Every letter and parcel in the Philippines carries a four digit number at the end of its address. That number is the zip code, the single most useful piece of the address after the street name. It tells the sorting office which town or which part of a city the mail belongs to, and it is the difference between a parcel that arrives on time and one that takes an extra day while it is sorted again.
The system is simple once you see how it works. The first digit tells you the broad region, and the rest of the number tells you the town, city or district. This guide explains the whole system, lists the main code for every big city from the official PHLPost directory, and shows you how to find the code for any address and write it on an LBC parcel.
What Is a Philippine Zip Code?
A Philippine zip code is a four digit number that PHLPost, the Philippine Postal Corporation, assigns to a town, a city, or part of a city. The code is not required by law, but PHLPost strongly recommends using it. PHLPost puts it plainly in its own guide: for your letter or parcel to arrive quickly, use the ZIP code.
The code is part of the address, not separate from it. PHLPost gives this exact order: find the zip code of the destination, then write it on the last line of the address, before the name of the town or city. A complete address ends with the code and the city, like "Cebu City, Cebu 6000".
There are two kinds of codes in the system. In most of the country, one code covers a whole town or city: Cebu City is 6000, Davao City is 8000, and Baguio City is 2600. In Metro Manila, the cities are divided into smaller code areas. Quezon City has 29 codes from 1100 to 1128, Makati has 30 from 1200 to 1235, and Manila has 19 from 1000 to 1018. Our full guides list every code: zip code Quezon City, zip code Makati, zip code Cebu City, and postal code Manila.
How the First Digit Tells You the Region
The first digit of a Philippine zip code is a rough map of the country. It does not name the town, but it tells you which part of the country the code belongs to.
| First digit | Region |
|---|---|
| 1 | Metro Manila |
| 2 and 3 | Northern and central Luzon |
| 4 and 5 | Southern Luzon and Bicol |
| 6 | Visayas |
| 7, 8 and 9 | Mindanao |
A code starting with 1 is always in Metro Manila: Manila is 1000, Quezon City is 1100 to 1128, and Makati is 1200 to 1235. A code starting with 6 is always in the Visayas: Cebu City is 6000 and Tacloban City is 6500. Iloilo City is the exception that shows the rule is only rough: it is in the Visayas, but its code is 5000, in the 5 range.
The Main Zip Codes for the Biggest Cities
The table below gives the main code for the biggest cities in the Philippines. Every code in it was checked against the PHLPost Zip Code Locator directory, the official list published by the Philippine Postal Corporation at phlpost.gov.ph. For the Metro Manila cities, the code shown is the central post office code, the code most people mean when they ask for the city's zip code. The full district and barangay lists for Quezon City, Makati, Manila and Cebu City are in our separate city guides, linked above.
| City | Main zip code |
|---|---|
| Manila | 1000 |
| Quezon City | 1100 |
| Makati | 1200 |
| Pasay | 1300 |
| Caloocan | 1400 |
| Valenzuela | 1440 |
| Malabon | 1470 |
| Navotas | 1485 |
| San Juan | 1500 |
| Mandaluyong | 1550 |
| Pasig | 1600 |
| Bonifacio Global City (Taguig) | 1635 |
| Parañaque | 1700 |
| Las Piñas | 1740 |
| Muntinlupa | 1770 |
| Marikina | 1800 |
| Baguio City | 2600 |
| Vigan | 2700 |
| Laoag City | 2900 |
| Tuguegarao City | 3500 |
| Dagupan City | 2400 |
| Angeles City | 2009 |
| San Fernando (Pampanga) | 2000 |
| Olongapo City | 2200 |
| Batangas City | 4200 |
| Lucena City | 4301 |
| Naga City | 4400 |
| Legazpi City | 4500 |
| Calamba | 4027 |
| Antipolo | 1870 |
| Bacoor | 4102 |
| Imus | 4103 |
| Dasmariñas | 4114 |
| Cebu City | 6000 |
| Mandaue City | 6014 |
| Lapu-Lapu City | 6015 |
| Talisay (Cebu) | 6045 |
| Iloilo City | 5000 |
| Tagbilaran City | 6300 |
| Tacloban City | 6500 |
| Davao City | 8000 |
| Cagayan de Oro City | 9000 |
| Zamboanga City | 7000 |
| Gen. Santos City | 9500 |
| Butuan City | 8600 |
| Iligan City | 9200 |
| Pagadian City | 7016 |
| Surigao City | 8400 |
| Dipolog | 7100 |
A few big cities are not in this table, and the reason is honest, not an oversight. The PHLPost directory as published does not list Bacolod City, Dumaguete or Cotabato City under their city names, and it does not list Pateros or a Taguig central post office code at all, so their codes could not be verified against the official directory and are not printed here. If you need one of those codes, check it on the PHLPost finder in the next section.
Two entries deserve a note. Iloilo City is listed as 5000, which is correct, even though the directory's province column for that row is mislabelled. And San Fernando appears twice with different codes: San Fernando in Pampanga is 2000, while San Fernando in Cebu is 6018, so always check which San Fernando the address means.
How to Find the Zip Code for Any Address
Finding a code takes less than a minute if you know where to look. Start with the table above for the big cities, or with our city guides for Quezon City, Makati, Manila and Cebu City. For any other town or city, use the official check:
- Go to the PHLPost Zip Code Locator at phlpost.gov.ph/zip-code-locator/.
- Type the town or city name in the search box.
- Read the matching row and use the four digit code it shows.
- If the search shows no row, try the name without "City", or try the barangay name.
One honest note about that tool: the table on the live site currently shows only a small part of the full directory, listing only Pandacan, 1011, for Metro Manila, and it has no Region 7 rows at all. The codes above were checked against the full directory behind it. If the finder search does not return your town, confirm the code at a post office counter instead of replacing it with a guess from another website.
Two other checks settle a code when the finder does not. Look at a recent utility bill or a piece of mail that reached the address, because the code printed there is usually right. Or ask the receiver to confirm the code they use. A code copied from a random list online is not a check, and a code guessed from the pattern is worse.
How to Write the Zip Code on an LBC Parcel
The zip code goes on the last line of the address, right before the city name. A Philippine address for an LBC parcel looks like this:
Juan Dela Cruz
123 Mabini Street, Barangay Kamuning
Quezon City, Metro Manila 1103
Mobile 0917 123 4567
The names and numbers above are a sample only, to show the shape. Write the barangay in full, because street names repeat across barangays, and write the code as four digits with no spaces or dashes.
Our guide to LBC address formatting tips walks through the full address piece by piece. Our branch guide shows how to find the nearest LBC branch.
Zip Code PH: The Planned 7-Digit System
The four digit system has been in use for decades, but PHLPost has said it plans a longer one. In January 2024, the Postmaster General announced ZIP Code PH, a seven character alphanumeric code that would carry the region, the city or municipality, and the barangay in a single code. A House bill on the same change was reported in January 2025. But as of November 2026, nothing has changed for senders: the official locator still shows the four digit codes, and those are the ones to use on parcels, forms and waybills today. Do not invent a seven digit code for an address.
Common Mistakes With Philippine Zip Codes
The most common mistake is using the main code for a whole city when the address needs a local code. In Metro Manila that matters most: Quezon City has 29 codes, Makati has 30, and Manila has 19. Using 1100 for a Diliman address, or 1200 for a Bel-Air address, will still reach the city, but it can slow a delivery down.
The second mistake is trusting a third party list. Many websites republish zip code lists, and those lists keep old errors alive: codes for barangays that PHLPost never assigned, old codes for barangays that moved, and towns with the same name mixed up. The EMBO barangays are the clearest example: their old Makati codes, 1214 to 1218, were retired in February 2024, but old lists still show them. When two lists disagree, the PHLPost directory wins.
The third mistake is mixing up towns with the same name. There are several towns called San Fernando, several called Santa Cruz, and several called Talisay, and each one has a different code. Always check the province with the town name: San Fernando in Pampanga is 2000 and San Fernando in Cebu is 6018.
The fourth mistake is leaving the code off a form that asks for it. Online shops, banks and government forms often need the code to match the address.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the zip code of the Philippines?
There is no single zip code for the Philippines. Each town, city or district has its own four digit code. The main codes for the biggest cities are in the table above.
How many digits is a Philippine zip code?
Four digits. The first digit gives the broad region, and the rest of the number gives the town, city or district. A longer seven character system called ZIP Code PH has been announced, but as of November 2026 the four digit codes are still in use.
What does the first digit of a Philippine zip code mean?
It gives the broad region: 1 is Metro Manila, 2 and 3 are northern and central Luzon, 4 and 5 are southern Luzon and Bicol, 6 is the Visayas, and 7, 8 and 9 are Mindanao. It is a rough guide: Iloilo City is in the Visayas but uses 5000.
What is the zip code of Manila?
Manila is 1000 for the Central Post Office and Ermita. The city uses 19 codes from 1000 to 1018, one for each district or part of a district. Our full postal code Manila guide lists all of them.
What is the zip code of Quezon City?
Quezon City uses 29 codes from 1100 to 1128, with 1100 as the main code. Our full zip code Quezon City guide lists all of them.
What is the zip code of Makati?
Makati uses 30 codes from 1200 to 1235, with 1200 as the main code. Our full zip code Makati guide lists all of them, plus the new EMBO codes.
What is the zip code of Cebu City?
Cebu City is 6000, one code for the whole city. Our zip code Cebu City guide lists it with every other Cebu town code.
What is the zip code of Davao City?
Davao City is 8000, one code for the whole city.
Do I need a zip code to send an LBC parcel?
It is not required by law, but PHLPost strongly recommends it, and LBC sorts faster when the code is on the waybill.
A Quick Recap
A Philippine zip code has four digits. The first digit tells you the region: 1 for Metro Manila, 2 and 3 for northern and central Luzon, 4 and 5 for southern Luzon and Bicol, 6 for the Visayas, and 7, 8 and 9 for Mindanao. The main codes for the biggest cities are in the table above, from Manila 1000 and Quezon City 1100 to Cebu City 6000 and Davao City 8000. For the full district and barangay lists, see our guides to Quezon City, Makati, Manila and Cebu City. For any other town, check the PHLPost finder.