Also known as: Malabon, Lungsod ng Malabon
Malabon City is a highly urbanized city in Metro Manila (NCR), National Capital Region (NCR). Population 390K (PSA 2024 census), 21 barangays, land area 15.71 km².
Malabon City is in the National Capital Region (NCR), also called Metro Manila.
Yes. Malabon City is a highly urbanized city in Metro Manila, officially the National Capital Region (NCR).
Malabon City is in the Third District of the National Capital Region, also known as the Northern Manila District, together with Caloocan, Navotas and Valenzuela. The Philippine Statistics Authority groups Metro Manila's cities and its one municipality into four such districts. They are a statistical and administrative grouping, not congressional districts.
Malabon City had 389,929 residents in the 2024 census (PSA 2024 Census of Population (POPCEN 2024), reference date July 1, 2024). That is the most recent official count. There is no 2026 census result, so any 2026 population figure is an estimate.
Malabon City covers 15.71 km², per the PSA Philippine Statistical Yearbook figure used on this page.
Malabon City has 21 barangays.
Malabon is one of four cities that make up the CAMANAVA flood basin (Caloocan, Malabon, Navotas, Valenzuela), and its planning challenge starts with elevation: much of the city sits at or below sea level, which means parts of it can flood on a high tide alone, with no rain involved. On top of that tidal exposure, the city also floods when the Tullahan-Tinajeros river system or the La Mesa Dam spillway overflow during the monsoon — two distinct hazard mechanisms that its CLUP and drainage planning both have to account for. City hazard guidance identifies 18 of Malabon's 21 barangays as sitting within flood-risk zones, with riverside and tide-exposed barangays like Tañong, Catmon, Hulong Duhat, Potrero, and Tonsuya named most often in flood response. Academic research on the city's flood governance has specifically pointed to the unfinished Dagat-Dagatan reclamation project as a contributing factor, arguing that incomplete drainage infrastructure there has compounded the river-blockage problem rather than resolving it.
Key industries: Commercial fishing, Food processing (fish sauce, pancit), Garments + textiles, Small-scale manufacturing
Malabon's economy grew out of its coastal and estuarine geography — commercial fishing and fish trading historically anchored the local economy, supporting fish processing, net-weaving, and ship-repair trades, and giving rise to Pancit Malabon, the seafood-topped noodle dish that carries the city's name well beyond Metro Manila. Malabon's population grew from 380,522 in the 2020 Census to 389,929 in 2024, a modest 0.59% average annual rate.
Because CAMANAVA's flood infrastructure is genuinely shared across LGU lines, officials can compare Malabon's approach with neighboring Caloocan in the LGU directory. Planning teams evaluating digital compliance tools can explore the pilot program or schedule a consultation.
More on the regulatory framework: CLUP compliance (RA 7160 / EO 72 / DHSUD) · SGLG explainer (RA 11292) · full glossary.
Malabon's flood risk comes from two independent sources — tidal flooding tied to Manila Bay and river/dam overflow from a system it shares with three other cities — which means its planning office has to read hazard data that doesn't respect its own city limits. Nova Gov's platform is built to help planning teams line up shared, cross-LGU hazard data against their own zoning and permitting records rather than working from separate spreadsheets.
CAMANAVA's flood risk doesn't stop at Malabon's city line — 18 of its 21 barangays sit in mapped flood zones fed by tides, a river system, and a dam spillway it shares with three neighboring cities. See how a pilot would keep that shared hazard picture aligned with Malabon's own land-use records.
Explore the Malabon pilot →We build custom software around CLUP, CDP and zoning work, for LGU planning offices and for the planning firms LGUs hire. Free 30-minute workflow call, then a fixed written quote.
See what we build for urban planners →