Metro Manila, the capital region of the Philippines, is a large metropolitan area that has several levels of subdivisions. Administratively, the region is divided into seventeen primary local government units with their own separate elected mayors and councils who are coordinated by the Metropolitan Manila Development Authority, a national government agency headed by a chairperson directly appointed by the Philippine president. The cities and municipality that form the region's local government units are further divided into several barangays or villages (formerly called barrios ) which are headed by an elected barangay captain and barangay council.
The region as a whole is geographically divided into four districts, of which the first district is the central capital City of Manila, the second and third districts located to the east and north of the City, respectively, and the fourth district covering the remaining areas of the region south of the City and the Pasig River.
Unlike other administrative regions in the Philippines, Metro Manila is not composed of provinces. Instead, the region is divided into four geographic areas called "districts." [1] The districts have their district centers at the four original cities in the region: the city-district of Manila (Capital District), Quezon City (Eastern Manila), Caloocan (Northern Manila, also informally known as Camanava), and Pasay (Southern Manila). [2] The districts serve mainly to organize the region's local government units for fiscal and statistical purposes.
Districts of Metro Manila | |||
---|---|---|---|
District | Cities/Municipality | Population (2020) | Area |
Capital District (1st District) | Manila | 1,846,513 | 42.88 km2 (16.56 sq mi) |
Eastern Manila District (2nd District) | 4,771,371 | 236.36 km2 (91.26 sq mi) | |
Northern Manila District (Camanava) (3rd District) | 3,004,627 | 126.42 km2 (48.81 sq mi) | |
Southern Manila District (4th District) | 3,861,951 | 208.28 km2 (80.42 sq mi) | |
Metro Manila | 13,484,462 | 619.57 km2 (239.22 sq mi) | |
Sources: |
The political and administrative boundaries of the National Capital Region has not changed since its formation in 1975 as a public corporation under Presidential Decree No. 824. They are composed of sixteen independent cities, classified as highly urbanized cities, and one independent municipality: Pateros.
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The cities and municipality of Metro Manila are divided into barangays with populations ranging from under 1,000 to over 200,000. In the City of Manila, Caloocan and Pasay, the barangays are grouped into zones for strategical purposes. As of 2015, there are 1,710 barangays in Metro Manila.
In terms of congressional representation, the region has 32 congressional districts with each city comprising one or more districts. The lone municipality of Pateros shares a congressional district with the first district of Taguig.
City / Municipality | District | Area [10] (km2) | Population (2020) [11] | Electorate (2022) [12] | Representative (2022) |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
Caloocan | 1st | 34,86 | 953,125 | 342,766 | Oscar Malapitan |
2nd | 8.40 | 381,690 | 233,294 | Mitzi Cajayon-Uy | |
3rd | 12.54 | 327,769 | 124,219 | Dean Asistio (Lakas-CMD) | |
Las Piñas | Lone | 32.69 | 606,293 | 291,074 | Camille A. Villar |
Makati | 1st | 16.31 | 254,600 | 209,859 | Romulo Peña Jr. |
2nd | 15.65 | 375,016 | 248,503 | Luis Campos (NPC) | |
Malabon | Lone | 15.71 | 380,522 | 258,115 | Josephine Lacson-Noel |
Mandaluyong | Lone | 21.26 | 425,758 | 232,492 | Neptali M. Gonzales II |
Manila | 1st | 4.57 | 441,282 | 264,362 | Ernesto M. Dionisio Jr. |
2nd | 4.08 | 212,938 | 152,929 | Rolando M. Valeriano | |
3rd | 6.24 | 220,029 | 164,664 | Joel R. Chua (Aksyon Demokratiko) | |
4th | 5.14 | 388,305 | 162,767 | Edward Michael V.P. Maceda (NPC) | |
5th | 11.56 | 395,065 | 217,787 | William Irwin C. Tieng (Lakas-CMD) | |
6th | 7.79 | 300,186 | 170,533 | Bienvenido M. Abante Jr. (NUP) | |
Marikina | 1st | 9.03 | 174,892 | 114,298 | Marjorie Ann Teodoro (UNA) |
2nd | 13.62 | 281,167 | 146,451 | Stella Quimbo (Liberal) | |
Muntinlupa | Lone | 39.75 | 543,445 | 311,750 | Jaime R. Fresnedi (Liberal) |
Navotas | Lone | 10.77 | 247,543 | 150,693 | Toby Tiangco (Partido Navoteño) |
Parañaque | 1st | 17.06 | 265,839 | 142,815 | Edwin Olivarez (Lakas-CMD) |
2nd | 27.99 | 424,153 | 203,263 | Gustavo Tambunting (NUP) | |
Pasay | Lone | 13.97 | 440,656 | 276,579 | Antonino Calixto (Lakas-CMD) |
Pasig | Lone | 48.46 | 803,159 | 457,370 | Roman Romulo (Independent) |
Pateros–Taguig | Lone | 20.61 | 484,906 | 227,906 | Ricardo Cruz Jr. (Nacionalista) |
Quezon City | 1st | 19.59 | 384,384 | 224,351 | Arjo Atayde (Nacionalista) |
2nd | 19.59 | 738,238 | 309,300 | Ralph Tulfo (PFP) | |
3rd | 46.27 | 319,371 | 161,366 | Franz Pumaren (NUP) | |
4th | 23.42 | 407,402 | 210,720 | Marvin Rillo (Lakas-CMD) | |
5th | 28.03 | 596,047 | 264,130 | PM Vargas (Lakas-CMD) | |
6th | 21.97 | 514,516 | 234,028 | Marivic Co-PIlar (NUP) | |
San Juan | Lone | 5.95 | 126,347 | 109,240 | Ysabel Maria Zamora (PDP-Laban) |
Taguig | Lone | 24.6 | 467,043 | 249,644 | Pammy Zamora (Nacionalista) |
Valenzuela | 1st | 25.82 | 360,894 | 199,294 | Mark Enverga (NPC) |
2nd | 18.69 | 354,084 | 244,317 | Eric M. Martinez (PDP-Laban) | |
Total | 619.57 | 13,484,462 | 7,310,879 | Total |
In terms of Sangguniang Panlungsod (city council, or in the case of Pateros, Sangguniang Bayan or municipal council) representation, each city is divided into city or municipal council districts. These are coextensive to congressional districts above, except that those cities that elect their representative at-large (Las Piñas, Malabon, Mandaluyong, Muntinlupa, Navotas, Pasay, Pasig and San Juan) their city council representation is divided into two districts.
For Taguig, its two congressional districts, with the first district taken without Pateros, are used to determine representation to its city council. For Pateros, it is divided into two districts, independent of Taguig.
Each district sends in an equal number of councilors.
Metro Manila cities may also be divided into traditional districts, such as the former municipalities (now city districts) that make up the City of Manila and the historical municipalities and estates like Novaliches, Balintawak, San Francisco del Monte and Diliman that were amalgamated to form Quezon City. Neither division has its own government. In Pasay, traditional districts include Malibay, Santa Clara, San Rafael and Maricaban.
Some cities in Metro Manila may also be divided into several gated communities, also known as subdivisions, which may or may not constitute their own barangays or low-level local government units. Some examples are: Dasmariñas Village in Makati; Ayala Alabang in Muntinlupa; Marina Bay, Merville, Tahanan Village and Better Living Subdivision in Parañaque; Greenhills in San Juan; La Vista, White Plains, BF Homes, Greenmeadows and Filinvest Homes in Quezon City.
Before 1901, the Province of Manila which today encompasses most of Metro Manila and the northern part of the neighboring province of Rizal was divided into 24 municipalities with Intramuros (then known as Manila) as its capital.
Except for the City of Manila which amalgamated six smaller municipalities in June 1901, the Province of Manila was absorbed by the newly created Province of Rizal with Pasig as its provincial capital.
The City of Greater Manila was formed in January 1942 combining the City of Manila and Quezon City, as well as six other municipalities from Rizal: Caloocan, Makati, Mandaluyong, Parañaque, Pasay and San Juan. [13]
The seven municipalities of the City of Greater Manila were restored and reorganized under the Province of Rizal.
In November 1975 through Presidential Decree No. 824, Metropolitan Manila was created out of four cities and thirteen municipalities (twelve from the province of Rizal and the municipality of Valenzuela from Bulacan) which covers the present-day territory of Metro Manila. [14] It was declared the National Capital Region of the Philippines in June 1978. [15]
Metropolitan Manila, commonly shortened to Metro Manila and formally the National Capital Region, is the capital region and largest metropolitan area of the Philippines. Located on the eastern shore of Manila Bay, the region lies between the Central Luzon and Calabarzon regions. Encompassing an area of 619.57 km2 (239.22 sq mi) and with a population of 13,484,462 as of 2020, it is composed of sixteen highly urbanized cities: the capital city, Manila, Caloocan, Las Piñas, Makati, Malabon, Mandaluyong, Marikina, Muntinlupa, Navotas, Parañaque, Pasay, Pasig, Quezon City, San Juan, Taguig, and Valenzuela, along with one independent municipality, Pateros. As the second most populous and the most densely populated region in the Philippines, it ranks as the 9th most populous metropolitan area in Asia and the 6th most populous urban area in the world.
Makati, officially the City of Makati, is a highly urbanized city in the National Capital Region of the Philippines, known for being one of the leading financial centers in the country. As of 2013, the city has the highest concentration of multinational and local corporations in the Philippines. Major banks, corporations, department stores as well as foreign embassies are based in Makati. Makati is also known for being a major cultural and entertainment hub in Metro Manila. According to the 2020 census, it had a population of 629,616 people, making it as the 47th most populous city in the country and ranked as the 43rd most densely populated city in the world with 19,336 inhabitants per square kilometer or 50,080 inhabitants per square mile. In 2023, the 10 Embo barangays were removed from Makati's jurisdiction as a result of the Makati–Taguig boundary dispute ruling, resulting in a reduction of the city's population to about 292,743. The daytime population of the city is estimated to be more than three million during a typical working day because of the large number of people who go to the city to work, shop, and do business.
Rizal, officially the Province of Rizal, is a province in the Philippines located in the Calabarzon region in Luzon. Its capital is the city of Antipolo. It is about 16 kilometers (9.9 mi) east of Manila. The province is named after José Rizal, one of the main national heroes of the Philippines. It is bordered by Metro Manila to the west, Bulacan to the north, Quezon to the east and Laguna to the southeast. The province also lies on the northern shores of Laguna de Bay, the largest lake in the country. Rizal is a mountainous province perched on the western slopes of the southern portion of the Sierra Madre mountain range.
Pasay, officially the City of Pasay, is a 1st class highly urbanized city in the National Capital Region of the Philippines. According to the 2020 census, it has a population of 440,656 people.
Pasig, officially the City of Pasig, is a highly urbanized city in the National Capital Region of the Philippines. According to the 2020 census, it has a population of 803,159 people.
Pateros, officially the Municipality of Pateros, is the lone municipality of Metro Manila, Philippines. According to the 2020 census, it has a population of 65,227 people.
Taguig, officially the City of Taguig, is a coastal city located in eastern shores of Metro Manila. It is the fifth-most populous city in the Philippines with a population of 1.2 million people. The city is one of the Philippines' cultural, financial, high-tech, entertainment and media centers with significant influence on commerce, health care, research, technology, education, politics, tourism, dining, art, fashion, and sports. Taguig is also an important center for the country's international diplomacy, hosting several embassies. The city also home to the headquarters of several major multinational corporations. Taguig has the fourth largest skyline in the Philippines, with 289 high-rises, 80 of which exceed 100 m (328 ft).
The Philippines is divided into four levels of administrative divisions, with the lower three being defined in the Local Government Code of 1991 as local government units (LGUs). They are, from the highest to the lowest:
Mega Manila is a megalopolis on the island of Luzon in the Philippines. There are varying definitions of the megalopolis, but it is generally seen as encompassing the administrative regions of Central Luzon, Calabarzon, and Metro Manila. On some occasions, the administrative region of Mimaropa is also included.
The legislative districts of Rizal are the representations of the province of Rizal in the various national and local legislatures of the Philippines. At present, the province is represented in the House of Representatives of the Philippines by its four congressional districts, with the districts' representatives being elected every three years. Additionally, each district is allotted a certain number of seats in the Rizal Provincial Board, with board members also being elected every three years.
The legislative district of Pateros–Taguig is the combined representation of the independent municipality of Pateros and eastern part of the highly urbanized city of Taguig in the Congress of the Philippines. The city and municipality are currently represented in the lower house of the Congress through their lone congressional district.
The legislative districts of Taguig are the representations of the highly urbanized city of Taguig in the Congress of the Philippines. The city is currently represented in the lower house of the Congress through its lone congressional district.
Manila, also known as Tondo until 1859, was a province of the Philippines that encompassed the former pre-Hispanic polities of Tondo, Maynila, and Namayan. In 1898, it comprised the city of Manila and 23 other municipalities. In 1901, the province was dissolved, with the city of Manila absorbing six of its smaller neighboring municipalities. The remaining part was merged with the adjacent district of Morong to form the province of Rizal.
The following outline is provided as an overview of and topical guide to Metro Manila:
The following is an alphabetical list of articles related to the Philippine capital region of Metro Manila.
Rizal's 1st congressional district is one of the four congressional districts of the Philippines in the province of Rizal. It has been represented in the House of Representatives of the Philippines since 1916 and earlier in the Philippine Assembly from 1907 to 1916. The district consists of the western Rizal municipalities of Angono, Binangonan, Cainta and Taytay. It is presently the largest legislative district in the country in terms of population. It is currently represented in the 19th Congress by Michael John R. Duavit of the Nationalist People's Coalition (NPC).
Embo, which stands for Enlisted Men's Barrio, refers to a collective term for ten barangays in Taguig, Philippines. The barangays were originally established to house military personnel of the Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP). The area was formerly disputed between the cities of Makati and Taguig, as well as the municipality of Pateros. As of November 2023, the barangays were transferred from Makati to Taguig.