway (N1/AH26) crossing beneath the STAR Tollway (E2) at Santo Tomas Interchange, Santo Tomas, Batangas

Batangas

  • E2 in Santo Tomas
  • N421-2 in Santo Tomas (northern terminus)
  • N4 / N421-2 in Santo Tomas

Laguna (Alaminos–San Pablo)

  • N421-1 in Alaminos (two eastern termini)
  • N67 in San Pablo (two southern termini)
  • N608-1 in San Pablo
The intersection of Maharlika Highway (N1/AH26) and Pagbilao–Padre Burgos Road (N610) in Pagbilao

Quezon

  • N608-1 in Tiaong
  • N608 in Tiaong (northern terminus)
  • N435 in Tiaong
  • N608 in Tiaong (southern terminus)
  • N609 in Candelaria
  • N422-1 in Candelaria
  • N609 in Candelaria
  • N606 in Sariaya
  • N606 in Isabang, Tayabas
  • N422 in Isabang, Lucena
  • N603 in Gulang-Gulang, Lucena
  • N606 in Talipan, Pagbilao
  • N610 in Silangang Malicboy, Pagbilao
  • N613-2 in Atimonan
  • N618-1 in Gumaca (western terminus)
  • N613 in Gumaca
  • N618-1 in Gumaca (eastern terminus)
  • N612-1 in Lopez (western terminus)
  • N611 in Lopez
  • N612 in Lopez
  • N612-1 in Lopez (eastern terminus)
  • N657 in Lopez

Camarines Norte

Camarines Sur

Albay

Sorsogon

Northern Samar

Samar

Samar–Leyte boundary

The San Juanico Bridge carries the Pan-Philippine Highway between Samar and Leyte islands

Leyte

  • N717 in Tacloban (northern terminus)
  • N686 in Tacloban
  • N687 in Tacloban
  • N717 in Tacloban (southern terminus)
  • N718 in Palo
  • N686 in Palo
  • N70 in Palo
  • N719 in Palo
  • N690 in Abuyog
  • N70 in Mahaplag

Southern Leyte

Surigao del Norte

Agusan del Norte

Agusan del Sur

Davao de Oro

Davao del Norte

  • N908 in Tagum (northern terminus)
  • N909 / N74 in Tagum
  • N908 in Tagum (southern terminus)
  • N910 in Carmen
  • N909 in Panabo
Buhangin Underpass along Carlos P. Garcia National Highway (N1/AH26) at its intersection with Buhangin–Lapanday Road (N918) in Davao City

Davao del Sur

  • N918-1 in Davao City
  • N1 in Davao City
  • N914 in Buhangin, Davao City
  • N915 in Buhangin, Davao City
  • N916 in Agdao, Davao City (eastern terminus)
  • N917 in Agdao, Davao City
  • N918 in Agdao & Buhangin, Davao City
  • N919 / N920 in Poblacion, Davao City
  • N919 in Poblacion, Davao City
  • N920 in Poblacion, Davao City
  • N921 in Talomo, Davao City
  • N916 in Talomo, Davao City (western terminus)
  • N1 in Davao City
  • AH 26 (N10) in Davao City
  • N916-1 in Davao City
  • N923 in Digos (northern terminus)
  • N75 in Digos
  • N924 in Digos
  • N923 in Hagonoy (southern terminus)
  • N930 in Sulop

South Cotabato

  • N931 in General Santos (eastern terminus)
  • N930 in General Santos
  • N935 in General Santos
  • N931 in General Santos

Sultan Kudarat

Maguindanao del Sur

Maguindanao del Norte

Lanao del Sur

Aerial view of AH26 towards its southern terminus in Zamboanga City

Zamboanga del Sur

Zamboanga Sibugay

Zamboanga City

  • N972
  • N968
  • N966 / N970 / N971. Southern terminus of AH26.

Auxiliary routes

Pasay Rotonda, an intersection of N1/AH26 (EDSA) and N170 (Taft Avenue) in Pasay

Metro Manila (western route) – part of N1 and N120

Visayas (western route) – part of N70

  • N1 in Palo. Northern terminus of AH26 auxiliary route in Visayas.
  • N718 in Palo
  • N681 in Capoocan
  • N683 in Ormoc
  • N684 in Ormoc
  • N70 in Ormoc

Mindanao – part of N10 and N9

  • N1 in Davao City. Southern terminus of AH26 auxiliary route in Mindanao.
  • N942 in Arakan
  • N943 in Maramag
  • N912-1 in Maramag (southern terminus of southern section)
  • N912 in Valencia
  • N912-1 in Valencia (northern terminus of southern section)
  • N912-1 in Malaybalay (northern & southern terminus of northern section)
  • N946 in Cagayan de Oro
  • N862 in Cagayan de Oro
  • N946 in Cagayan de Oro
  • N945 / N9 in Cagayan de Oro
  • N862 in Cagayan de Oro
  • N946 in Cagayan de Oro

See also

Notes

Alternative names

Pan-Philippine Highway also has alternative names, especially locally within the poblacion of respective town and cities.

External links