How to write a Philippine address
A Philippine address runs from the smallest unit to the largest. What makes it distinctive is the barangay, the smallest local unit, which sits between the street and the city. Naming the barangay correctly is often what decides whether a parcel reaches you, because many streets and subdivisions are known locally by their barangay.
Line order
Example
The barangay
Every city and municipality is divided into barangays, and the barangay is a required part of a complete address. Some barangays have names, others are numbered. Because a single street can pass through more than one barangay, and because couriers often sort by barangay, leaving it out is one of the most common reasons a delivery is delayed. Always place the barangay on its own line or clearly after the street.
Units, subdivisions, and buildings
For a house in a subdivision, add the block and lot and the subdivision name before the barangay, for example Blk 4 Lot 12, Green Meadows Subdivision. For a condominium or an apartment, put the unit and floor and the building name first, then the street. The rule of thumb is the same as the rest of the address: start with the most specific detail and work outward to the barangay, city, and province.
City or municipality
After the barangay comes the city or municipality, followed by the province. In Metro Manila, cities such as Makati or Quezon City stand in place of a province, so the province line may be the city itself or the region. Write City where it is part of the official name, as in Cebu City or Quezon City, and keep the spelling consistent with official records.
The ZIP code
The four-digit ZIP code follows the city or municipality on the same line, before or in place of the province, as in Cebu City, Cebu 6000. A whole city usually shares one ZIP code, so the code identifies the city rather than a single street. Even so, writing it speeds up sorting and is expected on most forms.
Provinces and independent cities
Most cities and municipalities sit inside a province, which comes after the city on the address. Some cities are independent of any province, and several cities in Metro Manila stand on their own, so the line after the city may name the district or region instead of a province. Write what applies to your city, and keep the ZIP code with the city either way. When in doubt, the region and province shown on the city page here match how the postal service groups the address.
For online orders and couriers
Delivery apps and online stores usually split the address into separate fields for region, province, city, barangay, and street. Fill each field with the matching part of the address rather than typing everything into one box, because the app often routes the parcel by the city and barangay you select. Add a contact number and a short landmark in the notes, since many Philippine addresses are easier to find by a nearby church, school, or store than by street number alone.
Common mistakes
- Leaving out the barangay, which many couriers rely on to sort deliveries.
- Confusing a subdivision name with the barangay; both may be needed.
- Dropping the word City from names such as Cebu City where it is official.
- Guessing the ZIP code instead of looking up the city.
Finding the right ZIP
Each city or municipality has its own ZIP code. Find your city at the Philippines page, then copy the code and the ready-to-paste address format. If you find wrong data, please report it.