ALL highly urbanized cities (HUCs) in the Philippines expanded in 2024, with Puerto Princesa posting the fastest growth at 9.8 percent, according to the latest Provincial Product Accounts (PPA) released by the Philippine Statistics Authority on Tuesday, Nov. 18, 2025.
Iligan City followed with 8.8 percent, while Butuan (8.7 percent), Tacloban (8.2 percent), Davao (7.9 percent), Bacolod (7.7 percent), Makati (7.35 percent), Malabon (7.27 percent), Iloilo (7.1 percent), and Cebu (seven percent) completed the top 10 fastest-growing HUCs.
All registered growth rates are above the national gross domestic product (GDP) expansion of 5.7 percent.
The combined GDP of all HUCs reached P9.78 trillion in 2024, accounting for 44 percent of the country’s total output.
Manila joined Quezon City and Makati in breaching the P1-trillion GDP mark. Quezon City remained the biggest contributor to national GDP with a six percent share, followed by Makati at 5.4 percent and Manila at 4.7 percent.
Rounding out the top 10 HUCs by economic share were Taguig (three percent), Davao (2.6 percent), Pasig (2.3 percent), Parañaque (1.65 percent), Pasay (1.61 percent), Cebu (1.5 percent), and Mandaluyong (1.4 percent). Together, these cities accounted for 30.5 percent of the Philippines’ total economic output. / KOC