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 highway 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 Laoag and the southern terminus is 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 (continuing to the administration of President Ferdinand Marcos) that included 11,333 bridges, comprising the whole 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 (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.

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 – Ilagan – Santiago – Solano – Bayombong – San Jose City – Cabanatuan – Gapan – San Miguel – Baliuag – Pulilan – Guiguinto
  E1: Guiguinto – Quezon City
North Luzon Expressway: Santa Rita Interchange – Balintawak Interchange
  N1: Quezon City – Makati
 EDSA (Eastern Route): 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 – Gumaca – Calauag – Daet – Milaor – Naga City – Daraga – Sorsogon City – Matnog
 Gap (San Bernardino Strait)
 Matnog–Allen ferry line: Luzon – Visayas
  N1: Allen – Calbayog – Catbalogan – Tacloban – Palo – Mahaplag – Liloan

Gap (Bohol Sea)
  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 (one-way street)
 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 (West Metro Manila)
  N1: Quezon City – Caloocan
EDSA (Western Route): 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 (Western Route): Roxas Boulevard – Magallanes Interchange

Luzon (South Skyway)
  E2: Makati – Muntinlupa
 Skyway: Makati – Muntinlupa

Visayas
 N70: Palo – Ormoc

Gap (Camotes Sea)
  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

Intersections
Ilocos Norte
 in Laoag. Northern terminus of AH26.
 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

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 (2nd segment) 
 in Biñan 
 in Santa Rosa
 in Calamba. Route number change from E2 to N1.

Batangas
 in Santo Tomas
 in Santo Tomas

Laguna (3rd segment)
 in San Pablo (two southern termini)

Quezon
 in Tiaong (northern terminus)
 in Tiaong
 in Tiaong (southern terminus)
 in Candelaria (western & eastern termini)
 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 (northern & southern termini)

Camarines Sur
 in Sipocot
 in Pamplona
 in Pili
 in Pili
 in Pili
 in Baao
 in Nabua
 in Bato

Albay
 in Polangui (two northern termini)
 in Ligao
 in Ligao
 in Daraga

Sorsogon
 in Pilar
 in Castilla
 in Sorsogon City (western terminus)
 in Sorsogon City
 in Sorsogon City (eastern terminus)
 in Bulan

Northern Samar
 in Allen

Samar
 in Calbayog
 in Calbayog
 in Gandara (northern & southern termini)
 in Catbalogan
 in Paranas
 in Basey
 in Santa Rita

Samar–Leyte boundary

 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 (northern terminus)
 in Tagum
 in Tagum (southern terminus)
 in Carmen
 in Panabo

Davao del Sur
 in Buhawan, Davao City (eastern terminus)
 in Buhangin, Davao City
 in Agdao, Davao City (eastern terminus)
 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 (western terminus)
 in Talomo, Davao City (western terminus)
 in Talomo, Davao City
 in Digos (northern terminus)
 in Digos
 in Digos
 in Digos (southern terminus)
 in Sulop

South Cotabato
 in General Santos (eastern terminus)
 in General Santos
 in General Santos
 in General Santos

Sultan Kudarat
 in Tacurong
 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

Lanao del Sur
 in Malabang

Zamboanga del Sur
 in Tukuran

Zamboanga Sibugay
 in Ipil

Zamboanga City

. Southern terminus of AH26.

Auxiliary routes

Metro Manila (western route) – part of  and 
 in Balintawak, Quezon City. Northern terminus of AH26 auxiliary route in Metro Manila.
 in Caloocan. Route number change from N1 to N120.
 in Navotas
 in Navotas
 in Tondo, Manila
 in Tondo and San Nicolas, Manila
 in Ermita and Intramuros, Manila
 in Ermita, Manila
 in Ermita, Manila
 in Malate, Manila
 in Pasay
 in Pasay. Route number change from N120 to N1.
 in Pasay
 in Pasay
 at Magallanes Interchange, Makati. Southern terminus of AH26 auxiliary route in Metro Manila.

Visayas (western route) – part of 
 in Palo. Northern terminus of AH26 auxiliary route in Visayas.
 in Capoocan
 in Ormoc
 in Ormoc
 in Ormoc

Mindanao – part of 
 in Davao City. Southern terminus of AH26 auxiliary route in Mindanao.
 in Arakan
 in Maramag
 in Valencia
 in Cagayan de Oro. Northern terminus of AH26 auxiliary route in Mindanao.

See also
 Transportation in the Philippines
 Department of Public Works and Highways
 Asian Highway Network
 Philippine Nautical Highway System

Notes

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

References

External links
Economy 

Roads in Luzon
Roads in Mindanao
Asian Highway Network
Roads in the Visayas