Pan-Philippine Highway

The Pan-Philippine Highway, also known as the Maharlika Highway, 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 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 of the Philippine highway network. The entire highway is designated as Asian Highway 26 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 Diosdado Macapagal as a first priority project for the improvement and expansion of Philippine highway and land transport networks. It was stated in his final State of the Nation Address in 1965 that the project requires the concreting of from 1965 to 1969, which continued into the administration of President Ferdinand Marcos. 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 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.

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, Sri Lanka and Indonesia are all linked to the mainland sections by ferries to South Korea, India, and Singapore, respectively. Despite its isolation, it can be linked internationally via ferry routes such as Laoag–China and Zamboanga–Malaysia.

Route description

AH26 officially runs along the following thoroughfares:

N1: Laoag – Guiguinto
*Manila North Road/Maharlika Highway: Laoag – Burgos – Aparri
*Bangag-Magapit Road: Aparri – Lal-lo
* Cagayan Valley Road: Lal-lo – Tuguegarao
* Maharlika Highway: San Pablo – Cabagan – Ilagan – Cauayan – Santiago – Solano – Bayombong – Santa Fe – San Jose City – Cabanatuan – Gapan – San Miguel – Baliwag – Pulilan – Guiguinto
E1: Guiguinto – Quezon City
*North Luzon Expressway: Santa Rita Interchange – Balintawak Interchange
N1: Quezon City – Makati
* EDSA : Balintawak Interchange – Magallanes Interchange
E2: Makati – Calamba
* South Luzon Expressway: Magallanes Interchange – Calamba Exit
N1: Calamba – Matnog
* Maharlika Highway: Calamba – Santo Tomas – San Pablo – Tiaong – Candelaria – Sariaya – Tayabas
* Lucena Diversion Road: Tayabas – Lucena – Pagbilao
* Maharlika Highway: Pagbilao – Atimonan – Gumaca – Lopez – Calauag – Labo – Daet – Sipocot – Milaor – Naga City – Pili – Nabua – Polangui – Daraga – Sorsogon City – Irosin – Matnog
Gap
* Matnog–Allen ferry line: Luzon – Visayas
N1: Allen – Calbayog – Catbalogan – Tacloban – Palo – Mahaplag – Liloan
Gap
* Liloan–Lipata ferry line: Visayas – Mindanao
N1: Surigao City – Zamboanga City
* Maharlika Highway: Surigao City – Kitcharao
* Surigao-Butuan National Highway: Kitcharao – Butuan
* Davao-Agusan National Highway: Butuan – Bayugan – Tagum – Davao City
* J.P. Laurel Avenue: Davao City
* C.M. Recto Avenue: Davao City
* Davao–Cotabato Road: Davao City – Digos
* Digos-Makar Road: Digos – Malungon – General Santos
* Marbel-Makar Road: General Santos – Polomolok – Koronadal
* Cotabato-Marbel Road: Koronadal – Banga – Surallah – Norala
* Isulan-Surallah Road: Isulan
* Marbel-Allah Valley-Cotabato Road: Isulan – Cotabato City
* Cotabato-Lanao Road: Cotabato City – Matanog
* Cotabato–Malabang–Lanao del Norte Road: Sultan Dumalondong – Picong
* Malabang–Dobleston–Tukuran Road: Sultan Naga Dimaporo
* Tucuran Junction–Karomatan Junction Road: Tukuran
* Maharlika Highway: Tukuran – Pagadian– Ipil – Tungawan – Zamboanga City
Auxiliary Routes

Alternatively, AH26 runs along the following thoroughfares:
;Luzon

N1: Quezon City – Caloocan
*EDSA : Balintawak Interchange – Monumento
N120: Caloocan – Pasay
* Samson Road: Caloocan
* Gen. San Miguel Street: Caloocan
* C-4 Road: Caloocan – Malabon – Navotas
* R-10: Navotas
* Mel Lopez Boulevard: Manila
* Bonifacio Drive: Manila
* Roxas Boulevard: Manila – Pasay
N1: Pasay – Makati
* EDSA : Roxas Boulevard – Magallanes Interchange

;Luzon

E2: Makati – Muntinlupa
* Skyway: Makati – Muntinlupa

;Visayas

N70: Palo – Ormoc
Gap
* Ormoc–Cebu ferry line

;Mindanao

N10: Davao City – Cagayan de Oro
*Bukidnon–Davao Road: Davao City – Quezon – Maramag
* Sayre Highway: Maramag – Malaybalay – Cagayan de Oro
N9: Cagayan de Oro
N946: Cagayan de Oro
Intersections

;Ilocos Norte

in Bacarra

;Cagayan

in Abulug
in Abulug
at Magapit Interchange, Lal-lo
in Tuguegarao
in Tuguegarao
in Tuguegarao
in Tuguegarao

;Isabela

in Cabagan
in Cauayan
in Santiago
in Cordon

;Nueva Vizcaya

in Bagabag
in Aritao

;Nueva Ecija

in San Jose
in Santo Domingo
in Cabanatuan
in Santa Rosa
in Gapan

;Bulacan

in San Rafael
in Pulilan
in Plaridel
in Santa Rita, Guiguinto. Route number change from N1 to E1.
in Balagtas
in Balagtas
in Meycauayan

File:E5 expressway NLEX Segment 08.jpg|thumb|Harbor Link Interchange in Valenzuela
;Metro Manila

in Valenzuela
at Harbor Link Interchange, Valenzuela
in Unang Sigaw, Quezon City
at Balintawak Interchange, Quezon City. Route number change from E1 to N1.
in Unang Sigaw, Quezon City
in Muñoz, Quezon City
in Diliman, Quezon City
in Diliman, Quezon City
in Diliman, Quezon City
in Cubao, Quezon City
near Camp Aguinaldo, Quezon City
at Ortigas Interchange in Quezon City and Mandaluyong
in Mandaluyong
in Makati
in Makati
in Makati
at Magallanes Interchange, Makati. Route number change from N1 to E2.
in Taguig
in Taguig
in Parañaque and Muntinlupa
in Alabang, Muntinlupa
in Muntinlupa

;Cavite

in Carmona

;Laguna

in Biñan
in Santa Rosa
in Calamba. Route number change from E2 to N1.

;Batangas

in Santo Tomas
in Santo Tomas

;Laguna

in Alaminos
in San Pablo

;Quezon

in Tiaong
in Tiaong
in Tiaong
in Candelaria
in Sariaya
in Isabang, Tayabas
in Isabang, Lucena
in Gulang-Gulang, Lucena
in Talipan, Pagbilao
in Silangang Malicboy, Pagbilao
in Gumaca
in Lopez
in Lopez

;Camarines Norte

in Santa Elena
in Labo
in Daet

;Camarines Sur

in Sipocot
in Pamplona
in Pili
in Pili
in Pili
in Baao
in Nabua
in Bato

;Albay

in Polangui
in Ligao
in Ligao
in Daraga

;Sorsogon

in Pilar
in Castilla
in Sorsogon City
in Sorsogon City
in Sorsogon City
in Bulan

;Northern Samar

in Allen

;Samar

in Calbayog
in Calbayog
in Gandara
in Catbalogan
in Paranas
in Basey
in Santa Rita

;Samar–Leyte boundary
File:Aerial view of San Juanico Bridge.jpg|thumb|The San Juanico Bridge carries the Pan-Philippine Highway between Samar and Leyte islands

San Juanico Bridge

;Leyte

in Tacloban
in Tacloban
in Palo
in Palo
in Abuyog
in Mahaplag

;Southern Leyte

in Sogod
in Liloan
in Liloan

;Surigao del Norte

in Surigao City
in Placer

;Agusan del Norte

in Butuan

;Agusan del Sur

in Prosperidad
in Prosperidad
in San Francisco
in Trento

;Davao de Oro

in Montevista
in Nabunturan

;Davao del Norte

in Tagum
in Tagum
in Tagum
in Carmen
in Panabo

;Davao del Sur

in Panacan, Davao City
in Buhangin, Davao City
in Buhangin, Davao City
in Agdao, Davao City
in Agdao, Davao City
in Agdao & Buhangin, Davao City
in Poblacion, Davao City
in Poblacion, Davao City
in Poblacion, Davao City
in Talomo, Davao City
in Talomo, Davao City
in Talomo, Davao City
in Talomo, Davao City
in Bago Aplaya, Davao City
in Digos
in Digos
in Digos
in Hagonoy
in Sulop

;South Cotabato

in General Santos
in General Santos
in General Santos
in General Santos

;Sultan Kudarat

in Tacurong
in Surallah
in Isulan
in Esperanza

;Maguindanao del Sur

in Datu Saudi Ampatuan

;Maguindanao del Norte

in Sultan Kudarat
in Datu Odin Sinsuat
in Datu Odin Sinsuat
in Sultan Mastura
in Parang
in Parang

;Lanao del Sur

in Malabang

;Zamboanga del Sur

in Tukuran

;Zamboanga Sibugay

in Ipil

;Zamboanga City

. Southern terminus of AH26.

Pan-Philippine Highway

History

Asian Highway Network

Route description

Auxiliary Routes

Intersections