Philippines has 42,008 barangays or villages

As of December 2008, the Philippines had 17 regions; 81 provinces; 136 cities; 1,495 municipalities or towns; and 42,008 barangays.

In the fourth quarter of 2008 alone, 13 new barangays or villages, including Fort Bonifacio in Taguig City (Metro Manila), were added in the Philippine Standard Geographic Code masterlist, according to the National Statistical Coordination Board (NSCB).

This brought the total number of barangays in the country to 42,008 as of December last year.

"Ten new barangays were created in Taguig City in the National Capital Region, while three barangays were created in the province of Maguindanao, Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao," the NSCB said.

The new barangays in Taguig included Fort Bonifacio, Central Bicutan, New Lower Bicutan, Pinagsama, and San Miguel.

Barangay Bagong Tanyag was formed into three barangays: Tanyag, South Daan Hari, and North Daan Hari.  Signal Village was subdivided into four, namely: North Signal Village, Katuparan, South Signal Village and Central Signal Village.

In Mindanao, the newest villages were Datu Bakal and Datu Kilay in Shariff Aguak, Maguindanao; and Kanguan in Datu Piang, Maguindanao.

Meanwhile Tacloban City in Leyte was converted from a component city into a highly urbanized city under Presidential Proclamation No. 1637, which was ratified through a plebiscite on December 18 last year.