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The Structure and Evolution of City System in the Philippines

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Industrial Location and Vitalization of Regional Economy

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Abstract

The recent economic growth in the Philippines has been accompanied by a rising rate of urbanization. While some places are able to benefit from the economic expansion and increasing urbanization, others are left behind. To better understand the problem of widening spatial disparity and craft policies that would make urbanization more inclusive, it is vital to look at how cities are organized and how that affects socio-economic conditions. This study analyzes the structure of the city system within the provinces in the Philippines from 1990–2020. In general, the structure of the city system in provinces has remained almost unchanged for the past three decades. Cities or municipalities were able to preserve their sizes and rank in the system. This study also explores the link between the city system and socio-economic conditions. Provinces with a city system, where cities are geographically adjacent to one another and where the population is concentrated, typically have superior socioeconomic conditions. While provinces with a city system in which both population and cities are relatively dispersed, tend to have an inferior socio-economic condition. This study also classifies provinces based on the link between the city system and socio-economic conditions and outlines appropriate policy recommendations.

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Notes

  1. 1.

    This study did not include the following provinces: Compostela Valley used to be part of Davao del Norte until 1998; Dinagat Island which used to part of Surigao del Sur until 2012; Davao Occidental, the youngest province which was created in 2013.

  2. 2.

    With the exception of regions, all other units are considered as official local governments units. Regions are used only for administrative management or statistic reference by the Executive branch.

  3. 3.

    Highly Urbanized Cities (HUCs) are autonomous from the province and have a minimum population of 200,000 and latest annual income of PhP50 million; 2) Independent Component Cities (ICCs) are also autonomous and have charters that prohibit their residents in voting for provincial officials; and 3) Component Cities which do not meet the requirements for HUCs and ICCs and still considered a part of the provinces.

  4. 4.

    For conformity, the top highest for CSI value is reversed as the low value indicates concentration.

  5. 5.

    The average number of cities per province is 1.3 and the municipalities per city is 18.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Faculty of Global Management, Chuo University, Hachioji, Japan

    Arianne Dumayas

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  1. Arianne Dumayas
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Correspondence to Arianne Dumayas .

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Editors and Affiliations

  1. Institute of Economic Research, Chuo University, Hachioji, Tokyo, Japan

    Toshiharu Ishikawa

  2. Faculty of Global Management, Chuo University, Hachioji, Tokyo, Japan

    Daisuke Nakamura

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Dumayas, A. (2023). The Structure and Evolution of City System in the Philippines. In: Ishikawa, T., Nakamura, D. (eds) Industrial Location and Vitalization of Regional Economy. Springer, Singapore. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-981-19-8128-9_8

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