Arvid Marius “Marco” Puzon has visited all 1,642 cities and municipalities in the Philippines, completing his journey on February 14, 2026, in Pahamuddin. This followed the creation of eight new municipalities in North Cotabato in 2024. His goal extends beyond personal achievement to highlight overlooked towns and their people.
Arvid Marius “Marco” Puzon began traveling in childhood, spending summers in Northern Luzon, Baguio, and La Union. In the 1990s, he worked as a Department of Tourism-accredited guide speaking German and French. By his mid-20s, he had visited 19 provinces.
From 1997 to 1998, he undertook solo backpacking trips to festivals and remote towns. The shift to visiting municipalities started in 2010 in Barobo, Surigao del Sur, where he felt a province visit was incomplete without seeing more places. By 2012, he had covered all but six provinces.
After losing his job in 2013, he launched his project to visit the then 1,634 cities and municipalities. He started in Luzon from San Ildefonso, Bulacan, covering 569 in Luzon and Cebu City within a year. By the end of 2018, he reached 1,579 towns and completed all 81 provinces; the 82nd, Maguindanao del Norte, formed in 2022.
A 2016 bus accident in Quezon Province, which killed one passenger, paused his travels for four months. The 2020 pandemic stranded him in Lapu-Lapu City, just six towns short of 1,628. He resumed afterward, sharing stories of people and places.
“There are so many unexpectedly beautiful places in the Philippines and what makes these beautiful beyond scenery are its people,” he said. He completed the full 1,642 on February 14, 2026, in Pahamuddin, becoming the first on record. Now, he aims for the country's 150 largest islands, having visited 113.
